After posting their first winning regular season record — both overall and in the Ivy League — since the 2004-05 season, the Quakers are not quite done playing yet. The Red and Blue will take part in the First Round of the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) as they host Howard at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Palestra.
Penn (16-12, 9-5 Ivy) finished third in the Ancient Eight to conclude a regular season highlighted by a 77-72 victory over second-place Harvard on Feb. 15. The last time the Quakers played a postseason game was on March 21, 2004, when they were defeated, 91-55, by No. 2 Connecticut in the East Regional First Round matchup of the NCAA tournament.
The Howard Bison (20-11, 14-5 MEAC) head into the game after having lost the MEAC Championship Game to Hampton, 59-38, on Saturday. Meanwhile, Penn's regular season ended with a 60-44 defeat at the hands of Ivy League champion Princeton.
After getting an early start to the morning — Villanova's Pro Day started at 7 a.m. and they had left campus by 5:45 — Penn football seniors Brandon Copeland, Joe Bonadies and Scott Lopano are happy with how they performed.
At least four NFL scouts were in attendance — the Saints, Seahawks, Chiefs and Eagles — according to a tweet sent by Copeland's agent Ed Wasielewski. All three are very happy with their performances and posted personal bests in multiple drills. Bonadies said they all had PRs in bench and broad jump. Lopano, who garnered particular interest punting for a Seattle scout, said they "turned some heads," and Copeland added that they "definitely impressed some people today." Copeland noted that he did the most drills out of any of the participants today since he worked out at defensive end and linebacker, and said he was proudest of his linebacker drills and broad jump. Full results are after the jump.
So what's next? Copeland has a chance to improve upon his performance today — he was a touch slower than he had hoped on his 40 and said he slipped on the turf in the 20-yard shuttle — but it's a bit of a waiting game for now. The ultimate would be to hear from teams that want to bring them in, because then they'll know for sure they have interest. Here's what they had to say last week:
Copeland: The way we'll know if we did well is probably through workouts. After this, teams will invite you to workouts. And we still might not get a lot because teams only get 30 or so. We still might not get invited to any workouts.
Lopano: Greg [Van Roten] is in the NFL and he didn't get a workout. So that's a really good sign. If they're going to draft you, they want to work you out … so that's a really good sign.
Copeland: The agent will know after, because the agent will be talking to the scouts and seeing what they thought … no scout's going to get on the phone with us at this point. So I guess we'll know the week after how we've done.
In the coming weeks they can also be invited to local workouts, and since Penn is located within 30 miles of the Eagles this is certainly a possibility. Right now it's a waiting game, though they're confident that their performance today will grant them some more opportunities.
UPDATE (8:45 pm): I spoke with Copeland again, who heard from an Eagles scout today after the pro day. He's been invited to their local workout on April 2. "You can always get happy and proud of yourself but you have to realize … it's good but you've got to keep going," he said. "An invite to a camp and not performing well is an opportunity lost."
Copeland's agent was able to get all of his combine statistics, whereas Bonadies doesn't have all of his official numbers. Lopano's are a bit less relevant for his position. This isn't comprehensive, but this is what I have so far:
Copeland:
6'2.7"/ 260.2 lbs
40: 4.72s
Vertical jump: 32.5"
225 bench: 30 reps
Broad jump: 122" (10'2)
20-yard shuttle: 4.57s
60-yard shuttle (or 'L'): 7.29s
Bonadies:
6'5 1/8"/ 308 lbs
Vertical jump: 26" (posted a 27.5" at Jets Regional Combine)
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I spent Tuesday and Wednesday of last week with Penn football seniors Brandon Copeland, Joe Bonadies and Scott Lopano, observing their workouts and getting a feel for what their expectations are for Monday's Pro Day at Villanova and the draft/free agency progress. There was a lot of information that didn't make it into Monday's story, so I wanted to make sure it got out.
