The last time Penn State canceled classes was on February 14, 2007, and it produced one of the most memorable nights in the history of the Nittany Lion basketball program.
Erasing a 24 point second half deficit, Penn State’s Mike Walker hoisted up a three from the top of the arc that would have knocked off No. 2 ranked Ohio State nearly at the buzzer.
But the shot didn’t fall, clanging off the back of the rim and into the air as time expired. Walker dropped to the court and laid on his back covering his face.
Eight years later, Penn State basketball once again hosts Ohio State. The No. 23 ranked Buckeyes took nearly all night to get to Happy Valley, busing through the snow and the sleet from an early landing in Latrobe. Classes cancelled, a ranked Ohio State team on the docket and free tickets to any student who manages to get across town.
Penn State’s loss eight years ago is in many ways a fitting analogy to the careers of four senior players who will celebrate their final regular season home game on Wednesday night. These four seniors helped Penn State come so far as a program, a program which hasn’t quite made it over the hump. Much like Mike Walker’s missed three, success has been in sight, but just out of reach.
Unlike Walker, DJ Newbill has beaten Ohio State twice already in his career. His jumper falling for a win on the road, and another wire-to-wire game going Penn State’s way in State College last year.
If nothing else, the snow day, the free tickets and the growing excitement for one final game is the kind of final game Newbill and his teammates deserve.
If Penn State basketball turns the corner under Pat Chambers it will because Newbill helped open the door to Philadelphia and because Ross Travis, Kevin Montminy and Alan Wisniewski showed incoming players what it means to practice and play hard. For a university that takes such pride in supporting its athletes, Wednesday is the last chance to do that for four players who probably haven’t heard the words “thank you” enough in their careers.
“I want the best for them, they were loyal, they stayed committed, they battled through a lot of challenges and adversity,” Chambers said. “They stayed true to who they are. They mean the world to me because they easily could have left. The way college basketball is now, a lot of people transfer and they didn’t do that, they wanted to be part of the solution and I’m indebted to them for what they did.”
What happens when the ball is tipped at 6 p.m. remains to be seen. it could be another blowout loss. It could be another last minute defeat.
Or maybe Newbill will summon up one final thriller in the career of perhaps the best pound-for-pound player to walk on to the court wearing the blue and white.
If history is to be repeated though, Penn State is just hoping the snow day saga has a happier ending this time.
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