SHAWN TRICE: Nice guys finish first

Jerome Allen paused and looked up at the Palestra rafters when asked about Shawn Trice. "Let me tell you a story that shows what a tremendous person Shawn Trice is," Allen finally said. "Over the past few summers, Shawn has stayed at my house a lot. Every day, we'd come home and my mom would be much more excited to see him than me. I'd try to tell her about my day or something, and all she wanted to do was talk to Shawn." Matt Maloney described Trice as "the nicest guy I've ever known." Most of us just know him as the Quakers' 6-foot-7 power forward who walks around campus sporting a Detroit Lions hat and a goofy grin. The ever-present grin is part of what makes Trice so special both on and off the basketball court. Somehow, amidst all the excitement and pressure of starting for a top-25 caliber basketball team, the senior history major manages to keep everything in perspective. "I'm not happy all the time," Trice explained. "I get frustrated like everyone else. Especially with basketball. But for me -- and for everyone on the team -- the game of basketball has been so kind. It has given us so much. You have to love the game. You have to respect it." It is that love and respect for his sport that enables Trice to go into the Palestra with the same hard-working attitude and jubilant personality every day. "Regardless of what's going on in his life, he's the same person every day," Maloney said. "Whenever I'm having a bad day, I always look forward to seeing Shawn in the locker room. I know he'll pick me up." This is the essence of Shawn Trice. He is motivated by simple pleasures. Even on the basketball court, where his statistics may not jump out of the box score every day, he prides himself on chores that even the most astute observers may not perceive. When Maloney beats his man off the dribble and finds a crease to the rim for an easy layup, nine times out of 10 that seam exists because Trice was able to seal off his man. When Allen comes soaring through the lane to pluck a rebound out of the rafters, it's always because Trice has done a perfect job of boxing out his man. This season, Penn's leading rebounder is trying to make his presence felt more at the offensive end. In addition to working hard over the summer to get stronger, Trice has added yet another wrinkle to his game. The Well. That's the name for Trice's newly developed long-range jumper. Why The Well? There's a story. One day after practice, as Trice continued to move further and further into international waters, teammate Cedric Laster warned him that the well would surely run dry if Trice took another step back. Fully confident in his newly-found range, Trice replied, "Ced, The Well never runs dry." "It always falls when [Penn coach Fran] Dunphy's not looking," Maloney said. "As soon as Dunph turns around, you know it's a brick." Although Dunphy would prefer his guards to do the majority of Penn's long-distance bombing, he had nothing but good things to say about Trice. "Shawn has just added wonders in terms of chemistry," Dunphy said. "Most people don't give him enough credit. Whenever we've needed him, he's stepped up. "His ability to get along so well with everyone and lead by example is uncanny. He's not a gregarious guy, but when you talk about substance, you won't find anyone with more character or integrity." According to his parents, who both work for General Motors, Trice has always been quiet and reserved. The youngest of three brothers, Trice always enjoyed competing with his older siblings in athletics, but he did not share their love of mischief. One day after school, young Shawn even refused a ride home from his brother, who had taken his parents' Blazer without permission. His brothers -- one plays tailback at Iowa State, the other baseball at North Carolina A&T; -- were both excellent role models on the playing fields. Trice grew up playing basketball in the back yard with friends and relatives. But basketball was not his only sport. His first love, like most American boys, was baseball. "When he was eight, I gave him a choice between playing baseball and summer school," said Shawn's mother Aretha. "All three of the boys played throughout their young lives. I just don't know where all the talent came from." As a pitcher Trice exhibited a vicious curve ball, and his high school baseball coach still feels our national pastime is his best sport. Believe it or not, Trice also became an excellent golfer during his tenure at Redford High School in urban Detroit. After playing for only three years, he shot a 41 over 9 holes at the City Championships. "Shawn has been an inspiration to so many kids at this school," said his former golf coach and mentor Nancy Jewitt, with whom Trice still stays in touch. "He's a legend here. I'm so proud of how he's remained dedicated to academics at Penn. At first it was a struggle for him after getting straight A's here. We're a very large urban school and I still get people that come into my office asking about Shawn." That office still has a Shawn Trice bulletin board full of clips from days of yore and today. Trice may try to play professional basketball overseas immediately after graduation this spring. Down the road, he plans to return to Detroit to teach elementary school. "I'd like to take what I've learned here back to Detroit," Trice said. "I feel that I can help lots of people and tell them about college life. Redford was not a very college-oriented high school." While Trice hopes to affect many lives in the years to come, he has already touched many during his stay at Penn. "He's the brother I never had," Allen said. "He's been there for me when I've had tough times in my personal life." One of Trice's few remaining goals, in addition to a trip to Seattle this March, is to extend the Quakers' record Ivy League winning streak so it's out of reach for years to come. "I'll be sad when I have to leave this place," Trice said. "I just want to treasure my last days with these 14 guys. It's a special team -- a special mix of people."

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