Last week I started this new feature of linking to the opposing school's football stories. Week 1 illustrated the Columbia Spectator's reaction to Penn's 27-13 win. This week, let's see what the Yale Daily News -- considered one of the better Ivy newspapers -- had to say about Penn's 9-0 shutout.
The YDN only had one article, a standard recap with a sweet quote from Bulldogs coach Tom Williams, who said “we played with great violence.” (Notice the photo credit). Interesting facts from the recap: though Penn hadn’t shut out an opponent since November 2007, Yale was shut out as recently as the last game of 2008, and in fact didn’t score an offensive touchdown for the second straight week.
There were several comments on the article. Some were vehemently against Williams, who hasn’t thrilled Yalies in his rookie year as coach. But the one defense of him that I especially liked went for the French Revolution metaphor: "Roll the guillotine back into storeage for a bit. ... Show Mr. Williams a year of mercy, since the unfortunate truth is that his current minions are all holdovers from the ancien régime.
I know it's been a while, but here's a Random Ivy notes:
1) Sure it's been beaten to death many times before, but here's another column decrying the Ivy League's ban on football postseason play. I've already stated I'm pro-football playoffs, and won't rehash the arguments. But this column, written by someone from Delaware of all places, emphatically believes it's "the dumbest, most unfair rule in sports" that the Ivy champion can't play in the FCS playoffs. (Some background: when he's talking about Delaware playing Delaware State, he's referring to the Blue Hen's refusal to play their in-state rivals.)
2) As a hard-hitting linebacker (and center) for Penn and the Eagles, Chuck Bednarik probably would've liked the Penn-Yale game Saturday that ended 9-0. He actually was present at Franklin Field, signing copies of an oral history about him. Although we were told not to talk to him, Soft Pretzel Logic got a short video interview with the Philadelphia legend.
3) The Cornell Basketball Blog has an index of season previews, and not surprisingly the Big Red are the consensus preseason No. 1 Ivy team. Penn's preseason ranking is extremely more volatile, ranging from second to seventh.
Hello Penn football fans, this is Brian Kotloff live from Franklin Field. Follow the Penn vs. Yale football game with me live below:
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I'm live from the Palestra, and will be bringing you coverage of the Men's Hoops Red and Blue Scrimmage, the first open practice for the 2009-10 Quakers. Follow along with me live:
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(Ed Note: I spotted Keiffer Garton the other day in Annenberg on crutches. So I asked Staff Writer Eli Cohen to follow up at practice. Here's what Eli got).
Last Saturday against Columbia, junior quarterback Keiffer Garton -- who had missed the previous two games with an elbow injury -- rebounded from a two-interception first half to throw two touchdowns and lead Penn to a decisive 27-13 victory.
Coaches as well as spectators were curious as to whether or not Garton would be able to play like he did in the second half when Yale comes to Franklin Field Saturday.
Now, coach Al Bagnoli and the Quakers won't have to worry about how Garton will perform against the Bulldogs.
Because Garton won't be playing.
The Castle Rock, Colo., native sustained a knee sprain during Tuesday's practice, and was heavily bandaged and on crutches by the next day.
Bagnoli is not optimistic about Garton's chances of playing soon, and doesn't really know what to expect.
For the time being, however, senior Kyle Olson, who Bagnoli claims is 100 percent healthy and ready to go after recovering from his own knee injury, will start for the Quakers as they try to continue their three-game winning streak.
(Be sure to check thedp.com/sports later today when we post our preview of the Yale game for more info).
I'm going to try a new feature on The Buzz this week. Each Monday I'll try to find stories on the football game from the past weekend written by the opposing team's student newspaper (and in the case of the more rural schools the local professional papers as well). Obviously I'm a few days behind, but with Fall Break at Penn earlier this week, The DP only published our own stories today so I didn't think of this idea until now. So sorry the Columbia Spectator stories are a few days old.
First is the standard recap. Interestingly, while we refer to the Lions quarterback as M. A. Olawale, The Spectator uses his first name, Millicent. Also, Lou Miller led the Columbia defense with 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and five tackles for a loss, and earned the inaugural John Toner Columbia Football Homecoming Player of the Game award for his efforts.
They also have a sidebar on turnovers, which is similar to my column that ran today, though of course without opinion. (There was no column.)
