As the announcement that Jerome Allen would be the new head coach was settling in University City, members of the 2014 recruiting class across the country began reacting to the news that they had been awaiting for over three months.
“My jaw just dropped,” Miles Cartwright said. “I think it’s been long overdue that [Allen] got it.”
Nearly 2,400 miles away from Weightman Hall, Cartwright was sitting in class at his Los Angeles prep school when a teacher pulled him aside to alert him of the decision at about 11:00 a.m. on the West Coast.
For Cartwright, Allen’s hiring reaffirmed the commitment he made to Penn back in October — one that he said he would have reconsidered if Athletic Director Steve Bilsky had decided to go in a different direction with the search.
“I’m pretty sure I would have decommitted,” Cartwright said. “I don’t think I could have stayed committed if a new coach was brought in.”
The 6-foot-3 shooting guard, who is Penn’s highest ranked recruit according to ESPN’s Scouts Inc., said he would have looked at the schools that had originally showed interest in him, including Harvard and Princeton, in addition to various West Coast scholarship programs.
His statements reinforced similar claims made by fellow recruit Dau Jok yesterday.
“I think if they did bring in somebody else, the other recruits would definitely back out of their commitments and rethink the whole situation,” Cartwright said. “Now that we know that Allen’s the guy in — the guy that we all wanted — everybody is just really excited.”
Meanwhile, a short drive down the California coast, Penn recruit Casey James was informed of Bilsky’s choice by classmate and high school teammate Kevin Panzer, who is still considering whether to commitment to Penn.
“I was really excited. I called my parents and told them, because I wanted to go to Penn for sure and if Coach Allen didn’t get the job, there might have been a couple of questions,” James said.
James then picked up the phone and dialed Jok in Des Moines, Iowa.
“I was still in school,” Jok said. “Casey texted me, and he told me that Coach Allen got the job.”
Jok, who has been outspoken about his support for Allen and the current coaching staff, had trouble containing his excitement.
“I was jumping up and down for a little while,” he joked.
“I think [the Penn Athletic Department] made the right decision, and now we have to work together and work our butts off to make things happen.”
Jok reiterated his belief that while his incoming classmates were truly set on coming to Penn, many of them would have questioned their commitments if another coach was chosen.
“Thank God it didn’t happen, but I would have leaned the same way [as Cartwright],” he said.
With Allen’s role secure, Cartwright, James and Jok all agreed that they are ready to forget the off-court turmoil and make a statement on the hardwood.
“Coach Jerome, he just showed what he can do toward the end of last season,” Cartwright said. “So with the players coming back and the players coming in, we’re all just ready to get to work. And that’s just going to make next season more exciting.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.