Ed DeChellis is still looking for the season's highlight. The landmark victories, the students storming the court following a win vs. Indiana -- they're all on the cutting room floor.

But the Penn State men's basketball coach will have to wait to see if his team can produce one. And wait. After completing their regular season schedule Wednesday, the Nittany Lions must wait until the Big Ten Tournament starts Thursday to play again.

"My ideal situation would be probably not to have an off weekend," DeChellis said. "Just continue to play as you're in rhythm."

Since early January, Penn State played a game every Wednesday and every Saturday. Variety, it's not. But it all eliminates uncertainty. Now facing a layoff, DeChellis said on Monday he wasn't sure how he would structure the time.

It definitely won't be the same. Rather than preparing full-bore for the next opponent, DeChellis went on a recruiting trip. The eight days between Wednesday's loss to Iowa and the first-round game stands as the longest break since non-conference games in late December.

"Yeah, it's good to get a couple days off your legs, don't get me wrong. Especially when you're going to try to make a push, like hopefully we're going to make a push," DeChellis said. "But you can get out of rhythm pretty easily, too."

Especially when following a loss. After the Lions lost 77-66 to Minnesota on Feb. 8, DeChellis said he liked how the rhythm of the Big Ten schedule allowed his team a chance to get the bad taste out of its mouth.

Now that bad taste is back again courtesy of a sour 65-38 loss at Iowa on Wednesday. Eight days is a long time to set a stew.

Not that the schedule's rhythm is a cure-all. Penn State followed its loss to Minnesota with another loss, 82-62 to Wisconsin. Despite the result, sophomore guard Mike Walker said the routine was nice.

"[The break's] not something we're used to," Walker said. "It's gonna be something where we have to stay focused."

The win-or-go-home aspect of the conference tournament will magnify how well Penn State does. DeChellis looked at each regular-season contest as a chance to improve, but the nature of the tournament requires a team's top form.

"They're all one-day tournaments," DeChellis said. "If you don't win that game, all the other mental preparation's out the window."

Which is why the Lions won't be doing advanced scouting in Indianapolis. Should they win their first-round game, DeChellis said then he'll watch the tape and do the scouting reports.

So perhaps it's fitting that, in the face of such disruption, the Lions will try to hold onto what rhythm they can. Even in a single-elimination tournament, Walker said Penn State brings the same mindset to every game.

Still, there's no underestimating how well the Lions will be able to prepare and focus during the eight-day break, then come out firing. In order for Penn State to record its season highlight in Indianapolis, immediate focus will be key.

"We gotta come more determined, ready to win," senior forward Travis Parker said. "Be ready to play as soon as the ball goes up."