At Tuesday's workout, Copeland was working with Penn quarterback Ryan Becker, who had just been cleared for spring workouts after tearing his ACL last summer and missing all of the 2012 season. Becker has a rocket for an arm, which is exactly what Copeland will get at Monday's pro day and Saturday's Ravens Combine during linebacker drills. Quarterback Billy Ragone, defensive back Justyn Williams and Lopano have all played QB for Copeland the past few weeks, but Becker challenges him the most. Copeland looked good, missing just two catches out of at least 40 over the course of the workout. He's been working under the guidance of strength and conditioning coach Steven Brindle and Copeland's agent, Ed Wasielewski.
He runs routes, first as a walk-through, then halfspeed and twice at full speed. Then he does it all again in the opposite direction. After one route, he says to Becker, "If I can do these, I can do anything." He does them with ease. Then he moves on to defensive line drills, perfecting the motions that he's done day in and day out for years. Becker encourages him. "Hit it!" he yells. "You can hit harder than that!"
On Wednesday, I meet the three at Fox Fitness Center to go down into the varsity weight center at 10 a.m. sharp. They start with hip openers before moving into plyometrics and then they begin lifting. They're prepping for the bench press, where they'll complete as many reps as possible at 225 pounds. Copeland started at 24 reps the first time he tried it and is going for 30 on Monday. Bonadies started at 14 and is going for 20, while Lopano started at five and is now going for 10.
All the while, Brindle is talking strategy with the guys for their benching. Every exercise they do is to help with this lift, and even the way they breathe and how they are positioned on the bench is important. Toward the end of the workout, they each practice at 205 pounds to see how many reps they can do. Bonadies gets 21. Copeland hits 30. "You're going so fast that your back is almost coming off the bench — that's what you want," Brindle says.
At 11:15 they go upstairs to the Franklin Field turf for agility work and Lopano begins his own punting workout. Brindle directs Copeland and Bonadies through the drills, again doing a walkthrough, then half speed then a few at full speed. They're preparing for the 20 and 60-yard shuttles, and every movement matters. Brindle tells Copeland to turn his shoulder before he hits the turns, and Copeland puts it into action. "The way you exploded out, like 'Okay, I'm about to run a 40,' that's how it's got to be," Brindle says after a quick turn. He does a 20-yard shuttle for time. 4.28. A personal best. "You lifted your knees out of the first step and exploded the whole time," Brindle says. Copeland does it again, and even with an extra step on the second turn, he clocks in at 4.28 again.
They move onto the 60-yard shuttle, and before a timed run, Bonadies repeats the mantra they've been saying for the past 14 weeks: "Time to get paid." Copeland goes 7.25, another personal best. As they walk off the field and head toward the training room for ice baths, electrical stim and stretching, Brindle says, in regards to Copeland's earlier knee setback, "It's like it never happened"
After clinching a second consecutive Ivy League championship, the Penn men's basketball falls just short of upsetting No. 2 seed Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
March 17, 2006
Appearing in the Big Dance for the ninth time in 14 years, the Quakers went head-to-head with the Texas Longhorns, one of the top teams in the nation.
Led by Ivy League Player of the Year Ibby Jaaber, the Red and Blue gave the Longhorns a run for their money before ultimately falling short, 60-52.
Penn led 23-22 at halftime, due in large part to coach Fran Dunphy's savvy gameplan.
While the Longhorns' lineup featured several future NBA players, including LaMarcus Aldridge and Daniel Gibson, the Quakers used a controlled pace early to slow down the game.
Dunphy's gameplan effectively tried to eliminate the talent gap between the two teams, and allowed the Quakers to dictate the style of play.
And for the first 20 minutes, Penn controlled the game, limiting the Longhorns ability to score on fast-break opportunities, or in transition.
Although the Longhorns eventually took the lead midway through the second half, the Quakers remained competitive throughout.
Brian Grandieri's layup cut Texas' lead to one with 6:28 to play, and after the Longhorns missed a shot on the other end, the Red and Blue called timeout.
Coming out of the break, senior Eric Osmundson missed a three-pointer, and Texas went on a quick 6-0 run to push its lead to 47-40, and broke the game open.
