Glen Miller's open forum

The first annual "town hall" discussion of the men's basketball team came and went this weekend. The DP's recap can be found here, and some additional notes of interest are after the jump, most coming from answers given by coach Glen Miller.

Tuesday's paper will have more analysis of what was said (and not said) at the meeting. In the meantime, fire away in the comments section with any initial reactions, especially if you were in attendance.

Regarding next year's schedule, Miller said that Penn will not participate in an exempt tournament over winter break, as it did this past December, and that the team has not committed to any tournament at this point. He added that three of Penn's non-conference games have yet to be firmed up, but did confirm that the team will play Penn State, Lafayette, Navy, and Monmouth.
The "concerns" that Rob Belcore's father expressed about Penn's commitment to athletics centered on expanded accommodations for student-athletes. He suggested that athletes should be given priority in scheduling classes to allow more flexibility in accomodating practices. He also called for a better nutrition plan for athletes. Athletic Director Steve Bilsky responded by saying Ivy League schools treat athletes like any other students; he added that the new facilities being built would ease students' schedules by allowing more of them to avoid morning workouts.
In discussing students' support of the team, Bilsky cited two factors: the ease of getting to games and the quality of the teams. He and Miller acknowledged that Penn's recent troubles have diminished the student-body's interest in the team.
The Quakers will take a trip to Europe next year, likely in the early summer months. The NCAA permits one international trip every four years.
Lastly, Miller made the interesting assertion that among Ivy League teams, Harvard is the biggest threat to Penn when it comes to recruiting. Not Princeton, not Cornell, he said, but Harvard. Out of all the issues Miller and Bilsky addressed, this one struck me as the most intriguing. I'll be returning to it shortly.