In addition, since it's already Wednesday, The Spectator has their equivalent of an Ivy notebook. They focus on the fact that just three Ivy teams won, including Penn and Brown who beat League foes Columbia and Princeton, respectively. Of note, it also mentions that Princeton star linebacker Scott Britton suffered a knee injury in the loss and probably will miss the rest of the season. That marks the second Tigers standout -- after running back Jordan Culbreath -- to suffere a season-ending injury.
Hello this is Eli Cohen coming to you live from Robert K. Kraft field in New York, NY. Today the Penn Quakers (2-2, 1-0 Ivy) will be taking on the surging Columbia Lions (2-2, 1-0). Should be a great game, so without much further ado, let's get into it.
Football vs. Columbia
Friday marked the beginning of college basketball season as teams were allowed to start officially practicing. Many schools celebrate the start of the year with Midnight Madness. Thought up by former Maryland coach Lefty Driessell in the early 1970s, the tradition has developed into a major event at many Division I schools.
Midnight Madness is basically a glorified pep rally to kick off the season in which the team is introduced and sometimes scrimmages or practices, fans compete in contests and the coaches make spectacular entrances. Well maybe that last one only applies to Maryland coach Gary Williams, who has exploded out of a box (or something like that) and entered the Terrapins' stadium on a motorcycle. In addition many schools use the event as a recruiting tool, with an estimated 160 blue chip recruits attending a Midnight Madness event in 2007.
But one team that doesn't do a Midnight Madness event is Penn. (Interestingly, no City Six team had events yesterday, though La Salle and Saint Joseph's have similar events planned for next week.)
Former coach Fran Dunphy liked the event, and the last one took place in 2004 (in 2005, Dunphy's final season, the night coincided with Fall Break, like it does this year, so the event didn't happen.) However, since Glen Miller has been here the Athletic Department hasn't organized an official Midnight Madness.
Of course, instead Penn has the Line. This year's Line certainly was closer to a Midnight Madness format than say 2007, as Miller and several players stayed quite late into the night. Yet the Line is restricted to current students who are interested in spending an entire night in the Palestra in order to get season tickets. But what about alumni? What about students who don't want to spend an entire night in the Palestra? What about Penn fans who don't want to buy a full set of season tickets? Furthermore, since the Line was before the official Midnight Madness start date, no practicing could legally happen.
Meanwhile, while Penn Athletics did acknowledge the start of practice today, the opening session was closed to the public, as well as the media. (In fact Miller doesn't open practices to the media until a couple of weeks into the season.)
So do you think Penn would be better suited to have a Midnight Madness event, complete with players practicing? Perhaps the Athletics Department can create an event in conjunction with the Line. Under this system, a practice open to the general public could happen at midnight, followed by students spending the rest of the night in the Palestra to get the tickets.
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Those who know me personally know that I place a premium on not sleeping, as I hate to miss anything.
As it turns out, going to bed around 1:30 am at The Line Saturday made me miss something that would have further driven home the point I made in my column today. Reader/Red & Blue Crew member Alexa Luzecky let me know that later in the night, sophomores Zack Rosen and Mike Howlett returned to the Palestra along with teammate Rob Belcore. They hung out for a while, watching Superbad and talking to some fans. Howlett and Belcore eventually left, but Rosen stayed the night, getting up with the participants at 7:45.
If I failed to drive home the point in my column, then this certainly did. Glen Miller and the hoops team went way above and beyond in their displays of appreciation for the fans, and I applaud them personally for truly forming that personal connection to the fans.
It's been Celebrity Friday here at the Palestra for the past couple weeks, with some notable NBA stars stopping by.
Yesterday, it was Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson. He came by during practice and talked to the team for 15-20 minutes. His son was visiting the school and he paid a visit to the Palestra while the team was warming up. Magic, of course, has a firm place in Penn basketball lore, as his Michigan State team knocked Penn out of the 1979 Final Four, ending the greatest Tourney run in Quakers history.
Last week, it was three-time NBA title winner and former Sixth Man of the Year Toni Kukoc. He stopped by practice and hung out with the team for a while.
Read on to see what sophomore Mike Howlett had to say about the visit.
"I guess he was just walking on campus, walking in the Palestra. When Magic Johnson walks onto a basketball court, you gotta give him all the respect in the world. He’s one of the greatest of all time. He was able to talk to us for a couple minutes. It was just really special to hear his thoughts on life and basketball."
When asked if he knew that Magic would be coming by, he said the team had no idea. Their reaction was disbelief:
"He walked in with a little bit of his entourage and his family. Warm-ups just stopped. Everyone was like, ‘Is that Magic Johnson? Why is he in the Palestra right now?’ It was definitely something I’ll always remember, just being able to share the court with someone like Magic Johnson."
