Pair of transfers discovering more similarities every day

To the Penn men's basketball team they are known simply as "the Erics."

But Eric Osmundson and Eric Heil -- Penn's two transfer students -- have a lot more in common than just a first name.

Osmundson, who comes to West Philadelphia from the University of Utah, was born in Bethlehem, Pa., while Heil arrived from Lehigh, which is also located in Bethlehem.

Both Quakers have roots in the small town of Sisseton, S.D., and the two are also of Norwegian descent.

The Erics are also devoted to their religion.

"We're both believers," Heil said. "We both challenge each other in our walks with Christ."

When two people have this much in common, it's no surprise that they become good friends.

"It was kind of friendship from day one," Heil said.

"We clicked right away," Osmundson said. "We share a lot of the same wants in life. Immediately we just hit it off."

Osmundson, known as "Oz" to his teammates, and Heil have been roommates at Penn since the fall of 2002. This has only strengthened their uncanny bond.

"Certain things I can predict what he's going to do, and he can probably predict what I'm going to do," Osmundson said.

"We like to do things together, whether it's joking around or watching late-night television," Heil said.

"This guy likes to eat a lot of ice cream," Osmundson added.

Of course, all experiences are not common for the two friends.

Heil comes from Bettendorf, Iowa. Osmundson hails from Carlsbad, Calif.

"He's a John Deere man," Osmundson said.

"Midwest pride," Heil interjected.

Heil -- a 6'8", 210-pound forward -- is a dedicated engineering student.

"He's the brains between the two of us," Osmundson said.

But more than his smarts or his basketball skill, Heil is most recognized by the squad for his genuine compassion. For example, they note the time he attended Tim Begley's father's funeral before even meeting his teammates. And before ever meeting each other face-to-face, Heil first contacted his roommate to express his sympathy shortly after Osmundson suffered a knee injury in the summer of 2002.

"That's something that really meant a lot," Osmundson said.

Heil's Midwestern roots may contribute to his common caring for others. Osmundson's California heritage may be the root of his love for a sport that's easier on his bad knee.

"I'm always just looking at surfing photos or surf reports," he said.

The two transfers have different reasons for ultimately leaving their former schools.

Osmundson received significant playing time at Utah for a freshman, averaging 1.6 points in nine minutes per game.

But he wasn't happy in Utah.

"It was a difficult decision going up to the coaches and telling them I was leaving," said Osmundson, one of five players to transfer from Utah in 2001. "They were kind of shocked. Obviously, it's worked out for the better."

"Not to knock Utah," he added. "I'm sure for certain guys it was a great situation for them, but it wasn't a great situation for me."

Osmundson, who originally looked at Penn when he graduated from high school, had to decide whether to transfer to Penn or Saint Joseph's.

The guard came to Penn for a variety of reasons, such as the esteemed reputation of basketball coach Fran Dunphy and the Quakers' style of play.

However, ultimately it was academics that led Osmundson from Salt Lake City to the City of Brotherly Love.

"I've always been fascinated with Ivy League schools and the education that comes with it," he said.

Heil, on the other hand, left Lehigh when his head coach Sal Mentesana was fired.

"Everything kind of fell apart at Lehigh," Heil said. "I didn't want to be stuck there."

The Engineers lost one of their best prospects in Heil.

As a freshman he was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team after averaging 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game. Heil was also the league leader in blocks.

Due to his potential, Lehigh Athletic Director Joe Sterrett wanted Heil to stay.

"He didn't want me to leave," Heil said. "He tried to do a lot of different things to get me to stay -- just extra friendliness around the office.... No disrespect to them at Lehigh, but it was a little obvious."

Heil's Jan. 5, 2002 performance against the Quakers helped catch Dunphy's eye. He scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in a 74-58 Lehigh loss.

"That opened a lot of doors for me," Heil said.

Mentesana -- a friend of Dunphy -- was crucial in helping Heil transfer to Penn, a school that showed interest in him out of high school.

"Once I heard Penn was interested I was sold," he said.

Heil is extremely grateful to his current coach for allowing him to play for Penn.

"For Dunphy to give me the opportunity to play for him was pretty exciting," he said. "I'm pretty blessed with the opportunity to do that.

"It was just a perfect fit. I didn't want to sacrifice anything academically... and I wanted to take it to the next level in basketball."

Due to NCAA regulations, Heil and Osmundson had to sit out the year after they transferred. Both watched Penn's undefeated Ivy season from the sidelines.

"Having each other to go through it with was a blessing in itself," Heil said.

The two made frequent road trips to Penn's away games, as they could not travel with their teammates.

Some games, such as the one against Colorado, were just too far away.

"I'm lying in my bed just listening to my little clock radio," Heil said. "I'm just thinking to myself, 'That's my team and I can't be there.'"

Heil practiced with the team but could not play in any games.

"For me, last year was a lesson in patience," Heil said. "It was a long year."

The experience was slightly different for Osmundson, however, as he couldn't even practice with the team due to his knee injury.

"It was tough for me because I had to go downtown to rehab every day, balance that with school and balance that with fitting in with the team," he said.

The guard has had four surgeries in 15 months on his knee, which he injured going up for a slam dunk in a summer 2002 pick-up game.

"It's been one of the toughest ordeals of my life that I've had to overcome," he said. "There's been times when I've considered just giving it up."

Osmundson thanks trainer Phil Samko for helping him through such a difficult period.

"He's become a father-type figure to me," he said. "He's really done a lot for me and I appreciate his kindness and generosity."

Both players are looking forward to finally playing for the Quakers, especially in front of the famous Palestra crowd.

"The average age for a fan at Lehigh was up in the 80s," Heil said. "Probably two or three students went to games."

"The first time I saw [the Palestra] for a game was last year against Penn State," he added. "It just gave me the chills. That's what college basketball is all about."

Osmundson, however, was used to playing in front of significantly larger crowds.

"Night in and night out we had 15,000-plus fans," he said. "For the most part it didn't feel like 15,000 fans, whereas the Palestra... it's just ridiculous -- screaming fans on both sides, the atmosphere, the smell. It's basketball at its fullest."

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