Morelli OnLion: Contract?

There's a battle brewing at Penn State.

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has not been given a contract extension and it's not certain that he's going to get one. That makes for interesting ink during a time when there's little to talk about, at least football-wise.

In today's edition of Morelli OnLion, we'll take a look at Paterno's contract situation, look at another incoming Nittany Lion and preview the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament.

There's an awful lot to talk about this week, so let's get rolling.



Will Joe Paterno be given a contract extension? Does he deserve one?
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).

Contract? What Contract?
The situation surrounding Paterno's contract is certainly interesting.

Paterno has a contract through the 2008 season. He has not been given an extension, which makes one wonder if he's going to be seeing a new deal.

So who, ultimately, will make the decision if Paterno gets a new deal? Well, many believe that Penn State's Board of Trustees will make the final call. But the guess here is that this decision is in the hands of Penn State president Graham Spanier.

Spanier and Paterno haven't always seen eye to eye. You will remember that in 2004, Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley and two members of the BOT went to Paterno's house to ask him to retire. Paterno sent the group away with their tails between their legs.

That's unlikely to happen this time around.

The guess here is that Paterno will, indeed, get some type of a contract. But don't expect it to be for four or five years. We'll say a year — or two — at the most.

Spanier isn't a big fan of Paterno, but he recognizes that he needs his presence for fundraising efforts and things of that nature.

As far as JoePa's successor? Who knows? The likely choice would appear to be defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, but stranger things have happened.

Stay tuned.

Future Lion: D'Anton Lynn

This was an interesting story, much like a recruiting soap opera.

D'Anton Lynn, a 6-foot-1 187-pound recruit from Celina High School in Celina, Texas committed to the Nittany Lions after being recruited by Brian Norwood. Norwood then left PSU for the defensive coordinator spot at Baylor.

Despite Norwood's efforts to take the cornerback with him, Lynn decided to remain a Nittany Lion.

Lynn first gave his verbal commitment to Norwood and Penn State on Nov. 10, and never backed out of his word, despite advances from Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Southern Cal and Norwood's new school, Baylor.

As a senior, Lynn was the District 9-3A MVP. He recorded 96 tackles and seven interceptions for Butch Ford's Bobcats, and also returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns. He a first-team Dallas Morning News selection on defense, and was the Herald-Democrat's All-Texohoma Class 3A-4A Most Valuable Player.

He was the only player in this class to win a state title, as Celina defeated China Spring, 21-14, for the Texas State 3A Championship in December. He suffered a fractured scapula on the game's first play, but remained in the contest.

Lynn was recruited Norwood, but Kermit Buggs took over when Norwood departed. He took his official visit to Penn State on the weekend of Sept. 8.


Can Coquese Washington coach the Lady Lions to a win at the Big Ten Tournament?
(Photo courtesy of Blue White Illustrated).

Previewing The Tourney
When it comes to women's hoops, it's been a year unlike any other in Big Ten.

The women's standings have been topsy-turvy all season long. For a while, Ohio State had a stranglehold on first place. But a couple of late season losses sent the Buckeyes tumbling as Iowa and Purdue slugged it out for the top spot in the conference. Eventually, Ohio State claimed the regular season title.

So, as we head toward the Big Ten Tournament, which is being staged in Indianapolis from Wednesday through Sunday, the tourney appears to be wide open.

With the exception of Northwestern, any of the conference's 11 teams could make a run. One thing to remember, however: No team that has played on the tourney's first day has ever won the thing. If history is any indicator, that means you have to be one of the top five seeds to bring home the hardware.

Let's take a look at each team's chances:

Iowa
Strength: Head coach Lisa Bluder. The Hawkeyes aren't the most experienced team in the conference, or the most talented. But the difference this season has been Bluder's ability to outcoach the opponent. The Hawkeyes also appear to be getting hot at the right time, putting together a nice eight-game winning streak late in the season.

Weakness: Scoring. The Hawkeyes' top scorer is Kristi Smith, who averages around 13 points per game. As a whole, they don't exactly light up the scoreboard.

The skinny: We see the Hawks getting to the championship game, but they don't have the offense to win it all.

Purdue
Strength: Confidence. Like Iowa, the Boilmakers are neither the most experienced nor the deepest team in the conference, but their confidence has taken them a long way this season. They've pulled some surprises and their love of physical play makes them a threat to win it all.

Weakness: Offense. The point production hasn't been that great, but the Boilers simply find a way to win. Lakisha Freeman is a solid point scorer and Danielle Campbell has done a tremendous job on the boards.

The skinny: We like the Boilers to make it to the semifinals, but as they say on "American Idol," the road ends there.

