Beginning Monday, June 21st, 2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the opening day of the 2004-05 Season.

Bookmark the 144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back each day to see which team is previewed next.

#139 Penn State Nittany Lions

2003-04: 19-14, 11-4

Big Ten

By Joel Welser

Head coach Ed DeChellis is slowly building his program with his own players.  Unfortunately during that process, many quality players have left the school.  But since that appears to have been sorted out, the team chemistry should do nothing but improve.  Last year guards Marlon Smith and Ben Luber played just about every minute of every game, but they won’t have to this year.

Who’s Out: Ndu Egekeze and Rob Fletcher have graduated, Jan Jagla has left the program to pursue his professional career and a whole plethora of transfers are headed out.  Brandon Cameron is going to IUPUI, Robert Summers is off to West Virginia and Deforrest Riley-Smith is headed to Xavier.  

Who’s In: Plenty of scholarship room has been made with all the departing players and the coaching staff wasted no time filling it up.  Junior College transfer Travis Parker is the highlight of the class.  The 6-5 forward should make an immediate impact on the depleted frontcourt.  Incoming freshmen guards Mike Walker and Danny Morrissey will finally give the backcourt a much needed rest.  Forwards Geary Claxton and Brandon Hassle finish up the 2004-2005 recruiting class. 

Who to Watch: Even though the backcourt is extremely young, they have experience.  The question mark is replacing Jan Jagla underneath and all that pressure falls to Aaron Johnson.  The 6-9 junior averaged nearly 10 points per game last year, but will have to do more this year when he becomes the go-to-guy under the basket.  After a slow start, Johnson showed flashes of brilliance down the stretch, including a 28 point effort in a loss to Indiana.  

Projected Conference Rank: It’s a long way to Wisconsin and Illinois, but Penn State could very well improve on their 3-13 conference record.  Anything better then 10^th in the Big Ten would make things happier in Happy Valley.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

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