Last time the Penn State men's basketball team prepared for a game, it went dancing.

On Thursday night, the Nittany Lions taped off a hotel ballroom and did a walkthrough for their game versus Ohio State the next day, just hours after their victory against Northwestern. They had to, given the short turnaround time.

So perhaps it's appropriate that in preparation for its opening-round National Invitation Tournament game at 8 tonight against Rutgers at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State is dancing once again. And it's a quick tango.

"You can only do so much in one practice," Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis said. "You have an hour-and-a-half practice to put as much as you possibly can in."

Penn State only found out it would play the Scarlet Knights (18-13) in the Big Dance's little brother late Sunday night, leaving the team with another short turnaround. A normal game preparation leaves time to be desired -- and more videotape.

The Lions (15-14) had a game tape only from their 83-80 victory at Rutgers last season, so DeChellis had more sent to the team yesterday morning. More are on the way today, but most of the tapes featured Rutgers playing against a man-to-man defense. Penn State plays primarily zone defense -- strike two.

"That's kind of the thing going into it. I'm not as comfortable with right now as I wish I would be," DeChellis said.

But Rutgers has no more time to prepare and also has to travel. In addition to the home-court advantage, sophomore forward Geary Claxton said the team is ready to play, but there's no doubt extra time would be welcome.

"Finding out at 9:30, 9:45 at night and not really being able to do to much about it, that's the only disadvantage," freshman forward Jamelle Cornley said. "You never know what certain players are doing what and who's playing good."

If practice yesterday, however, was any indication, the team knew. The name "Douby" -- Rutgers' dynamic guard Quincy Douby -- bounced around more than the basketballs. And for good reason.

Douby averaged 27 points per game in Big East play, tops in the conference. DeChellis said Douby is explosive and at times looks unstoppable. He's a complete player, according to assistant coach Penn State Kurt Kanaskie, averaging more than three assists per game and diverting attention to get baskets for teammates.

"He may be the best offensive player we've gone against, but it's not strictly shooting," Kanaskie said.

Both coaches said the Lions need to limit the number of Douby's good looks at the basket and pray he just doesn't get the hot hand. And even if he does, the Scarlet Knights have physical post players and a trio of perimeter scorers to worry about.

The whole focus doesn't have to be stopping Douby from scoring nearly 30 points, Kanaskie said -- the Big East had enough trouble. Still, the figure is hard to get around.

"It is gonna be 'Douby, Douby, Douby,' " Cornley said. "We're not just going to worry about him completely, but we understand that he is the key to this game."

But for all the Douby-mania and short preparation time, DeChellis said his team has a good understanding of what it needs to do and is playing its best basketball of the season.

"You get in a tournament like this, everybody's 0-0," DeChellis said. "Everybody's starting in the same position."

In the same position, once again ready to rope off the ballroom and tango.