COLUMN: Trouble on the hoops horizon

From Lee Goldsmith's "Standing Room Only," Fall '95 Gee, do you think so? In light of this fact, one thing coach Fran Dunphy and the Quakers don't need is another obstacle to overcome. The AD (After Domination, that is) era should make for a tough enough transition, no matter what developments take place outside of the Penn program. But sometimes -- whether we like it or not -- when it rains it pours. And looking at this year's hoops schedule, that just may prove to be true. First things first, though. If your primary concern is seeing Quakers victories, then there are certain things for which to be grateful. Of the words Villanova, Massachusetts and Michigan, none appear on the schedule -- perhaps we should say thanks for this come Turkey Day at the end of this month. At first glance the schedule looks rather mediocre. It's not as weak as it was two years ago, when Penn's strongest non-Ivy, non-Big 5 opponent was an average Georgia squad. But it definitely wouldn't excite Temple coach John Chaney, either. The more I perused Penn's foes, though, something interesting occurred to me. Five of this season's opponents will have new coaches calling the shots. One instance is in the Ancient Eight, where Armond Hill replaces long-time coach Jack Rohan at Columbia. Former Penn assistant Fran O'Hanlon has finally landed a head coaching position. After helping Dunphy build a winning tradition at Penn, he'll replace John Leone at the helm for Lafayette. When the Quakers face off against Penn State on ESPN2 in the Atlantic City Shootout, it won't be Bruce Parkhill coaching the Nittany Lions. Parkhill unexpectedly resigned in the offseason, leaving assistant Jerry Dunn at the controls in College Park. As for the Philly scene, fans should regret the loss of a great basketball personality. In a move that surprised many, St. Joseph's coach John Griffin put away the clipboard for a return to securities trading. Assistant Phil Martelli, another Big 5 product, will lead the Hawks. Finally, there is the slightly different case of Southern Cal. When USC visits the Palestra November 27, Charlie Parker will be coaching. This is not Parker's first year coaching the Trojans, just his first with relative job security. When George Raveling retired before last season, Parker was interim coach. So what does this mean for the Quakers? Well, it may be a double-edged sword. For any program, a new coach means a new system -- and that leads to a period of adjustment. But a new coach also means new enthusiasm -- and because of Penn's recent success, defeating the Quakers will undoubtedly be a major goal for the new regimes. These new coaches will be excited just to face Penn. How the Quakers respond should be interesting. Stay tuned.