The loss to Texas was the seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament defeat for the Quakers, who still have yet to win a game in the Big Dance since the 1993-94 season.
Penn made it back to the Tournament the following season, ultimately falling in the first round to a team from Texas once again, this time to Texas A&M.
The loss to Texas marked Dunphy's final game as head coach of the Quakers before he left for Temple.
And now the All-Ivy accolades have come in for Penn women's basketball.
For the first time in her career, junior guard Alyssa Baron earned first-team All-Ivy honors. Baron's 14.2 points per contest were good for fourth-best in the conference as well as tops for Penn for the third straight year.
Baron also ranked second in the Ancient Eight in steals (2.0), assists (3.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.3) and Even as a guard, she also finished fifth in rebounding (6.3).
Three-time Rookie of the Week freshman guard Keiera Ray nabbed an honorable mention thanks to her 11.0 points per game and distinction of being the first Ivy League player ever, woman or man, to be named USBWA National Player of the Week.
Princeton senior guard Niveen Rasheed was named Ivy League Player of the Year, while Havard sophomore forward Temi Fagbenle was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
The Quakers entered the bottom of the ninth inning leading 5-3, but the Tigers would not go down quietly. The Towson offense put pressure on Quakers closer Ronnie Glenn, opening the bottom of the frame with a single to right center. After a line out to second, Tiger Pat Fitzgerald stroked a single to right field. Glenn was able to buckle down and get a big strikeout on a full-count pitch, giving the Tigers only one more out to play with. Then it got interesting when Tigers junior Dominic Fratantuono singled through the left side of the infield, pulling Towson to within one run and putting the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on base. Glenn would allow no more, however, and got junior Kurt Wertz to fly out to center field to end the game. Glenn showed a real closer’s mentality, getting out of a big jam with the game on the line.
THE BAD: Two Penn fielding errors
Errors in the field never make a pitcher happy since they often show up as runs on their ledger. In today’s game the Quakers committed a pair of fielding errors, the first of which led to an unearned run. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, an infield error from the Quakers allowed a run to score. On the following play, a groundout produced an unearned run for the Tigers. The unearned run made the game a bit closer and led to a more dramatic ninth inning.
THE UGLY: Towson’s missed opportunities
The Tigers had many chances to either tie the game or pull ahead of the Quakers, but they could not manage to take advantage. This was mostly due to Quakers pitchers refusing to break in tough situations. Penn pitching gave up a total of five walks in this game, giving the Tigers offense plenty of free opportunities to cash in. In addition, the Towson offense stranded four men on base in the last two innings, both times when they had the Penn pitching staff on the ropes. Looking back at this game, the Tigers will see a game in which they had their chances but could not capitalize.
Now that the 2012-13 Ivy slate is history, it's time for the honors to start rolling in.
Penn was represented by two players in the All-Ivy teams that the Ivy League announced today - Miles Cartwright and Tony Hicks.
Cartwright finished the season ranked fifth among Ivy players with 13.5 points per game. His 4.1 assists per game were good for second in Ivy play as well. The junior guard also ranked ninth in minutes per game in Ivy play at 34.0. Cartwright was one of six players to earn a second-team All-Ivy selection.
Hicks, meanwhile, earned one of five honorable mentions. The freshman guard averaged 15.3 points per contest in Ivy play - good for third in the conference. Hicks also ranked in the top 10 in Ivy games in free throw percentage and three-point field goal percentage.
Meanwhile, Princeton’s senior forward Ian Hummer was the coaches’ selection as the Ivy League Player of the Year, and Harvard freshman guard Siyani Chambers was a unanimous selection as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
This season marks the first time since 2008-09 that no Penn player was named first-team All-Ivy after Zack Rosen earned that honor for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Penn (9-22, 6-8 Ivy) closed out its season tonight with a loss to arch-rival Princeton (17-11, 10-4), 71-58, in a game that mattered little in the standings but plenty to the young men on the floor. In a performance evocative of its entire season, the Quakers hung around at first, before inconsistency took its toll and led to yet another disappointing defeat.
