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three. Can you imagine if we put him at the three how big we're going to be? He's 6-7, Donovon Jack is 6-9 who I can play at the four now and Jordan Dickerson is 7-foot. So who will emerge from the guards? You have a decent amount now, but they're young. Obviously, D.J. is going to be your con- stant. I think J.J., he only played half a season, and I think that was noticeable. His timing was o9, he was a little bit in- consistent and he'll say that, so it's nothing that he wouldn't acknowledge. Geno Thorpe – he's talented, but we're asking a lot of a sophomore to try to put it all together on and o9 the 8oor. He's got great instincts, he's rangy, he's speedy, he has quickness and he's tough. Could you have a rotating cast of starters, depending on whi opponent? You could. But I like to reward loyalty and hard work. I think it's something special to have your name called, to walk out and hear the fans cheer for you: "D.J. Newbillllll" and the crowd goes crazy and you see the highlight and you see him up there on the scoreboard. That's a privilege, to me, and it's an honor. It says, "I work hard every single day. I'm consistent every single day." That's the big word I'm using right now. Obviously, attitude is never going to go away, but my word for them is con- sistent. Consistent every day, work ethic every day, focus every day. That's what I'm looking for. When you lose 10 games like we did, there was a lack of consis- tency. No shortcuts. How do you get that? Demand it every day. I say the word before we start, I'll say it in the middle and I'll say it again. There is a different look on this team. In all the years that I've been here, it's just different [now]. It's a different look. I think there's a purposeful look on their faces. We've been through a lot. We've been through losses, we've been through scandal, we've been through transfers, we've been through you name it. We've been through it all. I'm saying, I'm hoping, that we've learned from it. Do they have a nothing-to-lose mentality at this point? Well, you know what, I do. Because some of your counterparts are like, "Oh, Moore eager for fresh start after injury Making his collegiate debut in a game at Penn, only 18 miles from his native Fort Washington, Pa., Julian Moore reg- istered two points, two rebounds and a block in 15 minutes of action. It was the third game of Penn State's 2013-14 season, and Moore went on to appear in six of the Nittany Lions' next sev- en games, giving every indication that he would play a signifi- cant role throughout his freshman sea- son. But looking back, Moore regards the year as a mixed bag, noting that he was "a little bit all over the place." There's a reason for that. In December, during a practice session leading up to the Nittany Lions' nonconference game against Princeton, Moore suffered a bro- ken nose. Surgery repaired the break, and he donned a protective mask in the hope of returning to the court. But the mask didn't provide as much protection as he had hoped. "It got hit, and of course my nose got hit by the mask and it got pushed out of place," he recalled. "I was done. I could- n't breathe through my nose. They just sat me down with the trainer and Coach [Patrick] Chambers, and we just thought it would be best for me to redshirt last year." As it turns out, the setback may have been a blessing in disguise. A 6-foot-10 forward who weighed 215 pounds when he enrolled at Penn State, Moore was able put his time away from the court to good use, working in the weight room to build muscle while also crafting his game. Now listed at 235 pounds, he said the year was far from unproductive. "Obviously I wanted to play, but I did get a little bit of time off to work on my body and my game, getting mentally prepared to play and everything," he said. "So I think it was beneficial." Pointing to his work in the weight room, Moore acknowledges that he was- n't fully prepared physically or mentally for the challenges that accompany a true freshman's first season of Big Ten bas- ketball. "I know for a fact that I had to get stronger. I was really underweight for my position," he said. "From a basketball standpoint, I had to tighten up and really solidify my game throughout the floor. I guess I was a little bit raw all around when I first came here, but working with the coaches and everything really helped me get my game together." Moore is hoping to weigh 240 pounds by the time the season begins in October and said he's better physically and men- tally than he was a year ago. He was re- cently granted a medical hardship waiv- er by the NCAA and will have four years of eligibility left at Penn State. Moore understands that there are challenges ahead as he strives to make an impact in the rugged Big Ten, and al- though he notes that he "should be playing the four," he is happy to com- pete in whatever role head coach Patrick Chambers has in store for him. Unde- terred by the disappointments of last season, he's brimming with anticipation for what will amount to a reintroduc- tion. "I can't wait," Moore said. "I know there's going to be a ton of contact, and a ton of fun." – N.B. MOORE

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