Like dozens of other basketball teams around the country, Penn State gathered in its gym last month to watch as the N.C.A.A. tournament bracket was slowly unveiled on television.
The Nittany Lions, who finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten and beat Michigan State, an eventual Final Four team, on the road, watched as seven of their conference foes made the tournament while they did not.
Replacing scowls and disappointment with motivation and focus can be difficult for players and coaches in that situation. But Coach Ed DeChellis made his players’ new mission clear as soon as the television was turned off.
He wrote on a board, “Championship of a National Tournament,” then underlined it and stated that it was the group’s new goal. On Thursday, the Nittany Lions (26-11) will play for the National Invitation Tournament championship against Baylor (24-14) at Madison Square Garden….