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Lions get off to another winning start For Penn State men's basketball head coach Patrick Chambers, good starts haven't been an issue. Tipping off the 2013-14 campaign with a 74-62 victory against Wagner College on Nov. 9 at the Bryce Jordan Center, the Nittany Lions improved to 3-0 in season openers under Chambers and, as a program, extended their streak in openers to nine. With four true freshmen, two transfers and one very important senior point guard in the mix this season, Chambers is attempting to coax victories out of a talented but unseasoned group of players. The Nittany Lions' opener featured plenty of ragged moments to go along with the highlights, and Chambers was satisfied to walk off the hardwood with a win, regardless of the opponent. "I just said to the team that the first game is always the toughest. I don't care who you play, he said. "The last three " years, the first game has always been the toughest. I would say first-game jitters [were apparent], unfortunately. They're trying to play perfect, but they just have to go out there and play and relax. " Against the Seahawks, a team that Chambers expects to make the NCAA Tournament coming out of the Northeast Conference, the Nittany Lions received a scare. Penn State built a 32-20 halftime lead, but the Seahawks opened the second half with a 10-1 run to trim that lead to just one point. Relying heavily on guards Tim Frazier and D.J. Newbill, the Lions responded by scoring 11 of the game's next 15 points and were ahead by double-digits, 54-41, with eight minutes to play. Afterward, Chambers said his team would need to persevere in closing out future games, but he was able to find a positive takeaway in the Lions' ability to "answer the bell" when called upon in the key moments of their opener. "We got a little sloppy at the end. I'd BASKETBAL L NOTEBO O K like to see us finish games a little bit better, he said, citing the Nittany Lions' " 30-for-43 performance from the free throw line. "But I think we got stops when we needed to get stops, rebounds when we needed to get rebounds." Chambers predicted that Wagner's potent offense would go on to finish the season averaging 80 or more points per game. Although Penn State struggled to shoot the ball, finishing the game hitting only 35.8 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from 3-point range, Wagner had an even tougher time, going 0 for 13 from 3-point range in the first half and hitting only 29.9 percent of its attempts from the floor for the game. Frazier and Newbill finished with 25 and 18 points, respectively, but looking forward, Chambers said he would like to see his team's combined assist numbers increase. "We've got to share the ball a little bit more, he said. "Ten assists are good. I'd " like to see us get up to 13 or 14 assists per game, because I think we have that type of talent. But overall, I thought we played pretty well, because that is a very, very good team. I think they're going to be an NCAA Tournament team. That's how good I think they are. They have a lot of pieces. " Chambers pleased with defensive focus Citing team defense as one of the keys to the Nittany Lions' early success this season, Chambers acknowledged that players have a better grasp of concepts than they did at this time a year ago. That's due in large part to the work they put in over the summer, and to the for- eign tour that included three games against European opponents in August. "I think we're well ahead of where we were last year this time," he said. "I think we have six guys really on the same page, including Allen Roberts. We've got to get seven, eight and nine on that page. Once we do, I'll feel much better." In winning only 10 games last season, the Nittany Lions compiled some unsightly defensive numbers. They surrendered 68.2 points per game, ranking 215th out of 345 Division I teams in scoring defense. They were even worse on the offensive end, netting only 61.6 points per game (297th overall), but with an influx of scorers, the expectations have changed significantly this year. Improved depth helping in practice Penn State's depth is much improved from last season, and it will get even better in December when Pitt transfer John Johnson becomes eligible after sitting out a year in accordance with NCAA rules. Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard, is set to make his debut on Dec. 22 when the Nittany Lions welcome Mount St. Mary's to the BJC. The increased depth will certainly help Penn State on the court, but it will also have an impact in other ways. For instance, with more players in the mix, Chambers is seeing a higher level of competition in practice. "It's terrific," he said. The backup players "go at our starters like it's a game. I think that's why you're going to see us continue to get better, because practice is so competitive. Now you just got older. Now you've got 10 guys who you can put in there and feel pretty comfortable about, especially when it comes to Big Ten play." – N.B.

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