SB Nation Pittsburgh: All Posts by FTG1855https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48827/pitt-fv.png2012-12-13T11:56:44-05:00https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/authors/adam-bittner/rss2012-12-13T11:56:44-05:002012-12-13T11:56:44-05:00Jake Waters picks Kansas State
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<figcaption>Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The highly-touted junior college quarterback will join the Wildcats. </p> <p>Highly-touted junior college quarterback Jake Waters is heading to Manhattan, Kan.</p>
<p>The Iowa Western Community College signal-caller announced his decision to commit to Kansas State at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.</p>
<p>"I really liked both schools and I connected with both coaching staffs. And I could see myself playing at both, but, at the end of the day, what I felt in my gut. ... I had a long talk with the Lord last night and, just in my gut, that this is the best thing for me as a student and a player, so I just went with that," Waters said at the news conference.</p>
<p>Waters is rated a four-star prospect by <a href="http://247sports.com/Player/Jake-Waters-23348" target="_blank">247 Sports</a> and a three-star prospect by both <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Jake-Waters-139953" target="_blank">Rivals.com</a> and <a href="http://jcfootball.scout.com/a.z?s=87&p=8&c=1&nid=6498372" target="_blank">Scout.com</a>. He's ranked the No. 18 overall and No. 1 pro-style quarterback prospect by 247 as well.</p>
<p>Before his announcement, Waters had scholarship offers on the table from Akron, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Kansas State, North Carolina State and Penn State, though ultimately the decision came down to the Nittany Lions and Wildcats. Penn State coach Bill O'Brien was in Iowa to make his final pitch this week and came close, according to Waters, but the quarterback's decision still went the other way.</p>
<p>"Just the other day, I told the coaches I was pretty much leaning there," Waters said. "I just thought it over again and something clicked. God just showed me a sign that K-State was the place for me."</p>
<p>Waters' decision leaves Penn State with one quarterback, Steven Bench, on scholarship for next season. High school prospect Christian Hackenberg is committed to Bill O'Brien's 2013 recruiting class, but can't sign his letter of intent until February.</p>
<p>Bench completed 2-of-8 passes for 12 yards in limited playing time this past season. He signed with the Lions in February as a member of the 2012 recruiting class. At the time of his signing, the Cairo, Ga. native was rated a three-star recruit by <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Steven-Bench-124504" target="_blank">Rivals.com</a>.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/12/13/3762866/penn-state-kansas-state-recruiting-jake-waters-pickFTG18552012-12-03T19:01:49-05:002012-12-03T19:01:49-05:00Penn State reportedly lands Pitt transfer
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<figcaption>Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Pat Chambers brings in a sophomore to Penn State's backcourt.</p> <p>It didn't take former Pitt guard John Johnson long to find a new home. The sophomore, who <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/pitt-big-east/pitt-guard-john-johnson-will-transfer-661887/" target="_blank">left the Panthers last month</a>, has committed to transfer to Penn State, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRecruitScoop/status/275738952655327232" target="_blank">Alex Kline of Rivals.com</a>.</p>
<p>Johnson averaged 4.2 points per game as a true freshman at Pitt last season and reportedly left the team this year because of a lack of playing time. The backcourt that Johnson will join in Happy Valley figures to be pretty loaded with veteran talent in 2013-2014, though.</p>
<p>Point guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99917/tim-frazier">Tim Frazier</a>, if granted a medical redshirt after rupturing his Achilles last month, will return to man the point for the Lions and should be joined by two current starters, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/126257/d-j-newbill">D.J. Newbill</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99913/jermaine-marshall">Jermaine Marshall</a>.</p>
<p>Johnson, a Philadelphia native, is a natural point guard and was rated a <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/pittsburgh/basketball/recruiting/player-John-Johnson-81220" target="_blank">three-star prospect</a> out of Life Center Academy in New Jersey in 2011. At the time of his commitment to Pitt, he had scholarship offers from programs including Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Villanova, Virginia Tech and an Ed DeChellis-led Penn State.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/12/3/3724328/penn-state-recruiting-john-johnsonFTG18552012-11-30T23:38:56-05:002012-11-30T23:38:56-05:00Penn State earns national title game berth
