What would it take for the Penn State men's basketball team to ever be a real B1G contender?

[psu1969a]

I can't argue that coming several miles through tough terrain in the winter is undesirable when the product on the court is mediocre. Put a winning team on the court and people will come; including alumni, local fans and students!

I'll bet your favorite song is "California Dreamin'

 

[fairfaxlion2]

Typical response, and what if the better HS kid does not want to come here?

Well we spent 16 years with coaches who were practically afraid to try to get better players. I'd argue that Chambers is already having success in that regard, recruiting with success in areas where JD and ED could not. Additionally, we were getting some really good players at the end of the Parkhill era. It is a myth that there is some fixed problem with PSU that cannot be overcome. The problem was the coaches from 1995-2011, and idiot administrators who would not give sufficient support to the program.

 

[Bushwood CC]

Well we spent 16 years with coaches who were practically afraid to try to get better players. I'd argue that Chambers is already having success in that regard, recruiting with success in areas where JD and ED could not. Additionally, we were getting some really good players at the end of the Parkhill era. It is a myth that there is some fixed problem with PSU that cannot be overcome. The problem was the coaches from 1995-2011, and idiot administrators who would not give sufficient support to the program.

OTOH, it is not nearly as easy for a non-traditional basketball school to be CONSISTENTLY good as many on here want to make it sound (e.g., it's just a matter of spending a gazillion $$$s and getting the best recruits in the country????). The reality is that the law of averages says that very few programs on a percentage basis will be consistently good on the national or conference level (e.g., make the NCAA Tournament virtually every year - only approximately 20% of the NCAA DI-A universe makes the NCAA Playoffs). The reality is that regardless of how well most athletic departments support their basketball program, most will only be competitive on the national level occasionally, not consistently, that's the simple reality. PSU is hardly the only major college football power that has a mediocre-to-bad tradition in basketball. There are some major college powers that are consistently good in both revenue sports, but they are pretty few and far between as a "percentage" of all D1-A schools, especially D1 basketball powers because basketball includes a lot more traditional powers from small private schools (especially universities sponsored by Catholic entities) - this is true because there are not large infrastructure costs to maintaining a D1 Basketball Program and the program is self-funding if they can recruit off of their tradition. This notion that it is easy to be annually competitive (e.g., being capable of making the NCAA Playoffs every year) is simplistic, ludicrous and stupid.

 

[Ian]

Talent, Talent, Talent!

Its not the x's and o's, it's the Jimmies and Joe's!

PSU can land Stevens, Carr, and Painter and along with Samuel, Hampton, and Bostick could have their best class ever. Maybe even a highly ranked class. Its getting better as is the level of talent. Garner last year and Reaves, Watkins, and Zemgulis this year. Thats a pretty good "ten" and all but Painter from traditionally fertile recruiting grounds.