1942, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1965, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2011.
That's It. That paltry list represents the entirety of Penn State's NCAA Tournament appearances.
But this beautiful, glorious addition is about to be added:
2023.
When this Nittany Lion team dropped to 5-9 in the Big Ten a few weeks ago, their NCAA hopes were pretty much left for dead. And rightfully so.
But goodness gracious, what a run this team has made with its back against the wall.
And Thursday night, the Lions did something that allows us to say something that most of us simply have not said many times throughout the course of our lifetimes.
They locked up an NCAA Tournament berth, thanks to a 79-76 win over Illinois at the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago.
No more bubble nonsense. There's nothing else to prove.
This team is IN. Right now. Regardless.
You know how we always say Penn State basketball fans just can't seem to have nice things? Well, this year's team has changed the narrative and delivered a very nice thing in recent weeks to earn an NCAA bid.
Yeah, the Lions still could lose today to Northwestern in the Big Ten quarterfinals. But that won't knock them out of the Big Dance.
Penn State (20-12 overall, 11-10 in Big Ten games) has gone 6-1 in its last seven games, a tremendous run that includes not just victories, but a whole bunch of really good victories, including four Quad 1 wins. Here are the wins:
• vs. Illinois, No. 33 in the NET
• at Minnesota, which is horrendous (218)
• at Ohio State, No. 57 in NET
• at Northwestern, No. 40 in NET
• vs. Maryland, No. 26
• vs. Illinois again, on a neutral court
Look, the Big Ten is down this year. And those weren't great teams Penn State beat. But they are all pretty good teams (except the Gophers), and the Lions absolutely, unequivocally, 100 percent earned their NCAA Tournament bid not only by winning the games, but very much passing they eye test in doing so.
If you watch Penn State play, you know it is an NCAA Tournament team. That's really been the case all season. Which is why it's been so, so maddening to see the Lions blow a bunch of games that would have locked up an NCAA bid long ago and helped them get a better seed.
But hey, no need to focus on all that stuff right now. Because this team has overcome its share of adversity to earn the right to go dancing.
I was born in 1973, so this will be only the fifth time during my lifetime that Penn State will play in an NCAA Tournament. The Lions would have made the field in 2020, but the tourney was canceled because of COVID. That epitomized the notion that Penn State basketball fans just can't have nice things.
But with Micah Shrewsberry, they can.
With Jalen Pickett, they can.
With Camren Wynter hitting not one, but two legendary buzzer beaters in back-to-back must-win games, they can.
It's been bonkers watching all this stuff play out the past two weeks. After blowing a 19-point lead at home and losing to Rutgers, this season just seemed to be cursed.
But then, just about everything Penn State needed to go right has indeed gone right, from the Wynter buzzer beaters to a first-round Big Ten tourney draw against an Illinois team that the Lions are now 3-0 against this season.
If Penn State loses Friday to Northwestern, the Lions still could end up as an 11 seed, but I seriously doubt they would have to appear in a play-in game in Dayton. Heck, even a 10 seed would be possible, given all the good wins of late.
If Penn State wins Friday, now we're talking about a 10 seed at worst, and maybe even a 9.
Whatever happens, all that really matters is that the Lions are going dancing. We just haven't been able to say that very often in our lifetimes, and it's pretty darn cool to be able to say it this year.