Rest assured, the Penn women's basketball team is intimidated at the prospect of playing Connecticut in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Who wouldn't be? We're talking about UConn here, the team that is the very definition of intimidating in the women's college basketball dictionary.
But, rest just as assured that when the Quakers tip off Sunday night on ESPN2, they will not be scared.
They are going to play their game.
A lesser team would be sleeping with their game balls this week, praying that UConn continues its recent slump.
A lesser team would shelve its up-tempo style in order to play the half-court, slow-down pace that has been rumored to work against Connecticut.
A lesser team would sit on its hands, waiting for Geno Auriemma and Diana Taurasi to do their best Chris Ford-Allen Iverson impression.
Not these Quakers.
Penn head coach Kelly Greenberg was adamant that her team would not get away from the things that helped them earn its second Ivy League title in four years.
"We have to recognize what we do well and do that," Greenberg said. "Make sure that we don't try to do anything more, just because we're on ESPN2.
"We've talked about something we call two-tempo, being able to go transition, being able to get some easy baskets off of Jewel [Clark] or Amanda [Kammes'] defense, and also being able to run some half- court offense if they go on a big UConn run."
Greenberg acknowledged that her team will experience some jitters for the first two minutes. But for the remaining 38, Penn should play like a team with nothing to lose, and absolutely everything to gain.
With that in mind, here's five things that need to happen for the Red and Blue to shock the nation.
• They must shoot the ball well from the outside. When the Quakers have been at their most dangerous level this year, it has been when Greenberg uses her bench liberally, bringing fresh shooters like freshman Joey Rhoads and junior Maria DiDonato to run the floor and knock down the outside shot. For the Quakers to have a chance, they must hit their threes, and, more importantly, they need to have the confidence to take the open shot when they've got it.
• Jewel Clark must contain Diana Taurasi. As the best player in women's college basketball, Taurasi will not be shut down. But if Clark can prevent Taurasi from taking over the game, that will put pressure on the other Huskies on the floor.
• The Quakers must survive the opening minutes. The longer they can stay in the game, the more their confidence will grow, and the more UConn's fans will begin to squirm. Remember, the Huskies lost two of their last four heading into the Big Dance.
• Jen Fleischer must play big. The Red and Blue seemed less concerned with Taurasi than they were with the size problems that UConn presents. As the Quakers' only legitimate center, Fleischer must hold her own inside and not get into foul trouble. It could get ugly without her.
• Penn must rely on the leadership of its two seniors, Clark and Mikaelyn Austin. As the only Quakers to have played in the NCAA Tournament, Clark and Austin must set the tone early, proving to their teammates and their opponents that they belong.
That's five big musts. And even if the Quakers do what they must, it might not be enough to conquer Connecticut.
But their coach believes that the Quakers are well on their way to conquering an even scarier foe.
"What's gonna make me happy is that our team goes in respecting one of the best teams in the country and shows no fear," Greenberg said.
