ChicagoSports.com – Penn State upset-worthy:
“After Saturday’s games, it wouldn’t be totally out of line to say almost anybody can beat anybody in Big Ten basketball.
“Penn State’s upset of Illinois ended the No. 10 Illini’s 33-game winning streak at Assembly Hall and offers tangible proof road games can be won. It also should remind home teams there are no gimmes.
“The Nittany Lions (11-9, 3-6) had lost four straight coming into Champaign, all to ranked teams. With the exception of a 72-43 loss at Wisconsin, coach Ed DeChellis’ team had been competitive every night. While winning a road game–at Illinois, no less–seemed a long shot, it was not a total surprise.
“‘We told our team that Penn State is pound-for-pound the toughest team in the Big Ten,’ said Minnesota coach Dan Monson, whose team visits Penn State on Wednesday. ‘Mentally and physically, they kind of are like we were last year. They’re the team you don’t want to play no matter who you are or where you are in the Big Ten. It doesn’t matter if they’re 10 up or 10 down, they just keep coming after you.’ …”