FanHouse TalorBattle

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.

First of all, allow us a moment to give Penn State some credit. They had never won 10 Big Ten games in one season until they garnered their tenth of 2009 Thursday night. They apparently have a flair for the dramatic, as they trailed by six with under two minutes left. A Stanley Pringle three, a huge offensive board -- followed by two free throws -- from David Jackson, some good defense, and a clutch runner from Talor Battle propelled them to an unbelievable victory over a very solid Illinois team for the second time this season.

With less than two minutes left, the Penn State Nittany Lions trailed Illinois by six points at home. WIth their NCAA tournament hopes likely needing a nice little boost, this seemed like the most important 120 seconds of Penn State's season. So Stanley Pringle stepped up with a 3-pointer. David Jackson had an incredible offensive rebound in traffic, following it with two free throws. Penn State got a defensive stop, but turned it over on offense. They immediately fouled Illinois forward Mike Davis. The rest? Well, just watch.

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.

Penn State defeated Minnesota Saturday, 68-63, as Talor Battle returned to the "leading scorer" column with 21 points to lead the Nittany Lions. The bubble watch implications, however, were much more important than the actual game results.

It once looked like a foregone conclusion that Minnesota was on their way to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005. Now, Tubby Smith's Golden Gophers have lost three of their last four games. In fact, they have gone 3-5 since running their record to 16-1 -- and two of those three wins were against conference doormat Indiana.

A few weeks ago I did a halfway point roundup for the Big Ten, in which I buried Wisconsin and hailed Penn State to no end. Boy, do I look like an idiot now. Since then, Penn State crumbled, while Wisconsin has done a 180.

The Nittany Lions were embarrassed by Michigan, lost at home to Wisconsin, and handily lost at Purdue. They now sit just 6-6 in conference play, and their RPI has plunged into the 80s. With road trips to Illinois and Ohio State -- not to mention hosting Illinois and Minnesota -- it would appear they are fading back into obscurity.

With just over a month in the books and most teams having played about half their conference schedule, let's check out the big boys of the Midwest. We're seeing a slight upheaval when it comes to traditional powers, as Indiana and Wisconsin sit in the bottom third of the standings, Northwestern is respectable, and Penn State is in the mix toward the top.

At this point, the conference is very balanced, and much stronger than it has been in recent years. They have a shot at seven bids for the Big Dance, but six is the more likely number.

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.