On Sunday, Penn men’s basketball won the Ivy League championship for the first time since 2018. But that doesn’t mean current members of the program are the only ones celebrating.
In the wake of the title, The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with former players and coaches to gauge their reactions to the stunning victory. From legendary figures to recent graduates, the alumni were unanimous in their avid support for coach Fran McCaffery’s championship group.
“Just rooting like crazy for them,” Fran Dunphy, the winningest coach in Penn program history, said. Dunphy helmed the Quakers from 1989-2006, claiming 10 Ivy League titles. “[It was] so much fun to watch all of that and see all of that go on, and see how excited everybody was.”
“Just an amazing performance by the team, and certainly, specifically to [junior forward] TJ Power on his amazing run during that game,” Dunphy added.
Dunphy’s career at Penn, which included a 48-game Ivy League win streak spanning from 1992 to 1996, was headlined by several clutch performers, including 1995 College graduate and Ivy League Player of the Year Matt Maloney. So, when the Quakers faced off with two-time reigning champion Yale on Saturday, Dunphy knew just how crucial it would be for someone to deliver.
Power did so in a major way, pouring in 44 points and 14 rebounds to break the men’s Ivy Madness single-game scoring record.
“He must have some amazing toughness,” said Dunphy. “Those performances don’t occur if you’re not on top of your game, and really, on top of everything that athletics is all about.”
“It just looks like he was not to be denied, and he felt like he could really make a difference in the program over that weekend,” Dunphy added. “Just beautiful to watch. Just absolutely beautiful to watch.”
Power’s performance also drew praise from 1972 Wharton graduate Alan Cotler, the point guard on three consecutive Ivy League championship teams from 1970-1972.
“TJ Power saved the season,” Cotler said.
Power, a former five-star recruit, arrived at Penn last offseason after seasons at Duke and Virginia. At his first two schools, Power averaged under 10 minutes per game. At Penn, he led the Ivy League with 35.3 minutes per game and averaged 16.8 points en route to a first team All-Ivy selection.
“Instead of allowing a lack of success at Duke and Virginia to defeat him, he chose to learn from it and grow from it,” said Cotler. “After the first 10 games of the season or so, he started to get his legs and his confidence and rose to the occasion.”
On Wednesday, McCaffery announced that Power was questionable for Penn’s NCAA tournament matchup with Illinois due to an illness. His final status will be determined on Thursday.
Penn’s win also garnered attention from several of the team’s recent alumni, many of whom played alongside the Ancient Eight’s newest champions.
2025 College graduate Nick Spinoso, who starred as forward/center for Penn and now plays professionally in Germany, noted the effort it’s taken for the team to summit the mountaintop.
“I know all those guys, the work they put in,” Spinoso said. “It was just a wholesome moment to see that hard work pay off for them. I was just so happy.”
2024 College graduate Clark Slajchert, a former second team All-Ivy selection currently playing professionally in Luxembourg, expressed a similar sentiment.
“I’m so hyped to see it,” Slajchert wrote in a statement to the DP. “I’m still in touch with some of the guys and they’ve worked their ass off for this — it’s obviously been a tough go with the coaching change, but Penn is such a special place and deserving of a March Madness run.”
“I’m proud to be an alum and admittedly super jealous because it was always my dream to make it where they have,” Slajchert added. “Regardless, even all the way here in Luxembourg, I get to say my alma mater is dancing.”
The alumni also reflected on Penn's upcoming matchup with the Fighting Illini, who finished fourth in the Big Ten with an overall record of 24-8.
“[They’ll] get a chance to see what they can do against guys who are getting paid millions of dollars to play basketball,” Cotler said. “Illinois is a great team. They’ve only lost … four or five overtime games. They beat Colgate by 20, they beat [Long Island University] by 40. They’re really an excellent team.”
“They’ll have a great challenge in front of them with Illinois coming up,” Dunphy said. “But I think [McCaffery] will do a terrific job of making Penn as good as it can be.”
In a tournament famed for its upsets, the Quakers will seek to author another. Penn tips off against Illinois on Thursday at 9:25 p.m. in Greenville, S.C. Win or lose, they’ll have the program’s history behind them.
“It’s March Madness for a reason. Everything is possible,” Spinoso said. “I think anything can be done. I’m rooting for them — I’m gonna stay up till 3 a.m. here to be able to watch it.”
