Five freshmen set to establish their role with Quakers

Graduation, injuries and a transfer have all decimated a Penn front line that was already plagued by a lack of depth.

Now, a group of freshmen will be counted on to step in and immediately help cure the Quakers' woes.

With the loss of forwards Eric Heil, Nameir Majette and Jan Fikiel to graduation, the transfer of key reserve forward Ryan Pettinella and a sprained ankle that has kept starter Mark Zoller out of practice, Penn will look to newcomers Brennan Votel and Cameron Lewis to contribute some quality minutes.

Pettinella's departure "has not helped our rotation up front," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "If he were here, we'd be able to go with any two out of [Pettinella, Zoller and Steve Danley] at one time, and then the freshmen would be able to learn their roles a little bit slower than we're asking them to do."

But with Danley being the only healthy upperclassman in the frontcourt, Votel and Lewis will need to learn on the fly for a program that is rarely forced to rely on its freshmen.

Votel, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward out of Park Hills, Ky., led Covington Catholic to a district title last year, and took the team deep into the state tournament, earning a spot as a finalist for Kentucky's "Mr. Basketball" award.

Dunphy raves about Votel's basketball savvy, especially for such a young player.

"I think in terms of knowing where to be on the court, Brennan is a little more advanced [than other freshmen]," he said.

What Votel brings in terms of court awareness, Lewis matches in athletic ability. A native of Washington and a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, the 6-8, 220-pound forward was among the players nominated for selection to the McDonald's All-American team during his senior year.

"I think I can help with my defensive intensity and rebounding," Lewis said. "We're really a small team, so I hope to help out in those areas, just getting the stops and rebounds that we need."

Initially slated to come off the bench to relieve the foul-prone Danley and Zoller, the two freshmen may be asked to fill an even bigger role after Zoller re-injured his ankle two weeks ago.

"Cameron and I both have to step up," Votel said. "By default, we're probably going to get some playing time. We just have to play smart, play with the team, and not make mistakes."

Fellow freshman Tommy McMahon, whose skills are more suited for the perimeter, may also be asked to contribute some minutes at the forward slots due to his 6-7, 210-pound frame.

"I'm a pretty good shooter...[but] I'm sure there'll be a point where I'll be in the post. I'll just play wherever they need me, contributing any way I can," said McMahon, who hails from Hillsboro, Calif.

In the backcourt, the two remaining newcomers face far less pressure than their counterparts inside due to the team's depth at both guard positions.

A local product from Huntingdon, Pa., Aron Cohen was a member of back-to-back Friends School League championship teams with Abington Friends, a school that produced former Penn stars Lamar Plummer and Michael Jordan.

"Aron's been a little banged up so he hasn't been able to show as much what he can do," Dunphy said. "But I think if he can ... shoot the right shots, not turn the ball over [and] be in the right spot defensively, he has a chance to help us."

During his high school career at Ridley, fellow Philadelphia-area star Kevin Egee also led his team to consecutive league titles. The 6-3, 175-pound guard has high expectations for this year's squad.

"I want to win at least two games in the [NCAA Tournament]," Egee said. "We have the players and we have the work ethic. It's all there."

That degree of success may hinge on the productivity of Votel and Lewis, two players who have never experienced the pressure they are likely to face when Penn takes on top-five teams Duke and Villanova.

"There's going to be a couple of [freshmen] who are going to be thrown to the wolves early and we'll see how they respond to that," Dunphy said. "Now, we have to figure out who's able to do that with no fear and no trepidation."

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