With the resignation of former Penn State Lady Lions head coach Rene Portland coupled with yet another high-profile men's coach entering the Big Ten (Tubby Smith at Minnesota), the heat under Penn State men's basketball head coach Ed DeChellis has risen a few degrees in the past week.
But turn down the fire a little, and give DeChellis one more year to try and revive the dying program.
Even national championship-caliber coaches such as Gary Williams at Maryland and Mike Krzyzewski at Duke posted less-than-stellar records in their first four seasons. Both hovered around the .500 mark before finally experiencing success later in their careers.
If these two guaranteed Hall of Fame coaches couldn't win consistently during their first four seasons guiding powerhouse programs, why should DeChellis be expected to win right away at a basketball poorhouse like Penn State?
While the results on the floor have been unpredictable --15-15 in 2005-06 followed by a 13-game losing
streak in '07 -- DeChellis has still been coaching players who don't fit his system. Next season, however, the entire Nittany Lion roster will be filled with players recruited by DeChellis, including the most-heralded freshman class in recent Penn State memory.
Next year's freshmen class -- including a pair of redshirt freshmen from this past season (Andrew Jones III and David "DJ" Jackson) -- is comprised of four 3-star prospects.
By comparison, the Lions currently have one 3-star prospect on their roster in forward Jamelle Cornley.
Joining Jones and Jackson will be arguably the most notable Nittany Lion recruit in year, point guard Talor Battle from Albany, NY. He finally gives DeChellis the right type of point guard to run the same fast-paced offense he ran successfully at East Tennessee State.
Nothing against departing senior Ben Luber, he remained committed to the Penn State during times of turmoil and finished his career seventh on the school's all-time assists list. But Luber was more prone to take outside jump shots instead of penetrating and creating. He was better suited for a more deliberate-style offense.
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Battle, on the other hand, is quick and active. Described as a "slasher", one of his biggest assets is driving inside for easy lay-ups and creating open shots for his teammates.
He is eerily similar to DeChellis's point guard during his final season at ETSU, Tim Smith The physically small Smith ran the Buccaneers up-tempo offense with relative ease and led his team in assists and was second in points and steals.
Battle -- who averaged 5.4 assists during his senior season -- could do much of the same. Imagine a quick point guard drawing double-teams and dishing off to Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley for easy dunks. Or Battle driving to the hole, then kicking the ball outside to a wide-open Mike Walker for three.
The past four years, Penn State averaged a mere 64 points while going to the foul line only 18.5 times per contest. Under DeChellis, ETSU averaged 82 points and 25 free throw attempts in 02-03, his final season in Johnson City, Tenn. With the new personnel, expect a more offensive output from new, faster-paced Lions this season.
He may not be the savior, but Battle could be the Derrick Williams of the hardwood and revive fallen program. And DeChellis should be given at least one year to see what he can do with all of his own personnel.
After all, Battle said it best when he talked to the Collegian earlier this season.
"Not to be cocky or anything, but I'm a top-100 player in the country," Battle said. "[DeChellis] got me to go there, so he has to be doing something right."
