COLUMN: The Palestra is now open for business

From Kent Malmros's, "The Mark of a Golden Penn," Fall '98 On Saturday, the Penn men's basketball team officially begins practice for the 1998-99 season. And people have noticed. This year there is an air of urgency and excitement for the Quakers' season. The hanging of the nets has been much anticipated since the clock dwindled away in Penn's last game of the season, an overtime loss to No. 8 Princeton. "[Penn's] junior class is a bunch of guys with experience. People who know basketball know Penn is the team to beat in the Ivy League," Columbia coach Armond Hill said. "That game at the end of the season was a passing of the torch." In the past, the level of anticipation of the basketball season was based on the lack of interest in fall sports teams -- mostly because they were losing. With the football team in the midst of a season which possibly will end with an Ivy title, Penn sports isn't really in need of something to steal the attention. But this year's basketball season has stayed in the foreground of consciousness in the Penn sporting world anyway. Football hasn't drawn crowds this year despite its record, but basketball season ticket sales will undoubtedly be up this year. A month before the season begins, Penn fans are for better or worse swearing by a title. But more importantly, for the first time in years, the Palestra will be the stage for the type of college basketball it deserves. The schedule is exciting people in conjunction with the prospects of a winning team. · Part of it may be the insatiable appetite of a basketball town in the midst of an NBA lockout. But much of it is the notion that Ivy League basketball has gained respectability throughout the nation as a legitimate basketball conference. (Note to self: write to Bill Carmody and thank him for Princeton's much too high, albeit helpful, top 10 ranking last season.) The heightened anticipation comes from the expectation that this is the season the Quakers will return to the spotlight, and thus take a little slice out of Princeton's 15 minutes of fame. "There is definitely a sense of urgency," junior shooting guard Matt Langel said. "We're pretty much a veteran team now. We had a pretty good year last season, but we want to learn from the mistakes we made and win the league." The sensational recruiting class of three years ago -- Langel, point guard Michael Jordan and returning center Geoff Owens -- are juniors all of a sudden. And the "best recruiting class ever" at Penn has yet to win a title. Forwards Jed Ryan and Paul Romanczuk are seniors wanting their own title. But the expectations on their part have even gone beyond the league. With Owens returning, this team can match up with non-conference teams. "Last year's game [with Kansas] wasn't a disgusting blowout," Owens said. "We've gotten better since last year, and they've lost some people. We plan on going out and showing people what we can do." · Why are people talking about basketball already? The schedule is a college basketball fan's dream. Kansas is the first game of the year, and they are a preseason top 20 team. Temple comes to the Palestra a preseason top 10 team. Not to mention the Quakers play a full Big 5 schedule this season -- even with the reluctant Villanova Wildcats. "Now people are starting to see that we really do play basketball in the Ivy league," Hill, a former Princeton player, said. "Princeton and Penn have proven that when you step on the floor as a member of our conference, you can beat a powerhouse." The beginning of practice means exactly one month until Kansas comes to the the Palestra, and the Owls follow just five days later. Come November 14, Al Bagnoli and his team will be preparing for Ivy rival Harvard. Unfair as it may be, the rest of Penn will be waiting for the Jayhawks on Tuesday night. They are right now.