24 Hours Later

I just got back from men's basketball practice today at Weightmann Gym, where members of the media talked with interim head coach Jerome Allen and captains Zack Rosen and Darren Smith before the actual practice started. Unfortunately I have a project due in 24 hours, but I'll give my initial thoughts from what they said now and hopefully I can get a complete article up later If there are any specific questions you want answered, indicate so in the comments and I'll let you know if they were addressed at practice.

First of all, the mood did not seem somber or down. Players were laughing and joking just like any other day. When we asked Rosen and Smith about the mood of the team as compared to last week, they both said that while nobody is happy about what happened to former head coach Glen Miller, everyone's excited for change and to see what the team can do under Allen.

Read below the jump for more of my thoughts.

Allen continually expressed his excitement and appreciation at given the opportunity to be Penn's head coach. He indicated that it was obviously a dream of his. But he and Smith were also careful to point out that no magic miracle happened and that fans should not expect a complete turnaround right away.

He didn't go into much detail about specific changes he would make to the team's gameplan, but noted that he has learned plenty from the coaches he has played or coached under (including Fran Dunphy and Larry Brown) and that he was set in his ways about certain things. I take from what he said that we shouldn't expect wholesale changes to the team's play, but that there will be noticeable tweaks.

Interestingly, when someone brought up the discussion the captains had with athletic director Steve Bilsky on Thursday, Rosen said that he and Smith didn't do much talking. Mostly, Bilsky addressed the state of the program and they came away with a hint that Allen may be replacing Miller, but no certainty.

I did not see assistant coaches John Gallagher or Mike Martin at the practice, but Allen said that he had spoke with them. He said they were all grateful for the opportunities Miller had given them and that they hope to "right the ship." I'm not sure if you can infer from that statement that they will stay on Allen's staff, but that is the impression I got.

On a slightly unrelated note, Tyler Bernardini was dressed (but wearing a long-sleeve shirt underneath his practice jersey, which leads me to believe he would be shooting around but not fully participating in practice. Larry Loughery and Conor Turley, who had been injured, were in full dress, while I didn't see Andreas Schreiber or Justin Reilly when I left (though this doesn't indicate that they are still injured).

In general, my impression from practice was that this change breathed some fresh air into a program that had fallen into a bit of a rut. Whether or not it turns out to be the right choice is up in the air, but Allen definitely seems intent on generating enthusiasm and excitement amongst the players, and I think that's something absolutely necessary for the team to turn it around. With a tough road trip coming up (including a nationally televised game against Duke) and three Big 5 games on the docket when they finally return to the Palestra, the team's morale can't stay low. And I believe -- and Rosen also indicated -- that between the coach's relationship with the players and his history as an all-time Penn great, that Allen has the ability to foster an attitude among the players that may help them turn this season around after the tough start.