12 I Thursday, Nov. 4,2010
Walk-on offers
By Alex Angert
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Freshman Alan Wisniewski department, as Wisniewski joins
got a phone call with some pret- the team to try and fill that void.
ty exciting news
Six hours later, MEN’S happened to
the freshman BASKETBALL Sasa * 3Ut that’s
was in a meeting life,” forward DJ
Jackson said.
“But it’s good to
have Alan come
in and help out
with the head
coach of the Penn State men’s
basketball team.
"He told me I had to switch up
my schedule a little bit to fit the
practice schedule,” Wisniewski
said. "So I went to the advisor
the next day.”
That’s because after an hour
of running drills and playing
against the 11 or 12 other guys at
the tryout, Wisniewksi had
shown coach Ed DeChellis
enough to warrant a spot.
His 6-foot-9 frame didn't hurt
his chances, either.
With Sasa Borovnjak going
down for the season with a tom
anterior cruciate ligament, the
Nittany Lions found themselves
with a lack of depth in the front
court behind senior center Drew
Jones.
Graham Zug (5) makes a touchdown catch in Penn State’s 41-31 win against Michigan at Beaver Stadium
Senior Zug looks to rebound
By Audrey Snyder
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
With Graham Zug lined up in
(he slot. Matt McGloin had no
problem delivering a 20-yard
touchdown pass to the senior
wide receiver.
While the Penn State sideline
erupted into celebration, part of
(he cheers coming from the
Nittany Lion players were
because Zug scored his first
touchdown of the season.
'You guys saw how excited we
were when he scored," co-captain
Brett Brackett said. "Hopefully
lie can keep the ball rolling
because it helps when he's pro
ductive for our team."
The senior wide receiver is no
stranger to scoring touchdowns,
but this season has been the
exception.
After having 46 catches for 600
yards and a team-high seven
touchdown receptions last sea
son, Zug has been targeted less
this year. His production has seen
a dramatic decrease as he has
just seven catches for 81 yards,
11 ThcD.uk
Collegian
The team’s walk-on tryouts
provided the team with the
chance to add some help in that
“We all feel
bad for what
and give us vvisniewski
another body to
bang around
with. He’s enjoying himself and
we like having him on the team.”
At practice on Monday, the tall
and lanky Wisniewski was fully
involved with the team running
drills, looking puzzled and inex
perienced at times.
But despite being a step
behind the other players after
joining the team late, his new
teammates were highly support
ive. as they gave him pointers
and cheered him on while watch
ing from the baseline.
Nevertheless, even though he
doesn’t figure to play too much.
but he’s not complaining.
Zug said throughout his entire
career at Penn State, he’s had to
work harder because he was a
former walk on. While he didn't
want to say the Michigan game
reinvigorated his season, the
three catches from McGloin were
the most he’s had this season.
‘ I’ve been motivated this whole
season,’’ Zug said. "Whether or
not I was getting the ball, that
doesn't matter to me. I just try to
do my best to help the team win.
Whether it's just being a leader
out there or making sure guys are
motivated, that’s just what I have
to do.”
Having Zug be another weapon
for either McGloin or Rob Bolden
is something that hasn't hap
pened often this season. While
Zug said he has good timing with
both quarterbacks, he and
McGloin aren’t strangers to being
buried on the depth chart.
The former walk on-to-walk on
connection from McGloin to Zug
is something McGloin said was
just the result of him taking what
the defense gave him. The one-
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length
Wisniewski is still expected to be
a valuable asset to the team as
he is now the second tallest
active player.
“It helps us in practice, I'm not
sure it’s going to help us in
games,” DeChellis said.
“At least in practice it helps us.
giving us another guy we can
play against and shoot against.
He’s a guy we. have to shoot
over.”
Wisniewski realizes his
biggest influence on the team
will come through practice
thanks to his post presence with
Borovnjak unable to play.
"If I’m lucky, I'll get into a few
games,” the walk-on added.
However, at this point the
Michigan native who aver
aged 7.9 points. 4.5 rebounds and
2.0 blocks per game his senior
year at Bishop Foley Catholic
is just glad to be on the team.
