Blue White Roundtable: Alabama Week Edition
September 7, 2011 – | 1 Comment

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The End of an Era

Submitted by on February 28, 2011No Comment

In a little more than 24 hours, Talor Battle will be on the court, playing his final regular season game in front of the Penn State fanbase.

I, of course, use the caveat regular season, because from my vantage point, it seems abundantly clear that, barring anything short of a miracle, Battle–and the rest of the team–will be back in the BJC in a few weeks, hosting another first round NIT game.

It’s funny, for all we gripe about the struggles of the program under Ed DeChellis, about Tim Curley’s lack of dedication towards building a basketball program, about lackluster support from anything more than the die-hards, it’s not until we look to Talor Battle that suddenly our complaints seem hollow.

What have we been robbed of? A few more enjoyable basketball games? A few hours to kill on a Wednesday night or Saturday afternoon? The sense of personal pride that comes with our school presenting a winning team?

Well, Talor Battle, in all likelihood, has seen something far worse taken away from him. Perhaps it’s because we’re not used to seeing players of Battle’s caliber in the blue and white–he is, almost certainly, the greatest player in Penn State history–but far too often does it seem as though Battle is an overthought, not just within the Penn State fanbase, but in the national college basketball scene. We don’t dwell on the fact that he’s the first player in Big Ten history to score 2000 points, and add 500 rebounds and 500 assists, or his penchant for self-betterment; that he’s improved on his field goal, free throw, and three point percentages every year of his career.

It’s not Battle’s fault that he doesn’t play for an NCAA tournament team. It’s not his fault that he–with all apologies to Jeff Brooks–is the only player on Penn State’s roster who’d crack the lineup for a team contending for a Big Ten title. And it’s certainly not Battle’s fault that he won’t get the chance that all kids growing up dream of, playing in the NCAA tournament.

It’s the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Battle–not his play–that have kept him off the all-conference teams, that have prevented him from getting the accolades he deserves. If he had been fortunate enough to wind up at a school like Michigan State, Syracuse, or even Temple, he might be a household name. He wouldn’t have memories of an NIT championship to look back on, but rather he would’ve relished the chance to play on college basketball’s greatest stage.

And Battle is the kind of player who would be able to take his team on a surprise run. Davidson had Stephen Curry buoy them to the Elite Eight–Battle is the same kind of player. The question that was so often posed after that 2008-09 season, whether we’d rather win the NIT or go one-and-done in the NCAA tournament was one riddled with an obvious fallacy. Talor Battle and Jamelle Cornley wouldn’t have let this team lose in the first round.

Of course, it’s with that spirit that I can’t give up on Battle, or this team, just yet.

Penn State’s chances to make the NCAA tournament might be minute, but that flame has not yet been extinguished, despite Ed DeChellis’s best efforts. Yes, the same team that was drubbed by SEC after-thoughts Ole Miss, that never put up a fight against a Maryland team that might need to win the ACC tournament to make the NCAA tournament, that lost by 10 to Maine–Maine–and that lost twice to Michigan isn’t out of contention just yet.

You see, this is a strange year for college basketball. With three at-large teams added to the field, and the weakest bubble in years, even teams that would’ve been eliminated weeks ago–like Penn State probably should’ve been after their debilitating loss at Michigan State–still have a glimmer of hope.

And with Talor Battle, all he needs is an inch, and he can make a miracle happen.

Tomorrow, Talor Battle plays in what will be the biggest game of his basketball life. After excruciating, final-possession losses to Ohio State and Purdue, he’ll get another shot at the Buckeyes, with a win going a long way in getting Penn State back on the bubble. A win over the #1 team in the country makes an impact. It’ll get this team some national attention, add a marquee win to a shaky tournament resume–and if it comes down to a last-second shot, it’ll get Battle on SportsCenter, where he belongs.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we do know that it will be an emotion-filled night, with the four Penn State seniors–Battle, along with Brooks, David Jackson, and Andrew Jones, the other three of whom will leave a mixed Penn State legacy–playing in what they hope will be their last game ever in the BJC. And something tells me the fans will be up to the challenge, just as they were a month ago, when they packed the Jordan Center and spurred Penn State to a win over Wisconsin.

I’ve lapsed in my adherence to Penn State basketball this year. In each of my first two at Penn State, I rarely missed a game. But this year, I didn’t even buy season tickets. I’ve let the Nittany Lions become an afterthought–mainly because maintaining my dedication would only bring more pain. When I said I’d given up on Ed DeChellis, I actually meant it.

But come tomorrow, I’m going to party like it’s 2008. I’ll show up at the BJC early, and I’ll try and find a seat on the sideline for the first time all year. I’ll even be chanting along with the inane ramblings of Nittany Nation. Talor Battle deserves my support.

If this seemed like a very roundabout way of imploring you to get to that game tomorrow, well, that’s because it is. I’m no longer asking to carry the banner for the basketball team.

But knowing that Talor Battle has put so much on the line for us, time and time again, would it be too much to ask to return the favor?

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