Ohio State
Strength: Depth. The Buckeyes lost a lot to graduation, but coach Jim Foster doesn't rebuild, he simply reloads. Center Jantel Lavender has stepped in right where Jessica Davenport left off. She's near the top of the Big Ten stats in scoring and rebounding.

Weakness: Losing games they shouldn't. Despite having all-world talent, the Buckeyes have dropped a couple of games (Illinois, Minnesota), that they probably should not have lost. They can't stub their toe at the tournament.

The skinny: Although they probably won't be expected to win it all this season, we like the Buckeyes to take home the prize. Foster's teams seem to peak in Indy. The Upset Special.

Minnesota
Strength: Head coach Pam Borton. Not sure what it is about Borton, but we like her. She's tough, fiery and shows a lot of raw emotion on the bench. Her team seems to feed off of that energy and has parlayed it into a strong showing in the conference.

Weakness: If you can shut down Emily Fox and Leslie Knight, the Golden Gophers are in trouble. There's not a whole lot of offense to be had once you get past those two.

The skinny: Golden Gophers could surprise at the tourney, but don't expect them to make it past the semifinals.

Michigan State
Strength: Depth. The Spartans have one of the deepest benches in the Big Ten. They also have 6-foot-9 Allyssa DeHaan, who appears to be handling the physicality of the conference much better this season.
She's been banged around on the inside and is still averaging almost
15 points per game.

Weakness: Coaching. The Spartans replaced Joanne P. McCallie with wet noodle Suzy Merchant after McCallie bolted for Duke. MSU should have paid McCallie whatever she wanted, because Merchant isn't even close to being a solid replacement.

The skinny: Before the season began, we liked the Spartans to win it all. Not anymore. Expect a one-and-done performance in Indy.

Indiana
Strength: Scrappy play. The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten in steals, which means they hustle from opening whistle to final buzzer. The fact that they lead the conference in swipes says a lot about their style of play.

Weakness: Scoring. IU's Jamie Braun is their main scoring threat, but after that the cupboard is pretty much bare. Amber Jackson and Whitney Thomas also are capable, but they have yet to prove themselves in a big game.

The skinny: Definitely a dark-horse team at the tourney. Our thought, though, is that the Hoosiers don't have the horses to get it done.

Wisconsin
Strength: Timing. Although they started the season horribly, the Badgers are coming around. They've compiled some pretty nice wins during the past month of the season, including a pair over Penn State.
No one expected the Badgers to struggle, but the turnaround has begun.

Weakness: Confidence. During the midst of a four-game January losing streak, it appeared that the Badgers had given up on the season. If they get behind during the tournament, their season could end in the blink of an eye.

The skinny: A dangerous team. If their opening-round opponent overlooks these Badgers, watch out — they could make a serious run at the finals.

Penn State
Strength: Experience. Players like Kam Gissendanner, Brianne O'Rourke and Tyra Grant have been through the trials and tribulations of the Big Ten Tournament before. Last year, you'll remember, they nearly knocked off Ohio State before losing in overtime.

Weakness: Lack of depth. Head coach Coquese Washington will look for her three freshmen — Evelyn Lewis, Julia Trogele and Janessa Wolff — to step up at the tourney. We'll find out just how much they've matured since November.

The skinny: Penn State's inability to win away from the Bryce Jordan Center will hamstring them in this tournament. Unless they cure those ills quickly, it will be a quick trip to Indy for the Lady Lions.

Michigan
Strength: Head coach Kevin Borseth. Always a Big Ten laughingstock, the Wolverines have turned it around under their first-year head coach. We don't necessarily care for his maize-and-blue Miami Vice sport coat get-ups, but we totally dig his coaching style. He's gotten a bunch of wins out of a cast of misfits.

Weakness: In the land of misfit toys, Krista Phillips and Carly Benson are couple of Cabbage Patch Kids. Borseth has gotten a lot from those two, but after that duo, it's slim pickings.

The skinny: Michigan has enjoyed a solid season, but it all ends in Indy. One game and then it's back to Ann Arbor.

Illinois
Strength: Jenna Smith. One of the best in the Big Ten, Smith is capable of strapping the team to her back and carrying them.

Weakness: Scoring. Despite having Smith and Lori Bjork, the Illini are one of the lower scoring teams in the conference. They will need to dial it up a notch to win one at the tourney.

The skinny: Maybe a win, but we're not seeing much more than that for the Illini.

Northwestern
Strength: Hard to find one. The Wildcats are the Big Ten's worst, and it shows. They have not won a game since mid-December, and watching head coach Beth Combs on the bench, well, it looks like she's ready to be a spokesperson for Cymbalta.

Weakness: Defense? Depth? Offense? Shooting? Pick one. The Wildcats are so weak fundamentally, that a very good high school team could probably give them a game.

The skinny: If NU was smart, they wouldn't even send a team to Indy. Save the airfare and send these ladies on spring break already.