Oct. 29, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA., Oct. 29, 2009 - Coming off one of the best statistical seasons in Nittany Lion basketball history, junior point-guard Talor Battle (Albany, N.Y.) has been named to the preseason All-Big Ten Team for the second consecutive season.
Battle, who joined reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year Ed DeChellis and junior forward Andrew Jones (Philadelphia, Pa.) at the Big Ten's Basketball Media Day Thursday in Chicago, was one of five juniors named to the preseason all-conference team by a media panel of 24 voters. Battle was joined by reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas (Michigan State), Evan Turner (Ohio State), Manny Harris (Michigan) and Robbie Hummel (Purdue). Lucas was selected the preseason Player of the Year while his Spartans were selected as the favorites to win the conference title for the second consecutive season. Purdue and Ohio State were picked to finish second and third, respectively.
Battle, Lucas, Harris and Turner all earned first-team All-Big Ten honors last season. Hummel was a first-team selection as a freshman before earning third-team honors in an injury plagued junior campaign.
Battle, who played with Turner and Hummel on the U.S. World University Games team during the summer and led that squad in scoring (10.0 ppg), is the first Nittany Lion to be named to the preseason All-Big Ten team twice and will look to become Penn State's first-ever two-time, first-team All-Big Ten selection at the conclusion of the season. Battle is coming off a season in which he ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring (16.7 ppg), set a Penn State single season record with 189 assists and posted the fifth-best scoring season in Nittany Lion history with 635 points. Battle also led the nation in minutes played (1,422) and posted the third most three-pointers (92) in a Penn State season while leading the Big Ten with 14 20-point games. He earned NIT All-tournament team honors while leading Penn State to a school-record 27 wins and first-ever NIT Championship with clutch play and several last second shots.
Battle and the rest of the Nittany Lions will take the floor on Friday, Nov. 6 at the Bryce Jordan Center when they take on Slippery Rock in exhibition action. That game will tip off at 6:00 p.m. and will be held prior to "Rally in the Valley" with coach Joe Paterno and the Penn State football team in the Jordan Center. The Nittany Lion football team takes on Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 7 in Beaver Stadium. Both the Nittany Lions' exhibition basketball game and "Rally in the Valley" in its entirety can be seen on the BigTenNetwork.com.