With Villanova All-American Scottie Reynolds now playing in the NBA’s Developmental League, it would appear Penn finally has a chance to defeat the Wildcats for the first time since 2002.
The Villanova team that will arrive at the Palestra for a 7 p.m. tip-off tonight is “completely different,” according to Penn coach Jerome Allen, from the sixth-ranked squad that annihilated the Quakers, 103-65, last November.
This year’s No. 12 Wildcats (6-1), however, may be even more suited to pound Penn.
Villanova coach Jay Wright has quickly changed the makeup of his program from ‘Guard U.’ to a more traditional playing style. Reeling in stud recruits each year — big men and bigger wing players in particular — has allowed Wright’s squad to overcome what could have been a crippling loss in Reynolds.
From Penn’s standpoint, the Wildcats’ tremendous inside presence may make them even tougher to beat. The Quakers (4-3) have already been dominated by Drexel and No. 3 Pittsburgh, both athletic teams with substantial size that out-rebounded Penn a combined 72 to 35 in two games.
Tonight, the Red and Blue will go toe-to-toe with Antonio Pena, Mouphtaou Yarou and Maurice Sutton, each of whom stands over six-foot-eight and has taken on a bigger role after Reynolds’ departure. The Wildcats’ per-game rebounding margin sits at nine — an improvement from last year’s 4.6.
Even with a guard-dominated 2009-10 roster, Villanova out-rebounded Penn 43 to 19 in last season’s meeting.
Needless to say, Allen and his players have their hands full.
“They have unbelievable talent and unbelievable athleticism,” Allen said of Villanova.
To counter, the coach will need extra effort from his thin frontcourt.
Senior Andreas Schreiber has struggled recently, playing a career-low three minutes against Army on Saturday. Fellow senior Conor Turley is listed as the probable starter at center tonight. Allen said the battle for the center spot can change on a daily basis, depending on how each player practices.
Ironically, Penn may finally have the guards to compete with Villanova’s vaunted backcourt. The addition of Miles Cartwright gives the Quakers the speed to match the Wildcats’ depth in seniors Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes and sophomores Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek.
Against an opponent with superior talent, Allen and his coaches may employ a similar game plan to the one that downed Cornell last season — slow the game down, emphasize taking care of the ball and look patiently for open three-pointers.
The coach also stressed he’s not looking for a moral victory in a solid team effort or close loss. Instead, he preached the “expect to win” mantra that fueled his players in the Big Red upset last year.
“The ultimate success is winning,” Allen said, “and I think that’s how we all judge it.”
Staff writer Alex Siegel contributed to the reporting of this article.
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