“STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — At Penn State, where football is king, basketball is an afterthought. The program has a relatively slim fan base and has not been consistently successful, sometimes finishing near the bottom of the Big Ten.
“But Talor Battle, a sophomore point guard, is working to change that.
“Rising from a childhood in which his family was briefly homeless and overcoming serious ankle injuries, Battle has helped Penn State match the program’s highest single-season win total. The Nittany Lions (25-11) will take on Notre Dame (21-14) in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Baylor (23-14) and San Diego State (26-9) will meet in the other game.
“Battle — a team co-captain averaging 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game — has helped dictate Penn State’s offense with an up-tempo style. He can slash to the hoop or distribute from the point, and he became the fifth Nittany Lion to be named a first-team all-Big Ten selection.”