You don't need to have me tell you that the Penn State men's basketball team is struggling once again -- it's pretty obvious.

But struggling would be an understatement. The Nittany Lions are once again the embarrassment of the Big Ten, a title the team has had held since its miraculous Sweet 16 run in 2001.

Recent failings like Wednesday's 27-point road loss to Purdue and Saturday's loss to Ohio State, a 66-56 snore-fest, inevitably mean that the Lions will likely lose 11 straight games to end the season. Combine that with the team's earlier losing streak and that would make it 20 losses in the last 22 games.

Wow.

But have no fear. If Penn State beats No. 1 Illinois on Wednesday, you'll be treated to free chicken wings at the Bryce Jordan Center after the game. I'm not kidding: Wings Over Happy Valley, 536 Westerly Parkway, said that if Penn State wins, they'll hand out the free food.

And if that happens, I'll shave my head and write a column about how great this team is.

I could go on and on about what makes this team so bad, but we'll save that for another day. The easy answer is that the Lions just don't have enough talent to compete in the Big Ten.

Contrary to some of the recent coach-speak offered by some of the Lions' Big Ten opponents, this club has a long way to go before it truly competes on a day-to-day basis.

"When you've got freshmen and you can run your offense ... I honestly believe things are going to really get headed in the right direction [for them]," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said after Saturday's win at the BJC.

I don't know about you, but that sounds to me like a politically correct statement from a coach thrilled to walk away with a road victory, even though his team didn't play that well.

One of the main problems for the Lions is that they don't have that one player who can take control of a game and carry the team on his back if he must. The Lions probably thought they had that player in sophomore guard Marlon Smith, but it's uncertain that he'll ever play again and is currently dealing with a blood clot in his brain.

And fellow sophomore Ben Luber has struggled mightily in Smith's absence, totaling 25 points in his last six games and failing to score in two of them. He hasn't been better distributing the ball, tallying 38 turnovers and 52 assists on the year.

If you look around the rest of the country, or even just the Big Ten, every successful program has a dependable point guard to lead it. Illinois' backcourt of Luther Head, Deron Williams and Dee Brown is the best in the country. Michigan State's Maurice Ager and Indiana's Bracey Wright only add to the list of guards that near the top of their respective teams in scoring.

And though freshmen Mike Walker and Danny Morrissey have shown they can hit the long ball, neither seems comfortable playing the point. Even while praising Walker after Saturday's contest, Matta said the youngster wasn't a true point guard.

So that means that unless Smith comes back next season, Penn State needs to continue searching for that premier point guard to lead its team, which only furthers the rebuilding process.

Penn State's other troublesome spot is up front with the forward/center position. Aaron Johnson is a quality rebounder, but he faces double and triple teams against Big Ten competition, which obviously makes it difficult for him to score in the paint.

Junior college transfer Travis Parker is having a good season, but isn't your typical inside post player. Freshman Geary Claxton has been the team's lone bright spot this year and is the only given that the Lions have up front for the next couple of years.

The bottom line is that the Lions need some time before they can be expected to compete in the Big Ten.

I do know one thing though -- don't blame coach Ed DeChellis for the current struggles. The Lions coach has been handcuffed since he came back to Happy Valley, as numerous transfers quickly left the school. DeChellis is a good guy, who along with his coaching staff, knows the X's and O's of the game. He needs a few years to bring in his own recruits and develop the program the way he wants it to develop.

But it's going to take some time.

After all, it's hard to play a game of seven-card stud when you're only dealt three cards. And fans will have to be patient and hope there will be a few aces in the Lions' future.