The Good: Tony Hicks (1st Half Edition)
In his final game of the season, the freshman came out like gangbusters, draining shots from all over the floor. Whether it was cutting and spinning to get to the basket, or pump-faking and firing away from the elbow, Hicks simply couldn't miss, dropping in 17 points on 7-9 shooting to energize the Palestra and carry the Quakers to a halftime tie while his struggling teammates combined to shoot 5-15. Even better, Hicks managed to take care of the ball as well, turning the ball over only once in the first period. If Hicks can turn in performances like that on a nightly basis next season, Penn will boast a backcourt that can potentially stand up to even mighty Harvard.
The Bad: Tony Hicks (2nd Half Edition)
But in the 2nd half, the wheels came off. The Tigers' guards tightened up on Hicks the rest of the way, limiting him to only 5 points on an unsightly 2-10 shooting performance. In the blink of a eye, Hicks reminded us all of the inconsistency that plagued this year's Quakers squad during Ivy play: flashes of brilliance at times (a stunning upset over Harvard) cancelled out by moments of sheer futility (losing to Dartmouth at home). Like the rest of his class, Hicks still has a lot to learn.
The Ugly: Penn's Mental Effort in the final 5 minutes
Though there was technically nothing to play for in tonight's game, the reality is that a huge amount of pride is riding on every Penn-Princeton matchup. And in this, the 228th meeting between the two historic rivals, the Quakers showed none of that pride when the chips were down. Down by 2 with just over 5 minutes to play, the early fight that the Red and Blue showed simply disappeared when T.J. Bray hit a 3 from the right elbow to give Princeton a 56-51 lead. As a result, what could have been a nail-biting finish and another classic duel turned decidedly anticlimactic, as the Tigers rolled the rest of the way. If the Quakers want to contend in the Ivy League next year, they simply have to avoid fading after the opposition hits clutch shots.
I sit down with former Sports Editor Mike Wisniewski to discuss how Penn basketball fared over spring break and whether the Quakers can finish off 2012-13 with a win against archrival Princeton tonight.
I talked with Princeton men's basketball coach Mitch Henderson Monday afternoon about the Tigers' perspective heading into tonight's tilt with Princeton.
Daily Pennsylvanian: How deflating was the loss to Brown that knocked your team out of Ivy title contention?
Mitch Henderson: It’s hugely disappointing for us. We have a very simple goal around here, and that’s to play championship basketball. I think we have a group of seniors who have done a lot for our program and won a title, so it was very disappointing.
DP: Since your team was favored by many to win the conference coming into this season and even during much of the year, how would you characterize this season for your program?
MH: One weekend unfortunately is defining a large part of what we were doing, but I thought that given where we were and the personnel we were playing, I liked what we were doing. I’m proud of the team and where we are. Obviously it’s tough after a difficult loss [but] we never saw ourselves as anything other than trying to get better.
DP: Miles Cartwright scored just two points last time out against you guys on 1-for-7 shooting. How did you guys go about shutting him down in the last game?
MH: He’s a good player, I don’t know if you ever shut him down, but we did a nice job of filling the picture and helping where we needed to help. He’s a good player and I think I said after the first game that it’s going to be a very different game when we see them the next time around, and I believe that’s true.
DP: After looking more aggressive against Brown and Yale this weekend, how do you think Cartwright might try to attack your defense differently this time around?
MH: I think he’s going to be more aggressive this time around, there’s no doubt about it. I think the whole team’s going to be more aggressive. I do think that’s the strength there and I wouldn’t expect anything else.
DP: Something that you mentioned after the Penn game was Tony Hicks going left on you guys a lot. Do you anticipate him being a big factor again?
MH: He’s been a big factor in a lot of games, not just against us. We’ll prepare for Hicks, Cartwright, everybody, as if it's a very important league game.
DP: This will be Ian Hummer’s final regular season game, how motivated is he is in particular to leave his mark at the Palestra one final time?
MH: I don’t think he needs much motivation in general but after what happened this past weekend, I think he’ll be ready to go.
DP: How tough of a place to play is the Palestra from your time as a player and coach?
