Three Keys | Penn basketball vs. Lafayette

Penn basketball will look for its first win on Saturday, so we decided to look at three keys to victory for the Red and Blue against Lafayette.

A Second Punch

The Quakers thus far this season have relied on junior shooting guard Tony Hicks for the bulk of their points. Hicks went off for 31 points against Delaware State . The Quakers ended up falling short, 77-75, in overtime. The secondary scorer for the Red and Blue was freshman guard Antonio Woods with 11 points on 3-for-9 shooting.

Against Rider, Hicks struggled to find his mark offensively, only scoring 11 points. If Penn hopes to be successful moving forward, the Quakers will have to find a second punch to accompany Hicks and dominate the offense when Hicks isn't hitting every shot.

Move without the Ball

The Red and Blue averaged 14.5 turnovers this season while only forcing their opponents to commit an average of 11 turnovers a game thus far.

A natural connection to the previous point is that the Red and Blue need to help their playmakers by creating shots without the ball. At times, the offense seems too static and therefore predictable,  making it easier for opposing defenses to jump into the passing lanes and pick the ball off.

Freshman Impact

Whether it be due to injuries or not, Penn’s freshmen have arrived. Four of the six newcomers have played 15-plus minutes in each game this season and have made a big impact on the court, proving that they can be depended on down the stretch.

The freshman class has provided the Red and Blue with a  sense of hustle and grit that the Quakers appeared to be lacking last season. Penn is hoping they will continue to improve and provide the squad with energy off the bench even after some of the veterans return from injury.

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