Sarah Bucar committed to suit up for Patrick Knapp over three years ago, before her senior year in high school even began.
On Friday night, she will finally get the chance to make good on her word.
The 21-year-old sophomore had planned to play under Knapp at Georgetown, where the coach spent 18 seasons before signing on to lead the Quakers in 2004.
But with Knapp gone, Bucar decided on West Virginia, where she spent her freshmen campaign playing sparingly as a backup point guard.
"I just really didn't like it there," said Bucar. "When I decided that I didn't want to play there, I looked into coming here because [Knapp] was here, and he had originally recruited me."
Bucar officially became a Quaker before the tip-off of last season, but was forced to sit out the entire year in compliance with NCAA transfer regulations.
"It was hard," she said, "especially when we would lose because I felt like I could have maybe helped in a way."
The Trafford, Pa. native spent the time trying to find ways to contribute - she often aided in preparation for upcoming games by simulating the play of a rival's point guard in practice. After getting familiarized with Knapp's system, Bucar figures to be Penn's primary ball-handler heading into opening night.
"She's a very aggressive player, a lot of heart, moves quickly," said Knapp. "Her style of play fits me perfectly because I want to get up and play people full-court. I wanna run the ball."
"He wants me to get everybody involved and set people up where they're gonna be successful," Bucar said. "I am gonna have to score, but I think that I'm going to be a more communicating point guard .[and] a defensive pest, which is something that I've always been."
Bucar even feels that the time away from competitive play will benefit her game in the long run.
"I'm more of a coach now. I think sitting out helped me to see things in a totally different perspective."
However, Knapp worries about how the absence will affect Bucar's game in the immediate future.
"There is a natural adjustment process," he said. "What I mean by that is, very simply, there's some rust that you've gotta shake off. You've gotta play with new teammates; you have to understand the competition."
On a team that graduated its three leading scorers from last season, success may hinge largely on whether that rust wears off sooner rather than later.