When questioned about what he talked about, Howlett said it covered a few areas:
"Everything that he’s ever learned, how he got to where he was, what it was like for him at that top level, and the kind of dedication and the passion for the game you need to really succeed...He said this is your home floor, when someone comes into your house, you gotta make sure they leave feeling that they just played in the Palestra and that you have to command from each other a new level of dedication and passion for the game to go out there and come out on top of the Ivy League"
Good afternoon football fans. It's an overcast day here at Franklin Field, as the Quakers are about to kick off for their last non-conference game of the season against Bucknell. Follow along with all the action on our live blog.
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My first and only actual beat so far at the DP was Volleyball (I've been an editor since covering them last Fall). I got to write a few fun stories earlier this year, but some new writers have been covering them recently. I still follow the team closely, and they have been having a tremendous season, with one of the two biggest games of the season on tap for tomorrow. So, I decided I needed to write something on The Buzz about our most under-the-radar fall season team.
Also, I found one more interesting item on the Fitzpatrick backboard incident. So continue after the jump to get the scoop.
Volleyball
One of those new writers wrote a nice preview of the team's weekend road matches with Brown and Yale. Last night, the Quakers swept the Bears, as freshman phenom Lauren Martin smacked an impressive 15 kills in just three sets at a scorching .517 hitting clip. She is a very legitimate Ivy ROY candidate in my opinion. Right now she is fifth in the Ivy League with a .305 hitting percentage (and the only freshman in the top 10), but Columbia rookie Megan Gaughn leads the league in kills right now. She presents the greatest threat to Martin, who is the next most prolific freshman attacker with 3.32 kills per set compared to Gaughn's 4.09.
Penn has the second-best overall record (11-4) in the Ivy League this year behind Yale (12-1), and Gaughn's Lions (10-5) are the only other team that's close. The winner of tomorrow's Quakers-Bulldogs contest will have the inside track at the 2009 Ivy title. Of course, it's only the third game of a 14-game Ivy season, so anything can happen after tomorrow's showdown. But these two clubs are clearly tops in the League right now.
As a team, Yale leads the Ancient Eight in hitting percentage (.256; 2nd-highest: Penn, .197), opponent hitting percentage (.106, 2nd: Columbia, .172), blocks (2.32, 2nd: Lions, 2.04, Penn's third) and digs (18.89, 2nd: Columbia, 18.49). Yale holds a significant edge over the rest of the League in some of those categories, but Penn leads the conference in some other areas: kills (13.77, 2nd: Yale, 13.35) and assists (12.74, 2nd: Yale, 12.08). The only team category in which Penn or Yale doesn't lead is aces (Brown does, but Yale's second). The Quakers and Bulldogs also have two of the best liberos in the country, and the clear cream of the conference. Yale junior Kelly Ozurovich ranks fourth in Division I with 5.85 digs per set, while Penn junior Madison "Mojo" Wojciechowski ranks 11th with 5.51.
The Quakers were the only team in the conference to beat the Bulldogs last year on their run to a 13-1 record and Ivy Championship. In fact, Yale only lost seven sets on that remarkable run, and five of them came at the hands of Penn, which went the distance with the Elis in both matchups but lost at the Palestra. The Quakers' win was an extremely impressive five-set thriller in New Haven, Conn., and it came on the first weekend after coach Kerry Carr announced that she'd be taking a leave of absence to battle breast cancer. The Quakers lost to Brown in five sets in their first game without Carr, then assistant coach Ryan Goodwin led them to the incredible victory over Yale.
Carr is back at full strength and as good as ever this season, and the team's performance definitely shows it. With much help from Goodwin, Carr also brought in a tremendous recruiting class that features Martin and a few other very promising youngsters like Lauren Davis (fourth on team in kills) and Amanda Pacheco (t-second in blocks). Last year's Yale team -- which also won its first-round game in the NCAA tournament before being swept by powerhouse Penn State -- only graduated one major contributor, setter Ally Mendenhall, but freshman Kerry Clavadetscher is second in the Ivies with 9.67 assists/set (Penn's Megan Tryon is first with 10.98).
