Center at 11 p.m. two days before the
game, ;ne-tuning his stroke.
In
other words, Banks had earned the
opportunity to have the ball in his hands
in the game's decisive moment. "I think
[that work is] why that shot goes down,"
Chambers said. "He was down, he was
ready, he was in rhythm. That was a good
shot."
Its signi;cance was not lost on the Or-
ange, Calif., native. Although he'd averaged
8.7 minutes in 29 games as a redshirt
freshman last season, Banks hadn't yet
experienced the sensation of coming up
big in a critical situation.
"That was probably the biggest shot of
my career, in my life," he said. "This is
the highest level I've played at, and this is
the biggest shot I've made."
How it impacts the rest of his season is
still to be determined, but Banks' intent
isn't open to interpretation. He's very
much hoping to turn that one crucial make
into many, citing it as a huge con;dence
booster.
Con;dence has been a missing element
in his game, one that Banks has been
trying very hard to ;nd. Although he's
averaging nearly 30 minutes per game this
season, he's been lagging in his specialty
– 3-point shooting – hitting at less than
a 30 percent clip to open the year.
Banks was recruited as a shooter, so much
of his time at Penn State has been spent
improving his defense, rebounding, and
the gritty elements of his game that had
previously been lacking. His success in
winning a spot in the starting lineup this
season provided a massive shot of con;-
dence and trust, he said. But even though
he'd made progress in becoming a more
complete player, his inconsistency on the
o
