M. HOOPS NOTEBOOK: Baratta may see action in home opener

Despite an early prognosis which had him out for the season, Quaker senior forward Andy Baratta may be back much earlier than anyone expected. Baratta, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee on November 15, has been working out on his own since the injury, using leg weights to strengthen the hamstrings and quadriceps which surround the knee. Luckily, the torn ligament was the only damage done to the knee, as the rest of the knee stayed intact. "The knee feels fine right now," Baratta said. "It was obviously tough at first watching the guys on team play, but they went out of their way to help me through it. For the first couple of games, especially Ohio State, it was hard watching on the sidelines. I felt a lot of emotions on the bench, like an extra-involved fan." Despite an early estimate that Baratta could be out for the season, he has been able practice with the team since last Thursday. In fact, the senior from Huntingdon Valley, Pa., who was in uniform for last Saturday's game at Fairleigh Dickinson, may be back in action as soon as December 18, when the Quakers have their first official home game of the season against Haverford at the Palestra. "I think Haverford would be a good starting date for us to take a look at him," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "We'd like to give him a couple of minutes and test the stability of the leg. But right now, Andy seems to be feeling pretty good." Baratta's absence has forced Dunphy to give extended minutes to the frontcourt tandem of junior Shawn Trice and sophomore Tim Krug, as well give sophomore forward Bill Guthrie the first extended playing of time of his young career. And while the trio have all performed well in their roles, the Quakers have still missed the leadership of Baratta. "I think [the three forwards] have done the best that they could in Andy's absence," Dunphy said. "Certainly we miss Andy's presence alone and his emotional leadership. And the fact is, he made some big shots for us at different times last year. We're hopeful that he gets back, as much for him as for the rest of the team. Its his senior year, and he wants to do well. Hopefully he'll do okay." After the injury, when it looked like Baratta was finished for the season, Baratta's teammate and best friend – junior guard Matt Maloney – made a committment to him that he will never forget. Maloney promised to wear Baratta's No. 21 in honor of him. "It was very special to me," Baratta said. "He did it on the night that I got hurt, when I though I was out for the season. We're best friends and it was real heart-warming." Given a second chance, the injury has now reaffirmed Baratta's dedication and appreciation for the game. "I always felt lucky to play basketball at Penn," Baratta said. "I wasn't bitter after the injury because I thought that I did everything I could. I had no regrets. But now that I have a second chance, I'm doubly grateful to have a opportunity to play. [The injury] makes you appreciate the game even more." · Judging by the stats from the first three games of the season, it appears that Penn will live and die by the three-point shot. Last year, the Quakers, who relied heavily on the bombs from downtown, averaged just over 18 trey attempts per game, making 40 percent of their shots. So far this year, through three games, the Quakers are on exactly the same pace, averaging just under 19 attempts, while making 43 percent of their shots. And even if a player has a nightmare game, like Maloney's 1 for 10 disaster at Ohio State, you can still look for the Quakers to try and light it up from downtown. "We have a lot of confidence in our players taking the best available shot," Dunphy said. "You never know what's going to happen in a game, and you have to take what the defense gives you. In the Ohio State game, they pressed us which left us open for some shots in transition, and Jerome [Allen] took advantage of them. It's a strength of our team."