The Bulldogs are definitely favored in this contest. They've been even better this year, having lost just one set in 12 wins so far (though they were swept by Virginia Tech). They were 11-3 entering the upset by Penn last year. The Quakers are also much improved, and the bottom line is that these teams are the serious contenders for the championship this season. (Typical challenger Princeton has struggled to a 2-10, 0-2 Ivy record under a new coach this season.) It is very possible that the winner of this game enters the Oct. 30 game at the Palestra with a perfect Ivy record, and the other enters with just one loss.
The drama unfortunately cannot come down to a late-season Penn-Yale showdown, because each team has six games left after finishing the two-game series. Nevertheless, both games are certainly circled on Carr's calendar.
Fitzpatrick
Following up on my previous post when I wrote about and photographed Brian Fitzpatrick's broken backboard escapade, I just stumbled upon Andreas Schreiber's blog yesterday and he has a photograph of the actual broken backboard:
I guess the entire thing didn't shatter all at once, which I thought was the case. Schreiber also mentions Fitzpatrick's nickname (someone had asked about naming the dunk, but this is pretty close). Apparently the team calls Fitzpatrick "The Big Deuce." Not sure where that comes from, but it's pretty funny.
Hello everybody, and welcome to the historic Palestra for tonight's Line. Neil Fanaroff here, coming at you from the 2009 Line. I'll be posting updates all night, letting you know of the goings on here in case you didn't have the foresight to come to the announcement. It looks to be a fun night for everyone involved.
6:57 pm: Well I've just arrived at the Palestra for my fourth and final Line. A few quick observations from what I've noticed just upon arrival
1) The Red & Blue Crew shirts this year are the EXACT SAME as last year, only in blue. I thought maybe the student leaders of the RBC may have shot a little much-needed creativity into the shirt design process. Too bad.
2) I believe the Palestra has a new sound system, and it sounds great.
A few of the players and some fans are on the court shooting around now, waiting for official line festivities to commence. I'll keep you updated here on the Buzz once things get going.
7:16 pm They have us all sitting in the student section for a pep rally. Nice touch to have us here, where we'll be for the games. A number of players are having a brief shootaround on the court. Jerome Allen's still got it, I just watched him square up with one of the managers and threw the ball off-the-heazy. Hilarious. Then he tried to dunk from a standing position with a bunch of players around. He got up there, but couldn't throw it down. Too bad.
7:44 pm: The pep rally begins, with a Line Leader telling us that this will be “the most fun you will ever have sleeping in a gym in West Philadelphia. "Can't really argue with that"
The new women's coach gets up and speaks. Then Caitlin Slover introduces the team.
The same line leader introduces us to “the incomparable, incorrigible, he gets what he wants when he wants it (he once went into Burger King, ordered a Big Mac, and got one)” Glen Miller. Miller announces a new prize for the burrito-eating contest. 4 of the guys from the team will be playing, and if any team can beat them, they receive 4 tickets to the Davidson and Duke games. Additionally, they will ride to the games on the team bus and participate in the shootaround.
Miller thanks us for our support, and then introduces Justin Reilly and Tyler Bernardini. They introduce the team, with nicknames. Highlights include:
Darren “I think I’ll play basketball again” Smith. To which he replied “I will, I will”
Conor Turley is sporting a wonderful mustache. “He looks like Ron Burgundy," says Reilly.
Brian “The Big Deuce” Fitzpatrick
Australian import Sean Mullan looks like Harry Potter in his glasses. Bernardini puts him on the mike and he says “we don’t really drink Fosters back home."
A pretty short freshman class, especially Malcolm Washington. I think I might be taller than him
Now we've got some two-ball (Smith and Rosen are the men's team participants), which will be followed by the suddenly high-stakes burrito eating contest.
8:00: While we wait for the burrito contest, a few players attempt some half-court shots. Bernardini gits his first one, but it's a while before anyone can make another one.
It's burrito-eating time. The men's hoops team representatives enter from the locker room (where they've put on their practice uniforms. Miller helping to officiate. And it's Fitzpatrick, Berndini, Turley, and J. Eggleston anchoring
8:48: In a shocking upset, the men's hoops team is crushed in the burrito eating contest. A horrid start by Fitzpatrick doomed them to third place. A team of mostly freshmen was victorious. They were congratulated by Miller (who never took off his jacket, even when his team was behind nearly 2 burrito-eaters), and they're headed to North Carolina with the team over winter break. I talked to them, and they were pretty psyched about it. Dinnertime for us here at The Line, where Qdoba has provided a bountiful Mexican feast.
