Penn Will Be In Your Face

After years of playing second fiddle to Pete Carril's Princeton program? After two years of total dominance in the Ivy league and still no national recognition? After last season's anemic schedule when the Quakers met only one tournament-bound team en route to a 24-2 regular season record? The Penn men's basketball team has finally hit the big time. In fact, the Quakers have exploded onto the national scene with a schedule that includes as many as six of last year's NCAA tournament qualifiers. The road to recognition has been a long and arduous one for Penn coach Fran Dunphy and his Quakers. However, with the help of last season's national ranking, a first-round NCAA tournament victory over Big 8-champion Nebraska, some understanding coaches and ESPN, Dunphy has managed to put together one of the most formidable nonconference schedules in the nation, and at least four appearances on national television. "My first college game ever was on ESPN," senior guard Matt Maloney said. "My freshman year at Vanderbilt, we opened against Arkansas on national TV and you could sense everyone on campus get more involved. It was great. The players feel that and step up to the challenge." If Penn is able to step up and knock off Canisius in the first round of the Preseason National Invitation Tournament this evening at the Palestra, the Quakers' contest with the Syracuse-George Washington winner will be broadcast into your living room courtesy of Dick Vitale. Yes, Dicky V. will make every Penn fan's dreams come true and finally call a Quaker game live to the entire nation. If the Orangemen prevail, the contest will take place Friday night at Syracuse in Manley Field House. This potential clash with the Orangemen will not be Vitale's only opportunity to tell the world of how Penn's senior backcourt tandem of Jerome Allen and Maloney are Awesome with a capital A! Vitale is also slated to call the Dec. 13 matchup against Michigan. "We try to match up teams that will be contenders in the tournament," ESPN senior publicist Kurt Pyers said. "The Michigan game was an ideal situation because it provides a real cross-sectional matchup between Penn's experience and Michigan's touted recruiting class. When we assign Vitale to do your games, you know you're important to us." Although the strength of the schedule has grown to Vitale proportions, Penn is not in awe of anyone on its schedule -- not even a Massachusetts, which has yet to lose a game in the Mullins Center. ESPN was the catalyst for arranging that matchup late this summer. Commentators Bill Raftery and Sean McDonough will give Penn fans who are unable to get to Amherst during winter break a view of Penn hoops live in their living rooms. "We have a lot of respect for Penn," UMass coach John Calipari said. "It's not very long ago that we were in Penn's position. I understand the situation that Coach Dunphy is in and we try to never back down from a challenge." Many potential opponents did shy away from playing a dangerous Penn program. Virginia backed out of a scheduled game that was supposed to complete a home-and-home series which began in 1992 at the Palestra. Many other highly regarded programs are afraid of losing to a Penn squad that is not popularly recognized as a national power. Fans, alumni and recruits view the game as an easy victory for the Quakers' opponents. For those schools, a potential loss to an Ivy League school without scholarships is not a risk worth taking. Friendships in the coaching ranks, or pressure from ESPN, often become the critical ingredients in scheduling quality opponents. One such friendship exists between Dunphy and Ohio State coach Randy Ayers. As a result, the Buckeyes will be coming to the Palestra Saturday, Dec. 3, as the second half of a home-and-home series that began in Columbus last year. This matchup, to be broadcast on ESPN2 by Dave Sims and Digger Phelps, will be the only game televised from the Palestra. Penn's increased exposure does a lot for the program and the Ivy League. The national spotlight will help Dunphy recruit talented athletes who may have thought Ivy League programs were not suited to compete with the elite teams in the nation, or that Ivy players could not make the National Basketball Association. "The most important thing in building a national program is getting media exposure," Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said. "It is a tremendous accomplishment for our players and the momentum will continue beyond this season." As the former chairman of the Atlantic 10 television committee, Bilsky hopes to use some of his personal relationships to make sure that happens. Regardless of what happens next season, the increased media attention will aid seniors Allen and Maloney in their respective quests to get drafted. "Exposure is always good. The more they're on TV the better," said Tony DiLeo, a scout with the Philadelphia 76ers. "Sure, all the scouts will see the guys in person, but greater coverage helps to build a perception and an image of the players." The Princeton-UMass game is also on ESPN2, which should help scheduling and recruiting throughout the league. Players and coaches around the nation will catch a glimpse of the high caliber of basketball in the Ancient Eight. The Penn-Princeton matchup at Jadwin Gym in March will showcase an all-Ivy clash on ESPN2. Despite the tremendous exposure that will come from the television appearances and the glamorous schedule, Penn's goal is still to win its third consecutive undefeated Ivy League championship and advance to the NCAA tournament. Although the long-term goal for the Quakers is to dance past the second round, they will try not to let all the hoopla interfere. "We try not to think about it," Allen said. "The nicest thing will be to pop one of those tapes 10 or 20 years down the road to show my kids and my family. But guys like Vitale only control what goes on in your living room -- not what happens on the floor."