After a rough men's basketball season to say the least, a few players decided to transfer and leave the program. I presume they either 1) left on their own, as they no longer wanted to be part of a program which seems doomed for failure or 2) were forced/encouraged to leave, since Penn State really did not have any scholarships available if the entire roster stuck around; and this team needs some fresh blood, it is pretty obvious that the same group of players in 2011 would not fair much better than they did in 2010.
So this week, we get news as to where one of those transfers ended up. Chris Babb, from Arlington, TX said he left Penn State to be 'closer to home'. I guess Iowa State is closer to home, but it is not like his parents or he himself will be driving the 750 miles between Arlington and Ames, IA on a regular basis, if ever. I guess the flight time is shorter and he/his parents can get a direct flight, but come on, 'closer to home'.
I think this just proves the extremely sad state of the Penn State men's basketball program right now. Chris was a 3-star recruit coming out of high-school, and 3-stars to Penn State is equivalent to 5-stars at the top programs. And while Chris maybe did not have the impact some thought he would in 2010, he was probably one of our better players. And now he has left to be closer to home.
For those that don't remember, this is exactly how Penn State's previous coach's regime began to officially crumble; players started transferring on a regular basis. They gave what was thought to be honest reasons, but usually the choice of their destination told a different story.
Penn State under Jerry Dunn got to a point where they could not even fulfill the number of scholarships they had. In fact, assistant coaches has to participate in practice, just so they could go 5 on 5. Honestly, I am not so sure that the current program is not heading in the same exact direction.
I really think that 2011 is THE year for coach DeChellis. If we don't post a winning record in the Big Ten, and make it to the NCAA tournament, I think he should be and will be gone. There I have said it, if we don't make the NCAA tournament in 2011; Penn State should fire DeChellis and find a new coach.
Come on, we are Penn State, yes I know that does not translate into any sort of men's basketball powerhouse, but why not. We have tons of resources (facilities, alumni, potential fan support and money). We have made so many other sports programs work and be successful at Penn State, why can't Men's basketball.
Everyone seems to come up with countless excuses why it cannot exceed, and I just cannot accept those excuses. What about those that said Rutgers or Temple would never be successful in football? Or Butler in men's basketball? I could write a list a mile long of schools and teams which have defied all the odds to become successful in a situation which was not very well suited for success, and I expect Penn State to do the same thing with Men's Basketball.
We are Penn State
Enjoy this post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed and never miss another! Or sign up to get exclusive PennStateCentral.com Sports Analysis straight to your inbox!
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
It all comes down to recruiting and coaching… Tenessee was an SEC doormat for many years… Insert Bruce Pearl and now they are SEC contenders and NCAA dancers every year… Pearl added excitement and pride into a program that did not have much of a tradition at all, like Penn State. So find the right coach, and this whole program can be turned around.