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M A R C H 1 6 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 12 Progress report Culture change taking root, as youthful Lions finish strong in February M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L His Nittany Lions had just dropped a 79-75 slugfest to Ohio State in the sec- ond round of the Big Ten tournament. Shooting guard Shep Garner sat to his right, fighting back tears as he toughed out a few succinct responses before leaving the table. Sitting in silence, his team's season ended, Patrick Chambers was smiling. This is what progress looks like, and in his fifth season at the helm for the Nit- tany Lions, Chambers' program took its most discernible step toward the cul- ture change that is needed to transform a long-suffering basketball program into a postseason tournament con- tender. "I'm proud of my team this year, the way they competed, the way they stuck together. Our schedule wasn't easy, es- pecially the first 10. And they were a de- termined bunch. I really, really enjoyed coaching this group," Chambers said. "They just kept punching back. It was so much fun going to practice. The work ethic was off the charts." For a group that entered the season with "transition year" attached by many to its chances for success, the re- sults proved otherwise. Penn State had lost one of the pro- gram's all-time greats in D.J. Newbill, but knowing that the returning players would have to step up, forward Brandon Taylor and fellow seniors Donovon Jack, Devin Foster and Jordan Dickerson all answered the call. Taylor was particu- larly effective. Rather than simply meeting expectations, he put together a season that resulted in third-team All- Big Ten honors. As for the team, it finished the regular season with a 16-15 record. On the heels of an 18-16 finish the previous year, the Nittany Lions produced their first back-to-back winning regular- season records since 1994-96. And their 7-11 mark in the Big Ten resulted in a 10th-place finish – the team's best showing since Chambers took over the program. Regarded as the link connecting the Tim Frazier/D.J. Newbill years to the era that is about to begin in June when Penn State welcomes the best recruiting class in the program's history, Taylor did more than just make the most of his sit- uation. He and his teammates demon- strated that the Lions' young players – specifically Garner, Isaiah Washington, Payton Banks and true freshman Josh Reaves, who will be the only returning players with game experience next sea- son – have the necessary ingredients to continue winning. In fact, the question that nearly brought Garner to tears pertained to his influences at Penn State. "They taught me so much. In the two years I have been here, I've learned so much – from Devin all the way up to B.T. I appreciate them. They came in to practice and set the tone every day," Garner said. "They worked so hard. They work so hard for us. Everything that they put into this program, I just wanted to come out here and give it my best fight. Just came up short." Chambers echoed the sentiment. "The seniors were great all year," he said. "They battled. They helped the younger guys stay positive, especially when we started [the Big Ten season] 2- 8." The seniors' role, he added, was to help the younger players "keep getting better, trust the process, trust the coaches. And that's what they did. And I'm forever indebted, especially to B.T. and Donovon, for staying committed and loyal these last four years." The long-term impact of that com- mitment remains to be seen, but at minimum, Garner proved himself to be a cornerstone around which Penn State can build. Fighting through a midseason slump, the sophomore guard finished off his second year by playing a key role in a late-season surge that saw Penn State win five of its final eight Big Ten regu- lar-season games. Showing himself to be emotionally and physically invested in the program's success, he displayed strong leadership potential. Penn State will need him to continue developing that facet of his game next season, as the team will feature as many as seven new players. Garner finished the season ranked among the conference leaders in scoring (14th at 14.8 points per game), assists (13th, 3.4 apg), steals (tie-seventh, 1.3 spg), 3-point field goals made (ninth, 2.3 pg), and minutes played (fourth, 35.2 mpg). Given those numbers, it wasn't hard to understand why Chambers was so enthused about his potential devel- opment over the next two years. "This kid deserves a lot of the credit. He is top-15 in a lot of categories in the Big Ten, and nobody talks about him," Chambers said. "He just came up so courageous and spoke in front of all of you. Just shows you what kind of leader we have for our future in Shep Garner. Not only did he do that, but look at the game he had. Played terrific." In the end, Penn State wasn't big or strong enough to overcome Ohio State's athleticism, particularly when the Buckeyes deployed their full-court press. The Nittany Lions' finale illus- trated quite conclusively that this was still very much a transitional season. But transitions entail progress. And for that, Chambers is excited. OPINION NATE BAUER nbauer@bluewhiteonline.com

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