1. Big on the boards
Penn State rebounds as aggressively as any team I’ve ever seen. They’re not all that big, but they go after every miss as if their lives depend on it. They out-rebounded Purdue 22-6 on the offensive glass last night. This after they got Northwestern 19-1 in that same category last week.
They took 20 more shots than Purdue did in the FIRST HALF last night – 20 more shots! Rebounding like that can make up for any number of other flaws in your game. (Watch video highlights of this game now.)
There are two guys who really personify it for me — Jamelle Cornley and Talor Battle.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone play like Cornley does at the pre-game shoot-around. Understand that shoot-arounds are typically more mental affairs than physical ones. They’re generally held about six hours before the game and give the players a chance to get loose and the coaches a chance to run through game plans, out of bounds plays, etc.
It’s rare to see anyone actually run at a shoot-around, the idea being that they’re preserving their energy for the game. Well, Cornley shoots around like he plays and he’s a man possessed. He huffs and puffs, slaps the ball when he misses a shot and generally looks like the fate of humanity rides on every practice shot he takes.
As for Battle, here’s a kid who is 5-foot-11 and ranks 11th in the Big Ten in rebounding. Just shows that rebounding is less about how big you are than technique and desire.
The guy who really stood out on the glass for Penn State last night was Andrew Jones. He had six offensive boards at the first TV time-out, which matched what would be Purdue’s total for the entire game. Ed DeChellis told me that he needs either Jones, Jeff Brooks or D.J. Jackson to step up for this team to really be successful.
Jones certainly took that to heart last night. DeChellis makes no bones about this team’s goal — they want to be in the NCAA tourney and if they keep putting forth the effort they have to this point, I believe they’ll get there.