The third game of any season is rarely seen as an important one in college basketball. When that third game is on the road against a Davidson squad that isn't looking like the class of the Southern Conference, it's even harder to toss around phrases like "must-win." The Penn men's basketball team will probably not look back on tonight's contest in Davidson, N.C., as a team-defining game. Fans won't flock from Philadelphia to see the Quakers' fourth straight game in the Tar Heel State. And there will be no highlights on SportsCenter tonight at 11. Despite the game's seemingly stealthy spot on the schedule, tonight's game will be an important one for the Red and Blue. Penn is 0-2 after dropping a game that it could have won against N.C. State and one that it should have won against Fordham. The Quakers' next game will be no picnic. They will hit the road this weekend to face a Penn State team that defeated then-No. 22 Kentucky at Rupp Arena over the weekend. Penn's four games after that are a Big 5 contest against La Salle, then No. 13 Maryland, No. 8 Seton Hall and No. 17 Temple. Davidson is 1-3, with a 26-point loss to South Florida and a 19-point loss to Santa Clara on its ledger so far. The Wildcats' only win was over Jackson State. Penn coach Fran Dunphy said after the Quakers' loss to Fordham that it will probably be January before he really knows where this team is headed. Given the toughness of the schedule ahead, he's probably right. That's why tonight's game is important. Tonight represents a chance for the Quakers to get their act together in a game before embarking on the wild ride that promises to be the month of December. And after their disappointing performance at the CoSIDA Classic, it's clear that the Quakers do need to get their act together to have any hope of offing any of their upcoming nationally prominent foes. This all starts with sophomore power forward Ugonna Onyekwe, picked by many as the preseason Ivy League Player of the Year. Onyekwe was admittedly off his game a week and a half ago in Raleigh, and must play solidly in order for the Quakers to be successful tonight and all season long. Even more than a solid performance from Onyekwe, the Quakers need a consistent performance. They looked great at times in both losses -- especially in the backcourt -- but Penn's play was essentially spotty. Penn was particularly awful on free throws, something that has nothing to do with how the team is gelling. The Quakers shot just 43.8 percent from the line against the Wolfpack and a meager 56.3 percent from the stripe against Fordham -- easily the difference between victory and defeat against the Rams. The Quakers won't have the best out-of-conference record in the Ancient Eight when league play starts on January 12. The Quakers play against too many tough teams to expect to build up a gaudy mark. Penn leaves that on an annual basis to teams like Columbia, who spend their Novembers and Decembers beating up on the likes of Division III Catholic and the generally weak squads of the Northeast Conference. Still, it's important to win the winnable games. Penn did not capitalize on its chance to beat the Wolfpack, and failed to take care of a seemingly inferior Fordham squad. Tonight's game is one that Penn should win. There are no must-wins yet, but the Quakers need something positive to draw on for their upcoming tough stretch. They need to break into the win column, and tonight is the Red and Blue's clearest opportunity to do so for some time to come.
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