STATE COLLEGE — Cautious optimism surrounds the Penn State basketball team.

The Nittany Lions' seven-game winning streak is their longest since 2000-01 and includes two straight Big Ten road wins — quite a feat considering Penn State didn't win a road game all last season.

A glance Friday at the Big Ten standings shows the Nittany Lions (10-4, 2-0) in a rather unusual position: tied for first place heading into their conference home opener Saturday against Minnesota.

But the season is still young and plenty of challenges await a squad aching to prove it is more than just a conference footnote.

"We've got all kinds of room for improvement," coach Ed DeChellis said. "Am I happy where we are? Absolutely, I think our guys have done a great job. But I know we can get better."

Free-throw shooting must improve, especially from go-to guys Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley, who are both hitting just 58 percent from the foul line. The offense must gain more consistency, and the defense must shore up in the paint, Cornley said.

Yet the trajectory of the program appears to be on the upswing again behind veterans Claxton and Cornley and a host of fresh faces like guard Stanley Pringle and center Andrew Jones. Unlike recent seasons, depth no longer is a problem, with DeChellis able to go five-deep to his bench if needed.

"We have been a resilient team," DeChellis said. "It's been different guys on different nights stepping up to make plays, and that's the depth that hopefully on our team will continue."

It took a little while for them to mesh, though.

Things appeared bleak after Penn State lost three games at a November tournament in Florida. But instead of weighing down the team, the rough patch helped get players focused, Cornley said.

"We realized we needed to change a lot of things, that people are going to have to change roles," said the 6-foot-5 forward. "It's not about minutes or shot attempts."

The vocal Cornley (12.1 points, 6.5 rebounds) also leads by example, hustling around the court with a nagging left knee problem. Claxton (18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds) is a 6-5 double-double machine and the conference's second-leading scorer and rebounder.

Their energy has made up for Penn State's decided lack of height — 6-9 center Jones is the only starter taller than Cornley or Claxton, but rebounding has still been a strength.

Penn State pounded the boards against Northwestern and Illinois to complete a two-game road sweep last week. More difficult tests await with games against Big Ten powers Michigan State, Indiana and Ohio State still to come.

"We can't get overly confident," Cornley said. "But it's good to get out on a good note."