On a sidenote, my friends and I were standing off to the side during the burrito eating contest, as we had a better view from the stands. Assistant coach John Gallagher came up, introduced himself, and talked with us for a few minutes. Very nice to see the team is contributing to the spirit of The Line this year. And the ladies are falling all over Mullan. The players just left, but Miller is still here.
9:44: After a nice break where Line participants hung out on the court, playing basketball, knockout, or whatever, we pick up official activities again. I myself worked up quite a sweat throwing a football around (it's really hot in here).
The Line leaders introduce us to Penn Basketball 101, telling us a few things about the reformed Red & Blue Crew and some Penn basketball traditions. They tell us about the perks of being the RBC, as well as some things we do as a crowd. They tell us how to woosh for Penn free throws (demonstrated by Zack Rosen). Also impressed that they instructed us on the Hey Song. They run through player intros (for both teams), rollouts, etc. All in all, a nice presentation albeit a little redundant for those of us upperclassmen (though the crowd here is at least 75% freshmen. And we're set to start the annual dodgeball tournament.
10:53: No updates for a while, because there's not too much going on at the moment unless you're playing dodgeball (which over 50% of the crowd here is, but I'm not) or catching one of the baseball games on someone's computer. Just watching some people dodge, dip, duck, dive, and dodge. Plenty of excitement in these games, and celebrity appearances by Zack Rosen (who I saw earlier riding around the concourse on an electric scooter) and Mike Howlett, playing for the Swag Team All-Stars. They're into the second round, with the two hoops players starring emotionally and athletically. I'll keep you updated on their progress.
10:58: After his team earns a finals berth, Rosen tries dunking with a dodgeball a few times. Howlett even tries to help him out by hanging on the rim to pull it down. Eventually, aided by a slow clap from some fans, he throws it down. Good persistance by Rosen there. Let's see if the two can bag a dodgeball championship for the Swag Team All-Stars.
11:27: Purple Haze takes the first game after Rosen is eliminated on a controversial (read: incorrect) call by referee Jayson Weingarten. Then, after a lengthy game 2, Purple Haze wins the championship over Rosen and Howlett's Swag Team All-Stars. Time for some Quizzo
12:43 am: Quizzo ends, with my team (The Monstars) losing it down the stretch and coming in 5th place. A valiant effort, but sadly nothing to show for it. Now the RBC leaders are showing a film on the Palestra court (Superbad followed Casino Royale). Miller returned to the Palestra to say hi to the students (he claimed to be going to Smoke's earlier on in the night, but whether he was actually there has not been verified). I may be getting to bed soon, but it was definitely a great night here at the Palestra. Wake up is at 7:45, and I know that I won't get too much sleep tonight. But my last night sleeping on the floor at the Palestra is something I am looking forward to with bittersweet sentiments. It's been an excellent night here at the Palestra.
8:11 am: I've returned home, shirt and tickets in hand. And so ends another Line. We woke up, got our tickets and shirt, and all participants trudged home.
I don't know what to think about The Line, as it's hard to put in words why this tradition is so special to me and the handful of other upperclassmen who have stuck with it despite the team's recent struggles. It doesn't have the unity of Hey Day, the chaos of Spring Fling, or the intoxication levels of either, but for some intangible reason The Line will always have a special place in my heart. Perhaps it's the intimacy, perhaps its the history, or maybe its just the spirit of the building, but I can't really articulate it. This is my first Senior moment, and I wouldn't have it any other way; I've now slept my fourth and final night on the floor of the Palestra concourse, and it's been worth it every time.
Thanks to anyone who followed along or took the time to read this whole thing. And to all of you who passed up the opportunity to participate in The Line this year, don't miss that chance next year. You only get 4 years of college and 4 chances to attend The Line. Don't miss out on this very special tradition.
At least according to this Spectator column.
The author does make some good points, specifically that the offense is senior-laden. So's the defense. In fact except for the special teams unit -- "the kicker can’t make PATs and the punter had an 11-yard punt against Princeton" -- the team appears to be the strongest in the Norries Wilson era. Add in a home schedule that includes games against four of the top five Ivy teams, and the author thinks Columbia can stay in contention until the last week, if not win the whole thing.
In short, if the hapless Ivy squad doesn't breakthrough this year and at least compete for its first Ivy title since a split championship in 1961 then Wilson should probably be fired. At least according to the author.
That same year the Lions last won some hardware, they also shut out an Ivy opponent on the road (Yale). The next time the Lions accomplished that feat? This past Saturday at Princeton, winning 38-0. So clearly Columbia is capable of both putting points on the board and shutting down an opponent's offense during Ivy games.
