This season has been a predictable struggle for Penn State basketball. The squad was dealt an immense blow when, in the fourth game of the season, All-Big Ten point guard Tim Frazier was lost for the season after rupturing his left Achilles tendon. Frazier led the Big Ten in scoring for the 2011-12 season and, in his absence, the team was forced to look elsewhere for leadership and scoring.

Two Lions, Jermaine Marshall and D.J. Newbill, stepped up to the challenge, and despite the team’s season-long struggles, the duo was named 2012-13 All-Big Ten honorable mention by the Big Ten media and coaches. The pair averaged 32.6 points per game, making them the Big Ten’s second highest scoring tandem behind only Michigan’s Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. (34.3 points per game), both of whom made the All-Big Ten first team.

Newbill, a redshirt sophomore from Philadelphia who transferred to Penn State from Southern Mississippi, finished fourth in the conference in both points (16.4) and assists (4.2) per conference game. Additionally, Newbill played the second in the Big Ten playing 36.4 minutes per game.

Despite being a natural shooting guard, Newbill took over point guard duties after Frazier’s injury and showed considerable improvement as the Lions trudged through the Big Ten season. He posted nine 20-point scoring efforts and scored in double figures in 27 of 30 games overall and was second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game.

Marshall, a redshirt junior from Etters, Pa., ended the season strong by putting up at least 20 points in three of the team’s last five games. For the season, he averaged 16.2 points per game and led the Lions in scoring in 14 games. Marshall led the team and was seventh in the conference with 45 steals while averaging 34.4 minutes per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and shooting 35.3 percent from three.

Newbill and Marshall will lead the Nittany Lions into their first round matchup of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday against Michigan, the team they upset at the Bryce Jordan Center on February 27.