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<p>The Nittany Lions got a golden goal in overtime to top the Seminoles, 2-1.</p> <p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1816429/women_s_soccer.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Women_s_soccer_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1816429/women_s_soccer_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/GoPSUTony/status/274720743412076544" target="_blank">Photo via @GoPSUTony</a></p>
<p>The Penn State women's soccer team is moving on to the national championship game. The Nittany Lions beat Florida State, 2-1, in overtime on Friday night at San Diego's Torero Stadium after midfielder Christine Nairn scored a golden goal a little more than a minute into the extra session.</p>
<p>Penn State got on the board first with a goal by forward Maya Hayes in the 57th minute and maintained a lead until the final minute of play. Florida State's Tiffany McCarty was able to find the back of the net in the 90th minute, though, which sent the game to overtime.</p>
<p>In the extra session, Nairn got ahead on a rush and deflected the ball into the right corner of the net for a goal that sends Penn State's to the first national title game in program history where it will play the winner of the Standford-North Carolina game.</p>
<p>The College Cup championship game will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m. in San Diego and can be seen on ESPNU.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pitt-stop/2012/11/30/3713302/penn-state-womens-soccer-ncaa-championshipFTG18552012-11-30T06:00:49-05:002012-11-30T06:00:49-05:00Christian Hackenberg highlights show arm strength
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<figcaption>Patrick Smith</figcaption>
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<p>A look at the Nittany Lions' quarterback of the future in some of his top high school senior year moments. </p> <p>If his senior year highlights are any indication, quarterback prospect Christian Hackenberg has serious potential to help Penn State's deep passing game in 2013 and beyond.</p>
<p>The recruiting-focused website Lions247.com released the following video featuring the Penn State commit, and his arm strength really jumps out from the very beginning.</p>
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<p>That's a pretty mean deep ball, which is probably the thing Penn State missed the most in Matt McGloin. Granted, McGloin made most of the throws he was supposed to make in racking up 3,271 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2012. But on those long shots that require almost perfect throws, or those tight spaces that require well-placed rockets, McGloin simply didn't have the arm strength to connect consistently.</p>
<p>The video also shows Hackenberg to be a decent scrambler who can make a play with his feet if he has to.</p>
<p>Hackenberg, who <a target="_blank" href="http://247sports.com/Player/Christian-Hackenberg-13446">247 rates</a> a five-star recruit and No. 2 pro-style quarterback prospect in his class, is expected to compete for the starting job with rising sophomore signal-caller <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/159718/steven-bench" class="sbn-auto-link">Steven Bench</a>, who saw limited playing time in place of McGloin this season.</p>
<p>Penn State <a target="_blank" href="http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2012/10/16/Western_Iowa_quarterback_feature.aspx">has also given a scholarship offer</a> to junior college quarterback Jake Waters. If he chooses the Nittany Lions, he might be in the mix for some playing time as well.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/30/3708932/penn-state-football-recruiting-christian-hackenberg-highlightsFTG18552012-11-29T09:05:33-05:002012-11-29T09:05:33-05:00Big men cost Penn State in 73-61 loss
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<figcaption>Rob Christy-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>A look at the good, the bad and the ugly from Penn State's defeat in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.</p> <p>Penn State fell to 3-3 for the season on Wednesday night with a 73-61 loss against Boston College in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game at the Bryce Jordan Center. Here's a look at the high and low points of the Nittany Lions' effort and hear some of their thoughts on the defeat. For more, be sure to check out our <a href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/penn-st-nittany-lions/2012/11/28/3705126/boston-college-vs-penn-state-final-score" target="_blank">game recap</a>.</p>
<p><b>The Good</b></p>
