Local Team Previews
Penn State University
By Evan Lapiska

When you look at the numbers-31-57 over the last three years-they do not scream progress. You have to read between the lines to see the bigger picture that fourth year head coach Ed DeChellis is trying to paint in football crazed Happy Valley.

In just his third year, DeChellis led his team to the postseason for the first time since 2001 with a berth in the NIT, brought in Penn State's first ever Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Jamelle Cornley, and shocked then-No. 6 Illinois on the road.

"We weren't very healthy when I got here," said DeChellis. "Now I think we've turned it around so that we are healthy."

DeChellis finally has a roster made up of his players. The Nittany Lions return four starters and have only two seniors on this year's squad. The players returning accounted for nearly 80 percent of the team's points, rebound, assists, blocks and steals last winter.

Hoping to build off last season's momentum, the Nittany Lions have aspirations to return to the postseason - but this time the NCAA's. While they are making strides in the right direction, too many expectations have been known to make a program trip over its own feet.

You have to crawl before you walk (16-42 in his first two seasons), and walk before you run (15-15 in his third). Now, DeChellis is hoping his young Nittany Lions are ready to run.