Otis Livingston II, like many players, considers winter break his favorite time of the season. There he was Monday afternoon working for nearly an hour after practice on three-point shooting and ball handling with graduate manager Tyler Jorns.
 
 Lots of catch-and-shoot threes well behind the three-point arc and lots of dribbling moves while Jorns jostled him. Then it was time to soak his legs in a cold tank. Sure, Livingston got frustrated by some missed shots and sometimes dreads an ice bath, but he treasures the immersion in basketball provided during the break.
 
    "You get to focus on hoops, take care of your body," the junior guard said. "You get to watch film with coaches. It's kind of like you're a pro. You just hoop.
 
   "Once school starts, you have to get used to classes and things like that again. This is the best part of the year."
 
   The Patriots (7-9, 1-2 A10), who Wednesday host St. Joe's in a conference game, have been concentrating on individual sessions as well as team practices during the break, which ends Jan 21.
 
   As Justin Kier was working Monday on pull-up jumpers and penetration deep in the paint with assistant Duane Simpkins, coach Dave Paulsen shouted compliments and observations to the sophomore guard.
 
   "When you get that deep and can't get dislodged from a (post player), then pivot, pivot, kickout. Then you've done your job: You've gotten a deep paint touch and then a kick to Otis or Javon (Greene) and you're under control."
 
    After Sunday's 86-59 loss to hot-shooting Davidson, the Patriots were emphasizing individual skills Monday along with an abbreviated team practice. "In my opinion, now it's not so much x's and o's," said Paulsen, referring to a roster with no seniors on scholarship. "There are a lot of guys capable but they're young. They've got to play better; they're capable of doing so.
 
   "Just keep working on your game. We don't want to run them into the ground, but they've got nothing else to do now. It's also a time to get closer as a team. The biggest thing for these guys is to understand to focus on the process of getting better and not be fixated on results. The process is the best predictor of getting results but it's not foolproof."
 
  Despite an emphasis Monday on individual skills, Paulsen is not downplaying strategy: "We have to be a game-plan team. We have to say, we're going to take this away from them. When things go bad, we have to stay the course. Sometimes (opponents) who you want to take shots make them. Stay the course."
 
   For coaches, part of staying the course is reviewing game film. Paulsen watched the Davidson game repeatedly Sunday afternoon and night.
 
   "I was as down as could be when I left here (Sunday)," he said. "Then you watch the film and think we're not that far away."
 
FAN OF THE BAND: Even opposing coaches can marvel at the performance of Doc Nix and The Green Machine during the course of the game. Penn State coach Pat Chambers raved about The Green Machine after the Nittany Lions' 72-54 win in December.
 
   "That band is unbelievable," said Chambers, whose team is now 12-5. "I caught myself looking over there."
 
   Chambers remembered being an assistant coach at Villanova in 2009, scouting the Patriots in Philadelphia for an NCAA game and being distracted by his enjoyment of The Green Machine.
 
   "Doc is tremendous," Chambers said. "May have to hire him for a party or two."