NIT Quarterfinals: Cornley's courage, quality take Penn State past Florida, to NIT final four

Move over, Ty Lawson. There's another blood-and-guts March Madness hero who deserves to stand with you.
 
It would have been impressive enough if Jamelle Cornley had merely been able to play extended minutes and give his team solid defense in Tuesday's NIT quarterfinal at Florida. Instead, the Penn State forward became a legend in Nittany Nation, as this Lion-hearted warrior not only played, but marked himself as the best man on the floor. Cornley's 23 points and 12 rebounds, all with a heavily-wrapped left shoulder, carried the Blue and White to a 71-62 win over the Gators in Gainesville, giving Penn State a ticket to New York for next Tuesday's NIT semifinals. The Nittany Lions will play either St. Mary's or San Diego State.
 
While it's true that Florida lost center Kenny Kadji to injury, and while it's also true that the Gators have rarely scared opponents with their interior defense this season, it's still quite remarkable that Cornley was able to be so thoroughly effective, even dominating, on the court. Cornley hit 11-of-14 shots, putting the ball in the bucket from many angles. In a demanding sport that's played at a high level, even the best athletes must contend with the rust of an injury-induced layoff, as well as the need to adjust one's technique to fit the newfound physical limitations an injury will create.

 
Cornley, however, didn't seem rusty at all. The fluidity of motion displayed by No. 2 mirrored the way in which Lawson--North Carolina's point guard--managed to elevate his game to its customarily lofty level in the Tar Heels' win on Saturday against Louisiana State. When Penn State's main man in the middle began to go to work, it was as though he'd never been out of the lineup. Only the greatest competitors can pull off those kinds of performances: They don't merely fight and sacrifice when they return to action; they find a way to become just as imposing as they were before the injuries they suffered.
 
In addition to Cornley's own personal brilliance, the other key aspect of the awesome 23-and-12 exhibition was that it liberated the rest of the Lions, who were able to get to the NIT quarters without their prized post player. PSU coach Ed DeChellis must obviously be pleased with the win and the extension of the Lions' season, but this team's coaching staff must be absolutely ecstatic about the fact that the Blue and White were able to win without a commanding performance from Talor Battle, who hit only 4-of-13 shots and nailed only one 3-pointer in eight tries. Penn State's deep NIT run has been built on the back of blended team basketball, with numerous people contributing to the cause. In the first two rounds of the NIT, guys like Chris Babb and Andrew Jones III picked up the slack. Tuesday in the Sunshine State, David Jackson came up huge with an efficient 14-point, 5-of-7 shooting performance that included the game's ultimate dagger, a terrifically tough turnaround jumper at the end of the shot clock that gave PSU a 65-59 lead with 55 seconds left in regulation. Stanley Pringle also benefited from Cornley's dominance inside, hitting five 3-pointers on a night when Florida's defense had to pay attention to the paint. The greatest part of this NIT experience has clearly been Penn State's ability to lengthen its bench and get production from several different players on a much more consistent basis. 

Next season can still wait a week, because the 2009 Lions have a championship to pursue in Madison Square Garden. With that said, Penn State can already feel a lot more confident about the years to come, because a team is learning how to share the workload and find even more resourceful ways to win ballgames. Cornley, a senior, won't be around for the 2010 season, but as he leads his basketball brothers to New York next week, one has the sense that his example is rubbing off on his teammates, setting the stage for a bright future in the world of Happy Valley hoops.

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