Quakers welcome Army for home opener

The Penn men's vasketball team is eager to take to the court tonight for their home opener against the Cadets. The Penn men's vasketball team is eager to take to the court tonight for their home opener against the Cadets.The Zac CostelloThe Penn men's vasketball team is eager to take to the court tonight for their home opener against the Cadets.The Zac CostelloThe Daily Pennsylvanian Penn will be looking to pick up win No. 31 against the Nittany Lions when it plays its second game in less than 24 hours at the Palestra, hosting Penn State at 4 p.m. tomorrow. The Nittany Lions (4-0) are playing their first road game of the season and are coming off an 85-75 win over Clemson in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Coming into the weekend, Penn was unsure about the playing status of senior guard Matt Langel -- who is recovering from a sprained arch -- but all signs are pointing in a positive direction. Langel wore a cast for 10 days but had it removed earlier this week. "I practiced [Wednesday] on it pretty much the whole practice," Langel said. "It's not sore to the touch at all." Langel also participated in yesterday's practice, so it appears that the Quakers co-captain will be available for this weekend's games against Army and Penn State. Langel's presence will be a huge help given the talent level of the Nittany Lions backcourt, which features the Crispin brothers -- junior Joe Crispin and freshman Jon Crispin. Jon Crispin is averaging 9.0 points per game and has been Penn State's best three-point shooter this season, hitting 42.1 percent of his attempts. "[Jon Crispin] can shoot some shots from further back than the three," Langel said. "He's the kind of player that you can't leave no matter where he is on the court. You've always got to have an eye out and not let him get free because if he hits a few that can turn the game around." While Jon Crispin has been successful shooting the trey, his older brother is leading the Nittany Lions with 5.0 assists per game and is second on the team with 16.8 points per game. "[The Crispin brothers] have great range," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "They can catch it and shoot it in a hurry and that poses a great threat to us." The Crispin brothers will need to be on top of their game if the Nittany Lions are to come out of the Palestra victorious. Penn State lost star center Calvin Booth to graduation last spring. Booth owned the Quakers last year when Penn State defeated the Quakers 71-55 in State College, Pa. The Penn State center scored in almost every statistical category with 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. The only thing the seven-footer failed to do was hit a three-pointer. Nevertheless, there is life in the Penn State frontcourt after Booth. Senior forward Jarrett Stephens leads Penn State with 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Stephens' highest output of the season came against Loyola (Md.) when he shot 11-for-13 from the floor and finished the game with 24 points. "The fact that Jarrett Stephens is now playing and had a terrific first four games means a great deal to them," Dunphy said. "They have a nice balance of perimeter scoring and inside scoring, and I think that's a great help to them." Junior center/forward Oggie Kapetanovic and freshman power forward Ugonna Onyekwe should log most of the minutes against Stephens. Onyekwe made an impressive debut in the season opener in Kentucky, scoring 14 points and grabbing eight boards in only 19 minutes. Freshman guard David Klatsky also made a good first impression in the Bluegrass State. Klatsky's 25 minutes on the court was tops among non-seniors and he turned the ball over only twice while scoring seven points. Klatsky's promising collegiate debut is reassuring because he may see even more playing time depending on Langel's availability. While the Nittany Lions won last year's battle, the Quakers believe it's possible to both beat Penn State and even run the table at home this season. "I think it will be realistic if we want it to be," Penn center Geoff Owens said of the prospect of going undefeated at the Palestra. "I think we have enough talent that we can compete with anybody." If the Quakers win, it will be just one more vindicating victory for Not Penn State.