The rumor mill is turning quickly today with NBA-ophiles grasping at the thought of seeing former 76ers star Allen Iverson back on the court for the Battle for I-95 at the Palestra.
Iverson will reportedly be back in Philadelphia Saturday, hosting a Ciroc Vodka party at Vault nightclub. That could leave him slightly hungover but still in town to play in the Battle for I-95 Sunday. Iverson grew up in Virginia and played for Georgetown, making him geographically more fit to play on the star-studded DC-Baltimore team headed by Carmelo Anthony. But after spending a decade as the star guard for the 76ers, Philadelphians would surely welcome him to their team with open arms.
Philly sports blog The 700 Level has a full breakdown of the situation, but also provides this snapshot from twitter, in which Rahim Thompson, the organizer of Sunday's game, is asked about a possible appearance from AI. The 700 Level suggests it may just be a ploy to build hype for the game, which really can't support any more hype as it is.
This segment started with a simple debate over whether a Big Five foe had pro potential. Maybe we were grasping at straws, judging a prospect based on one game against Penn, or maybe we're just NBA junkies searching for the slightest opportunity to write about our beloved Association. As fate would have it, the NBA players are now coming to us. And how else would we respond but to return Mano-A-Mano to its roots for Volume VII with some heated hoops talk? Let's just hope our debate lives up to the hype of this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition...
Question 1: Who will own the night at the Palestra's Team Philly vs. Team Melo event a.k.a. "The Battle for I-95"?
Kevin Esteves: I’m going to go with “The Durantula,” but not for the reasons that immediately come to mind. Yes, KD made the summer his personal showcase by dropping 66 at Rucker and 59 against Team Melo. And, yes, he’ll be the best pure scorer on the floor. However, I don’t think that alone makes him such an easy pick. Durant won’t get nearly as many touches as he did when he was the alpha-dog on his DC Power team that played in Harlem or the Goodman team that played against LeBron, Melo, CP3, and Co. This time, he’ll be paired alongside Carmelo — who will want to show out as the de facto captain — LeBron and CP3 (he’ll be throwing lobs all night, but still). Even if this game turns out to be a track meet, I don’t anticipate KD getting enough touches to just hang 66 on Philly. That said, I still think he’ll steal the night because this kind of exhibition fits Durant’s game perfectly — a free-flowing, up-and-down style that will allow KD to operate in space and hoist up countless threes against what I anticipate will not be a world-class defensive effort. He also has the right swagger and attitude to go into any gym and dominate — he reportedly said, “I do this,” after his historic performance in NYC — because he genuinely loves to play and compete. So if Durant can get it going, knock down a few threes in a row (especially if this game is somehow close by the end) he’ll have the crowd on its feet and we’ll all be left buzzing about how easy he makes the game look.
Brian Kotloff: And if the game takes on the free-flowing style you expect, who will shine more than the world's greatest all-around talent, LeBron James? The league's best athlete -- and maybe the best athlete the sport has ever seen -- will be unleashed in a fast-paced, high-flying showcase like this. But that's not the reason I'm taking LeBron. Above all else, I think LeBron will steal the show because he has to steal the show -- it's his time. Don't think for a second that seeing Durant own the headlines with his epic summer league tour hasn't gotten King James' competitive juices flowing (I know, I know -- this thinking didn't work out so well with his Decision to play sidekick to D-Wade, but here's a second chance). That's the beauty of basketball: the stage gets bigger and the game becomes a business, but the playground mentality never leaves. Even if they're on the same team, you know KD and LBJ will try to one-up each other. And I expect LeBron to re-establish himself as the NBA's alpha dog by dominating this game with his scoring, passing, rebounding and overall athleticism. People love to hate him, but the man has the swagger to take over the gym, too. I think his charisma (and of course, talent) will help him own the Palestra on Sunday night.
Question 2: Who are you most looking forward to watching?
