St. Joe's aftermath and a look ahead

There is so much to say about last night's game against St. Joe's, and it just doesn't feel right to hold off on everything until Monday's edition of the DP. So here's a brief, informal overview of some of my thoughts from the game, and what I will be writing about in my columns this week.

Sorry to all of you that couldn't make it out to the Palestra last night. You missed what might wind up being Penn's best and most exciting game of the season, not to mention a fantastic, classic Big 5 showdown. Sure, the Quakers couldn't pull off the upset, but they did give the most inspired 40 minutes we've seen from them all season. Now, heading into conference play with three consecutive halves of quality, high-energy basketball against Big 5 teams -- to go along with a few nice wins (albeit against weaker opponents) -- Penn seems to be hitting full stride. That's very encouraging.

In many ways, I strongly believe that last night's game was a watershed for the Quakers. I hate to read into one game too much, especially a Big 5 game at the Palestra. No matter what the circumstances leading up to game time are, in the Big 5 we all know that anything can happen. Against Villanova this year, however, not even the ghosts of the Palestra could give the Quakers a fighting chance. But, last night we witnessed the most compelling evidence to date that this team is maturing rapidly and moving in the right direction.

Since I cannot cover everything in one column, I'll be writing two this week in the paper and posting and responding to your comments on The Buzz, which I am always happy to do.

Tomorrow, I will focus on Penn's intensity from yesterday's game as a sign of its increased confidence and maturity. And from my unique vantage point on press row yesterday -- because it was a St. Joe's home game we sat directly behind Penn's bench and were practically in the huddle -- I will give you some anecodtal evidence of why I now am more confident than ever in Glen Miller's ability to lead this team.

On Wednesday, I will discuss last night's game in terms of its importance not only to the revival of Penn's role in the Big 5, but also to the potential for a revival of Penn's regular fan base, as well.

In the meantime, I look forward to your comments and ideas.