Loss And Opportunity. How Penn State Men's Basketball Can Get Back On Track

I went to the game with my wife and family this past Saturday, and was extremely excited to watch the game and cheer on the team.  As we settled into our seats, there was a definite air of optimism in the crowd that perhaps belied the level of intensity that would be required to win.

The energy from both the crowd and the participants started at a relatively low level.  It felt as though the crowd wanted to enjoy this game mostly from their seats, get a win, and move along with their afternoons.  Perhaps get home in time for the NFL or a gathering with friends or family for dinner. 

Then the missed shots began to happen.

Neither team was able to score for what felt like a near comical amount of time which was made even more awkward with the fans standing for the first 5 minutes for the "Stand for D" promotion.

From there, I don't think it serves much to go in depth with the obvious criticisms of what happened.

Missed shots, poor execution, a lack of energy at times. 

I don't know exactly what happened, but put simply, it was a bad game.

However, that will not deter me from continuing to support the team in a positive manner.  They are not even close to a finished product. 

Right now, the regular season for the team is just past the half way point.  They have all their goals ahead of them.

And believe it or not, they remind me exactly of where the football program was not so long ago.

After the football team lost big to Michigan in 2016, all the talk about Penn State was, this was going to be the same old Penn State program that we'd seen for the past two or three years.

From there, that particular team took on the challenge and got better during season and went on to win the Big Ten championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

On Wednesday the men's basketball team will travel to Minnesota with the opportunity to get a road win against a tough squad that just upset a highly regarded Michigan team.

After that, a huge home game against Ohio State, which will also more than likely, have a very large home crowd.

Starting this week, I expect to see a big push by the team to become the program of Penn State's future.  They'll show that they are willing to work extremely hard to be the best team they can possibly be and get a chance to play (and win) against the country's very best come March in an expected NCAA birth.

I know that some Penn State basketball fans have had this mentality for years, that the team will NEVER compete at the highest levels.  That while we might have a guy or two who may make it to the NBA, we can't recruit or develop talent like other programs.

It is time to change that narrative.

This coming week, I hope Penn State fans cheer them on for a road win on Wednesday, followed by creating the best home atmosphere for a basketball team that we've ever seen on Saturday.

The time is right to keep pushing our good habits and keep encouraging our movements along the path of success.  We cannot become bogged down by momentary failures and instead must trust in one another to support and improve every day.

Penn State is still climbing, and while it may have taken a short break at the middle rung, I'm sure that we are doing everything possible to take that next step.