A captain in his senior season, Penn's Brian Grandieri has hit his share of big shots in his career. But even he'll tell you that the most meaningful points he ever scored weren't for Quakers coaches Fran Dunphy or Glen Miller.
They were for Evan Brady.
A neighbor, schoolmate and childhood friend of Grandieri, Brady was a standout lacrosse player for Rose Tree Media Optimist Youth Club, and seemed set to continue playing at Malvern Prep, a Catholic school outside of Philadelphia.
But on Sept. 11, 2001, at 15 years old, he was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma - bone cancer.
"It was just tough to see, but he never asked anyone to feel bad for him or anything like that," Grandieri said. "He always was the first one to ask how you're doing, even though it should have been the other way around."
Two years later, in Grandieri's senior season at Malvern, he decided it was time to honor Evan. He started "Hoops for Hope," asking people to pledge money to the families of children with cancer every time he scored 15 points.
And with Grandieri eventually winning the Inter-Ac Player of the Year, those games came often. In the end, Hoops for Hope raised over $15,000 that went toward vacations for the children and families.
"When you see a child pick up that support and run with it, that's over-and-above," said Evan's father, Bill. "For Brian to do that was just awesome."
While Evan was very sick during his junior year, according to his father, he was touched by what Grandieri was doing.
But the following fall, when he was 19, Evan passed away. People close to him made sure he wasn't forgotten.
For the Bradys, that meant starting up Evanfest, an annual youth lacrosse festival that donates its proceeds to families whose children are battling life-threatening illness.
For Grandieri, in what will likely be his final season as a basketball player, there was only one thing to do - revive Hoops for Hope.
His teammates were onboard. Coach Miller was on board. And, of course, the Bradys were on board.
But Penn wasn't.
When Grandieri approached Penn Compliance with the proposal, he said it was quickly shot down.
While Penn Compliance Coordinator Elton Cochran-Fikes was not available for a direct interview, Athletic Department spokesman Mike Mahoney spoke on his behalf.
Mahoney said it was not an NCAA regulation that spurred the athletic department to prevent Grandieri from continuing Hoops for Hope, but rather a Penn policy not to pursue outside fundraising.
"It was bad timing," Mahoney said. "It came on the heels of a decision being made [by the Athletic Department] not to go forward with endeavors like that."
It was a decision that took Grandieri by surprise.
"It's just something that I think would have been great to do my senior year, just like I did my senior year in high school," he said, adding that he wanted to take on a more face-to-face role with the families involved with the charity. "It threw me off a little bit."
However, Brady said that Evan's friends who play lacrosse at Penn State and Villanova have also been unable to introduce charity ventures due to similar university rules.
"I am real frustrated with that because at Malvern a big thing that they teach is to give back," Bill Brady said. "This is exactly what they teach and exactly what these kids have learned; they wanted to give back, they wanted to do something."
Grandieri is evidence enough of Malvern's credo. And while he was disappointed that he couldn't pursue Hoops for Hope this year, he ultimately was understanding of the Athletic Department's decision.
Besides, Grandieri might not be done with his charity work just yet.
"I'm sure that once they're out of college and they're back in the area they'll all be involved with us," Brady said. "I can already see that."
