M. Hoops must handle Crispins

If the Crispin brothers do well, Penn State does well. End of story. On Saturday, Joe and Jon Crispin were as hot as branding irons; they teamed for 57 points and hit a blistering 59 percent of their three-point attempts. And the Nittany Lions knocked off then-No. 22 (AP) Kentucky at Rupp Arena. On Wednesday night, the Crispin brothers were colder than Happy Valley in mid-January; they connected on just six of 35 field-goal attempts and combined for just 15 points. And Penn State dropped an 84-76 decision against middle-of-the-pack ACC foe North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C. "As they [the Crispin brothers] go, Penn State goes," Penn guard Dave Klatsky said. It's an axiom both the Wildcats and Wolfpack have learned. It's an axiom Penn will be exposed to first-hand tomorrow. At 2:00 p.m., the Quakers (0-3) take on the Crispin-led Nittany Lions (2-1) at Bryce Jordan Center. And Penn realizes that beating Penn State requires the neutralization of Pitman, N.J., natives Joe and Jon Crispin. "We've got to shut down those Crispin boys," Penn center Geoff Owens said. "[Wednesday] night, they were taking bad shots. That's what we've got to make them do. "We know they're each going to take almost 20 shots a game, and we have to make sure they don't make a good percentage of them." Last year, Penn held one of the Crispins in check; then-freshman Jon scored just two points in 35 minutes. But then-junior Joe netted 20, and the Quakers lost by three at the Palestra to the Nittany Lions. Joe and Jon are similar in build; the elder Crispin stands six-feet tall and weighs 185 pounds, while the younger Crispin is a 6'2", 195-pounder. Their styles aren't quite so similar, however. Joe, a second-team All-Big Ten selection last year, is the point guard, the playmaker, the creator. Jon, a three-year All-State honoree in high school, is the two-guard, the pure shooter. But both are dangerous. "The thing with those two is, if you guard one, the other one could explode at any time," Klatsky said. "So you've got to guard both of them." Still, Penn State is not just a pair of Crispins and three stiffs. Senior Titus Ivory scored 25 against N.C. State. And starting forwards Tyler Smith and Gyasi Cline-Heard have combined for 16.7 points and 14 rebounds per game. "If the Crispins don't go crazy on us, that will be a help," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "But even though the Crispins went crazy at Kentucky, they all had to play well for them to be able to get a win at Kentucky." Indeed, those other Nittany Lions played well; they committed just nine turnovers in the game. Penn State has averaged only 12.3 turnovers in its three games this season. In contrast, Penn has turned the ball over an average of 18 times per game. But what the Quakers lack in the taking-care-of-the-ball department, they make up in height. Sure, Penn State has seven-footer Scott Witkowsky -- but he has only played 16 minutes all year. The Nittany Lions' three-guard starting lineup includes no man taller than 6'8". Penn, meanwhile, has started 6'11" Owens and 6'9" Koko Archibong in each of its three games this season. Plus, 6'10" freshman Adam Chubb regularly comes off the Penn bench. And you can't forget last year's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, 6'8" forward Ugonna Onyekwe. It's a height mismatch -- a mismatch the Quakers plan to exploit. "I think we're really going to try to go inside," Owens said. "I think that's really going to be effective for us, especially with their two talented guards. Hopefully that'll counteract [the Crispin brothers]." The Quakers will count on Owens to provide that inside presence. Thus far, Penn's senior captain has averaged 10.7 points per game. News and Notes Onyekwe hit a would-be game-tying three-pointer a split-second after the final buzzer went off in Penn State's 59-56 victory over Penn last year at the Palestra... Penn also played against N.C. State this year. The Quakers dropped a 77-64 decision in their season-opener in Raleigh on November 17.

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