Best Penn State basketball team we've ever seen?

[Il titano]

Incredible basketball team. Looking forward to the games this winter.

When was the last time we were ranked? I think it's been since the Clinton administration at least.

 

[4INSBU]

Rivals the 1995 team. I think that team got as high as 10 or 11 in the rankings

 

[83wuzme]

The 2000 team ended up in the Sweet Sixteen.
That was a fun team to watch.

 

[KCLion]

Rivals the 1995 team. I think that team got as high as 10 or 11 in the rankings

Didn’t they make the final eight that year?

They Made the final 4 in the mid to late 50s in KC.

 

[psuguy43]

Didn’t they make the final eight that year?

They Made the final 4 in the mid to late 50s in KC.

F4 was 1954 (with Jesse Arnelle). 01 we lost to Temple in the S16 (who we beat during the reg season). 1996 we were top 10 for 1 week. 2001 we ended #25, but were never ranked during the season

 

[Erial_Lion]

Long season in front of us. Lots of games on the schedule that can go either way. Hoping that variance is in our favor.

 

[Storm at Sea]

The 2000 team ended up in the Sweet Sixteen.
That was a fun team to watch.

This team is better than 2000.

 

[Il titano]

That 2000-01 team was great to watch. The upset against UNC was one of the all-time great wins in Penn State basketball history.

 

[psuguy43]

They were 7-9 in conference and the cabinet was empty the next year. This team is different and program is in a better situation. They had 2 young guards off the bench - Chambliss and Tate. Chambliss transferred to Wisky after another year or so and Tate never played another game under Dunn, due to his alcoholism.

This year, we lose Lamar, Watkins, and CuJo but haave lots of young talent and a solid recruiting class coming in -- I'm big on both Valdir Manuel and DJ Gordon.

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

i remember the team being ranked 9 but i don't recall the year

 

[psuguy43]

i remember the team being ranked 9 but i don't recall the year

1996

 

[Erial_Lion]

They were 7-9 in conference and the cabinet was empty the next year. This team is different and program is in a better situation. They had 2 young guards off the bench - Chambliss and Tate. Chambliss transferred to Wisky after another year or so and Tate never played another game under Dunn, due to his alcoholism.

FYI...Tate played 32 more games under Dunn before he stepped away.

Chambliss spent another two seasons at PSU, but Jon Crispin left after 2001.

 

[psuguy43]

FYI...Tate played 32 more games under Dunn before he stepped away.

Chambliss spent another two seasons at PSU, but Jon Crispin left after 2001.

Tate, really?? I know that he try to come back under ED, but never amounted to much.

 

[RU31trap]

I’m glad Chambers got another year. End result, you just beat the number 4 ranked team in the country. Congrats!

 

[PSU Soupy]

Really like this team...........Brockington was a needed add as he takes it to the hoop to help us in the paint as opposed to hoisting 3s.

Great game tonight....MD probably over ranked at #4....but PSU outplayed them from the get go.....Proud of the team and Pat.....future is getting brighter for PSU hoops.....Great Win.

 

[psuguy43]

Beat Bama on Saturday and we are definitely ranked come Monday... Possibly in the late top 20.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Beat Bama on Saturday and we are definitely ranked come Monday... Possibly in the late top 20.

I wouldn’t say definitely. Think it’s more 50/50 or even 40/60. Obviously other results impact us, but I think we’d be right on the cut line (maybe the top team of the others receiving votes).

 

[Class of 67]

Don't forget we lost a 20 pt lead to MS and got slaughtered by OSU. MD win helps, but we need more top wins to get where we want.

 

[psuguy43]

Don't forget we lost a 20 pt lead to MS and got slaughtered by OSU. MD win helps, but we need more top wins to get where we want.

That stuff happens in hoops. OSU is the best team in the nation and was shooting unconscious at home. It was still only a 10 point game when Lamar fouled out with 14 to go. We are 32nd right now. A 2 loss team with 2 Quad 1 victories (and 2-3 quad 2) is ranked --- take that to the bank. We have 0 bad losses (as the committee defines them).

I live and breath PSU hoops, moreso than PSU football. I'm not forgetting about those losses, but they are not bad enough to keep them out.

 

[jim cummings]

Climb with her

 

[Ian]

They can play with anyone when Big Mike shows up.

 

[Ten Thousan Marbles]

What are our board whiners going to do?

My goodness, from the paucity of posts, it seems like HCPC has cast an arthuritis spell on their itty bitty fingas.

 

[Erial_Lion]

That stuff happens in hoops. OSU is the best team in the nation and was shooting unconscious at home. It was still only a 10 point game when Lamar fouled out with 14 to go. We are 32nd right now. A 2 loss team with 2 Quad 1 victories (and 2-3 quad 2) is ranked --- take that to the bank. We have 0 bad losses (as the committee defines them).

I live and breath PSU hoops, moreso than PSU football. I'm not forgetting about those losses, but they are not bad enough to keep them out.

You’re setting yourself (and others) up for disappointment if you’re saying we’ll “definitely” be ranked or you can “take that to the bank”.

We might be, but if we are, it would be just barely.

And we aren’t 32nd in either poll right now. 34/35 in AP, not a single vote in the Coaches. And no one that votes will give any thought to Lamar fouling out against OSU and it being a ten point game when it happened.

 

[Storm at Sea]

OSU def top 5
MD more like top 20
PSU a top 20 team as well

 

[81b&w]

Climb with her

Is there a way to change the camera angle?

 

[fairfaxlion2]

Rivals the 1995 team.

I don't remember the 1995-96 team in full detail but I do remember that they were the best PSU team in my lifetime.

