Having seven players take off their warm-up shirt and head to the scorers' table is something Penn State coach Ed DeChellis is savoring in the early non-conference schedule.
He knows against tougher out of conference opponents and Big Ten foes, 12-men rotations will be harder to work in when leads likely won't exceed more than 20 points.
In Friday's loss to Rhode Island, his club trailed by two or three possessions much of the game, and DeChellis played just seven men and left both freshmen guards on the bench.
"We talked about it as a staff," DeChellis said Monday. "It's not only reliable, it was a different level of what we've played. Those two guys are still learning defensively what they need to do."
DeChellis said Friday's matchup with the Rams was too important in terms of Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and strength of schedule to make any mistakes defensively down the stretch.
Senior Danny Morrissey and sophomore Jeff Brooks were the only non-starters to see the court.
Sophomore center Andrew Jones was also in foul trouble underneath and has recorded only two blocked shots this season, making it tough on DeChellis to find a spot on the floor for him.
Brooks substituted for Jamelle Cornley toward the end of the game because the senior forward had four fouls.
Freshman Cammeron Woodyard, who came off the bench to score six points in nine minutes against Towson -- including a 3-pointer just before the first-half buzzer -- never heard his name called to check into the game against the Rams despite heavy discussion by the coaches.
"He showed spurts," Cornley said of Woodyard's early season play. "But it's a comfort level with Coach. If he doesn't feel comfortable with doing something, running a certain play or putting a certain player out there, then maybe that's not what he wants to do at that time."
Woodyard supported DeChellis' decision, saying he knew having veterans on the court most of the game was the best choice.
Morrissey's thinking followed similar lines as Woodyard's. And with a few more circles on the shooting chart, the outcome could've been different, he said.
"I can't begin to think what the coaches have in their minds," Morrissey said.
"We do what we're asked to do, and we trust in what they're doing is the right thing."
Cornley said DeChellis knew he could get away with playing just seven guys without worrying about fatigue setting in.
"Those seven guys have to make sure we take care of business because we are the core of the team," Cornley said.
"He wanted to make sure we won and he was gonna put the best five, seven guys out there."