MH: As a player I loved playing at the Palestra. And as a coach I love taking the team down there now. It’s an important place to play college basketball and I think our guys recognize that. But I think it’s our last league game, it’s our last regular season game for our seniors, so we’re happy to be getting together one more time.
DP: I talked yesterday with former Penn basketball player Tim Krug, who you played against in the mid-90s. He described his feelings for Princeton at the time as borderline hatred. As someone who was part of this rivalry in the mid-'90s when both programs were at each other’s throats, how do you feel about this rivalry? Was it ever hatred for you?
MH: Nah, I think there was a healthy amount of respect. We didn’t lose any sleep over beating Penn back in the day, it’s our rival, a natural rival for us. But a lot of respect for what the program was then and is now.
Princeton clinched its fourth consecutive Ivy League title at Jadwin this past weekend. The Tigers have had a strong run during coach Banghart's tenure and will head to the NCAA Tournament once again, trying to pick up their first postseason victory in Banghart's time with the Tigers. I spoke with Banghart about where she saw her team heading into the tournament and the upcoming Penn-Princeton season finale.
Daily Pennsylvanian: Your team clinched the Ivy League bid over the last weekend. What can you say about your senior class now having won the last four Ivy League titles and now preparing for their fourth NCAA Tournament?
Courtney Banghart: It’s hard to put into words. We always say here that within greatness lies consistency and I give them all the credit in the world for how they’ve remained consistent over a four-year period. Especially with that Saturday night in the Ivy League as the great equalizer, you play through midterms and play through all of that, it is remarkable. It is remarkably rare and it is really hard to do, so all of the credit to the kids.
DP: A lot of brackets have you projected right around the 8-9 matchup in the first round of the NCAA Tournament similar to last season. What can you say about where you think your team ends up and about possible first-round matchups?
CB: What I would say about the bracketology is that I went to one of those mock committee meetings a couple of years ago to learn more about it and what I would say about the bracketology this time of year is what happens when a hurricane comes in or a blizzard comes in. It turns everyone into a weatherman and everyone has their idea of when work should be cancelled, when roads should be closed, but really there are only those who are educated to make those decisions or just those who are making the decisions.
So I feel the same way with the brackets this time of year. Conference tournaments have really just begun and it is really hard to tell. We know that wherever we end up, we will face a good team.
DP: Now you are facing a Penn team that is still fighting for their postseason lives. What does this game mean to you not only with it against Penn but also trying to bolster your own resume heading into the final week of the season?
CB: Why we are glad that it is Penn that we are playing last is a lot of reasons. Part of it is that they are a team that plays really hard on both ends. And they are a team that we think is among the second-best teams in the league and a team we know we have to play well on both ends to beat. Of course, the second reason is that we have a lot of respect for their staff and what they’re doing. We were in their shoes only a few years ago so it is nice to play a team on the rise. And the third piece is that the Palestra is a great venue.
Wherever we play in the NCAA Tournament, it will likely be another great venue, so it is kind of the perfect team to prepare you for the next step. It is a road game with a great venue and staff we have a lot of respect for and a team on the rise like all NCAA Tournament teams are, and you also get a team that play well on both ends, so we just think it is a great matchup for us heading into the tournament.
DP: When we talked in January, we talked about how Penn was improving and then in Ivy League play, they displayed a lot of that and picked up nine wins. How is the Penn team you see now different from the one you saw two months ago?
CB: I think what makes Penn so good and how you could tell they were getting better quickly over the past few years in Mike [McLaughlin’s] tenure was that they are the second-best team defensively in our league. They play really hard and play really well together and are disciplined. They know their scout, they know their game plan and they have each other’s backs. They guard better players every day than they did a few years ago. They are getting better on a daily basis. And you throw it in that offensively they have a good system and a variety of attack points, plus they have good players and more players than they had in the past who can create their own shot so they are not as easy to shut down.
As I said, we’ve been in their shoes and year by year, they are just going to build a little bit better. I think they are absolutely going in the right direction and they are doing it the right way.
