Blue White Illustrated

Penn State eager to host Spartans at Palestra T he idea was hatched last year, Patrick Chambers said, explaining how Penn State's upcoming game in Philadelphia's famed Palestra came to be. The hometown of six players on the 2016-17 roster, as well as Chambers him- self, Philadelphia is not an unfamiliar site, nor is the Palestra. The legendary Big 5 venue frequently played host to the At- lantic 10 tournament back when the Nit- tany Lions were members of the Eastern conference, and they returned in 2008 to play Rhode Island in a holiday tournament. Still, Chambers said, the opportunity to host a Big Ten opponent at a venue that ESPN once dubbed the "Cathedral of Basketball" was an enticing one. He just needed to get approval from a variety of sources, including Penn State athletic ad- ministrators and Big Ten brass. "When you put all that together, months and months and months of work and emails and communication and de- tails, it really turned out to be such a pos- itive," Chambers said. "The experience is going to be amazing for this program to once again put ourselves on a different platform, a different stage to prepare these guys to be the best team that they can be by the end of the year. "This was our home game, and it just turned out we only play them one time and we're going to do it down at the Palestra, which I think is really going to be exciting and electric and it's going to be an awesome experience for everybody in- volved and will definitely make memories that last for a lifetime." Facing off against a Michigan State team led by veteran coach Tom Izzo, Chambers said the future hall of famer was great throughout the process. When the two teams meet Jan. 7, Chambers is expecting the benefits of a daunting nonconference schedule to begin to pay dividends. "I think that's why we're doing the non- conference the way we are. We've struc- tured it this way with the administration to prepare us for the Big Ten and prepare us for games like this," Chambers said. "I think we're ready to do this. The founda- tion has been laid by some great, great players and teams that have fought for us for the last couple of years. I think we're ready to do this. I think the nonconfer- ence is exactly what we need to be the best team we can be in the Big Ten." Welcoming four highly touted recruits to campus this season, and a fifth in the form of freshman walk-on Grant Hazle, Chambers and the Nittany Lion coaching staff have already been hard at work inte- grating the group through the summer months. All of it, he explained, will be part of a process that he intends to develop while taking the new show on the road through the nonconference schedule. Hoping to bring in Penn State fans and alumni, as well as parents, friends and family for a sizable chunk of the roster, Chambers has set up a schedule that will now include trips throughout the North- east. "If you can't make it to the BJC, we're coming to you. We're coming to an arena near you very soon," Chambers said. "So we're going to be in Connecti- cut, we're going to be in New York, we're going to be in New Jersey, we're going to be in Maryland, we're going to be in D.C. There are so many opportunities for alums and fans and families to come out and support this program." ■ |

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