The few weeks after the NCAA Basketball season concludes are traditionally chock full of player movement announcements -- new recruits, transfers, entry entrants into the NBA draft, etc. This year has been no exception, but there is a trend gaining more steam. Having a collegiate basketball player become a football player isn't a new thing. Antonio Gates is an All-Pro tight end who didn't play a snap of college football, for example.
Still, the movement from football to basketball seems to be increasing in recent weeks. It makes sense, considering the speed, quickness and agility needed in both. For post players in basketball, they've become accustomed to a physical game anyway, and have the necessary strength-athleticism combo for a position like tight end. Here are four currently considering the shift:
Many so-called BCS programs have fan bases who would be rather indifferent toward their team playing in the NIT. For a program on the rise like Penn State, however, winning the NIT championship this season would be an extremely valuable step in program advancement. Plus, when you have a first-team All-Big Ten player in Talor Battle, it's plenty exciting. Watch -- starting around the 50-second mark if you just want the best part -- as Battle sends the game to overtime.
It's bubble time in college hoops, so FanHouse is here to determine whose gets popped and who rides the bubble to the Big Dance. Check back for more NCAA or NIT calls.
Team: Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 19-8 (8-6 Big Ten)
Good Wins: at Michigan State, at Illinois, vs. Purdue, vs. Minnesota
Bad Losses: Really, none. I guess you could say that neutral loss to Rhode Island didn't help matters.
For the first time in school history, Penn State has emerged from East Lansing, Mich., victorious. The game looked to be a formality when the Nittany Lions had a 12-point lead with seven minutes remaining. That's when pathetic free throw shooting doomed Penn State, and the Spartans found a way to crawl back into the game.
In the end, Michigan State just couldn't hit the needed clutch shot, and Penn State won the battle of attrition, 72-68. Talor Battle spear-headed the Nittany Lions attack, with 29 points and six three-pointers.
The Penn State basketball team hasn't visited the NCAA tournament since 2001, when Joe Crispin and Titus Ivory led the Nittany Lions to the Sweet 16, after knocking off two-seed North Carolina in the second round. Since then, they haven't even been close to mounting a return.
This year, the Nittay Lions have their best team since 2001, yet their work is still cut out for them. Coming into this week, their RPI lingered in the mid-80s. The non-conference strength of schedule was not good at all, but Penn State appears to be making headway in conference play.
It's no secret I'm an alumnus of Indiana University. I went to every single home game for the four years I was there, and again attended every single game the season after I graduated -- I used my student ID to purchase season tickets at the discounted student price; how savvy is that? Since then, I've always made it down to Bloomington for at least one game per season.
This past Saturday -- against Penn State -- was that one game for this season.
We learned a few things in just one week of Big Ten play. All of them point back to one conclusion: This is a strong league, nearly from top to bottom.
Michigan beat Duke at home. Wisconsin went into Michigan and won this past week, yet had trouble at home against Penn State. Purdue made Davidson look horrible, yet they lost at home to Illinois. Illinois proceeded to go into Michigan and lose. The one thing we could definitively say is that Michigan State looks like the best team in the conference after winning in Minnesota. Of course, Northwestern hung with the Spartans in East Lansing yesterday.
Dan Shanoff is one of those taking note of the Big Ten resurgence, as he referred to the conference as "Big East Lite" today. Team to Watch: Penn State Wisconsin, coming off the aforementioned triumph in Ann Arbor, had trouble with the feisty Nittany Lions in the Kohl Center -- a place in which they have only lost twice in Big Ten play under Bo Ryan. The upset would have been quite a feat for Ed DeChellis' program. They have an outstanding inside-outside duo in Jamelle Cornley -- who plays like a very poor man's Charles Barkley -- and Stanley Pringle. While eventually they'll need much more balance -- the two combined for 46 of Penn State's 61 points in Madison -- they provide an impressive foundation.
The Big Ten Diaries recaps the previous night's action in Big Ten Basketball, but of course, you're probably smart enough to figure that out on your own.
As Charles Rich already told you, the Spartans set a school-record of fewest points in the shot clock era by scoring only 36 points against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday. On the plus side, at least they were consistent, scoring only 18 points in each half.
Also, let's be fair here. Yes the Spartans played absolutely horribly on Saturday, but it's not like Iowa played that much better. In fact, the Spartans out-shot the Hawkeyes by making 30.8% of their shots. The Hawkeyes could only manage to make 27.5% of their field goal attempts.
Looking at the numbers you can find a hundred reasons why the Spartans lost this game besides their inability to score. They had 18 turnovers, committed 25 personal fouls, and made only 3 of their 12 three-point attempts, but what really killed them was the free throw line. Those 25 personal fouls sent the Hawkeyes to the line 29 times, where as the Spartans only took 4 free throws in the game.
The Big Ten Diaries recaps the previous night's action in Big Ten Basketball, but of course, you're probably smart enough to figure that out on your own.
While the top four spots in the Big Ten figure to belong to MSU, OSU, Indiana, and Wisconsin, don't be surprised if the Penn State Nittany Lions sneak up into 5th place this season. After only being able to win three conference games last season the Nittany Lions picked up their second conference win in as many games on Sunday afternoon in Champaign.
The duo of Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley looks like one that could give a lot of Big Ten teams trouble this season, as both players had their second consecutive double-doubles at the expense of the Illini. Cornley lead Penn State with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Claxton scored 11 and grabbed 11 boards as well.
The Illini had a chance to win the game after freshman Demetri McCamey hit two three-pointers in the final minute to pull Illinois within a point with 10 seconds left, but his floater in the lane that would have won the game missed it's mark and Illinois lost it's second straight home conference game, and third overall.
Another factor that helped Penn State pull of a big road victory was outworking the Illini 49-24. This despite the fact the Nittany Lions don't have a single player over 6'5 in their starting lineup.
Illinois' next two games are at Wisconsin and Indiana, so if Bruce Weber's already feeling the heat for his teams lackluster play, just wait until they start out 0-4.
The few weeks after the NCAA Basketball season concludes are traditionally chock full of player movement announcements -- new recruits, transfers, entry entrants into the NBA draft, etc. This year has been no exception, but there is a trend gaining more steam. Having a collegiate basketball player become a football player isn't a new thing. Antonio Gates is an All-Pro tight end who didn't play a snap of college football, for example. 
It's bubble time in college hoops, so FanHouse is here to determine whose gets popped and who rides the bubble to the Big Dance. Check back for more 
For the first time in school history, Penn State has emerged from East Lansing, Mich., victorious. The game looked to be a formality when the Nittany Lions had a 12-point lead with seven minutes remaining. That's when pathetic free throw shooting doomed Penn State, and the Spartans found a way to crawl back into the game. 
The Penn State basketball team hasn't visited the NCAA tournament since 2001, when Joe Crispin and Titus Ivory led the Nittany Lions to the Sweet 16, after knocking off two-seed North Carolina in the second round. Since then, they haven't even been close to mounting a return. 
We learned a few things in just one week of Big Ten play. All of them point back to one conclusion: This is a strong league, nearly from top to bottom. 
