VILLANOVA, Pa.
There are many different things that can explain the Quakers' early-season struggles - perimeter defense, rebounding and turnovers to name a few.
But it's what happens before tipoff that's the real killer.
"We came out, and we had some jitters in the first half," freshman starting point guard Harrison Gaines said.
"The atmosphere was just what we expected - a packed house, loud crowd - and you had those pre-game nerves," freshman baller Tyler Bernardini said.
In the first half of this season, Penn's offense has been stagnant and unable to make entry passes or get jumpers to fall. Its defense can't get out on threes. After the break, though, the Quakers morph into a team with a point guard that can drive and pass, a shooter who is deadly from three, and tenacious defenders and rebounders. All that in just 20 minutes.
Any team that starts three freshmen - Gaines, Bernardini and forward Jack Eggleston - is bound to go through some growing pains.
But eight games and nearly a month into the season, the Red and Blue have yet to play a good first half. The issue is being able to perform in the beginning of the game.
In the opener against Drexel, Penn overcame a 13-point deficit to take the Dragons into overtime. Against No. 23 Virginia, the Quakers went down 14-3 early, but kept the deficit firmly in the teens the rest of the game.
And in the first Big 5 game of the year Saturday night, Villanova tore up the Penn defense for a 28-4 start in less than eight minutes.
"I think to some degree we were intimidated to start the game, and you just can't dig yourself a hole like that," Quakers coach Glen Miller said.
"There's nothing to be nervous about; you just have to come out and play," he added. "We have to develop tougher skin and just be more determined right from the get-go."
The question is, how can the team fix this?
"We just have to keep working on it," Miller said. "Young players at this level are going to have some struggles offensively, but defense has to be constant. ... We will get better."
Perhaps the real question, though, is how long will it take?
How long until Gainescan play like an All-Ivy point guard, or Bernardini like an All-Ivy shooter for 40 minutes, not 15, 20 or 25?
With a deep Ivy League, conference foes will be equally unforgiving if able to take an early double-digit lead.
Leaving those jitters in the locker room could be the difference between winning the League at 12-2 and going 8-6 and watching Cornell go dancing in March.
Josh Wheeling is a senior economics major from Philadelphia, and is former Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. His e-mail address is jw4@sas.upenn.edu.