The season is officially over for all but two members of both teams. Junior Shelby Fortin and freshman Chris Swanson both qualified for the NCAA championships that will take place at the end of this month.
The men’s and women’s teams each finished sixth overall, but I don’t think anyone is disappointed with that. More team records were broken at these meets, than in any other Ivy Championship previously.
The bottom line is the league is getting faster. While many used to mock Ivy swimming, it is now gaining national attention. Both Princeton and Harvard are ranked in the top 25 teams in the country.
We are now small fish in a big pond – but the bottom line is, even the smallest fish in the big pond can eat the biggest fish in a small pond.
As Penn students return to campus after a much-needed Spring Break, let's take some time to reflect on what our Quakers were up to over the past 10 days. From men's swimming at the Ivy League Championships to baseball down South, the Red and Blue certainly were well traveled this vacation. With recaps, analysis and more, here is this week's delightfully lengthy edition of Weekend Wrap:
Women's Tennis:
The Penn women's tennis team was one of several squads to hit the road over break. Led by sophomore Alex Ion, as well as sophomore Sol Eskenazi and freshman Sonya Latycheva, the Quakers went 3-for-3 on their Florida road trip. Penn captured victories over James Madison, Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast.
Penn's wrestling team competed at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships over break, finishing third among all schools. The third-place finish was due in large part to senior Micah Burak, who finally captured his first EIWA title.
After the Quakers began their season with a head-scratching three-game losing streak, the women’s lacrosse team regained its composure over the break, and captured a victory over rival Harvard. Led by midfielder Iris Williamson's four goals, the Red and Blue cruised to victory, 14-5.
The Penn men’s swimming team capped off its conference season with a sixth-place finish at the Ivy League Championships this weekend at Brown. While the Quakers set 10 new school records at the Championships, the team found itself in sixth-place at the end of each day of the competition. The Red and Blue now turn their attention to the NCAA Championships which will be taking place later this month.
The Penn men's lacrosse team hit the road over break, travelling to Colorado for a matchup with No. 7 Denver before returning to Pennsylvania for two matches. After dropping a grueling match to Denver, 15-12, the Quakers bounced back with victories over No. 17 Lehigh and Villanova.
The Quakers' softball squad traveled to Florida and played a total of 13 games in an eight-day period. The first five games were a part of the UCF Spring Fling Tournament in Orlando, Fla. After dropping four of its first five games on the trip, Penn came away with a 3-5 record over its next eight contests. Sitting at 4-9 overall, the Quakers return from Spring Break looking for improvement prior to the beginning of Ivy League play.
The Penn men's tennis team competed in five matches over the break, three of which ended in defeats in the Sunshine State. After defeating UMBC in Philadelphia, 6-1, the Quakers traveled South for matchups with Florida Atlantic, Barry and South Florida. Though the Red and Blue went 0-3 in Florida, the squad returned to Pennsylvania and captured another 6-1 home victory, this time over Binghampton.
Like so many of their fellow athletes, the members of the Penn baseball team hit the road over Spring Break. On a Southern road trip that included stops in South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina, the Quakers amassed a 4-5 record on a nine-game stand. After dropping three of four games to William and Mary, the Quakers rebounded with wins in three of their next five against Duke and Winthrop.
The Penn gymnastics' squad competed in two events over the break: a dual-meet with Ursinius and a quad-meet with Penn State, New Hampshire and Temple. Against Ursinius, the Quakers escaped with a 189.425-185.375 victory. While Penn finished third in its quad-meet this past weekend, the team's 193.000 team points were only 3.975 points behind first-place Penn State, and 1.225 behind second-place New Hampshire.
It's rare for the Penn-Princeton matchup to have no Ivy title implications. That said, both teams still have pride on the line: the Quakers (9-21, 6-7 Ivy) are looking to salvage a disappointing season by improving to a .500 record in conference play, while the Tigers (16-11, 9-4) will try to bounce back after suffering defeats on the road against Yale and Brown that ended their Ancient Eight championship hopes. When the two teams meet for what ESPN calls one of the greatest rivalries in college basketball Tuesday night at the Palestra, who will be up and who will be down for Penn basketball?
