NOTEBOOK: Are M. Hoops alums headed for the pros?

Paul Romanczuk recently attended a camp in Houston where he worked out for professional scouts. Last week, a handful of former Penn basketball players knocked off a squad of ex-Princetonians in the semifinals of the Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in Conshohocken, Pa., which benefited the American Cancer Society and Coaches Versus Cancer. While the Red and Blue alumni -- or soon-to-be alumni, like Paul Romanczuk and Jed Ryan -- had little trouble with the likes of Brain Earl and Co. in the semis, they fell to Stampone and D'Angelo in the finals, 81-69. Ryan led the way with 24 points, while Romanczuk and '95-96 All-Ivy first-teamer Tim Krug each scored in double digits. "It was nice playing with [former players] like Vince Curran and Paul Chambers, sharing stories about Dunph," Romanczuk said. "It was fun and it was for a good charity." Romanczuk, however, had to miss the opening round because he was at a camp in Houston playing before a few professional scouts. Romanczuk was not the only Philly representative at the camp, as both Rasheed Brokenborough of Temple and Villanova shooting guard Howard Brown, a two-time All Big-Five selection, were in attendance. "I played alright, my team made it to the championship," said Romanczuk, the 1999 winner of Penn's Bus McDonald Inspirational Player Award. "There were some scouts there, not as many as I thought there'd be. All in all, it was a good experience." The camp featured 80 college players divided into eight teams of 10, with minutes split evenly among the athletes. Dunphy spoke highly of Romanczuk's experience. "It was a nice opportunity. They paid for everything," Dunphy said. "It wasn't like one of those camps where they charge you $150 and there's 900 guys there and unless you're 6'10" and flying through the air dunking, you're not going to get noticed. It was pretty well organized." Still, Romanczuk said that he will most likely pursue an occupation away from the hardwood next year. "A few teams have called me but nothing too enticing. I think I'll still be working for Arthur Andersen," said Romanczuk, who ranks 19th all-time at Penn with 1,162 points. "[If I wanted to play professionally] it's something that I'd have to pursue, get an agent and really pursue it." · Romanczuk did add that he would not be following the same path out of Conshohocken as Princeton's Earl. The Ivy League Player of the Year is pursuing a professional career with the Atlantic City Seagulls of the United States Basketball League, which Romanczuk said is "definitely not what I want to be doing." A second-round draft pick of Atlantic City, Earl made a quiet entrance into the USBL on May 7, playing one minute for the Seagulls in a 106-103 loss to the New Jersey Shorecats -- AC's first loss of the season. On May 10, Earl was placed on the inactive list in order to prepare for his last set of final exams at Old Nassau. Still, Earl fared better in his inauspicious debut than brother Danny of Penn State or Brokenborough, both of whom were drafted by the Seagulls but did not make the roster. Brokenborough was not as lucky as fellow Big Fiver K'Zell Wesson, a 6'7" former La Salle forward who was drafted by the Seagulls in the first round and made the roster. · While the closest Romanczuk will be getting to a basketball jersey next year will be Casual Fridays, Dunphy hopes to see all his former players pursuing pro careers. "Early in their post-graduate careers, I would like to see them pursue it," Dunphy said. "Why not, when you have youth on your side and no other commitments to worry about? There's a time in your life where you can experience many, many things and go to Europe and play, or meet new people, or go to the CBA, as Ira's [former Quaker Ira Bowman] doing. It would be hard to tell them not to pursue that." Dunphy acknowledged the potential language barrier, the European teams' American-player limits and "the need to keep your head above water financially" as possible limitations to playing in Europe. However, he foresaw possible opportunities for all his graduating seniors, not just Romanczuk and Ryan. "Mike Sullivan could have an opportunity, Brendan [Cody] -- they all could if they chose to?. I can picture in my mind, let's say, Brendan going to Ireland, or Sull doing the same thing." But the 5'11" Cody, who scored six points in 32 career minutes at Penn, had other ideas. "Really? Really? I don't think that's in my future. I think I'm done with hoops," Cody said when told of Dunphy's suggestion. He then added, in jest, "I appreciate Ireland offering the contract and everything but I just couldn't handle it so I had to turn it down and just hang out." As for next year, Cody has no "definite plans" but said that he will be "Gone. Away. I don't think I'll be in Philadelphia for a long, long time." Sullivan, who has no plans to head to Ireland as he will be working at a technical consulting firm in Hartford, said that "I'm just going to lay low and join the working force." Ryan, meanwhile, is no stranger to playing in Europe, having toured Finland in high school with Team USA-Adidas. "Some of the coaches [in Finland] had said, 'Listen, when you get older, give us a call and come back and play here,'" said Ryan, who ranks fourth all-time at Penn with 152 three-pointers made. But Ryan's plans for next year include finishing up a few required courses in the fall and starting a job in commercial real estate with former Penn big man -- and Conshohocken teammate -- Vince Curran. But the 6'7" sharpshooter, third all-time at Penn in three-point percentage (41.6 %), will keep his options open. "When I get older I may want to play, so I figured instead of playing in rec leagues I might as well play somewhere and get some money for it," Ryan said. "It's just common sense." · Former Penn star Jerome Allen, who signed with Milwaukee on May 5, was not the only ex-Quaker to make an appearance in the transactions box of sports pages across America last week. While Penn fans everywhere peered at their TV sets with hopes of an Allen sighting on the Bucks bench during their opening-round playoff series, few may have noticed that Bowman, the '95-96 Ivy League Player of the Year, was picked up by the Shorecats of the USBL. Bowman, the last player cut by the Indiana Pacers when they pared their roster to 15 in the '96-97 preseason, played a stint in Australia after leaving Penn and has since blossomed in the CBA. This year, Bowman started 50 games, finishing 13th in the league in scoring with a 13.8 average and sixth in steals with 1.75 a game, while leading the Pride to the CBA title. Although not one of the lucky ones who earned a call-up to the NBA, Bowman was named to the CBA's All-Defensive first team. Bowman also played for the Shorecats, who are coached by NBA legend Rick Barry, following the 1997-98 CBA campaign. · With Allen having taken the European path in pursuit of his NBA dreams and Bowman opting for the CBA route, what path should Penn senior-to-be Michael Jordan -- three-time winner of the Kiefaber Award as team MVP -- and other Quakers take in pursuit of their own NBA dreams? "It's a tough question," current Bucks general manager and former Penn coach Bob Weinhauer said. "At one time I thought it was better to play in the CBA, kind of like if you went overseas you were out of sight, out of mind. But I don't feel that way anymore.? We will find you -- if you're good enough, we will find you."

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