<p>-You don't see two players combine for an 18-1 run in just over two minutes very often, but that's exactly what <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99913/jermaine-marshall">Jermaine Marshall</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/126257/d-j-newbill">D.J. Newbill</a> did between the 5:22 and 3:08 marks in the second half. The two were already having solid evenings, but they came very close to capping what would have been an epic comeback with that spurt. Unfortunately for them, they came up a bit short, but they can take solace in knowing they're capable of dominating play whether Tim Frazier is on the court or not. As it was, they finished with 25 and 22 points respectively. Those two were heroic against BC and have nothing to hang their heads about.</p>
<p>-Penn State turned it over just three times in the second half after coughing up the ball 10 times before halftime. Even as they weren't making shots late in the game, the Lions kept their composure, which is encouraging.</p>
<p>-<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145926/ross-travis">Ross Travis</a> was a monster on the boards, grabbing 13 rebounds over the course of the evening. At 6-foot-6, he's a little bit undersized to be playing at the four or five spot, but if he keeps turning out rebounding performances like that, he's going to put pressure on underachieving bigs like <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124150/jonathan-graham">Jonathan Graham</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99916/sasa-borovnjak">Sasa Borovnjak</a>. And with the way those two played against BC, that's definitely a good thing.</p>
<p><b>The Bad</b></p>
<p>-Brandon Taylor followed up his big 16-point performance against Bucknell with three points against Boston College. His minutes were limited by foul trouble and discipline is certainly something he's going to have to work on if he's going to become a consistent contributor to the offense. More discouraging, though, is that he only took two shots in the 23 minutes he did get. Taylor's aggressiveness is what allowed him to be a difference-maker in his first start. He'd be well served to find that aggression on Saturday, even if the makes don't come as easily as they did against Bucknell.</p>
<p>-Penn State got to the foul line 11 fewer times than BC. That, and the Lions' 6-20 performance from 3-point territory is a sign that players aren't attacking the basket enough as a group. This team isn't good enough to shoot itself to wins. It needs to get the free ones as often as possible to stay in games and the only way to do that is to get into the inside, whether that's guards slashing off the bounce or big men making space for themselves.</p>
<p>-The Lions allowed BC to shoot 8-18 from deep. They were probably lucky that the damaging 44.4 percent clip wasn't worse, too, as the Eagles were got some excellent looks that they didn't convert. Obviously, the perimeter defense took a step back from where it was against Bucknell. That's not good, because as offensively-challenged as Penn State is likely to be this season, it won't be competitive if it's getting creamed from deep.</p>
<p><b>The Ugly</b></p>
<p>-Graham and Borovnjak combined to grab three rebounds and score three points on 1-10 shooting in 44 minutes of playing time. That's a bad night for one forward, let alone two guys playing in their third and fourth seasons with the team, respectively. When they're on the court together, it feels like Penn State's offense is playing 3-on-5 and that obviously should not be the case when talking about two guys with as much experience as they have. For as much attention as <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99917/tim-frazier">Tim Frazier's</a> injury has received, his absence isn't nearly as damaging as two guys being almost complete non-factors in the frontcourt. They need to improve quickly if Penn State has any hope of being remotely competitive in a loaded Big Ten.</p>
<p>-Penn State had a field goal drought of over 10 minutes in the second half. That's over a quarter of the game without a make from the floor. The run was as discouraging as the Newbill/Marshall fueled rally late in the game was encouraging. It's one thing to shoot poorly for that length of time, but it's quite another for the offense to almost completely dry up. Even 20 percent shooting of that stretch likely would have kept Penn State in the game.</p>
<p>-The team announced that forward Pat Ackerman has been suspended for a violation of team rules.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/29/3705274/acc-big-ten-challenge-scores-penn-state-vs-boston-collegeFTG18552012-11-28T15:06:16-05:002012-11-28T15:06:16-05:00The case for Russell Martin
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<figcaption>Rob Carr</figcaption>
