Campus revs up for Big Dance

University students are optimistic, nervous, confident and pessimistic about the Quakers' chances of winning. But whatever their emotions, students are definitely excited about watching their men's basketball team compete in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987. The atmosphere on Locust Walk yesterday was one of frenzied excitement as two different student groups hawked "Ivy League Champs" t-shirts to passersby. "I think it's great and we'll hopefully make it to the Final Four," said College freshman Javier Ovalles. "We'll show 'em at the end -- I think we'll come through." Ovalles is a member of the Pennsylvania cheerleading squad, which is selling t-shirts with a caricature of Benjamin Franklin for $12. Proceeds are going to the Penn Athletic Fund. Engineering junior Seth Yudof and College junior Doug Leferovich created their own t-shirts to sell as a personal business venture. Their $10 shirts created some unfriendly competition with the cheerleaders. "It's certainly a once-in-your-college-career experience," said Yudof. "I think we'll go further than most people think. If we go all the way, I'll make another shirt." Leferovich, along with many other students, said he was happy that the Quakers, seeded 14th, were pitted against the 3rd-seeded University of Massachusetts Minutemen. "A lot of people are [saying that] we should have had a higher bid," said Leferovich. "It's not like we're playing a great powerhouse [like] North Carolina or Indiana." Second-year Wharton graduate student Caroline Yu said she has always liked basketball because she attended the University of Michigan as an undergraduate, but she is unsure where her loyalties lie. "I'll be happy if Penn wins," she said. "I'm always rooting for them." But Yu added that she would not know who to root for should Penn and Michigan ever meet in the tournament. Students also had loads of advice for coach Fran Dunphy and the Quaker players. "Slow it down and hit the [three-point shots]," said Leferovich. "Without a man in the middle you basically live and die in the outside game." "If we slow it down and we don't let them get us out of our game, we have a good shot," said College freshman Mark Lodish. "I just hope the whole school gets behind the team." College freshman Tracy Spitzberg said she is happy that the Quakers are in the Big Dance, but said she remains "realistic." "I'm realistic that we're not going to go much further," she said. "But I think it's neat that we made it this far." Many said that while they are excited about Friday's game, they are not making the trip to Syracuse because it is too far and too expensive. Individual basketball tickets cost $20 each, and traveling can cost up to $64.50 by bus, $120 by train, and $213 by plane. By car, the road trip should take about five hours. But dozens of students will make the trek up north. College senior Michael Gordon said a group of his friends are renting cars and packing several people into a Syracuse hotel room. "We're going to get painted up for the game with red and blue paints and get ready to start screaming and having fun at the game," Gordon said. "We'll have a good time and enjoy the atmosphere." "Hopefully we'll win Friday and we'll stick around for Sunday," he added. "I really think we have a good chance at this game."

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