Looking for Palestra panacea

The men’s basketball team has been on a journey this season — without ever leaving Pennsylvania.

In their first two games, the Quakers traveled to a Villanova squad eyeing a repeat trip to the Final Four and a Penn State team with a potential Wooden Award winner in Talor Battle.

Tomorrow, the Red and Blue will play in the Keystone State again, facing Delaware in a welcomed home opener at the Palestra.

Though both teams are winless, the Blue Hens’ losses have come against lesser competition, mid-major teams Bucknell and Temple.

But don’t think that changes the Quakers’ approach.

The focus of the week has been defense. After covering some of the best guards in the country, the Red and Blue (0-2) have gained some valuable experience.

They’ll need it against Jawan Carter, Delaware’s junior guard, who averages 17 points per game so far this season.

Carter, who transferred from Saint Joseph’s after his freshman year, led the Hens (0-2) with 62 three-pointers and a 77.8 free-throw percentage during his first year in the Colonial Athletic Association.

“He’ll keep the ball in his hands for long periods of time,” Penn coach Glen Miller said. “You’ve got to guard him off the dribble — not just for a few seconds.”

“We’ve guarded two guys that are big scorers [Battle and Scottie Reynolds],” sophomore Zack Rosen added. “Hopefully, we can do a good job limiting [Carter’s] touches — getting it out of his hands and not letting him get it back, making other guys beat us.”

Rosen has not found his shot in the first two games, shooting 21 percent from behind the arc and 22 percent from the field.

But don’t discount the reigning Big Five Rookie of the Year just yet. Rosen has been matched against two talented backcourts that would put a dent in almost anyone’s shooting percentage.

“We’ve got guys that can shoot, myself included,” Rosen said. “Those shots are going to fall. They’ve fallen in practice and preseason. … Maybe it’s the first two games or whatever it is, but those shots will go down, and that will obviously help our chances of winning.”

Leading Penn in minutes, Rosen averages 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per contest.

At the moment, the hot hand belongs to Darren Smith, who, after missing ten shots in the season-opener, erupted for 21 points against Villanova.

The senior has missed all but one game the last two seasons with a broken kneecap.

“[I need to] just keep doing what I’m doing,” Smith said. “Play hard every possession, try not to think too hard about it and let the game come to me.”

One player who will not be starting Saturday is Tyler Bernadini. The junior guard came to practice fixed with a walking boot and crutches.

Miller said the 2008 Big Five Rookie of the Year is day-to-day, but noted the focus of the contest is on defense and an improved inside game.

“We’ve got to get the ball inside more and we’re probably shooting too many threes,” he said. “If we can develop a better balance inside-outside of offensive basketball we’ll see that [shooting] percentage go up.”

The Quakers lead the all-time series, 16-3, but Delaware has taken two of the last three.

While the Red and Blue haven’t traveled far, they’re certainly happy to be home.

Asked about playing in the Palestra for the first game since March 10, Rosen sighed in relief.

“Thank God,” he said.

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