Hoops and soccer

A report on Scout.com yesterday claims that 6-foot-5 wing Rob Belcore has committed to play hoops here. Belcore turned down the advances of La Salle and Southern Illinois (he got "five letters a day" from the latter at one point, he claimed). A link to a video that surfaced on the website basketball-u.com reveals that Belcore's shooting form is eerily similar to that of Tim Begley.

Belcore, Zack Rosen (committed) and Max Kenyi (still undecided) are all slated to visit campus this weekend, according to the Scout report (subscription only).

Under the Rhodes Field lights, the men's soccer team was out making some positive news of its own. The nightcap of the Penn Soccer Classic's opening day saw Penn grab a much-needed 2-1 win over Hartwick College. Hartwick should have no complaints about that result, having been dominated for the vast majority of the game.

Most impressively, the Quakers were efficient on offense, a quality that was lacking toward the end of last year. They didn't really create more than four or five chances to score, but they got two excellent ones and did not waste them.

The lone disappointment had to be the play of junior Drew Healy, who got the nod over Kevin Sweetland in goal. Healy showed that he is a good shot-stopper, coming out once to stop a early Hartwick breakaway and moving well to corral a close-range effort in the second half. But his ball distribution left a lot to be desired, as he shanked several balls that he could have driven upfield.

He may also share a little of the blame for the Hartwick goal (which came right after halftime, when Penn seemed in firm control of the game).

It's impossible to condemn one player based on one game, and Healy will have plenty of chances to redeem himself. But Rudy Fuller has said that he'll go with the hot hand on a day-to-day basis, and he's already shown that he's willing to spread the wealth around. So as for Sunday, don't be surprised to see Sweetland back in the fold.

For that matter, given the ups and downs we've seen so far, don't be shocked to see anyone.