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<p>Russell Martin might make sense to pair with Pirates catcher Michael McKenry.</p> <p>It looks as though the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> are serious about trying to sign <span>Russell Martin</span>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/jon-heyman/21167776/pirates--yankees-look-like-biggest-players-in-four-team-russell-martin-derby">CBS Sports' Jon Heyman</a> reports Pittsburgh is making a "spirited effort" to draw the catcher away from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> and could be offering as much as three years and $25 million for his services.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.whygavs.com/pittsburgh-pirates/august-2012/pirates-interested-in-russell-martin-lighting-money-on-fire.html">Pat Lackey over at WHYGAVS</a> compiled a compelling list of reasons why Martin might not be a good fit. To summarize, he's 30 years old, is expensive, and hit just .211/.311/.403 last season with New York. But here are a few reasons why general manager Neal Huntington might consider Martin anyway.</p>
<p><b>There aren't many (actually, any) better internal options -- </b>The Bucs have three catchers currently on their 40-man roster: <span>Michael McKenry</span> and prospects <span>Tony Sanchez</span> and <span>Ramon Cabrera</span>. McKenry has proven to be a reliable reserve and hit a solid .233/.320/.442 last season, but a team needs at least two catchers who it's comfortable using for significant periods of time. Cabrera, and arguably Sanchez (who didn't stand out in Class AAA in 2012), both require more seasoning in the minor leagues. That leaves Pittsburgh without a whole lot of options in its own system.</p>
<p><b>There aren't many better options in free agency -- </b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/04/2013-mlb-free-agents.html">The list of remaining free agent catchers</a> shows Martin as the youngest guy out there. <span>Mike Napoli</span> is probably the best option on the market, but he's likely out of the Pirates' price range. Everyone else is either 35 or older (<span>Rod Barajas</span>, <span>Henry Blanco</span>, <span>A.J. Pierzynski</span>, <span>Brian Schneider</span>, <span>Matt Treanor</span>) or posted an OPS worse than Martin's .713 last year (<span>Miguel Olivo</span>, <span>Ronny Paulino</span>, <span>Humberto Quintero</span>, <span>Kelly Shoppach</span>, <span>Chris Snyder</span>, <span>Yorvit Torrealba</span>). Martin's numbers are good enough to command a real payday, and his age by comparison makes him the reasonable long-term option the Pirates would want without a whole lot of help coming in the minors.</p>
<p><b>The Pirates don't have much left to trade -- </b>Huntington gave up some of his better trade pieces to acquire pitcher <span>Wandy Rodriguez</span> and outfielder <span>Travis Snider</span> over the summer. The Pirates could move more guys to get a better catcher than Martin to Pittsburgh, but the options there are probably fairly limited. (Someone like <a href="http://www.bucsdugout.com/2012/10/15/3505222/what-pirates-might-do-to-acquire-a-catcher-this-offseason">Hank Conger</a> might make sense, however.)</p>
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<p><b>Martin is a good option defensively -- </b>With just six errors and nine past balls in 2012, Martin is a steady hand behind the plate. His did throw out just 24 percent of runners last season, but nailed 30 percent in 2011 and 39 percent in 2010. If the Pirates get serious about holding runners in 2013, they could do worse than Martin. He also has a strong defensive reputation with regard to blocking and framing pitches.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/28/3702622/russell-martin-pirates-rumorsFTG18552012-11-28T08:02:13-05:002012-11-28T08:02:13-05:00Penn State looks to top Boston College
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<figcaption>Andy Lyons</figcaption>
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<p>The Nittany Lions will look to maintain momentum against the struggling Eagles. </p> <p>Penn State will face Boston College in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday night when the teams meet for a 9:15 p.m. clash at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions won a 62-54 Challenge decision against the Eagles in Chestnut Hill last season.</p>
<p>Penn State (3-2) is coming off a 60-57 win against previously undefeated Bucknell last Friday. In the Lions' first full game without All-Big Ten point guard Tim Frazier, freshman forward Brandon Taylor came off the bench to score 16 points on 6-11 shooting.</p>
<p>Boston College, meanwhile, enters at 2-4 on the season and a loser of four of its last five. Last time out, the Eagles fell, 56-54 against Bryant out of the Northeast Conference.</p>
<p>Here are some keys for the Lions as they look to deliver a win for the Big Ten.</p>
<p><b>When Penn State has the ball</b></p>
