The Quakers have 24 long days - a program record for time off - to stew over what went wrong against Navy on Friday night. At least when Dec. 29 finally rolls around and Penn tips off again, the Palestra will be a good 900 miles away.
They'll be in Orlando, Fla., instead, playing Central Florida, and then either Campbell or Chicago State the next day, as part of the UCF Holiday Classic tournament.
With over three weeks to go, insights from the Penn camp on the next opponents were sparse, although coach Glen Miller predicted that the layoff would not pose a big mental challenge for his team. Central Florida (4-3) plays three times between now and its date with Penn.
As for the second-day opponent, Campbell (2-3) is a bottom-30 RPI team (although its win-loss record beats Penn's). Chicago State (3-4) has more going for it, including the second-best scorer in the nation.
The Quakers then have another week off before hosting Lafayette (2-5) on Jan. 6.
"Any time a team is struggling like we are, you really - from a coach's standpoint, a teacher's standpoint - you look forward to an extended period where you have a chance to really work on some things and improve," Miller said. "It's imperative that we make progress over this break."
Miller revealed one potential twist to a winter slate that doesn't exactly scream must-see. Junior guard Darren Smith and junior forward Justin Reilly may each resume practicing before leaving campus for break.
Smith suffered a broken kneecap in Penn's season opener last year and has been recovering since. Reilly hasn't yet played this year either.
"I can't count on that," Miller said. "When they come back, they're going to have a ways to go before they get conditioned . to help us on the floor."
Still, Miller played junior forward Andreas Schreiber last week for the first time this season after just two full-contact practices since he came back from a torn labrum. It would not be shocking to see either Smith or Reilly on the floor in Orlando.
Smith won a starting spot late in his freshman year and proved an adept shooter and pesky defender. Reilly has never claimed a role like that, but Penn needs help in the frontcourt - big time.
Penn will encounter a deep lineup when it faces Central Florida. The Golden Knights' top weapon is 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard Jermaine Taylor, who averages 19.9 points per game.
Depending on the results of day one, Penn could then face either Chicago State's over-caffeinated brand of basketball or a much more timid Campbell team.
Chicago State sports the No. 2 scorer in Division I. David Holston stands just 5-foot-8 and tips 160 on the scales but averages an outsized 28 points per game. The Cougars' games have averaged a whopping 168 points in total, split evenly at 84 points per side.
Lafayette is Penn's last stop before the start of second semester. The Leopards broke a long streak of Penn dominance - nine wins in a row - with a victory last year. The game is in Philadelphia this time, where historically Lafayette hasn't had much luck. Still, unless Penn shows something in Florida, the line on the Leopards might be dead even.
