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COBL: The Horse emerges to help Roman Catholic win back-to-back PCL titles

Aron Minkoff in City of Basketball Love:

Most teams ride school buses to get to-and-from basketball games in Philadelphia.

Not Roman Catholic–the Cahillites have a first-class ride, via horseback.

That is, senior wing Nazeer Bostick, who earned the nickname “Horse”.

For the second consecutive year, the Roman Catholic Cahillites rode the Horse to the emerge as victors in the Philadelphia Catholic League boy’s basketball championship.

It was not always pretty but in Roman’s 72-65 victory of Neumann-Goretti, it was the glue guy, senior wing Bostick, who got it done.

In front of his future college coach, Penn State’s Pat Chambers, no less.

“He is the Horse,” senior guard Tony Carr said of his teammate, close friend and future college classmate. “When we play against those guys from Neumann he just ups his game to a different notch. He gets every offensive rebound, he is a ferociously attacking the glass and it just helps us a lot.”

The 6-foot-4 Bostick finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, nine of those points coming in the fourth quarter to help his team put away Neumann-Goretti….

Source: The Horse emerges to help Roman Catholic win back-to-back PCL titles

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Who’s your all-time PSU hoops starting five? 

Dave Jones’ top five:

For the last few weeks, the Big Ten Network has presented 12-15 nominees for each of the conference’s basketball programs and asked viewers to vote on their all-time starting five for each school….

Yes, I’m taking the challenge. There’s two ways you can approach this. You can choose an all-star team of individual impact players which is the way I’m doing it. The other and very valid method would be an actual team that fits together, that you could put on the floor and mold as a unit, which is the way a coach would do it.

One qualifier: I’m taking into consideration advances in the game since the 1970s or so. While basketball teamwork might have been more advanced in some enclaves in the 1950s and ’60s, the speed and athleticism and especially ball-handling of today would run those guys off the floor. So, I’m not including anyone from, say, the early 1950s on this list, sorry. Different game.

Here we go…

Source: Who’s your all-time PSU hoops starting five? BTN Live will announce fan vote on Wednesday

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DJones: What Penn State’s upset of first-place Indiana means to program that must progress next year

Dave Jones on PennLive:

On Saturday night, Penn State’s struggling men’s basketball team won a game that stands to have far-reaching consequences in the program’s future. The Nittany Lions’ upset of the Indiana Hoosiers knocked them out of a share of first place in the Big Ten.

Is this the real starting point of Patrick Chambers’ build toward a contending program? Or just another brief anomaly, something that can happen during a long season much like Rutgers’ now-unthinkable upset of a Wisconsin team that ended up in the national championship game?

I say it has nothing in common with the latter. And that it has a chance to be the former for one reason: Belief.

The Penn State team I saw on the Jordan Center floor came out from the tip with a conviction and drive that lasted for all 40 minutes. They did not defeat a team playing under par. They outfought an Indiana team playing at its normal energy level. And the Nittany Lions were simply better….

Source: What Penn State’s upset of first-place Indiana means to program that must progress next year

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Film Session: Penn State – IU

From Inside the Hall, an IU site:

We know Indiana’s offense struggled in its loss to Penn State in Happy Valley.

But over the final 10 minutes of action, the Hoosiers also made a number of miscues on defense and the Nittany Lions capitalized to emerge victorious.

It was IU’s second worst performance on D in terms of points per possession (1.05) in conference play.

We’ll take a look at the defensive missteps down the stretch in the latest edition of Film Session…

 

Source: Film Session: Penn State – Inside the Hall | Indiana Hoosiers Basketball News, Recruiting and Analysis

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Former Penn State coach John Bach dies; MJ: ‘He was more than a coach to me’

Johnny Bach, the defensive-minded assistant coach under Phil Jackson during the Bulls ‘ first three-peat, died Monday. He was 91.

Chicago Tribune:

Johnny Bach, the defensive-minded assistant coach under Phil Jackson during the Bulls’ first three-peat, died Monday. He was 91.

The coaching veteran of 56 years had a successful career on the collegiate and NBA levels.

A decorated war veteran, Bach drew widespread attention and credit for his defensive work and unconventional motivational tactics. Known as the architect of the Bulls’ “Doberman” defense, Bach would sprinkle his speeches with military references and drop the ace of spades — the card of death — after impressive outings.

“He encouraged me, worked with me and really helped me to mold my game,” former Bull Michael Jordan said Monday. “Without him, I don’t know that we would’ve won our first 3 championships. He was more than a coach to me. He was a great friend. I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing.”

Born in Brooklyn in 1924, Bach served as a naval deck officer in World War II between stints at Fordham University in New York. He played 24 games with the Boston Celtics before Fordham hired him in 1950 as one of the nation’s youngest major college head coaches.

Bach spent 18 mostly successful seasons there before moving to Penn State for 10 seasons. During this stretch, legendary coach Henry Iba tabbed Bach to assist the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, which lost that controversial gold-medal game to Russia.

The bitter experience was one reason Bach took a one-year break from coaching to fly commercial planes after returning to Penn State. From there, Bach moved to the NBA and served as head coach for Golden State from 1983-86.