"I thought I had a pretty good
shot after the tryouts were over
with," Wisniewski said, i was
just glad to get a call. I'm glad I
get another chance to play bas
ketball again."
To e-mail reporter: adal47@psu.edu
on-one coverage, coupled with
what McGloin called a route Zug
runs to perfection, allowed the
wide receiver to finally score his
first touchdown of the season.
While both quarterback and
wide receiver had to work their
way up the depth chart and came
to Penn State with something to
prove, Brackett said Zug works
just as hard in practice this year
as he ahvavs has.
Though Zug said McGloin has
had a tougher road to break the
starting lineup. than he has
because the quarterback is
involved in every play, both play
ers are hoping they can continue
playing important roles
And that's a challenge they
both plan to embrace with the
same attitude they've had since
showing up at Penn State without
a scholarship offer.
"Coming in as a walk on, you
can only climb the depth chart,"
Zug said. "You can never go back
down and you just have to work
vour hardest."
To email reporter, aass22o@psu.edu
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Tyler Sizemore 'Collegian
Tim Frazier dribbles at Penn State's media day on Oct. 18.
Frazier
By Emily Kaplan
COIIEGiAN SI Apr WRiTER
When Tim Frazier reflected
on his rookie season for the
Penn State
men's basketball
team, there was
one thing that BASKETBALL
frustrated the
Nobody respected his jump
"A lot of teams last year, they
laid off me." said Frazier, now a
sophomore for the Nittany
Lions. "They played me for the
drive."
Frazier, the G-foot-1 shifty
guard from Houston. Texas was
n't upset by it he said it's just
the nature of thorough scouting
reports in Division I basketball.
However he did want to make
sure this trend would be differ
ent this year.
So Frazier worked hard in the
offseason - staying at school
for both summer sessions, log
ging countless hours in the
weight room and practice .gym
- to make sure he. and his jump
shot, would get stronger for the
upcoming season.
It was just one of the many
measures Frazier has taken to
become an increased presence
for the Lions this season.
•He's taken on a leadership
role." senior forward I)..I.
Jackson said. He knows, as a
point guard, we really feed off
him. off of his energy"
Jackson said that through
preseason the team has already
noticed improvements in
Frazier's game - especially in
his shooting.
Jackson added that Frazier is
more confident, more willing to
lake the open look.
"Which is good because we
need him to knock those down."
Jackson said.
"He put in a lot of time this
summer shooting and it has
really showed."
Frazier, who was named the
No. 1 recruit in the 2009 class
out of Texas bv
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leading
Te.xasHoops.com, is perhaps
the quickest player on the Lions.
He posted a team-high 34-inch
vertical and 10.3-second lane
agility drill time in preseason
workouts before last season.
That speed and agility earned
him a regular spot off the bench
as a freshman for Penn State.
Frazier played in all 31 contests,
averaging 5.0 points and 2.3
rebounds per game.
As a sophomore, however,
Frazier is hoping for a larger
role one that includes becom
ing a leader for a Penn State
squad that's looking to rebound
from an 11-20 season that fea
tured just three league wins.
MEN'S
Senior Jeff Brooks said
Frazier has embraced the chal
lenge. both on and off the court.
Brooks said Frazier is "a lot
smarter with the ball now."
"He improved as a leader
too," Brooks said. "Tim makes a
lot of good decisions, being a
young guy. just a sophomore, on
and off the court."
Freshman guard Taran Buie
a four-star high school
prospect who highlighted Penn
State's 2010 recruiting class
said Frazier has gone out of his
way to help him out in practice.
Buie couldn't think of any spe
cific examples, but said Frazier
will always come up to him dur
ing practice "and kind of tell me
what to do here and there."
Senior co-captain Talor Battle
said it's not in Frazier's charac
ter to be loud or too vocal on the
court.
Battle described Frazier as "a
soft-spoken guy." and the type to
lead by example.
Brooks thinks Frazier will do
just that during games this year.
"I think he has a lot of expec
tations for himself heading to
the season." Brooks said. “With
that confidence, I think he will
have a good season this year.
You know freshman year, just
like me. you're just trying to get
your feet wet. Now this year,
make plays and do big things.”
To e-mail reporter: exkso49@psu.edu
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