STATE COLLEGE - Incoming freshman guard Tim Frazier watched Penn State win the NIT last March and bragged to a high school teammate about beating Notre Dame along the way.

Incoming freshman swingman Bill Edwards recalled sitting in his living room with his mother as the team defeated Baylor at Madison Square Garden and thinking "I can play in the big time next year."

When Ed DeChellis was named Penn State's men's basketball coach in 2003, he talked not of rebuilding, but of building a "healthy" program. He is still looking for his first NCAA tournament bid after six seasons here, but armed with an NIT championship ring and a recently-announced contract extension running through 2014, some higher expectations seem more reasonable than in years past. One would be that next year's freshmen class can watch this year's team play in the school's first NCAA Tournament since 2001.

"I won't say we've arrived, that's foolish, but we've improved our program every year here," DeChellis said Monday during the team's media day at the outset of preseason practice. "The football coach here says either you get better or you get worse. We're either going to get better or we're not."

Penn State returns three starters, including junior point guard and Big Ten leading scorer Talor Battle, from a team that finished 27-11 and won postseason games over Florida, Notre Dame, and Baylor en route to the program's first NIT title. Also back are center Andrew Jones and forward D.J. Jackson, but valuable leadership and scoring graduated with Jamelle Cornley and Stanley Pringle, who combined for 27 points per game. Cornley also led the team in rebounding and Pringle led in steals.

One positive sign for Nittany Lion fans - three of the program's last four NIT Final Four appearances led to an NCAA berth the following year.

"We need to have another successful season, not one of those one-hit wonder things," said Battle, who also led a bronze-medal University World Games team in scoring over the summer. "We have the chance to be good, a lot of younger guys who will play a larger role than most freshmen have to. We're expecting a lot out of those guys."

That could start with Frazier, who will give Battle some needed relief at point guard after Battle led the nation in minutes last year and challenge Chris Babb and Cameron Woodyard for time at the other guard spot. Frazier was a top-ranked recruit out of Texas and, at 6-foot-1, looks to give the Lions the same speedy backcourt presence Pringle did last year. Frazier even wowed fans by winning a team dunk contest Saturday during a scrimmage open to the public before the Nittany Lions' football game vs. Minnesota.

Replacing Cornley, one of the better leaders the Lions have had in recent years, may be more problematic. 6-foot-8 junior Jeff Brooks could be a top candidate for the fifth starting spot as practice begins, but he'll have to fend off big men Andrew Ott, Billy Oliver, and Sasha Borovnjak for playing time. Or, DeChellis could put the 6-foot-7 Jackson inside to make room for Edwards or someone else.

Edwards, who at 6-foot-6, 235 pounds is similar in size to Cornley, sees himself as more of an outside player and is someone who could fit into whatever scheme DeChellis wants to emphasize in a given game.

Such depth, as well as turning his recruiting focus away from late-committing seniors and toward high school underclassmen, is another sign that DeChellis could be on his way to a healthier program. He also hopes the schedule works out better this year, as last year's weak non-conference slate was repeatedly cited as a reason to keep the Nittany Lions from the NCAA Tournament.

This year's itinerary includes trips to Temple, Virginia, and the Charleston Classic and a home game with Virginia Tech. Many of last year's non-conference opponents struggled, dragging down the all-important strength-of-schedule component of the Nittany Lions' RPI.

Not worrying as much about those teams, and more on his own, would be good for DeChellis' health.

"I hope it happens for us, but it's frustrating when you win on Saturday and then go home and I watch the scores, " said DeChellis. "You don't see the teams we played win a game, and that's what it came to."