Duel in paint gets personal

When Noblesville, Ind., native Jack Eggleston left for the big city and Big 5 basketball, one of his first opponents in Philadelphia was Jerrell Williams. The summer before both began college — Eggleston at Penn and Williams at La Salle — they worked out together under late local hoops trainer John Hartnett.

Tonight, for the final time, the two will square off when the Quakers (5-6) resume Big 5 play at Tom Gola Arena against the Explorers (7-9).

“I’ve played against him a lot over my four years, in and out of season,” Eggleston said. “We know each other’s games pretty well. He’s going to get out there, play very hard ... scrap and claw on the glass and get the most out of his abilities.”

The two forwards have been mirror images of one another statistically this season. Each leads his team in rebounding and both are second in scoring for their respective squads. And, oddly enough, both scored their 1000th career point over winter break.

And the comparisons don’t end there. Both stand 6-foot-8 and weigh around 215 pounds.

But their games differ dramatically. Eggleston has developed a finesse game at Penn, complementing his inside presence with a smooth stroke from the perimeter.

Williams, on the other hand, has attempted just one three-pointer this year — a miss — and is instead a much more aggressive, physical post player. He leads the Explorers in fouls.

“He’s kind of like their engine,” Penn coach Jerome Allen said. “He’s a high energy guy, always active, really trying to get the ship going.”

For that reason, Allen said he’s focusing on limiting the forward’s production.

“I try not to make it a matchup of two individuals,” he said. “It’s a matchup that as a team we desperately need to have work out in our favor, whether it’s Jack guarding him or Cameron Gunter or Fran Dougherty or Conor Turley.”

With the forceful Williams guarding him, Eggleston will have to take advantage from the free-throw line. In order to do so, he must be more consistent at the charity stripe — he hits just 69.2 percent of his freebies.

In addition to Williams, La Salle’s formidable frontcourt includes Aaric Murray, who, at 6-foot-10, leads the team in scoring.

The sophomore was consistently rated as one of the top-10 centers in his recruiting class two years ago. This season, he has 36 blocks — nine more than the entire Penn team combined.

The Explorers, who finished second to last in the Atlantic-10 Conference last year, have struggled lately, losing their last two to A-10 teams and six of their last seven games overall.

The Quakers have also lost their last two games, allowing Marist to have its way in late December and then falling to No. 15 Kentucky, despite controlling much of the first half.

For Eggleston and Penn to pick up their first Big 5 win in years, it will come down to controlling Williams and a dominating La Salle front court.

“Jack can handle anyone,” junior Zack Rosen said of the matchup, “if he puts his mind to it.”

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