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Pesky Penn State has tested Illinois

Even in Champaign, Lions tough on Illini

By Terry Bannon | Tribune reporter

February 18, 2009

With five games left in the regular season, several facts are clear as Illinois tries to catch Michigan State for the Big Ten regular-season title.

"We have a chance," guard Trent Meacham said. "But we need some help. We have to worry about ourselves. We have some good teams coming to Assembly Hall."

Penn State, which has an outside chance to make the NCAA tournament, will provide the opposition in two of the last five games, beginning Wednesday night in Champaign. The Nittany Lions have won on their last two visits to Champaign in 2006 and 2008.

Illinois eliminated Penn State in the first round of the last two Big Ten tournaments, but the Nittany Lions won both regular-season games last season. The Illini close out the regular season at State College, Pa., on March 5.

"The last couple of years it's been matchups," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "They've had some in-between guys, like [Geary] Claxton and Jamelle Cornley, and those are tough matchups for big guys. They can pull you out or post you up. And then [Talor] Battle has been very good. Last year they won a bunch of games at home, and now they've gone to Michigan State and won."

Battle, a sophomore point guard, leads the Nittany Lions with 17.6 points per game.

Penn State's season has been highlighted by that victory at then-No. 9 Michigan State on Feb. 1 and a Jan. 6 home win over then-No. 14 Purdue, which played without injured Robbie Hummel. The Nittany Lions are 18-8 and No. 70 in RPI.

They won at Georgia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, but Tech has fallen to the bottom of the ACC. A loss to Rhode Island cost them a chance to get a shot at Villanova, currently ranked No. 12, in the Philly Hoops Classic title game.

Penn State has lost to Atlantic-10 teams Temple and Rhode Island, but both are having NIT-caliber seasons, which is not much help to Penn State's RPI.

With games remaining against 10th-place Iowa and 11th-place Indiana, the Nittany Lions have to hope a strong finish and a good showing in the Big Ten tournament will put them on the NCAA bubble.

"They've beaten us two in a row at home and they're fighting for their lives," Weber said.

tabannon@tribune.com