THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Jeers looking to bring ba By Anthony Barton COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER At its peak, senior captain Marek Polidor can describe the Penn State Icers' style of play in one word intense. Coaches and ICERS players both said they lost that intensity in their pre vious series against No. 6 Ohio this past weekend. The No. 5 leers took countless bad penalties and were outshot by 12 on their way to a split in the two-game series. "I think we played hard, but we didn't play as intense as we would like to," Polidor said. "Every guy played hard in the games, we just need to come men tally prepared." The team now has a short week to prepare for two games against No. 15 Liberty on Thursday and Tennessee's handling of Bruce Pearl situation laughable By Jared Shanker Bmr, they sure do know how to pick 'em down there on Rocky Top. First, Tennessee savior Lane Kiffin, the notorious Oakland Raiders washout with the inability to put his foot in his mouth and penchant for recruiting viola tions, left Tennessee at the altar for the West Coast. It was a black eye for an athlet ic department that put all its eggs in one basket. The blow of Kiffin's gutless departure was softened a bit in March, though, when the men's basketball team, led by enthusiastic and often shirtless coach Bruce Pearl, made its first ever Elite Eight appearance. The Volunteers' men's program finally took a step out of Pat Summit's shadow It seemed hard to fathom THE PAPER PLATE DINING GUIDE DELIVERY T rt 1 AKE OUT DINE-IN GO TO PSUCOLLEGIAN.COM Friday at the Greenberg Ice Pavilion. If history proves as an indicator, junior forward Paul Daley said the Icers will have to regain their physicality, because the Flames rely on intensity to win games. "Liberty is always big and very physical," Daley said. "They usu ally have a lot of Canadians that like to play pretty chippy." To combat that style, Daley said the Icers have been using hitting and battle drills during practice. Assistant coach Josh Hand said regaining their physical form all starts in practice. If players work harder during practice, he said it will translate to the games. Questioned about what it will take to be successful against Liberty's physical style of play, Hand responded confidently about how his team will play. "They just need to play with a Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton could dislike anybody more than he does Kiffin, but after the latest news regarding an NCAA investigation into Pearl surfaced, he just may have taken that honor from Kiffin as Pearl left the university in the streets beaten and bloodied. The Volunteers men's basket ball program is under investiga tion for making excessive phone calls to recruits, allowing recruits to exceed official visit time MY OPINION restrictions and meeting with jun ior recruits at an off-campus site. At least one of those off-cam pus sites is Pearl's house, where he hosted a barbecue for three recruits and their families. The barbecue was a violation of NCAA rules and Pearl knew it, and he let all the recruits and their fami lies know it was, too. When NCAA investigators interviewed Pearl this past June, Pearl lied about the barbecue and called one of the recruit's fathers to remind him to lie if the NCAA contacted him as well. SPORTS little bit more swagger like they have in the past," Hand said. "I don't want to say arrogant or cocky, but kind of with some swag ger" Senior forward Tim O'Brien said he doesn't think this Icers team is built to be as physical as years past, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. "I think everyone has this stigma that we're some hard nosed, grinding team that's going to go out there and be taller and faster and stronger than everyone else," O'Brien said. "I don't think that's the case this year, and we're going to try and build our own identity" While that identity is yet to be seen, one thing is certain. With six players taller than 6-foot-1, the Flames will put the Icers physical ity to the test. "In this game we're going to be forced to play physical. We won't Maybe even worse, Pearl denied knowing the location of a photograph of him, a recruit and a woman. The picture was taken in Pearl's kitchen, and the woman was Jana Shay. It must have been the first time Pearl hosted a barbecue or any type of event for friends and staff, because Pearl said he didn't know who the woman was. 'Awns out, Jana is the wife of John Shay, who has been an assistant under Pearl for 10 years. How did the public learn about all of this? Well, because a Knoxville, Tenn. television station got hold of the letter of termination Hamilton and Tennessee Chancellor Jimmy Cheek sent Pearl on Sept. 9. "... Chancellor Cheek and I have determined that you engaged in gross misconduct, including dishonesty and other acts involving intolerable behav ior," read Hamilton's letter to Pearl. - As a result, the University is terminating your Employment Agreement for Adequate Cause." Twenty-four hours later, O Fantastic Location, directly across the street from PSU campus! 0 Fully Furnished, Carpeted & Air Conditioned Apartments with GREAT views! O CATA Loop Stop at Entrance! O An Awesome Apartment Conveniently Located in the Midst of Local Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, and Entertainment! O Walking Distance to Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center! O On-Site Laundry O Fabulous Fitness Center! O 24 Hour Spacious and Quiet Study Lounge with FREE Wireless Internet! O 200 + Reserved Parking Spaces Available! O Roommate Matching Service Available! O 24 Hour Emergency Maintenance Service! O On-Site Professional Management that Cares! Aow Leasing for Oigig4o,gA Sign YOUR LEASE Today! Call 814,2319000 Call for dates and times 814.231.9000 • ck physical style • --,. . . . i . ~.. ‘. ~.„...... , ,_ .._ . •_, _ . , • „, ... ,f, • • . ~ , 4 1 . . ....... . , „ N... - , 4 -:. :- ~ - „......, Marek Polidor (left) tries to deke an opponent this past weekend have a choice, that's just the way just give them a taste of their own they are," Daley said. "We'll try to medicine." outmatch them, be more physical than they are and hopefully we'll To e-mail reporter: acbsls2@psu.edu though, Hamilton stood firmly Pearl, over a two-year period. behind his coach and defended Hamilton is proud to have Pearl during a press conference, Pearl as coach? It sure doesn't failing to mention anything about sound like it from this statement the letter sent to Pearl the day from Hamilton's letter to Pearl: before. "On the Effective Date (of termi "People make mistakes, and we nation, Oct. 8, 2010), you will all make them," Hamilton said at become an employee at-will with a Sept. 10 press conference. no definite term of employment." "Bruce made one mistake in this Pearl is currently without a con incident, and he came forward to tract and his new one will be at a correct it. I'm glad he's our bas- reduced salary. Last, Hamilton ketball coach. I hope part of what said Pearl did the right thing. I you get out of this today is this is won't even spend a sentence a person that stood up and did debunking that statement, as it the right thing in the end by corn- would be an insult to my readers. ing back forward and saying, Not only is it a time to change want to correct this.' " its men's basketball coach. now Where do we start with all of Mr. Hamilton's contradictions: that Pearl made just one mistake that Hamilton is - glad - Pearl is the coach or that Pearl did the right thing? Lying about the barbecue isn't Pearl's lone incident of knowingly violating NCAA rules. The men's basketball staff also made 96 impermissible phone calls to recruits, 34 of which came from WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 I 15 it's time for Tennessee to change the words to its famous rendi- tions of Rocky Top' . after Pearl put the Vols in hot water Ain't no smoggy smoke on Rocky Top: Ain't no telephone Jared Shanker is a senior majoring in journalism and history and is the colle gian sports columnist. His e mail address is jpss226@psu.edu Asit Mishra 'Collegian
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