12 The Daily Collegian Dan Earl unleashes a pass in a game against Marathon Oil earlier this season. Earl leads the Lions in assists for the third-straight season. ... helps Lisicky prove critics wrong By MICHAEL SIGNORA Collegian Sports Writer They sat together but hardly blended among the regulars. Amidst frenzied cheerleaders, screaming crowds and the unmistakable atmosphere of high school basketball, their employers Indi ana, Kansas, Villanova, UCLA, etc. constitut ed a who’s who of college basketball’s finest programs. Scouts filled the bleachers of the Whitehall High School gym, waiting for a glimpse of the coveted sharpshooter. To each and every one, Penn State’s Pete Lisicky said no. “Penn State was the obvious choice,” he explained. “I liked everything about it the academic environment, the athletic environ ment and the social environment. I just knew this was the place I wanted be and where I should be.” Not everybody agreed. Soon after his senior season ended, an article appeared in a local newspaperquestioning Lisicky’s choice and his skill. Hardly a feature piece on a native son, the story ripped the then 17 year-old for choos ing what the reporter called a fifth-rate basket ball school. In addition to the pressure of a high-profile scholastic career, Lisicky endured the glare of the sometimes unforgiving spotlight. And though the incident hasn’t turned him off to the press a la Eddie Murray, he remembers nonetheless. “I’ll never forget that. I could see if I was a professional, making money or something, but I was a kid,” Lisicky said. “I was a plain old high school kid who went to class during the day, played basketball in the afternoon, and played games at night. I know actions speak louder than words though, and his words were pretty weak.” Today, those actions have made Pete Lisicky one of the most lethal three-point weapons in the game. Before draining threes against Big Ten com petition, and prior to joining Whitehall’s varsity team as a freshman, Lisicky held his own in an arena every bit as tough competition with his older siblings. The Lisicky home was a miniature sporting goods store throughout Pete’s youth, with balls and equipment an accepted part of the decor. Older brother Andy recalled tossing Nerf objects inside the house enough to loosen the wallpaper, much to the dismay of his parents. Pete is the fourth of eight children, several of whom have been extremely successful athletes. His brother Jack played basketball at Scranton and Andy played football at Penn. Dish and Swish lollegian PI "You watch a Magic Johnson, and you can tell he sees things developing and he makes things happen with the ball. That's something Danny Earl has." Growing up, he often tagged along, compet ing in whatever sport was in season. “Pete would play with us in the backyard and we’d throw him around a little bit,” Andy recalled. “We weren’t going to let him win just because if he lost he’d have a fit. He was noto rious for his fits.” While his on court comportment has never been questioned, Lisicky’s hatred of losing per sists. Perhaps it’s partially responsible for the Puritan-like work ethic, but the consistent drive to improve is one key to his limitless potential. The commitment to excellence is not con fined to the hardwood. A finance major with a 3.27 grade point average, Lisicky was nominated for the GTE Academic All- America team as well as for the John R. Wood en Awards. While acknowledging the recognition is a tremendous honor, the sophomore refused to let the attention go to his head. “I always try and remember why I am where I am,” Lisicky said. “My grades would be a 1.2 if I didn’t work at it and I didn’t worry about it. I’m a believer in the value of working hard, and if you do, usually good things happen.” Whitehall varsity coach Ron Hassler has seen Penn State’s sweet shooting guard make giant strides. In their four years together, Hassler watched him progress from a pure shooter to a player who could create off the dribble and make those around him better. One thing the coach saw immediately Lisicky was special. In his first varsity game, Whitehall trailed Easton High School by three with under 10 seconds remaining. The skinny freshman was held scoreless throughout, but unleashed a trifecta to tie the game and send the contest to overtime. “When he squared up and took the shot, I thought, ‘Oh, don’t,’ ” laughed his mother Dona ta. “But then when it went in I thought, ‘Oh, great.’ I just felt it was very bold of him to take that shot as a freshman.” Hassler’s squad defeated Easton that night thanks largely to a basket Lisicky called “the biggest of my high school career.” “We had a group of juniors and seniors that looked for him to take that shot in his first game ever,” Hassler remembered. “I sat back and thought this kid is going to make my job easier the next four years.” The Zephyrs flourished, capturing three con secutive East Penn Conference titles. During this span Lisicky collected a slew of individual honors, including two-time Lehigh Valley Play er-of-the-Year, an Associated Press All-State second team selection twice, and becoming the leading scorer in Whitehall history. Jason Frederick (sophomore-accounting) Earl's intense aversion tc losing... By DAVID COMER Collegian Sports Writer When Dan Earl arrived at Penn State he had to learn how to lose. He didn’t have much practice at it during his four years at Shawnee High, where he won all but 10 of the 117 varsity basketball games he played in. Earl took those 10 defeats hard. He wouldn’t talk to anyone for at least a day. He thought only about the game and what he could have done to help his team win. “He never went into a game thinking he was going to lose,” said his younger brother Brian. Losing wasn’t fun for Earl then, and it still isn’t now, as he is in his third season as the Nit tany Lion starting point guard. But when Earl was a Penn State freshman, he was losing games like never before in his life, and the defeats were taking their toll on him. Less than three months into his first season in State Col lege, he had dropped the same number of con tests he dropped at Shawnee in four years. “I don’t even know if I know how to lose,” Earl said. “It was really tough on me my fresh man year. When I got here, there were guys on the team who wouldn’t be as down as me after a loss. It wasn’t that anyone liked to lose, it was just really hard on me.” Earl still loathes losing, and he admits he has n’t had too much success learning how to lose at Penn State. For him, his goal in everything he does is to win. Whether he’s playing in the NCAA tournament against Arkansas, which he’ll do Thursday in Providence, R. 1., or bat tling Brian in one-on-one games, Dan will do anything possible to achieve victory. “That’s what makes him so good,” said Joe Kessler, Earl’s high school coach. “He doesn’t accept anything to do with failure.” This season, Earl has been doing every thing possible to help the Lions win. He leads the team in assists (5.3 per game), steals (1.8 per game) and is fourth in scoring (11.6 per game) for 21-6 Penn State. But perhaps Earl’s most impressive statistic is the team-high 30.7 minutes he plays per game, considering the constant lower back pain he has played through all season. It’s an ailment that his coach Jerry Dunn said has forced his point guard to play at only 70 percent and miss considerable practice time. Yet through all of the pain, Earl, who was selected to the all-Big Ten second team by the media, refuses to complain. He doesn’t whine or attribute any missed shots or bad passes to his aching back, saying at the most it’s a “little sore.” He tells himself he has to play through the injury and does. Pete Lisicky on backcourt mate Dan Earl attended high school with the hoops standout and watched Lisicky score many of his 1,974 career points. A friend since childhood, Freder ick anticipated his move to a Div. I program. “He was pretty much our whole team in high school," Frederick said. “He was very well known in our area. Some people were surprised he decided on Penn State and I don’t think a lot of them knew to much about Penn State basket ball.” After a 21-6 season, a second place finish in the Big Ten, and an NCAA tournament invitation in hand, the Nittany Lions have gone a long way toward making Penn State bas ketball a household name. A major player in the success story, Lisicky looked at the situation in Happy Valley as a challenge. Helping turn a program into a national competitor on a yearly basis may have seemed an insurmountable obstacle to some, but for Lisicky, he eagerly embraced the task. “Pete comes from a terrific family and he was a pleasure to recruit,” assistant coach Ed DeChellis said. “I think he looked at coming to Penn State as an opportunity to contribute to a rising program and help us get to the next level.” As that process continues, Lisicky will be a vital cog. His consistent contributions mixed with flashes of brilliance have endeared him to the Nittany Lion faithful. On Dec. 9 in Atlantic City, N.J., his electrifying 35 point performance lit up an already high-flying town. Hassler was sorry he missed it. “We were supposed to go to Atlantic City but then the blizzard hit,” he said. “I had to stay at home and I was really disappointed to miss that one. I was suffering listening to it on the radio.” If recent history is any indication, Hassler will have many more chances. And maybe, with continued improvement and steady progression, Lisicky will display his talent at the professional level. Former teammate John Amaechi believes this is certainly a possibility. “At this point he’s an excellent college player and a great shooter,” Amaechi said. “I think if he develops his all around game, there’s no rea son he doesn’t have a shot at the NBA.” For a kid once criticized for choosing Penn State, Lisicky has been mighty successful in Happy Valley. And with two years of eligibility left, his story is still unfolding. Donata Lisicky recently ran into the reporter so critical of her son’s collegiate selection. “I reminded that fellow what he said and I told him, ‘I bet you’re eating your words now.’ He said, ‘Yes, I am.’ ” And as for Pete, he’s letting his performance speak for itself. He regularly goes to therapy and does reha bilitation including stretching, pool workouts and abdominal exercises without complaint. He just wants to play and help his team win, which as always, is the bottom line for Earl. “When I see him compete out here on the floor and do what he does,” said Lion forward Matt Gaudio, “I just have so much respect for him.” Gaudio would. He has had back trouble, albeit a different injury, and was forced to miss two seasons because of it. He has helped Earl play through his injury, giving him advice and becoming one of his closest friends. Whenever Earl or Gaudio needs to talk, the other is a will ing listener. “He’s been there for me,” Earl said. “He’s just a tremendous friend.” And Earl is a tremendous leader. The tri captain has constantly matured since his freshman campaign and is now more comfortable assuming a leadership role, both on and off the court. “In Dan Earl, Penn State has a guy who can lead,” Ohio State coach Randy Ayers said. “That is so important in the tournament.” Earl will be facing the athletic Razorback pressure defenses tomorrow in his NCAA tour nament debut, and as always, will use his smarts to pass over and dribble through Arkansas. He admits he isn’t blessed with supe rior quickness or jumping ability, but instead, he prides himself in knowing the game of bas ketball better than almost anyone. And it shows. “I would say he’s a tremendous basketball player, with not the athletic ability of some other people, but you don’t need that,” Minneso ta coach Clem Haskins said. “It’s the head. He has a great head and understands how to play basketball.” Earl is the quintessential point guard, an extension of the coach on the floor. He always appears calm, even stoic, when facing pressure defenses and understands his role can include most anything. If on a given night it’s scoring the Lions need, he’ll do that. If it’s getting his teammates involved, no problem. Just as long as Penn State wins, Earl will be happy. “In high school, he was a real heady player.” said his Shawnee teammate Kirk Luchman, now the starting center at Florida State. “He was a really smart player and never really made any mistakes.” Just don’t tell Earl he didn’t make any mis takes. Regardless of how well he plays, he can always find something to improve. “There’s something he can pick out about his game that he doesn’t like,” said his brother Brian, a freshman who starts at guard for Wednesday, March 13, 1996 "It's nice knowing when I drive into the lane and pass the ball to him there's a very good chance he'll make the shot. Like me, he's not the quickest player, but he's always working hard." Pete Lisicky shoots over a Purdue defender earlier this season. Lisicky shunned offers from big-time schools to play at Penn State. Princeton. “He wants everything to be perfect.” The one game that was close to perfection for Dan is the one people still talk about in his hometown of Medford Lakes, N.J., and all of South Jersey is when Earl led his Shawnee team into the hostile Atlantic City High gym and walked out a winner. Earl, then a junior, scored 41 points, grabbed five rebounds, collected six assists and only turned the ball over once. “I played all right,” he said of his performance that included 13-of -21 shooting from the field and 12-of-14 at the foul line. “When you went to the Atlantic City gym, you expected to get killed,” said Brian, who, as a freshman, scored 19 points in that memorable game. “Dan told me there was no way we were going to lose. In the second quarter, he was basically on fire. He was tearing them apart.” Shawnee won in overtime, 82-80, that day in Atlantic City, and helped turn Shawnee into the basketball power it is today. Earl went on to lead his team to the state title that year and a return trip to the title game the next season, where his squad lost, 71-67, to Irvington. Earl finished his high school career with more points (2,006) and assists (612) than any one else who ever played in Burlington County. When it came time to choose a college, he nar rowed his choices to Penn State, Stanford, Northwestern, Rutgers, Penn and Princeton. He selected Penn State partly because it was only a four-hour drive from his house and his family and friends could come watch him play, but also because the Lions had just joined the Big Ten and were going to build a new arena. “It looked like they wanted to make a move,” Earl said. “I wanted to be a part of it.” And he has been. He is on pace to become the school’s all-time assist leader if he can stay healthy. He played a major role in guiding the Nittany Lions to the National Invitational Final Four in New' York City last season, where he earned all-NIT honors, scoring 43 points and handing out 12 assists in the two games there. “He’s Mr. March,” Dunn said. “We rode his shoulders last year about this time. This year w'e hope to the same thing.” Earl says his great NIT performance last sea son just happened. Now, this year, he is excited and ready to be play in the NCAA tournament. And again he is playing his best basketball in March in his three games this month, Earl is averaging just over 15 points a games. “I do love this time of the year,” he said. “All the good teams are playing, and as always, I just want to go out and do anything to help us win.” on backcourt mate Pete Lisicky Dan Earl
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