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M. Hoops assistant introduced as next Howard coach

(06/06/05 9:00am)

WASHINGTON -- After 16 years of waiting, Gil Jackson finally got what he has "wanted for a long, long time." The former Penn assistant was officially introduced as the head coach of Howard University on Monday, and immediately proclaimed his happiness at taking over the reins of one of the nation's most prestigious historically black colleges. "It's like a dream come true for me to be the head coach at Howard University," he said. "Howard is just such an outstanding academic institution, with the whole community of Howard and the pride that's associated with attending Howard." Jackson came to Penn in 1989 as Quakers head coach Fran Dunphy's first hire, and Howard president H. Patrick Swygert noted Jackson's experience at a top academic institution as one of the main reasons for bringing him to Washington. "He comes from a program marked by both athletic success and academic success," Swygert said. "They have managed to make real the motto of clean and competitive and they've done a very, very fine job of it, due in no small part to coach Jackson's skill, his integrity and his leadership." Jackson inherits a program which has long been out of the spotlight in the nation's capital. The Bison have not won a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season or tournament championship in 13 years. Previous head coach Frankie Allen was fired after compiling a 52-83 record after five seasons at Burr Gymnasium. That included a 17-game losing streak at the end of this past season. Prior to Allen's arrival, Howard had won only three games in the previous two seasons combined. "Like all families, from time to time we can be difficult and quarrelsome," Swygert said. "I am absolutely convinced that we've got it right this time, the right person at the right time, and he's going to make real all of our hopes and aspirations for this program." Jackson spoke at length about his philosophies of basketball, saying that he would emphasize teamwork and defense. "I tell teams early on that you're asked the two questions that destroy basketball teams by everybody you know," he said "They ask you do you start, and how many points have you scored? That destroys basketball-they never ask you how you play." When asked to compare the recruiting processes at Howard and Penn, Jackson said that there were a few similarities, such as the urban settings and the emphasis on academics. "But at that point, they branch off and are quite different," he said. "They are strong in their own right." Jackson emphasized that he would focus on the present instead of the past when instructing his new players. "I won't be down here talking about the University of Pennsylvania," he said. "I loved that time at Penn, and Penn was a great 16 years. But this is a different challenge, and that's what I want to be about." Nonetheless, current Penn assistant Dave Duke was here for the introduction, offering support for his longtime friend. "It'll be a major adjustment for sure," Duke said. "We're used to what his responsibilities are, we're used to dividing up certain things recruiting and on campus and we'll just have to find another way to do that." As for potential candidates to replace Jackson, Duke said "that would be Fran's call," but he added that Dunphy "may look at a Penn alum -- there's a chance that Matt Langel could move up." Although other former Penn assistants have made regular appearances at the Palestra, Jackson said that he would not be bringing his team north to take on the Quakers because he wanted to be sure of maintaining cordial relations with his former employer. "I want to keep the lines of communication open, I don't want to cloud anything with competing against Penn," he said. "We have a special relationship and it's always hard to play against Lafayette, you know? I don't need that." Lafayette is coached by Fran O'Hanlon, who was an assistant coach at Penn from 1989-95. But his days around the Big 5 may not have come to an end just yet, however. Jackson did express a willingness to play against other Philadelphia teams, specifically mentioning La Salle and Saint Joseph's.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2005/06/m-hoops-assistant-introduced-as-next-howard-coach

Basketball recruiting: 'A never-ending process'

(06/02/05 9:00am)

Penn basketball recruiting classes are often more notable for what they lack than what they bring to the Palestra. Because the Ivy League does not permit its schools to give athletic scholarships, Quakers coach Fran Dunphy and his staff must regularly compete for players at a disadvantage to schools that have the ability to lessen the cost of a college education for their athletes. Nonetheless, Penn's status as one of the better-known mid-major schools in college basketball is due in no small part to the hard work done on 33rd Street. "It's just a never-ending process," Dunphy said. "You're always looking for the very good player who happens to be a very good student who can afford the education, and hopefully their interest in you is as strong as your interest in them." That process is divided up among Dunphy and assistant coaches Gil Jackson, Dave Duke and Matt Langel in an egalitarian fashion, according to Duke. "We don't divide it up into a certain area, we just do it [by] who we see or who we see the most of," Duke said. "Who happened to call the scouting service, or who happened to see the guy on a website, or who got a tip from a guy they know." Dunphy said that Penn does not usually compete against major basketball powers with strong academics such as Duke and Stanford. "It's more the occasion that we compete against the rest of our league, and maybe some higher level conferences on occasion." That does not mean that the staff does not pay attention to athletes in the area that choose bigger programs. Dunphy was seen at an Episcopal Academy game earlier this season observing, among others, that school's outstanding tandem of Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington -- who will attend Duke and North Carolina, respectively -- and Haddonfield (N.J.) High School's 7-foot-1 center Brian Zoubek, who will also attend Duke despite close family ties to Princeton. "I think every coach out there says we would like to be involved with that kind of student athlete," Dunphy said. "And you're not afraid to be told no, so you always ask." The sales pitch will not surprise anyone who follows Penn basketball--a quality education, with the Wharton business school featuring prominently, and the chance to play inside one of the most famous arenas in the college game. The Ivy League might not be the nation's best college basketball conference, but it certainly offers other benefits. "The reason why they choose us is the future," Dunphy said. "After basketball ends, they see a great opportunity to be an important part of the world, and we hope that we have a great system in place that allows you to realize your dreams." Duke acknowledged that Penn's roster tends to be comprised more of players from California and the Northeast than from other parts of the country. "If you're not going to Cal or Stanford there's not many that can match up [with Penn] academically," he said. He added that things are different "in the Midwest with Northwestern, or in Ohio with a lot of those [Mid-Atlantic Conference] schools that are good academically." That would make Brennan Votel, a 6-7 forward from Park Hills, Ky., the exception in Penn's recruiting class whose other players hail from San Mateo, Calif., Silver Spring, Md. and two suburbs of Philadelphia: Folsom and Jenkintown, Pa. And although all five come in with impressive resum‚s--such as Votel's "Mr. Basketball" finalist honors in the Bluegrass State or Tommy McMahon's average of 18 points and 11 rebounds per game in his senior year--Dunphy warned that Penn fans should not place excessive demands upon the newest Quakers. "Most times, players are overhyped," he said. "I don't think [fans]take into consideration that [recruits] are going from the oldest person on the team to the youngest person on the team, and how that would impact their ability to play the following year." Of this year's incoming class, Dunphy said that "Brennan Votel and Cameron Lewis would be expected to contribute because of our lack of size, and they would be expected to contribute sooner rather than later." Duke, meanwhile, does not mind the lofty goals that accompany each new season. "Second or third place is not acceptable around here," he said "I like to have expectations like that."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2005/06/basketball_recruiting_a_neverending_process

College and high school races thrill Saturday crowd

(04/30/05 9:00am)

The Saturday events at this year's Penn Relays started off with all eyes focused on the weather in addition to the track. Steady showers fell throughout the morning, letting up just after noon and resuming a few hours later. Runners struggled somewhat to deal with the conditions, with more collisions and falls than usual. The sun did finally peek through the heavy clouds at around 1:45 p.m., but only for a few minutes.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2005/04/college_and_high_school_races_thrill_saturday_crowd

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