So how does this affect Penn (which the column describes as the only Ivy team that "has good kickers")? The Quakers can't waltz into Baker Field a week from Saturday and expect to win big, like the 2007 59-28 victory. Just last year at Franklin Field it was 15-10. And as commenter "'96" said on Neil's column from Monday, "We've got a test in two weeks with an improved Lions squad in NY (their homecoming) that will not be a gimme. They've got a huge offensive line to complement Olawale. Lose that one, and the rest of the season becomes academic."
At the least the game on the 17th should be competitive. And maybe by the end Roar Lions Roar will finally have something to um roar about.
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In other football news, The Inquirer is saying sophomore John Hurley will start at quarterback for Penn Saturday versus Bucknell (HT SPL twitter). When Eli asked some questions for my football notebook, Lyle Marsh told him "John Hurley is the starting quarterback right now." However, Bagnoli did say it wasn't completely settled, so hence my notebook says it's still up in the air. My feeling is that Hurley is slated to start, but Bagnoli would prefer Olson if he improves his knee by then. At the least, I'd be quite surprised if Olson still doesn't see a decent amount of action.
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In personal news, I'm sorry I haven't been able to contribute that much in the past couple of weeks on The Buzz (outside of comments). I've been much busier than in past semesters, so hence the lack of posts. But after Noah posted at 6 a.m. last night, I thought, hey why can't I do the same?
According to North Star basketball blog's Twitter feed, 6-foot-3 guard Miles Cartwright from Loyola High School in Los Angeles has committed to Penn.This is astoundingly Penn's seventh reported verbal commitment to the class of 2014 and its fifth guard (with nobody who appears to be a true point guard to eventually back up Zack Rosen). North Star called it "a fantastic get for the Quakers."
The twitter posts call Cartwright a big-time scorer, and the stats I've found definitely support that. He led Loyola in scoring last year when they went to the state regional finals. I couldn't find his scoring average but I did read that he scored 40 points and dished 10 assists on Dec. 12, 2008 against Centennial High School (Corona). He also had a 37-point game. As a So Cal kid, he faced fellow recruit Austin Kelly and Harvard-Westlake twice and split the series.
Continue after the jump for more information on Cartwright from ESPN and some blogs, and my own analysis of the news.
ESPN's Scouts Inc. rates Cartwright as a 90, which is by far the highest rating of any of the seven recruits (Dau Jok - 80, Kevin Panzer - 78, Casey James - 76, Cameron Gunter - 75, Austin Kelly - 74, Steve Rennard - 70). It's actually the highest in years (2009: Carson Sullivan - 86, Brian Fitzpatrick - 80, 2008: Rosen - 78, Loughery - 75, Howlett - 70, Hunt - 70, Belcore - 40). I haven't followed ESPN's recruiting services for long enough to know how good their ratings are, and the most recent analysis of any player was a July 2009 update on Jok (the next closest was way back in September 2008 on Kevin Panzer.) I'll also add that in retrospect 78 and40 seem low for Rosen and Belcore, respectively, while 70 for Hunt is way too high. That said, seeing a Penn recruit rated 90 overall by ESPN made me gasp.
Here are some highlights from ESPN's analysis on Cartwright: compared to Gabe Pruit (Boston Celtics), called a mid-to-high major level prospect, great length but frail frame, outstanding shooter, good finisher inside, good ball handling but not a natural point guard yet (more of a combo right now), doesn't have great speed or quickness but is crafty offensively and has a knack for scoring, must improve passing and decision-making to play the point in college.
This blog by College Hoops Net says that Cartwright considers himself a combo guard who can "do a little at both positions." He played the point at Loyola as their go-to guy, but he was in a supporting role as an off-the-ball player for his AAU team, California Supreme, which sent players to USC and UCLA this year.
The blog also indicates that Cartwright was very interested in going to an Ivy League school (he has a 3.7 GPA). “Academics come first with the schools,” he said. “I also have to fit in with the players and the coaches. I’m going to live there for four years – the other students, location, city and school support has to be right.” Penn and Princeton were among his top choices, while he also looked at Stanford, California, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah and Portland State. It says he wanted to stay on the West Coast, so I guess he couldn't get an offer from Stanford and was serious enough about academics to decide on Penn. He attended the Pennsylvania Elite Camp in June.
