Layup Line: Quick hits on Penn basketball

Random observations, musings, opinions, etc. on Penn basketball...

I have to start this about Zack Rosen, don't I? He continues to amaze. The current numbers, as Kevin detailed in his column: 22.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 59.3% shooting, 65.4 percent from three (17 for 26). At the moment, he's statistically the best three-point shooter in the country.
The thing that I can't get over about Rosen's shooting thus far is that these haven't been wide-open, or even open, shots. Defenses are completely focused on him, yet he continues to launch from several feet behind the line, often with a hand in his face and/or the shot clock running down. In other words, the degree of difficulty is through the roof. But everything he does on the court, it seems like he's done a million times before -- probably because he has. So, as Kevin wrote, "the incredible look(s) routine."
Rob Belcore seems like he's in three places at once when he plays defense. No one works around ball screens better than him, and no one hustles more. Tyler Bernardini should take a lesson from Belcore when it comes to closing out on shooters, too...
The past two games have shown that Miles Cartwright may be the key to this season. Kevin and I have discussed multiple times that Cartwright brings a driving ability that no one else on the team has. When the offense breaks down, you need someone like Cartwright to get into the lane and possibly draw a foul. In Saturday's win over Robert Morris, Cartwright pulled off several baseline drives leading to acrobatic layups that just cannot be taught.
Coach Allen and several players hyped up big man Fran Dougherty as the breakout player from the preseason, but the first four games have shown that Dougherty is still learning. Offensively, 3.5 turnovers is way too high a number for a big. He needs to be more assertive when he catches the ball inside. Defensively, he's the rock in the middle that the Quakers need to challenge shots and close out possessions with rebounds, but he's been up-and-down in that respect so far. Obviously, he still has plenty of nonconference time to put everything together, and I think he will.
It's not only Dougherty that has room to grow. With the benefit of youth, the Quakers have significant upside that can be tapped into over the course of the grueling nonconference slate. Between Doc, Henry Brooks, Camryn Crocker and Marin Kukoc, I could see the inexperienced guys gaining confidence along the way and really breaking out by the time Ivy play rolls around. The potential of those four guys, to me, is one of the biggest factors working in Penn's favor.
Gotta love Dau Jok -- I've never seen a bench player with more energy. He always looks the most engaged in the game, always is the first to greet his teammates after timeouts, and always keeps guys loose and spirits high.
Final thought: Homecourt advantage is finally returning to the Palestra, however gradually. Saturday, I saw a group that really fed off the energy of the crowd and savored the comfort of their hallowed ground -- Belcore, Cartwright and senior big man Mike Howlett, in particular. Cartwright seemed to love every second of Saturday's home game, as he frequently waved his arms to pump of the crowd. Howlett, meanwhile, was Penn's enforcer, scrapping with Robert Morris players down low, and having crowd noise to support guys like that makes for an intimidating environment.