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01102012_Mensbasketvall_LaSalle Credit: Laura Francis , Laura Francis

Penn has two players in the top five in scoring in the Ivy League — an impressive distinction that no other Ivy team can claim.

But that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Harvard, the nationally ranked, heavy Ivy favorite, doesn’t have a scorer in the top 10.

We, of course, know Penn’s scoring duo quite well. They’ve been on campus for quite some time.

Missing the No. 1 Ivy scoring rank by just 1.2 points per game is stalwart Zack Rosen. What more can we say about Zack? He’s good at basketball.

Coming in at No. 4 is fifth-year senior Tyler Bernardini. The former Ivy Rookie of the Year is as hot as anybody, and despite being plagued by some inconsistency, the guard has shown he can absolutely take over games with his scoring ability.

For those who have seen a Jerome Allen postgame press conference, it’s obvious that scoring hasn’t been a focus of his tenure thus far. The players will tell you that defensive drills dominate practice, and most college coaches will tell you anyone can score.

Yes, defense wins championships, but the lack of a balanced scoring distribution has plagued Penn in recent years. If just one of its top two scorers has an off game, the the lack of scoring is often too much for the team to pick up.

Rosen had a ridiculous start to the year that has garnered national attention, but it would be optimistic to lean on that level of production for an entire season.

Bernardini has certainly come on strong as of late with a couple of 30-plus point performances. He has more than enough talent to be ‘the guy,’ but has also had plenty of games in which he has been less than dominant.

So who else will light the scoreboard?

Many anticipated sophomore Miles Cartwright becoming a bonafide offensive threat this season. Yet, he seems to be regressing a bit this season.

An “average” performance from Bernardini and Rosen should put Penn in a good position to win every night ­— that just hasn’t been the case so far.

An obvious weakness persists in the frontcourt. Consistently losing battles in the paint is yet another stressor on Penn’s guards.

A key reason for Rosen’s offensive prowess is his ability to create. He creates shots and scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. Bernardini can do the same, along with hitting ridiculous shots when he gets hot.

Penn has an abundance of “spark” players and a dearth of scorers. Henry Brooks, Marin Kukoc, Steve Rennard and others have contributed at crucial times already this season. But none are consistent scorers who have proven they can take pressure off either Rosen or Bernardini.

The Quakers begin their Ivy season this Friday. They need another scorer to emerge in short order. Their league fate depends on it.

ETHAN ALTER is a junior history major from Los Altos, Calif. He can be reached at dpsports@theDP.com.

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