Mano-a-Mano: Is it Greg Louis' time?

In this installment of Mano-a-Mano, men's hoops beat writer John Phillips and Senior Sports Editor-elect Mike Tony debate whether it's time for sophomore forward Greg Louis to crack the starting lineup after his 19-point, 11-rebound performance at Delaware.

John Phillips: The best argument for why Louis should start is the same argument against sophomore forward Henry Brooks. Both guys are talented, and Brooks does have experience at the collegiate level. Yet, a lot of the same mistakes that he made in his freshman year continue to pop up. He gets in foul trouble far too early during contests, putting coach Allen in a bind before the first half even ends. In addition, when he's on the floor, he doesn't put up the points that the Quakers need from the center position.

While Brooks' biggest attribute is his defensive prowess, Louis is no slouch on the defensive end, and also has bigger upside offensively. Surely, he needs to take less shots from downtown and more midrange jumpers, but he showed the ability to attack the basket against Delaware, putting in a performance that, had Miles Cartwright been on the floor, would have given the Quakers three threats offensively, something this team desperately needs.

Mike Tony: You're definitely right about Brooks' foul woes. It's outrageous how quickly he accumulates fouls, averaging just 15.1 minutes per game directly because of his 3.56 fouls per game average. But he's earned coach Allen's trust more than Louis up to this point because he's been a more polished piece in Allen's offensive and defensive schemes. Earlier this season, Louis showed flashes of raw athleticism but was clearly lost on both ends of the floor, missing defensive assignments and taking the ill-advised shots you mentioned. His 34.8 percent field goal shooting this season is proof that his shot selection is suspect.

And that didn't change Friday night, with Louis shooting 7-of-17 from the field and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. What we know is that Brooks is significantly more efficient down low than Louis. What we don't know is whether Louis is the real deal based on one game. Was Patrick Lucas-Perry the real deal after his 15-point performance in the season opener? Was Tony Hicks the real deal after reaching the 10-point mark at Penn State? Not necessarily, and their play had dipped in the meantime. Louis is clearly on the right track, but he needs to prove himself further to justify supplanting someone who has accumulated 32 starts in the last two seasons, as Brooks has.

JP: Coach Allen's trust of Brooks can't be denied. He's the staple of Penn's defense, and in a lot of ways, one could point the finger directly at him for why the Quakers fade late in games. If he can't be on the floor and aggressive, then the Red and Blue's scheme fails to work like the fine-tuned machine that it has seemed to be at times.

That having been said, Brooks' career high was 13 points last season against Marist, and he averages just under five points per game, while taking only an average of 3.8 shots each contest. He hasn't shown the offensive flair that Louis did last night. Sure, the five three-balls probably shouldn't have been taken, but in a way, that flaw is also what I like the most about him. This Penn offense is crying out for a third guy who is not afraid to take shots. Brooks has shown that he isn't that guy, and while hope remains that Tony Hicks can take on more of a role, Louis' aggression should be valued by Allen.

MT: It's true that Brooks will never be that third offensive threat, but he's the necessary defensive presence on a team that struggles to get second-chance points, fouls a lot across the board and constantly puts pressure on its defense with poor shooting from the field. Louis is a potential source of progress for this team, but once Brooks returns, he shouldn't remain on the bench in favor of a guy who had one good game when nearly half the team was missing anyway.

Verdict: Chalk this one up as a win for John. Even though Allen swore that he was not looking at last night's game as an audition, Louis clearly differentiated himself on the offensive end of the floor. While it may seem that Brooks is necessary to the team's defensive presence, he hasn't grabbed onto that role with much authority this year, getting into foul trouble too often to help his team when they really need it. At this point in the season, with the Ivy slate closing in, Louis has earned the opportunity to start and get significant minutes, if only to see whether his production can be sustained.