Packing plenty of offensive punch with experience, Penn State has three players, all seniors, averaging over 15 points a game. Guard Joe Crispin leads the team, and the Big Ten, with 20.1 points a game, and is also the Lions' greatest threat beyond the three-point arc. Swingman Titus Ivory averages 16.2 points and 4.4 assists a game. Forward Gyasi Cline-Heard holds his own in the paint, averaging 15.1 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. The Lions lead the league in free-throw percentage, and trail only Illinois in team steals.
Ivory sets the tone from the free throw line and on the defensive side of the court.
Coach Jerry Dunn feels the team is doing things well as the season nears its end. Meanwhile, Ohio State is riding the crest of a great conference season. Picked by some experts to finish in the bottom half on the league after losing Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn, the team has a chance to take the third place seed into the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago next week. Senior center Ken Johnson, who broke the Big Ten record in blocks last week, is the Buckeyes' big presence in the middle with 12.3 points a game and 115 blocks on the season. They have won six of their last seven games, losing only a non-conference battle to No.