Penn State focused on ‘process’ after two straight losses

After the Penn State men’s basketball team lost its first two Big Ten games last week, coach Patrick Chambers addressed the past with his players.

The Nittany Lions started conference play with six-game losing streaks in each of the past two seasons.

“We talked about it and I just said, ‘Let’s not be prisoners of our past,’ ” Chambers said Monday at a press conference. “ ‘Let’s break through and just take it one game at a time and whatever happens, happens.’ I’m truly into the process. I’m truly into getting these young kids better, and that’s my job.”

Penn State (9-6, 0-2) will look to break through against Minnesota (6-8, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Bryce Jordan Center. It will be the Nittany Lions’ first home game in more than three weeks after finishing nonconference play with trips to Philadelphia and Las Vegas and opening Big Ten action with games at then-No. 4 Maryland and at Michigan.

Penn State held a 13-point lead in the second half against Maryland, but couldn’t hold on in a 70-64 loss. Michigan then torched the Nittany Lions from beyond the arc and ran away with a 79-56 win Saturday.

Senior forward Brandon Taylor said the team is trying to keep a good attitude and that practices have been upbeat.

“We only lost two games,” Taylor said. “It’s not time to run and hide. It’s not the end of the world. It’s just time to get back together, get in practice and get better.”

Taylor has been through the rough starts to Big Ten play.

He said he’s learned that “it’s not time to put our head down.” He said it’s not time to run away.

“It’s time to take the challenge, take it full on and don’t back down to any team because they’re not going to take it easy on us,” Taylor said.

Chambers said his players just need to concentrate on getting better.

Despite the loss, he said, his team got better against Maryland. The Nittany Lions held the Terrapins to 25 percent shooting in the first half, led by eight points at halftime and went ahead by as many as 13 in the second half.

But freshman center Diamond Stone dominated, scoring 39 points and going 19 for 25 from the foul line to lead Maryland to the win.

“Hakeem Olajuwan, I mean Diamond Stone was unbelievable and obviously we fouled him way too much,” Chambers said, referring to the legendary Houston Rockets center.

But the coach said his team didn’t get better once Michigan took control in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

That’s when Chambers said his team “hit a wall.” The Wolverines coasted to a 21-point halftime lead, and the Nittany Lions were a step or two slow getting out on shooters.

They showed they still have to mature as three sophomores and two freshmen are all averaging at least 10 minutes per game. And Chambers said they can’t get caught up in wins and losses.

“As long as we continue to get better and fight and embrace the process, and what process is to us is being fearless, preparing, not worrying about outcomes and just trying to get better,” Chambers said.

The first week of Big Ten games served as a learning experience for freshman guard Josh Reaves.

Reaves started against Maryland and Michigan and finished a combined 3 for 9 from the field.

“It’s a different type of basketball,” Reaves said. “It’s a lot faster. Everybody’s a lot stronger. (We) just have to come out and play every night against everybody every possession.”

Chambers praised the resiliency of his young players during the five-game stretch away from home.

He thought Reaves played well at times and freshman Davis Zemgulis became a threat as he’s averaged 16.3 minutes the past four games.

Now, the young group of players needs to continue to get better.

“They have to be really coachable and want to get better and not worried about the noise on the outside,” Chambers said. “I’ve been talking about the noise. I’ve been talking about distractions left and right.

“And we just got to keep staying focused and staying on those train tracks and not veering off because when we do we’re a really good team and we got a chance to be real successful.”

Notes: Penn State will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday night. The arena opened Jan. 11, 1996. The Nittany Lions beat Minnesota 76-51 that night. ... Minnesota opened conference play with losses to Ohio State and then-No. 1 Michigan State. ... Joey King leads Minnesota in scoring with 12.8 points per game, followed by Nate Mason (12.6).

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 7:55 PM with the headline "Penn State focused on ‘process’ after two straight losses."