I found out about this around 4 a.m. and unfortunately I don't really have much time this week to try to confirm it on my own, but I will relay any further confirmation as I hear it. If this kid turns out to be as good as he sounds, Miller might have put the icing on an already sweet recruiting cake. I wonder where he'll find the time to play all these guards next year, but I don't question stockpiling talent wherever you can find it. That certainly seems to be his strategy with seven recruits seemingly in the bag. The next most extensive class in the Ivy League (according to reports) is Princeton with four verbals. I've been trying to get an interview with Miller to ask about all these recruits, but he's been quite busy, well, recruiting. He also can't talk about these kids yet, but I'll get his input as soon as I can.
Looking at where he might go from here, I still think Penn needs a legitimate big man. Maybe Miller really thinks Gunter is that guy. North Star called him a "glue guy" but he's not the post presence offensively that the Quakers hope to get out of Andreas Schreiber this year and need to find after he's gone next year. But there's no reason to believe that Miller is done. After the Jok commitment I didn't think we'd see another guard, but I thought we might see one or two more guys at PF/C. I know there have been some big men visiting in the last week or two, but I don't know specifics yet. Lord knows what will happen next.
There were a pair of columns in the DP today and I think that both deserve a second look and further comments here at the Buzz. Read below if you're interested in my defense of my own column and my opinion on Noah's.
First off, I wrote one about Coach Bagnoli's use of the term adversity. To be completely honest I was surprised at the level of outrage at this column. It was certainly not intended to be inflammatory. I didn't mean to take anything away from the team's victory Saturday. It was definitely an impressive one. Nor did I mean to understate the dramatic impact the loss of three quarterbacks can have on your season. Obviously, injuries can deal a crushing blow to even the best of teams, especially if these injuries continue to pile up or wind up being season-enders like Ragone's.
My point is, in the singular game against Dartmouth Saturday, the Quakers almost didn't need a quarterback. They were so effective on the ground (against a horrendous Dartmouth rush defense) that they were able to get a nice win without needing to throw the ball. Look at Penn's last drive as evidence: 9 plays, 43 yards, and 4:15 of clock eaten up to ice the game with the only pass thrown by running back Bradford Blackmon (a brilliant call by Bagnoli I might add). Yes, injuries to your top three quarterbacks is tough for a team to recover from, and yes the Quakers did so nicely against Dartmouth, but the point I was trying to make was that the Quakers are going to see even tougher battles ahead.
Bagnoli is a successful, experienced coach who I personally have tons of faith in. I'm sure he will tell his team exactly what they need to succeed, and I'm sure he will make the necessary adjustments moving forward. My column was merely pointing out what I hope is a discrepancy in what Bagnoli is telling the media, and what he is telling his players behind closed doors.
For the Quakers to have a successful season, they can't relish too much in their ability to overcome the obstacles they faced this past week, as they will surely face bigger obstacles in the future. I'm sure Bagnoli is preaching this to his players, but as the season progresses, Penn will face stronger competition, obstacles will build up and the mettle of this team will be tested further. All I was saying in my column was that I hope this team is prepared to face those roadblocks head on.
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As far as Noah's column encouraging students to attend the Line, I second that. I have participated in The Line all 3 years I have been here, and will be there again Friday night. However, I am afraid that I am among a very select (perhaps even single-digit) number of seniors who will be able to boast four-time participation in this incredible tradition. Upperclassmen participation, more than encouraging freshmen to attend, is what is necessary to return the Red and Blue Crew to what it was my freshman year.
As each year has passed, I have noticed that a higher percentage of Line participants are freshmen. While it is great that people are experiencing it once, newcomers are less familiar with the customs and traditions of Penn basketball, and, I've found, are often less boisterous than the smaller group of upperclassmen who sit courtside, lead cheers, and heckle opponents. In the old Line system, first-time season ticket holders were placed among seniors, so cheers began all over the place, and everyone was included in the rowdiness. Last year, freshmen tended to sit (a little more quietly) in their own groups, not joining in with us loud, obnoxious upperclassmen in the first few rows. I can assure you, sitting quietly at a sporting event does not make the event special and does not make you want to come back year after year. The sense of community in the RBC is what has kept me coming back, even through these recent dark years.
That could end up being the most lasting impact of the recent changes to the Red and Blue Crew. Now incoming freshman can see a group of people as the "face" of the crew, and will hopefully be less shy about sitting with those of us who are leading the cheers game in and game out. I'll be there Friday night, and I hope to see a great turnout of both freshmen and upperclassmen.