That’s when the Bulls’ general manager Jerry Krause hired Bach to assist Collins. Bach stayed with the Bulls past Collins’ firing, teaming with close friend Tex Winter during the first three-peat….

Source: Johnny Bach dies at 91; Michael Jordan: ‘He was more than a coach to me’

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Adam Breneman’s open letter to Penn State

 

Interrupting our regular programming for this letter from football player Adam Brenman, who has given up football after three seasons due to injuries:

Dear Penn State,

What an exciting few years it has been. It seems like just yesterday that I was standing in the Cedar Cliff High School gym announcing my commitment to Penn State University. Prior to writing this letter, I spent time reflecting on the past three years, and I wanted to share some of my thoughts with all of you. There have been many memories along the way. The amazing support I have received from the fan base at Penn State has had an everlasting impact on me and my family. The journey has been amazing and unforgettable.

I will never forget the “rush” I felt when I committed to Coach O’Brien. I will never forget the tears I cried when the sanctions were announced on that summer day in 2012. I will never forget the look of pride in my parents’ eyes when I told them I would stay committed to Penn State through thick and thin. I will never forget playing against Michigan in 2013 and winning one of the most exciting games in history. I will never forget the feeling I experienced when looking into the crowd after my first touchdown against Purdue. I will never forget scoring the 68-yard touchdown which led to our upset win against Wisconsin. I will never forget the way my heart sank when I received that last call from Coach O’Brien on New Year’s Eve. I will never forget our first team meeting with Coach Franklin, or the trying times during this past season. These are just a few of the amazing memories I will forever cherish.

I have given everything I have to this great university and to you faithful fans. For some time I feared that the time would soon come when I would have to write this letter, and now it has become a reality. After very long and hard discussions with my doctors, coaches, trainers, family, and friends, we have come to the realization that now is the time for me to move on. Although I had successfully overcome multiple surgeries since 2010, the injury I sustained to my left knee in 2014 has been much more complicated.

I know many of you will be disappointed, which I understand, but I ask that none of you feel sorry for me. I have truly lived a dream at Penn State that so few people ever get to experience. I have played in huge games and scored touchdowns in front of the best fans in the country. I have played for some of the best coaches in the game.

Of course, I wish I could have contributed more on the field to this great school and to my teammates. I want nothing more than to make my teammates, my coaches, my family, and the amazing Penn State fans proud. I am not sure what the next chapter of my life will entail, but I promise no matter where I am or what I am doing, I will never ever stop fighting for Penn State.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has ever supported me during my career. Thank you to Coach Joe Paterno for first offering me a scholarship. Thank you to Coach Bill O’Brien for believing in me and constantly wanting the best for me. Thank you to Coach Franklin for supporting me and being there during the difficult times. And of course, none of this would ever be possible without the hard work and vision of my high school coach, Jim Cantafio.

Additionally, thank you to Tim Bream, Wes Sohns, Travis Baughman, Dr. Scott Lynch, Dr. Pete Seidenberg, Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, Dr. Brian Bixler, and Dr. Brian Ulmer. The medical care I received throughout my career has been first-class. The people I named have supported me in so many ways and have fought for me when many have doubted. I will always be thankful for their hard work.

I have always said that what makes Penn State such a special place is the people. And the people that surrounded me during my time here are really what made my experience so special.

I will love Penn State and I will love the people of Penn State for as long as I live. A day will not go by that I do not wake up and thank God for sending me to this great school. I always knew since a young age this was the place I belonged. It did not always go the way I planned, but I trust this was the plan for me. I would rather go through the challenging times at Penn State than have any other experience anywhere else.

Thank you, Penn State. I will bleed blue and white forever and ever. I love you, Dear Old State, and I will forever be indebted to you.

For the glory,

Adam

Source: Adam Breneman’s open letter to Penn State

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As Star Wars’ Chewbacca stand-in, former Penn State hoops player Joonas Suotamo living his dream


Joonas Suotamo at Los Angeles premier of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on Dec. 14. (Lucasfilm photo)

Dave Jones:

By the time Hollywood producer Gerry Abrams came to speak at one of his Penn State film classes in 2007, it was pretty clear to Joonas Suotamo and everyone around the PSU basketball program that he was not going to become the next Dirk Nowitzki. But that did not matter to Joonas. He had found his true passion.

And here was a Penn State graduate in the front of his classroom telling the 6-11 Nittany Lion forward of the limitless horizons that technology was offering those who desired a career in movies and television. The year was 2007.

“It was a tech talk about the amount of opportunity available now in this world that wasn’t there when he was starting out,” remembered Suotamo.

“I have to say, I agree now. I wasn’t sure if I believed him then.”

Suotamo’s conviction is well warranted. Because, through a sequence of events that can be termed at once serendipitous and maybe fateful, he plays Chewbacca, pilot-for-hire Hans Solo’s beloved hairy assistant, in the new Star Wars franchise directed by none other than Abrams’ son, J.J.

Source: As Star Wars’ Chewbacca stand-in, former Penn State hoops player Joonas Suotamo living his dream