Penn to face off against Yale, Brown

Quakers looking forwardQuakers looking forwardto seeing 'cocky' Hunterton Before the Penn men's basketball season even began, The Daily Pennsylvanian distributed a survey to the players. One of the questions asked the Quakers to list their "least favorite Ivy player." The overwhelming favorite in that category was Yale guard Gabe Hunterton. Last season's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, the six-foot-one Hunterton reportedly had an ego to match his high level of success. The Penn players were not pleased with this upstart, viewing him and the much-improved Yale program as a challenge to their traditional dominance in the Ivy League. "He carried himself with a cocky air," Quakers forward Cedric Laster said. "We didn't want some freshman to think he's going to come in and run over us as if we're a bunch of nobodies. A lot of guys wanted to set the record straight about who the best players in the League are." When the Elis visited the Palestra on January 13, Penn (6-1, 11-7) was clearly the superior team. Hunterton was held in check, managing only nine points and no rebounds against the tough defense of guards Garett Kreitz, Donald Moxley and Ira Bowman. The trio will again be matched up against Hunterton tonight as the Quakers travel to New Haven, Conn., to take on the Elis. Following a long post-game bus trip, Penn has a night to rest before it faces Brown on Saturday at the Pizzitola Center. But this is not the same Penn team that faced Yale (2-6, 7-13) and Brown (3-5, 8-12) at the Palestra six weeks ago. Since that weekend, the Quakers have lost an Ivy League game -- their first league loss in almost four years -- and four players have left the team for a variety of reasons. Kreitz, forward Paul Romanczuk and Moxley have since stepped into the spotlight -- and the starting lineup. The team as a whole, however, has prospered from the changes. "We're playing differently," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "We're better both offensively and defensively. The rotations are very much set now. We know our own team and our own personality a little bit." The Quakers' biggest challenge tomorrow night will be containing the Bears' leading scorer, six-foot-four guard Brian Lloyd. When these teams last met, Lloyd burned the Quakers for 20 points and seven boards before leaving with an ankle injury late in the second half that sidelined him for three games. Lloyd, who is poised to break his brother Rick's school record for three-pointers made, is ranked second nationally in free-throw shooting percentage (.915). He has been steadily improving since returning three weeks ago. "We certainly have to pay attention to him, especially in transition," Dunphy said. "He doesn't need a lot of time, and he doesn't need a lot of room. We can't leave him open for any easy jump shots." Defensive duties against Lloyd will most likely again be assigned to Penn's trio of guards. The Quakers hope to prevent fatigue by switching players in and out of the game and using timeouts strategically. This balanced approach will also be important on the offensive end. Penn has three players -- Bowman, Moxley and center Tim Krug -- averaging over 10 points per game. That has prevented opponents from keying in on any single Quaker. "You need at least three guys in double figures most games," Dunphy said. "At this point with Donald really stepping up his scoring, it's almost a given he's going to get in double figures now, and that's really helped us in terms of our balance. It's a nice luxury to have-- three guys you can count to get their points and then somebody else who can step up as well." Against Brown and Yale this weekend, the Quakers will revert back to what got them to this point -- solid team defense. "We're going to try to set our tempo and play our game, as opposed to playing their game," Laster said. "Defense is a constant, always aggressive, protect the passing lanes, pressure the ball-handler and a lot of talking. We just have to be sure we're conscious of who the threats are." And that should mean trouble for Hunterton, Lloyd and the teams they are leading against the Quakers.

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