Penn State hopes to regroup for NITs

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Spurned by the NCAA tournament, the Penn State Nittany Lions must regroup quickly if they’re going to succeed in college basketball’s postseason consolation prize — the National Invitational Tournament.

But less than 24 hours after getting the NCAA snub, Talor Battle was still having a difficult time Monday refocusing his sights on the NIT.

Lightning-quick on the floor, Battle paused for a couple seconds in front of a microphone and spoke in a soft, monotone voice when asked if he was “pumped up” to play the first-round NIT game tonight against George Mason.

“Um, I don’t know exactly,” Battle said before practice. “When we take the court, I’ll have a better feel.”

Penn State (22-11) would hit the court 15 minutes later, their first shoot-around since the subdued gathering for the NCAA tournament selection show the day before. Battle called it an “awful feeling” to get shut out of the NCAAs after the team spent so much time on the bubble.

“I don’t know if it’s behind me yet,” said Battle, the Big Ten’s leading scorer in the regular season. “It’s only been a few hours.”

There’s no choice for the Nittany Lions, who at least still get a shot to continue their promising season for another couple weeks — even if they’re not playing in their preferred tournament.

For weeks, Penn State was riding an emotional roller coaster — constantly playing critical games to determine its postseason fate. It was a new experience for a program that has struggled to just break .500 for much of this decade.

So coach Ed DeChellis is trying to build on the positives and get his players to focus on the future and instead of dwelling on the past. He said he moved on from the NCAAs on Sunday night after studying tape in his office of the Patriots (22-10).

“I’ve moved on; I’m not sure I’ve let go,” DeChellis said. “It’ll burn in you for a while, and maybe that’s a good thing. ... We’re moving on to the next phase.”

The Nittany Lions shouldn’t lack for motivation.

Senior forward Jamelle Cornley likes to talk about playing “with a chip on our shoulders” after being left out of the NCAA tournament.

He’s also a little miffed that Penn State, which many analysts considered one of the first couple bubble teams to have been bumped from the NCAAs, didn’t get a top seed in the NIT. The Nittany Lions are a No. 2 seed in their bracket behind top-seeded Florida.