When Monmouth steps onto the Palestra floor tonight, there will be a few things Penn isn't used to seeing.
Not only will the Quakers have to contend with a formidable frontcourt that includes the 7-foot-2, 320-pound monster of a center John Bunch, but they will have to deal with a 6-6 Serbian sharpshooter in guard Dejan Delic and an eclectic rotation which includes five foreigners.
But there's something about the Hawks' style that will seem oddly familiar to the Red and Blue.
"They have some similarities in their offense to Princeton," Penn coach Glen Miller said. "It's a tough game - it's a grind-it-out game - so every possession is going to be important."
However, last year, Monmouth beat the Tigers at their own game.
In an infamous early-season performance, Princeton fell, 41-21, to the Hawks, seemingly cementing itself as the Ivy League caboose.
But Penn has fallen victim to Princeton's system before - last year's overtime heartbreaker in the season finale comes to mind.
Even so, the game experience the Quakers have accumulated over the years may be enough to contain the Hawks' backdoor cuts and snail-paced offense.
But that doesn't mean the Quakers are looking forward to it.
"It's going to be a little tedious," senior forward Mark Zoller said. "But being from Penn, we're used to playing against Princeton and being disciplined in that nature."
Monmouth may win some games this season on its system alone, but it also has talent that will provide some problems for Penn.
On the offensive end, the Hawks will likely try to create open shots for Delic on the perimeter, where he drains 2.5 treys per game at a clip of over 40 percent.
While Bunch is not exactly deft on the offensive end of the floor, he will pose problems on defense when he comes off the bench and clogs the paint - he is averaging nearly four blocks per game.
Monmouth may perennially find its way into the NCAA Tournament by winning the Northeast Conference, but it has yet to play bracket-buster against any of the top-tier teams it has faced.
Against fellow mid-major team Penn, however, an upset is a very real possibility if the Quakers are not at the top of their game.
Given the way that the Hawks stuck with No. 1 seed Villanova in the NCAA Tournament last year, it isn't hard to see why.
"Obviously, if you can take 'Nova, a team that was ranked No. 3 in the nation at that point, they're definitely very talented and experienced," Zoller said.
The big-game savvy that the Hawks have gained over the years under coach Dave Calloway will serve them well in a hostile atmosphere such as the Palestra.
And, despite the fact that Penn is one of Monmouth's marquee opponents this year, the Hawks will not likely be the least bit star-struck when they come into Philadelphia tonight.
Bunch, for one, seems to maintain a healthy respect for the Quakers without putting them on a pedestal.
"I know that they're a tournament team as well from a good league in the Northeast area," Bunch said. "I know that we have our work cut out for us."
