At first glance, a lot has changed since the Penn State men's basketball team last visited Northwestern.

The Nittany Lions were nine games under .500 then and are four games over the mark now, while the Wildcats have gone from 13-12 mediocrity to putting together a five-game winning streak.

But the teams' game at 8 tonight at the Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., might be more of a flashback than anything else.

On Feb. 19, 2005, Penn State (8-4, 0-1 Big Ten) lost 54-39 to the Wildcats in a very plodding affair.

The Lions shot 30.8 percent from the field while the Wildcats managed 42.6 percent. No player scored more than 13 points on either team, and the two combined for 39 turnovers.

The low score and limited amount of shots for the Lions (39) meant every possession was crucial and, by all accounts, will be again tonight.

While Penn State averages 73.5 points per game, the Wildcats squad only gives up 54.2.

Northwestern (9-4, 2-0 Big Ten) is the minimalist of all Big Ten teams, giving up and scoring the least amount of points per game (60.5).

The Wildcats' most recent game, a 57-49 victory at Minnesota, is right in line with this slow, deliberate style of play DeChellis said will force the Lions to guard for "30, 35 seconds" of each possession and make the most of their own.

"If we have more than 12 or 14 turnovers, you can forget it," DeChellis said.

"You can't turn the ball over against them because that's that many less shots that you're going to have at the basket."

The Lions average 14.8 turnovers per game, slightly less than the number Northwestern takes away (15.2).

But the Lions will have to pay particular attention to turnovers not only because of Northwestern's offensive deliberation, but also when facing its 1-3-1 zone defense. The setup takes away opportunities for players to cut through the lane and score baskets.

Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said he employs the defense because his team is tall and long, but generally slow.

"Everybody'd rather play in man-to-man, but I don't know if we can," Carmody said.

Penn State freshman forward Jamelle Cornley said long-armed players in that zone defense can alter passes and cause deflections, emphasizing once more that each possession is critical.

But he also said it could benefit a quick, if small -- averaging 6-foot-5 on the backline -- Lions squad, as he and athletic sophomore guard Geary Claxton crash the boards with energy.

"When you're in a zone it's hard to box out," Cornley said. "When a shot goes up, it's hard to find a man."

One man who won't be hard to find for the Lions will be the familiar face of the Wildcats' primary scorer: senior forward Vedran Vukusic, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week.

Vukusic, a tall (6-foot-8) and versatile player, is scoring 21.8 points per game this season while no other Wildcat averages in double-digits.

DeChellis said his ability to put it on the floor and drive to the basket poses matchup problems for the Lions, and he described him as a great passer and 3-point shooter.

He said the Lions had their hands full both times they faced Vukusic last year and didn't guard him well in last season's a 65-62 win in State College.

That win was Penn State's first in the conference last year, after it had dipped well below .500 overall and in the conference.

This year the game is somewhat earlier in the schedule when a win, after a blowout 104-69 loss to Ohio State in its Big Ten debut, could put the ship at even keel.

"A wise football coach said, 'You know, you're not as good as you think you are, you're not as bad as you think you are,' " DeChellis said, channeling Joe Paterno. "We gotta find out where we're at. I gotta remember we're 8-4, not 4-8, and try to concentrate on that."

Note

While Vukusic returns his veteran presence, Northwestern will go with a freshman frontcourt. The Wildcats have lacked the services of senior guards Evan Seacat (soreness from hernia surgery) and Mohamed Hachad (appendectomy) recently. According to a Penn State basketball release, neither is expected to start.