Nittany Lion of the Week - Talor Battle

by BSD on Feb 5, 2009 8:00 AM EST in Basketball

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Talor Battle had an amazing performance on Sunday against Michigan State. The 5'11" point guard scored a career high 29 points in leading Penn State to the 72-68 upset of the #9 ranked Michigan State Spartans. Battle made 6-of-12 three point shots and at one point scored 13 straight points for the Nittany Lions in turning a 13 point deficit into a one-point halftime lead. Some of the shots he was making were coming a good five or six feet from behind the arc completely deflating the boisterous Spartan crowd and taking away Michigan State's home court advantage.

The win was crucial in that it dramatically boosts the perception of the Penn State basketball program. Penn State has suddenly become a hot topic in the discussion of bubble teams for the NCAA tournmant. It was also Penn State's first ever win in the Breslin Center. How does Talor Battle feel about that?

"I guess we made history, huh?" Battle said. "Coach mentioned that we hadn't won here. But I wasn't on those other Penn State teams. This is the '08-09 team. And we weren't going to lose by 37 like last year."

The kid just oozes with confidence and moxie. Enjoy him now, Penn State fans. It may be a long time until we see another player like him.

For his efforts Battle was named the collegehoops.net player of the week. He is the first Big Ten player to receive the award this year. Brent Yarina of the Big Ten Network calls him his Big Ten Player of the year for the first half of the season.

Honorable Mention

Sean McHugh and Scott Paxson each got a Super Bowl ring as reserve players with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Male Gymnast Casey Sandy won his second consecutive and Big Ten record eighth Big Ten Player of the Week award.
Tyra Grant scored a career high 33 points in a triple overtime loss to Wisconsin.
Junior track and field long distance runner Bridget Franek posted a 9:10.04 in the 3000 meters to break a 21 year old Penn State school record and earn an automatic qualify for the NCAA championships.
Karie Haglund won three individual races and two relay races in helping the swim team defeat Ohio State.
Todd Blackledge has been selected by the Penn State board of trustees to receive the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award.

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And in the interest of intra-site blogwhoring...

http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2009/2/4/749660/talor-battle-shots-from-le

--
Mr. Bob Dobalina

by Run Up The Score on Feb 5, 2009 9:05 AM EST reply actions

Big Game

Tonight. Back to the state of Michigan. We gotta win this one… No let down. Win these next 2 games then a loss to Purdue is fine.

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

by wookieeman on Feb 5, 2009 9:07 AM EST reply actions

Wierd

I’m actually excited for a PSU BB game. I mean, legitimately excited, like that feeling I get before a football game…

I mean, I get excited during our games now, but this is the first time I’ve built up anticipation for a game.

"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.

by millzners on Feb 5, 2009 9:24 AM EST up reply actions

We just need that kind of excitement to

continue – even after a loss. I hope it does and the team continues to get built up.

pinkertonpark.com - you owe yerself a laugh.

by rahpsu92 on Feb 5, 2009 12:59 PM EST up reply actions

In Attendance

I’ll be there. UM was doing a buy one, get one promotion so now I’m stuck with another ticket to the Purdue game. Woo Hoo!

by DisplacedNittany on Feb 5, 2009 10:47 AM EST up reply actions

I'm with ya

I never thought I would be…but I’m pumped for this. I might have to throw on my DWill jersey during the game tonight for good measure. Maybe hack off the sleeves and call it a Cornley.

by jimbo2psu on Feb 5, 2009 11:05 AM EST up reply actions

That's funny

We should start calling DWill “The Other #2”

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

by BSD on Feb 5, 2009 11:16 AM EST up reply actions

Heh, there ya go...

A newspaper told me Williams was never that much of a contributor anyway.

by jimbo2psu on Feb 5, 2009 1:59 PM EST up reply actions

Also

is there any way someone could throw together a stat comparison sheet for tonight’s game? I love those preview posts before the football games. And if so, feel free to leave free throw % off of it completely.

by jimbo2psu on Feb 5, 2009 2:01 PM EST up reply actions

Yep

I’m posting an open thread at 4 PM. It will have all the stats for both teams.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

by BSD on Feb 5, 2009 2:04 PM EST up reply actions

Twitter.

I’ll through up some twitpics on my twitter account. http://twitter.com/ischemicbrew

by DisplacedNittany on Feb 5, 2009 2:09 PM EST up reply actions

I think he was referring to that comparison chart

that would give 2 PSU logos where we were much more dominant than them, etc

by The JuggerNitt on Feb 5, 2009 2:11 PM EST up reply actions

Oh

Geez. I’m not sure how to put together one of those for basketball. The best thing I’ve seen are the tempo free stats charts.

Mike
Black Shoe Diaries

by BSD on Feb 5, 2009 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

dah.

I’m not sure how that would work either. Just a thought.

by jimbo2psu on Feb 5, 2009 3:25 PM EST up reply actions

Battle was a freak in that MSU game

as someone said, “might as well have been taking the shots from halfcourt”

by The JuggerNitt on Feb 5, 2009 9:16 AM EST reply actions

Todd Blackledge and the Prime Minister of Bhutan

That sounds like the opening pitch for an ABC mid-season sitcom replacement.

by Cairo on Feb 5, 2009 9:29 AM EST reply actions

I'm debating if I should drive to Ann Arbor for the game tonight

Probably won’t, but I’m still pissed I didn’t go to the MSU game last weekend (that’s the last time I let my gf guilt trip me out of something…yeah right, like I could ever stop that from happening).

I’d probably have more fun watching it on TV and joining the live game feed anyway, though…

by The JuggerNitt on Feb 5, 2009 9:41 AM EST reply actions