Two top-five tests for Quakers in 2005-06

The Penn men's basketball team may be itching to return to the Palestra by the second week of January.

That is when the Quakers will return from a difficult stretch of non-conference games against unfamiliar opponents and begin playing almost exclusively within the Ivy League.

The Quakers' first high-profile game outside the Ancient Eight will be a home game against Colorado on Nov. 29. Penn has not seen the Buffaloes since being on the wrong end of a 80-57 rout in Boulder, Colo., during the 2002-03 season.

Colorado sports a deep offense, returning six players who averaged over 20 minutes last year. The attack will likely be led by sophomore Richard Roby, an up-and-coming guard in the Big 12 who averaged 16 points per game as a true freshman.

The Quakers will finish up the season's first homestand against Navy and crosstown rival Temple before heading to Durham, N.C., for their nationally-televised matchup against Duke.

This year's Blue Devils return two seniors who will likely contend for All-American status -- swingman J.J. Redick and forward Shelden Williams. Redick developed into one of the best pure outside shooters in the nation last year, while Williams returns from a Defensive Player of the Year campaign and represents a major shot-blocking presence in the paint.

How do the Quakers feel about playing a team ranked by most media outlets as the preseason No. 1?

"If we get some tough teams early on, it shows us where we stand," senior captain Eric Osmundson said.

He was quick to add, though, that Penn would not ignore its more traditional opponents.

"We can't overlook any team," Osmundson said.

The Quakers' trip into ACC territory may well prepare them to defend a dangerous shooting team effectively. This could prove crucial less than a week later, when Penn will face a Villanova squad that has one of the most versatile and athletic backcourts in the nation.

Penn has lost its last two matchups against the Wildcats.

From there, the Quakers will have two weeks off before embarking on a 12-day road trip spanning the boundaries of the United States.

Penn will first face Hawaii at 1 a.m. Philadelphia time on Dec. 29, followed by Division II BYU-Hawaii on New Year's Eve, before coming back to the lower 48 states.

But before returning to a long January homestand at the Palestra, the Quakers will have to get through away games against The Citadel and Fordham. The Bulldogs are trying to avoid yet another season as a Southern Conference doormat, while the Rams, who have improved from 2-26 to 6-22 and then 13-16 over the past three years, will be out to post their first winning record since 1992.

After that, Penn's action will be confined to the Ivy League and the Big 5, except for a matchup against Lafayette.

Penn has a similar non-conference schedule to other Ancient Eight schools. Princeton and Harvard will each play games against ACC powerhouses, with the Tigers taking on Wake Forest early in the year and the Crimson playing Boston College.

According to Penn coach Fran Dunphy, this part of the schedule serves as much to give players new experiences away from home as to give them fresh looks on the floor.

"I think the ideal is to strike that balance between getting to play teams that will provide great memories and experiences and to play teams that are like [Penn] in terms of their abilities," Dunphy said. "I think we've done that this year."

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