Three Up-
Tony Hicks: It's hard to be "up" much more than averaging 23.8 points per contest over his last four games, but Hicks to continue his great play against the Tigers. Last time the teams met, Hicks was the lone bright spot for Penn, putting up 16 points in the defeat. Princeton has no defender quick enough to keep up with Hicks, who has only gotten better since their last meeting. The rookie guard is much improved from the free throw line, as he has made 40-for-45 (.889) from the charity stripe since the last Penn-Princeton matchup. With his quickness and shooting prowess, Hicks will likely put up 16+ points against the Tigers Tuesday night.
Darien Nelson-Henry: Despite Princeton sporting a lineup full of trees (no starter for the Tigers stands under 6-5), Nelson-Henry outweighs all of his opposing starters by at least 40 pounds. Combine that with soft hands and developing skills in the post, and the freshman center is in for a good night while carrying the load inside for Penn.
Attendance: A down year for Penn basketball has left the student section at the Palestra relatively empty on many occasions this season. However, a significant uptick in student attendance can be expected against Princeton. If nothing else, students will attend to wear their "Puck Frinceton" shirts and shout epithets at their rival school.
Three Down-
Three-point shooting defense: T.J. Bray buried the Quakers in January by burying six three-pointers on his way to a 23-point performance. Overall, the Tigers knocked down 11 treys while shooting 50 percent from distance. With Ivy League Player of the Year candidate Ian Hummer attracting attention inside the three-point line, the Penn defense will be distracted and end up chasing the ball around the perimeter. The Tigers, who lead the Ancient Eight in assists, will succeed in making the extra pass and finding the open man.
Miles Cartwright: The junior guard struggled to find the bottom of the net against the Tigers last time around, converting just 1-for-7 from the field, and there is no reason to believe anything has changed for him since then. Unlike Hicks, Cartwright does not have the craftiness and agility to create his own shot and slice his way through the Princeton zone defense, and his three-point shooting has rarely been reliable this season. All signs point to Cartwright shooting well below 50 percent once again, though he can give Penn a chance to win by distributing the ball and limiting turnovers.
Turnovers: Over the last three games, Penn has averaged just 13.7 turnovers per contest — a significant improvement from the poor ball handling earlier in the season. Additionally, Princeton ranks second-to-last in steal among the Ivies, which should help the Quakers maintain possession of the ball.
Avery Johnson, a former NBA coach and ESPN analyst, will be speaking Monday night at Penn as part of a discussion on "The Business of Basketball."
The event is being put together by the Undergraduate Sports Business Club, Black Wharton and MUSE, the undergraduate marketing club.
Johnson, who was fired by the Brooklyn Nets late last year, spent the two years before his most recent coaching gig working for ESPN. He began his coaching career as an assistant for the Dallas Mavericks in 2004 before being hired as head coach the following season until 2008, which included a stint as head coach of the All-Star Game in 2006. His daughter, Christianne, is a sophomore at Penn.
The former NBA player, who jumped between different professional teams from 1988 to 2004, though he spent the majority of his career on the San Antonio Spurs, will be taking part in the discussion beginning at 6 p.m. in Huntsman Hall.
Sophomore Kara Bonenberger turned in a very strong performance for the Quakers. Bonenberger had a double-double – 20 points and 12 boards – to provide secondary scoring alongside leading scorer Alyssa Baron’s 22 points.
THE BAD: Ivy title hopes are over
Penn’s loss coupled with Harvard’s win knocks them out of second place in the Ancient Eight and the automatic bid to the Women’s NIT with only one game to play for each. It appears that Penn’s hopes for postseason play are slipping away.
THE UGLY: Struggles beyond the arc
The Quakers shot just 25.0 percent from beyond the arc while the Bulldogs finished shooting 54.5 percent from three. Yale ultimately finished with 12 three-pointers – twice as many as Penn. That’s an 18-point differential in a game decided by five points.
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