<p><b>Brandon Taylor</b> -- The freshman took the Bison by surprise last weekend but the Eagles have had time to prepare for him. Boston College will probably be less inclined to double D.J. Newbill and leave Taylor open on the wing as Bucknell did, but that means Taylor needs to prove he's worth the attention. If he can, that will free up Newbill to make a few more plays than he did Friday.</p>
<p><b>Better use of the foul line</b> -- Without Tim Frazier, Penn State is simply going to have nights where it's tough to get momentum going from the field. That means it needs to do much better than the 9-20 performance at the foul line that it gave against Bucknell. If there's a sure-fire wake to make an offensively-challenged team worse, it's to give up the free ones. The Lions need to do a better job here against BC.</p>
<p><b>Solid offensive rebounding</b> -- Penn State pounded Bucknell on the offensive boards, 14-3. Jonathan Graham and Sasa Borovnjak combined for just six points against the Bison, but they did snag five of those offensive boards and helped generate the extra possessions the Lions needed in a close contest. Penn State's bigs need to take advantage of BC's limited size in a similar fashion.</p>
<p><b>When Boston College has the ball</b></p>
<p><b>Perimeter defense -- </b>Penn State hit more triples than its opponent for the first time against Bucknell thanks to some improved defense of the arc. For a team without a lot of dynamite 3-point shooting of its own, this is an important development. If the Lions can compensate for their own shortcomings by limiting opponents from deep, it'll be a big boost.</p>
<p><b>Turnover battle -- </b>Boston College has 50 more turnovers than it does steals this season, which means Penn State can afford to be aggressive defensively and still finish the night with a positive turnover margin. If the Eagles are unable to generate their own extra possessions in their defensive end, than the best way to exploit that is for Newbill and Jermaine Marshall to take some gambles up top in the interest of burying BC with its own errors.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/28/3699862/acc-big-ten-challenge-penn-state-lvs-boston-collegeFTG18552012-11-27T07:36:12-05:002012-11-27T07:36:12-05:00Tim Frazier injury unfortunate, but well-timed
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<figcaption>Andy Lyons</figcaption>
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<p>Tim Frazier's injury is devastating to this year's Penn State squad, but the point guard could escape the cruel fate of former Nittany Lions standout Geary Claxton. </p> <p>Before Talor Battle arrived in Happy Valley, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26705/geary-claxton">Geary Claxton</a> was the best player Penn State fans had seen this side of Joe Crispin. Over four seasons beginning in 2004-2005, the forward averaged 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He was a bright spot on some pretty terrible teams, as the Lions went 7-23 during his freshman season and never finished above .500 in his first three campaigns in blue and white.</p>
<p>Midway through his senior season in 2007-2008, though, things appeared to be turning around as Claxton, joined by Battle and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26703/jamelle-cornley">Jamelle Cornley</a>, led Penn State to a 10-5 start. By the time the Lions faced Wisconsin at home on Jan. 15, they'd won seven of eight and had the look of a team that'd be in the mix for at least a winning season and perhaps a postseason berth.</p>
<p>Those hopes were shattered in an instant, however, when Claxton tore his ACL against the Badgers, ending his season and career at Penn State. Battle led a youthful team to upsets of No. 7 Michigan State and No. 17 Indiana at home later in Big Ten play, but Penn State lose 11 of 16 games to end the year and was effectively lost without Claxton.</p>
<p>It's through that prism that Penn State fans should view the loss of All-Big Ten point guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99917/tim-frazier">Tim Frazier</a> for the rest of this season to a ruptured Achillies. Sure, his injury is catastrophic for this 2012-2013 team. He was the group's unquestioned leader and biggest threat on the offensive end of the floor after averaging 18.8 points and 6.2 assists per game a year ago.</p>
<p>But unlike Claxton, he's eligible for a medical redshirt that would allow him to compete next year. His season-ending injury came early enough that he could avoid it becoming an career-ender. For that, everyone should be thankful.</p>
<p>And with Penn State set to return everyone but guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/105581/nick-colella">Nick Colella</a> next season, Frazier's presence could give those Lions a look of an NCAA Tournament-caliber squad while his absence this season gives his younger teammates plenty of room to grow.</p>
