Owens' recovery continues in Italy

It was late June and silent in the Palestra -- save for a few coaches, scouts and fans. The city's elite basketball players, as traditionally the case, were playing pick-up ball to keep off the rust. On one end of the gym, Penn juniors Michael Jordan, Matt Langel and Geoff Owens were working up a sweat against Temple alumni Eddie Jones, Marc Jackson and Rick Brunson -- all N.B.A. players last season. The three Penn juniors moved the ball swiftly around the court, scoring 15 points first and shocking the pros, delighting the small crowd. "It's not really a big deal," Owens said last night recalling the win. "It's just how the teams got picked and we ended up beating those guys. It's something we can say we did." While one pick-up game alone couldn't foreshadow the Quakers' season, keeping all 300-plus pounds of Marc Jackson in check -- even for 15 points -- is a major accomplishment for Owens, who last October wondered if he would ever play competitive basketball again. His performance in summer competition and in Italy on a recent Penn men's basketball trip reinforced to Owens what he internally believed all along -- that he was still healthy enough to play basketball. During a preseason practice last fall, the 6'11" center unexpectedly collapsed on the Palestra floor. Doctors initially believed that Owens suffered from QT Syndrome, a heart valve problem that would have made competitive basketball dangerous. For precautionary measures, Owens endured countless tests before doctors could rule out the syndrome. In February, Owens' doctors finally concluded that he was not suffering from QT and he began riding a stationary bicycle. Eight weeks later, after more tests, his doctors in Philadelphia cleared him to resume play. "Right when it happened, I never wanted to accept no," Owens said. "I thought I would get these little tests like a stress test and be done. Then, they got a little concerned and started more invasive testing, and I started getting scared. They suggested I sit out for six months." The impending return of the Quakers' big man, who has bulked up from a 195-pound freshman to 220 for this season, signals stronger interior defense for the Red and Blue. The return of a healthy Quakers center, with the subtraction of only Garett Kreitz from the mix, may prove enough to help Penn defeat three-time defending champion Princeton . "He's a good kid who's been through a lot but it makes it a little tough on us," Tigers coach Bill Carmody said. "They were a good team before him and now they will be that much tougher." On the Penn basketball team's recent trip to Italy, Owens showed flashes of brilliance. "[The Italian teams] were compared to extreme, high level, top-15 Division I teams," Penn assistant coach Steve Donahue said. "It was a lot more physical than the game played in college basketball." But Owens admitted he also showed signs of rust. He said he often rushed his shots, making all the mistakes expected from a player who hadn't played competitive basketball in 10 months. "Going into my sophomore year, I think I'd progressed a lot," Owens said. "I didn't consider myself the same player that I was. I could do so much more offensively. Personally, I don't think I am as far as last year. It's a step back, but it's kind-of expected." The Penn coaching staff, however, feels even in his current form, Owens serves as a valuable contributor. His improved jumper will allow the Quakers to play Owens -- who led Penn with 51 blocks as a freshman -- at center on defense with Penn senior Paul Romanczuk getting the ball on the low post offensively and Owens serving as an outside threat if the Second-Team All-Ivy faces double coverage. NCAA regulations now force Owens to wait until midnight, October 15 to practice full-court again with teammates. For now, however, Penn's center remains content with his performance in the summer league and Italy as indication that he is physically healthy. "I just always knew in my heart that everything would be okay," Owens said." Early indications prove his heart is, both figuratively and literally, ready for Quakers basketball.