◊ Tip off is coming up fast, so here's some pretty coherent pregame analysis from a few coherent PSU blogs.
• Happy Hour Valley: The Final Hurrah
• Nittany White Out: 36 buses, 1 purpose
• And of course, Black Shoe Diaries is always good for an open thread or two.
*Have something to say about this post? Let your voice be heard, in the ZN Message Forum!
◊ Ok, let's just get this out of the way. Here's what Joe Paterno said during an interview last night at the NIT semifinal game:
"Everyone says it's a black mans game. When I played it was a Jewish mans game."Was it odd to come right out and say it? Sure. Was he wrong? No. Is everyone overreacting? You bet your sweet bum.
"Yeah a city game right?"Right.
◊ I guess Penn State just wanted to make things interesting down the stretch. If so, the Lions succeeded, as Notre Dame was able to close a one-time 19-point deficit to four points with only a few minutes left.
But, in true Penn State style, the Lions didn't roll over and die under the pressure. Jamelle Cornley, Talor Battle and Andrew Jones weren't going to let that happen; not this time.
I will admit that I was terrified when Notre Dame went on its run midway through the second half. It felt like all the shots the Irish missed through the first 30 minutes, all of a sudden fell with ease, particularly from behind the arch.
Penn State got a bit sloppy, which directly led to Notre Dame's surge. I think it all came to a head once Cornley got chippy with the Irish players, but fortunately for him and his team, he calmed down and turned that attitude back into production on the court.
Not enough can be said about Jones' performance tonight. The last announced stats for him were 14 points and 14 rebounds. It felt like he had a lot more rebounds. Penn State had a ton of second chances, while taking away crucial Irish opportunities.
Regardless of what happens against Baylor in the NIT final, it's been a great season for Penn State basketball. Let's hope there's one more win up the Lions' sleeves.
*Have something to say about this post? Let your voice be heard, in the ZN Message Forum!
◊ Penn State played a fantastic first half against Notre Dame in the NIT semifinal game tonight at Madison Square Garden. Even though the Lions got a bit sloppy during their runs, it was still about a 18-point margin most of the half. Talor Battle is having his way with the Irish defense, while Penn State's defense is doing just enough (also due to Notre Dame's horrid shooting percentage) to make this one a comfortable lead going into the second half.
Let's hope the Lions can keep their cool, and not let this one slip away.
◊ There is a big game tonight. Sure, not big like what Michigan State is hyping up for; but it's big for Penn State. Remember this is a program that is historically terrible, with mediocrity being viewed as a major achievement. Here are a few links to get your blood going for tonight's game, some football links to note, and a link to the great new addition to Zombie Nation... our own message board!
Basketball
• Nittany White Out throws some questions around with a Notre Dame blogger.
• The Nittany Line presents a pretty dig at Notre Dame and the Big East; definitely worth reading for the entertainment value.
• Crispin & Cream, being the only basketball-only Penn State blog out there, gives the best technical look into the matchup.
Football
• Former tackle Phil Taylor (kicked off the team in 2007 for fighting) took a hard dig at Penn State and Joe Paterno in a recent interview by the Big XII ESPN blogger. (HT: Adam) Now, I realize Paterno's not as peachy as the ice cream suggests, but you can't really feel for Taylor. He said he was treated unfairly. Well, maybe he shouldn't have put himself in that position in the first place. Just sayin'...
• Syracuse doesn't think it will win at Penn State this season, so it's going to use it as a learning experience for a new quarterback. Yup, the Orangemen are going to start a true freshman signal caller this year. His second game will be in Beaver Stadium. Welcome to college football, pal!
• CFN came out with its very early Heisman contenders, not including the "Big Three." It's a short, but good list, and strikingly similar to another one floating around out there.
Zombie Nation
• Visit our new message board!
◊ So we didn't get as many votes as the football polls do, for obvious reasons. But we should all be really excited for PSU basketball right now. 
◊ I never really feel comfortable using the word 'dump' in a headline. Oh well, that's the way it goes. Here's some quick thoughts on last night's game, and some linkage for your pleasure.
• The game: It was an all-timer. Sure, the Lions would not have even gotten to this point without the fantastic conference season, with wins over Michigan State, Illinois and Purdue. However, if Penn State makes it to the final round of the NIT, we can look to the win over Florida, in Gainesville, as the final cog in one of the most successful seasons in modern Penn State basketball history.
You can share your own quick thoughts on the ZN TagBoard, on the right⇒ sidebar. No signup required!
Other reactions to Penn State's NIT campaign:
• Black Shoe Diaries
• Nittany White Out
• Crispin and Cream
• Nittanydelphia
*One football note: Spring practice starts today. I'm so freakin' excited!
◊ Here's a video taken from the stands. It's a really great clip that captured the moment perfectly.
The guy taking the video even kept the camera focused on the court when Talor Battle made the shot... that's some fine camera work right there.
◊ Well, our first basketball-themed poll turned out to be a dud. Eighty-two percent of the votes pegged Penn State as a tournament team, even with most of the votes coming after the Iowa loss. You can blame it on the Hawkeyes, but that would be sticking your head in the sand. Penn State needed to beat Rhode Island and/or Temple, and didn't. When the non-conference slate is that Charmin-soft, you have to make the clean sweep. They didn't. 
I'll have a new poll up in the next few minutes, so check back to vote. Also, there's still the Blue White Game poll available. That one will be up until the game.
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