<p>No, Penn State probably won't be playing for much this winter. But Frazier's fellow starters <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145926/ross-travis">Ross Travis</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124150/jonathan-graham">Jonathan Graham</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99913/jermaine-marshall">Jermaine Marshall</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/126257/d-j-newbill">D.J. Newbill</a> will now have to learn how to shoulder more of the offensive load. Where they may have deferred to Frazier's play-making ability, now they'll have to find shots of their own more often. This should make them more confident, independent players once Frazier returns.</p>
<p>Frazier's injury also opens the door for reserves to grow with extra playing time. That was made clear on Friday when Brandon Taylor, a bench option who otherwise would not have seen the floor much, came on to score 16 points in Penn State's 60-57 win against Bucknell.</p>
<p>These factors point to a stronger, more balanced team taking the floor in the fall of 2013.</p>
<p>No one wants to see a player suffer a devastating injury like Frazier's. He has months of rigorous rehabilitation ahead of him if he wants to return to the elite level he was playing at before the injury. But fortunately for Frazier, it appears he's avoided Claxton's fate and that his career still has the potential for a happy ending.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/27/3694552/penn-state-dodges-bullet-with-timing-of-tim-frazier-injuryFTG18552012-11-27T07:34:51-05:002012-11-27T07:34:51-05:00Awards show PSU doesn't always need top recruits
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<figcaption>Justin K. Aller</figcaption>
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<p>Most of Penn State's First Team All-Big Ten selections weren't rated elite prospects coming out of high school. </p> <p>The stars weren't quite out for Penn State during Monday's Big Ten awards announcements.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/cdtguy/status/273234682932502528">As the Centre Daily Times' Guy Cipriano noted on Twitter</a>, of Penn State's six First Team All-Big Ten selections, only linebacker Michael Mauti, who also took home the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year Award, was rated a four-star prospect or better at the time of his recruitment.</p>
<p>Wideout Allen Robinson, named the Richter-Howard Wide Receiver of the year, and center Matt Stankiewitch were rated three-star recruits out of high school, while defensive tackle Jordan Hill, offensive lineman John Urschel and tight end Kyle Carter all earned two stars.</p>
<p>For a program that will have its available scholarships reduced over the next four seasons as a result of NCAA sanctions handed down over the summer, this is a good sign. It shows that coach Bill O'Brien and his staff can turn players who might not be highly-regarded in the high school ranks into productive players at the Big Ten level.</p>
<p>Of Penn State's 13 commitments to the recruiting class of 2013, only four, tight end Adam Breneman, defensive end Garrett Sickels, quarterback Christian Hackenberg and offensive lineman Brendan Mahon, are rated four stars or better by <a target="_blank" href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/bwi/football/recruiting/commitments/2013/bwi-34">Rivals.com</a>. That leaves the class ranked No. 40 nationally and No. 7 in the Big Ten.</p>
<p>But if Monday night revealed anything, it's that good coaching on the college level can turn the nine three-star-or-lower rated prospects into productive players.</p>
<p>O'Brien also showed he can get it done with walk-ons, players Penn State will count on increasingly through the scholarship reductions. Those guys have their own role models in Big Ten Honorable Mention Matt McGloin, who shattered several Penn State passing records in throwing for 3,271 yards with 24 touchdowns in 2012, and tight end Matt Lehman, who caught 24 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns.</p>
<p>After Penn State's 2012 class signed in February,<a target="_blank" href="http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/penn-st-nittany-lions/2012/2/6/2771095/penn-state-football-recruiting-bill-obrien-super-bowl-new-england-patriots"> O'Brien said</a>: "I could care less about player rankings. What I care about is that we found the right fit for Penn State with all these prospects."</p>
<p>A year into his tenure in Happy Valley, it appears that's not just coach-speak. This should be encouraging not just to fans, but lower-rated prospects looking for a program where they'll be considered valuable moving forward.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/27/3695570/penn-state-football-recruiting-bill-obrien-michael-mautiFTG18552012-11-21T13:50:11-05:002012-11-21T13:50:11-05:00Thanksgiving weekend: Penn State vs. Rutgers?
