Basketball Preview 2008 | Rosen given keys to steer offense, despite N.J. roots

For freshman point guard Zack Rosen, sometimes it pays to look old beyond his years.

And it has nothing to do with getting into Smokes'.

"He's well ahead of his age and his class, as far as his execution on the floor," Penn coach Glen Miller said.

In truth, leadership - not a good jumpshot or a soft touch at the foul line - may be Rosen's quickest way to extended playing time.

Fellow freshman Larry Loughery and Mike Howlett expressed concern about balancing time between hoops and academics.

But Rosen doesn't seem too worried about schoolwork. In fact, he doesn't seem too worried about, well, much of anything.

It sounds like it's been pretty easy making the transition to college basketball for the 6-foot-1 floor general out of Colonia, N.J.

"I've been pretty comfortable since I've been here," Rosen said. "I don't really feel it's been too much of an adjustment."

And this comfort is exactly what Miller needs with a roster hungry for upperclassman leadership. That puts the onus on younger players to act and play like their older teammates.

Minus the chest hair.

"In an ideal situation . you don't have to rely so much on younger players," Miller said. "This year, we're still going to be a very young team."

Since it looks like Miller will have to deploy those munchkins - figuratively speaking - on his roster, it helps that the four freshmen besides Rosen all stand at 6-foot-6 or taller.

At 6-foot-10, center Garvin Hunt is the tallest player on Miller's squad. Hunt has only played basketball for three years but can add the rebounding that Miller's team needs inside.

The first native of the Bahamas to play in the Ivy League, Hunt towers an entire one inch over forward Howlett, who, at 6-foot-9, is tied for second tallest on the team.

Howlett adds some experience as well as height, having spent an extra year in prep school after dropping his place in the Lehigh recruiting class of 2011.

Rounding out the class of 2012 are swingmen Loughery and Rob Belcore, both at 6-foot-6.

Players like Loughery and Belcore are exactly what the team needs, according to Miller.

"We really just try to recruit guys that have good versatility, that can play multiple positions," Miller said. "In a recruiting process you find a lot of guys who are in that 6-3 to 6-7 range."

The Quakers are going to need that adaptability, along with peak performances from just about every player on the roster, when they head down to Chapel Hill tomorrow to take on No. 1 North Carolina.

And the Red and Blue's freshmen are excited to show what they've got on a national stage.

"It's an awesome opportunity," Belcore said. "What do we have to lose?"

Even if the Quakers somehow pull out the upset, don't worry about the win going to the newbies' heads.

Just ask 21-year-old freshman Howlett.

"[Penn students] can come up to me whenever they want," Howlett said. "And hang out and talk about whatever they want to talk about."

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