COLUMN: Jordan spelled by Owens' awakening

From Marc Chodock's, "That's What I'm Talking About" From Marc Chodock's, "That's What I'm Talking About"Jordan spelled by Ownes' awakening From Marc Chodock's, "That's What I'm Talking About"Jordan spelled by Ownes' awakeningThe pressure on Michael Jordan has been lessened by the resurgent play of late by center Geoff Owens. For the first half of the season, the Quakers lived and died by the Jordan. In the second game of the season, Penn's junior point guard scored 22 points to lift the Quakers to their most heralded victory in the past four years, a 73-70 overtime win over Temple. While riding the coattails of the '96-'97 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, the Quakers suffered when Jordan suffered. In Penn's losses to Penn State and Hofstra, Jordan managed only four points and seven points, respectively. Lately this has not been the case. An interesting thing has happened recently among a team that is trying to make its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1995. While Penn has won its last three games by a remarkable average of 18 points, Jordan's scoring has actually decreased. Averaging 10 points, five assists and only two turnovers during the three-game period, the Ivy-League Player of the Year candidate has found himself handling the ball far less. What has caused Jordan's Quakers to revert to the Pennsylvania Quakers? The Quakers have simply reinvented the "we" in "team" -- thanks in large part to the resurgence of center Geoff Owens. The main difference between this year's and last year's squad, Owens has given the Quakers much more than Penn coach Fran Dunphy and the rest of the team expected from the player they called a "shot-blocking specialist." For those who remember the lanky center with his "cue-ball" hairdo and miscue performances two seasons ago, it did not seem that Owens struck the fear into Penn's opponents that many hoped a 6'11" presence would. But Owens accompanied Jordan over the summer to daily workout sessions with top college and professional ballplayers from the Philly area. After showing some brilliant flashes earlier in the season, Owens has finally turned his game around 180 degrees from his freshman year, bringing the Quakers along for the ride. After missing last season, Owens has added a large defensive presence from day one -- Penn's opponents' scoring is down 8.6 points per game from a season ago. But Owens' recent development on the offensive end has given Penn an unexpected lift. In their past five games, the Quakers have averaged 10 more points per game than in their first dozen contests. Owens has not taken the burden on his shoulders, but he has added a dimension to the Quakers that they have not seen in over four years. The last big man to dominate in the Palestra paint was a 1996 grad named Tim Krug. While Krug moved to the perimeter his senior season, as a junior the 6'9" center teamed with current Houston Rockets starter Matt Maloney and two-time Ivy League Player of the Year Jerome Allen to give the Quakers the most feared inside-outside game in the Ivy League. With Owens in the line-up, the Quakers have been able to move senior Jed Ryan -- a 42 percent three-point shooter -- from the post to the perimeter, while also allowing Paul Romanczuk, a 6'7" power forward, to finally get the chance to go up against players of his own size. With Jordan and junior Matt Langel bringing the ball down the court, Penn reminded the Palestra crowd this weekend of those good old days, as all five starters scored in double-digits in both games. Trying to defend the new-and-improved Quakers has sent opposing coaches leaving the court in awe and freed Jordan of the pressure of having to come through in the clutch. With 2:25 left in Saturday night's game and the Quakers leading Harvard 76-56, Dunphy sent Jordan and Owens to the bench. The crowd erupted in cheers, applauding and screaming, "Bring on Princeton." For the first time in their career, Jordan and Owens will be fully ready when the Tigers arrive.