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<figcaption>Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Penn State won't have a rivalry with Rutgers immediately, but could have a meaningful series over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.</p> <p>Don't call it a rivalry.</p>
<p>Penn State is 22-2 all-time against Rutgers, so history has certainly done little to set up a good push-and-shove between the two schools once the Scarlet Knights begin play in the Big Ten. That's not to say the Nittany Lions can't build some animosity with their eastern neighbor in the future. But at this point, Penn State fans have little more reason to hate the league's newest member than they do Indiana, Purdue or Minnesota.</p>
<p>What Rutgers does offer Penn State is the chance to establish a season-ending series that fans can finally embrace.</p>
<p>The last week of Big Ten play is usually full of tradition-rooted rivalry clashes, from "The Game" between Ohio State and Michigan to the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket between Purdue and Indiana.</p>
<p>During most of its first two decades in the conference, Penn State's season-ending foe was Michigan State, a team it battled for the <strike>reviled</strike> beloved <a target="_blank" href="http://sportssquared.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/land-grant-trophy.jpg">Land Grant Trophy</a>. For many fans, it felt like a forced marriage. Geographically, the fan bases were never close enough to truly clash. And the series was so lopsided (13-5 for Penn State, including vacated wins) that the give-and-take never really established itself.</p>
<p>When Nebraska joined the Big Ten last season, Penn State's season-ending opponent switched to Leaders Division foe Wisconsin. The Badgers are 8-6 against the Lions all-time, so competitively, there's more there than there was with Michigan State. But the distance between the schools -- 11 hours, 42 minutes by car -- is prohibitive to either fan base being able to make regular road trips over the busy Thanksgiving weekend.</p>
<p>Enter Rutgers, its Piscataway, N.J. home field a mere four hours from State College, 1 hour, 22 minutes from the massive alumni population in and around Philadelphia and 50 minutes from New York City.</p>
<p>I can already see Penn State fans making a weekend of a regular Thanksgiving weekend trip there, checking out the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, cashing in on Black Friday shopping in Manhattan and then rooting for their Lions on Saturday before making an easy trip home Sunday. Or maybe it'd just be nice for fans to hop in a car and take a reasonable drive on Saturday. That way, they <i>won't</i> have to spend the entire Thanksgiving break traveling as they did to go to Michigan State and Wisconsin.</p>
<p>Happy Valley can't really offer Rutgers fans the same entertainment options, but the geography works in their favor, too, especially when you consider that the only other Big Ten school within an eight-hour drive is Maryland. This setup would also give them another fan base they can mix with. It sure beats closing out against Minnesota, right?</p>
<p>For these reasons, both schools should lobby hard to face each other at the end of the year. And who knows? If the Knights continue their upward trajectory, maybe an actual rivalry can form. There's certainly more potential than Penn State-Wisconsin or Rutgers-Minnesota. Both fan bases should hope the league schedule-makers can see that, too.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2012/11/21/3675806/big-ten-expansion-penn-state-rutgersFTG1855