Freshman QB Billy Ragone had a blessing in disguise turn into a disaster. With regular starter Keiffer Garton sidelined with an elbow injury, Ragone saw extensive playing time Saturday against Dartmouth. But in the third quarter Ragone tried a quarterback keeper on third down and six, and came up injured on the play.
We learned later that he went down with a broken collarbone, and I just confirmed that he'll be done for the year with the injury.
He had been playing well, and earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors for his performance before the season-ending blow. He scrambled for a touchdown from three yards out in the first quarter and set up Penn's second touchdown of the day with a 33-yard run. He totalled 62 yards rushing on nine carries (6.2 per attempt) and went 3-for-3 through the air.
With Olson and Garton also banged up, Penn might have to turn to sophomore John Hurley for some snaps next week against Bucknell. Freshman Andrew Holland might also get a chance. For all the preseason hype about a more versatile offense with mobile quarterbacks, one has to question whether the injuries to Garton and Ragone should cause Al Bagnoli to re-think things. He's said he would limit their running attempts to prevent injuries like this, so has it been bad management or just bad luck? Either way, I'm sure he's thankful he's got a non-conference game coming up to test out the two young arms.
Welcome everyone to Memorial Field in beautiful Hanover, N.H. It'll be a wet one here, as a nice mist descends on the field just before kickoff. Follow along with me here on the Buzz:
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The long-anticipated release of the men's basketball schedule was forecast by the Penn Basketball Twitter yesterday, which said it would go up on Pennathletics.com within 48 hours. For weeks now the schedule has needed one game to be finalized, which Penn wanted as a home game on Dec. 1. After Davidson Athletics announced their schedule yesterday, we now know that the final game is not on Dec. 1, but rather a Dec. 28 bout with the Wildcats at Belk Arena. After the jump, you'll find the entire schedule as we've pieced it together.
[Update 12:39] And moments after posting this, I received the official announcement from Penn Athletics. The schedule below is confirmed in the announcement, and should be posted on their website later today.
11/13 Penn State, at University Park, Pa., 7:30 p.m.
11/16 Villanova, at Villanova, Pa., TBA
11/21 Delaware, The Palestra, TBA
11/24 Drexel, The Palestra, TBA
12/4 Navy, Annapolis, Md., 7 p.m.
12/8 Albany, The Palestra, TBA
12/12 Monmouth, West Long Branch, N.J., 7 p.m.
12/28 Davidson, Davidson, N.C., TBA
12/31 Duke, Durham, N.C., 6 p.m. ESPN2
1/3 Lafayette, Easton, Pa., 1 p.m.
1/6 U. of Maryland-Baltimore County, Baltimore, 7 p.m.
1/13 Temple, The Palestra, TBA
1/20 La Salle, The Palestra, TBA
1/25 St. Joseph's, The Palestra, TBA
1/29 Yale, New Haven, Conn., 7 p.m.
1/30 Brown, Providence, R.I., 7 p.m.
2/5 Dartmouth, Hanover, N.H., 7 p.m.
2/6 Harvard, Boston, 7 p.m.
2/12 Cornell, The Palestra, TBA
2/13 Columbia, The Palestra, TBA
2/16 Princeton, The Palestra, TBA
2/19 Brown, The Palestra, 7 p.m.
2/20 Yale, The Palestra, 7 p.m.
2/26 Columbia, New York, 7 p.m.
2/27 Cornell, Ithaca, N.Y., 7 p.m.
3/5 Harvard, The Palestra, 7 p.m.
3/6 Dartmouth, The Palestra, 7 p.m.
3/9 Princeton, Princeton, N.J., TBA
Stay tuned for analysis of how this schedule might break down.
(HT)
Our loyal readers have shown a great passion for Penn Athletics marketing initiatives, weighing in with (mostly insightful) comments and suggestions on this blog and on the DP' website.
So I thought I would point you to today's editorial, which focuses on the Red and Blue Crew's reorganization efforts. (Note that the editorial represents the opinion of the DP, as determined by a majority of the Opinion Board. The organization maintains a clear separation between reporting and commentary; no sports editors or sports reporters currently sit on the nine-person Opinion Board).
The DP''s bottom line: "[W]e're happy to see that the Athletic Department is investing more heavily in the Red and Blue crew, giving the loose-limbed organization more structure. ... We question, however, whether or not they can accomplish their goals on the low budget of $500 a year"
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