I remember the 2000-01 team pretty vividly and this team is way better. It is not even really close. I think the team two years ago with Tony Carr was also better than the 2000-01 team. That team had a really high strength of schedule, and about 3 or 4 big upsets which sent their RPI way up the charts. Beyond that, they were 7-9 in conference and frustrating. They were equally likely to upset a top 5 team as they were to lose to Northwestern.

 

[Agoodnap]

Really like this team...........Brockington was a needed add as he takes it to the hoop to help us in the paint as opposed to hoisting 3s.

Great game tonight....MD probably over ranked at #4....but PSU outplayed them from the get go.....Proud of the team and Pat.....future is getting brighter for PSU hoops.....Great Win.

Yep, MD sucks and this win means nothing. In fact, every team we beat in the future actually sucks so there is no way we can possibly be good.

 

[UncleLar]

The better teams went to the NIT prior to the 70's.

That's not really accurate - at best you are off by 20 years. You could maybe argue the point in the 40s but once the point shaving scandal of 1951 hit, the NCAA tournament became the tournament of choice. Even in the 40s, the consensus national champion was more often the NCAA champ than it was the NIT champ (some teams entered both and CCNY actually won both in 1950).

In the 50s, the NIT had some good teams, most notably Holy Cross in 1954, but by then the majority of the good teams were playing in the NCAAs (all conference champions did). By the 60s, no one would argue that the NIT had better teams.

 

[GregPSU]

Don't forget we lost a 20 pt lead to MS and got slaughtered by OSU. MD win helps, but we need more top wins to get where we want.

The MS collapse was bad, but the OSU clobbering of PSU is standard for them They lead the country in margin of victory. They beat #7 NC by 25 and #10 Villanova by 25

 

[AWS1022]

Yep, MD sucks and this win means nothing. In fact, every team we beat in the future actually sucks so there is no way we can possibly be good.

Overreact much? So you think MD is the #4 team in the country? Simple question.

 

[GregInPitt]

Definitely as good a team of talent spread across the lineup as I have seen since my time as a student in the 70's. But with Pat at the helm it would not surprise me to see the team underachieve, unfortunately.

As noted above, Brockington has been a great addition to the team. He plays smooth, takes it to the hoop, and seems to be a great replacement for Reeves in the lineup. The big men have matured greatly, and the guards are coming along. I winced when Dread jacked up that 3 without winding down the shot clock against MD in the closing minutes, and as a 2nd year player should have been directed to hold it for clock mgmt, but a great win as they hung on.

My son's alma mater, Dayton, seems to be loaded as well with a 1st round draft choice that their coach developed playing great at Center and a deep roster. So this should be an entertaining Winter of college BB....

 

[psualum10]

Definitely as good a team of talent spread across the lineup as I have seen since my time as a student in the 70's. But with Pat at the helm it would not surprise me to see the team underachieve, unfortunately.

As noted above, Brockington has been a great addition to the team. He plays smooth, takes it to the hoop, and seems to be a great replacement for Reeves in the lineup. The big men have matured greatly, and the guards are coming along. I winced when Dread jacked up that 3 without winding down the shot clock against MD in the closing minutes, and as a 2nd year player should have been directed to hold it for clock mgmt, but a great win as they hung on.

My son's alma mater, Dayton, seems to be loaded as well with a 1st round draft choice that their coach developed playing great at Center and a deep roster. So this should be an entertaining Winter of college BB....

I've said it elsewhere but Pat's not coaching any different currently than he has been. The thing is he coached as if he had 4 star talent when we were playing with 2 star players. Now he's coaching as if he has 4 star talent with 4 star players. The coaching isn't different the talent upgrade is. It's why I was fine with it taking as long as it did (though the last 2 years personally i've had some grumblings myself lol) but the thing is though not only are we fast, are we athletic, are we talented ... but this will now be sustainable and we shouldn't fall off a cliff after a good year. Is he an elite coach ... of course not lol but he's better than most give him credit for and this team will win at least 20 games and head to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 9 years. We're starting to get to a point where the NIT may be the floor most years.

 

[novaclassof90]

Really like this team and love the defensive intensity that Wheeler brings. But his lack of shooting really hurts them in half court offense. Other team can slack off him so far that it makes it tough for other guys. If he could even just hit a 15 foot jumper on a regular basis it would really help this team.

 

[tboyer]

Incredible basketball team. Looking forward to the games this winter.

When was the last time we were ranked? I think it's been since the Clinton administration at least.

Certainly the best team since the 1995-96 team which was basically the team that Parkhill built. They appear to have everything -- size, experience, shooting. They stay healthy, they not only make the NCAAs but probably as a mid-level seed.

It's an exciting time. the 1995 squad was a little bit of a lightning strike -- Parkhill had three good three point shooters but he never could recruit athletes of the caliber that Chambers has. If Chambers doesn't get exhausted like Parkhill and if PSU can keep him, he really could be building something lasting at PSU despite tremendous obstacles.

 

[UncleLar]

Certainly the best team since the 1995-96 team which was basically the team that Parkhill built. They appear to have everything -- size, experience, shooting. They stay healthy, they not only make the NCAAs but probably as a mid-level seed.

It's an exciting time. the 1995 squad was a little bit of a lightning strike -- Parkhill had three good three point shooters but he never could recruit athletes of the caliber that Chambers has. If Chambers doesn't get exhausted like Parkhill and if PSU can keep him, he really could be building something lasting at PSU despite tremendous obstacles.

The guy in the middle, Calvin Booth, helped a lot.

 

[aferrelli]

The best team of all time is this present one. They’re not finished getting better and growing; while the previous teams are all history and not getting better. This present team goes down as the best, all time, after it’s all said and done.