KE: As much as I might have reservations about the way he handled himself during last year’s free agency period, I can’t help but admire LBJ’s game on the court. Though he certainly has the physical attributes for it, he’s not just a 6-foot-8 wrecking ball that can jump really high and dunk — even if that’s all the casual fan might see on “SportsCenter.” This guy is a once-in-a-generation talent that can handle the rock, pass out of the double-team with ease, and run an offense from start-to-finish. Oh yeah, he can also shut down just about any player 1-through-4 on the defensive end (see: Rose, Derrick). And to think that he’s the best (or at least 2nd best) player in the world all without a consistent jump shot or post-up game … scary. That just speaks to how well he does everything else. In an up-and-down game with plenty of fast-break opportunities, LeBron is going to be unstoppable in transition Sunday night as you said. This guy is a must-watch whenever he takes the court and all eyes should be on him.
BK: Can't disagree with you here. But it's not just LeBron's core basketball skills I'm looking forward to watching -- you covered those pretty well. What I can't wait to witness in person are the little things that we take for granted when watching from afar: his gracefulness for someone 6'8; the impossible passing angles no one but him can see; his incredible speed in the open court. That last ability actually tops my list. I'm not looking forward to the highlight-reel alley-oops as much as seeing him sprint from halfcourt to the rim in five strides to throw down a dunk or block a shot. All eyes should and will be on him, and that will be another thrill: witnessing LeBron, the entertainer. He savors the attention that comes with thousands of fans hanging on his every move -- our favorite NBA guru Bill Simmons called his gift "command of the room." In fact, Simmons dedicated an entire column (pre-Decision, I must add) to describing the phenomenon that is LeBron-In-Person, a column that has stuck with me. Sunday, we will finally get to experience it.
Of course, Durant, Carmelo and CP3 will also be the best undercards ever.
Question 3: Which sleeper player could steal the show from the stars?
KE: With names like LeBron, Durant, Melo, and CP3 out there, just about anyone else will be a sleeper to have a big-time night. But if I have to make a choice, I’m going to say Josh Selby (Team Melo). First of all, he’s not a Philly guy, so he won’t be a known commodity coming in. Second, Selby will likely have supreme confidence on Sunday after the way he played this summer. The Memphis Grizzlies 2011 draft pick turned some heads after going toe-to-toe (and holding his own) in two duels with Brandon Jennings in pro-am play. If he can replicate that kind of scoring and playmaking ability, we are in for an extra treat. Again, the 6’2 guard is definitely going to come in overlooked because of his superstar teammates, but if he gets out in the open court, he’ll have willing passers like CP3 and LeBron assisting him on what could be some of the best highlights of the night. Keep an eye out for him.
BK: I know Hakim Warrick's name is all over the event, but I'm afraid he's being recognized as an organizer rather a player. On game day, I think he'll remind people that he can jump out of the gym. He's built for a game like this where he can get in the open court and use his athletic ability. As a Philly native and the participant who most appreciates the Palestra, he'll also have the most motivation to perform. The stars will be stacked on Team Melo, but someone will have to step up and defend home court. I think Warrick can be that guy.
Also, don't sleep on Tyreke Evans. He may not have reached the level of LeBron and Carmelo in star power yet, but he has the talent to one day join that class.
We've had our doubts about you, freshmen class, but you've impressed so far. Check out this video of the Class of 2015 spelling out their year on the Franklin Field turf during the NSO athletics picnic:
I was browsing through the great Dave Zeitlin's Penn Gazette blog this afternoon when I stumbled across this little gem from volleyball coach Kerry Carr. Penn volleyball, with a little less fanfare, is in the same unique position as the football team in that they're both going for third consecutive titles this fall. Carr said she and Bagnoli have joked about it:
Penn Gazette: Do you ever talk to Al Bagnoli about the challenges of repeating and going for three in a row because you guys are in the same boat now, just as you were in the early part of the 2000s?
Kerry Carr: Yeah, and I also talked to [ex-Penn basketball coach Fran] Dunphy back in the day because he was the master at repeating. With Coach Bagnoli, we more joke about it because it’s funny that people think that because you won last year, this year you will win too. Both of us are faced with a very young team this year with some key starters gone. We just know how much work is ahead of us to do the same thing. The Ivy League championship is always the goal but we have so many little things to accomplish first.
Note the shoutout to Dunphy. It's an interesting perspective because so many people expect Penn football to be so good this year after not losing an Ivy game in two seasons. But Saturday's loss was a bit of a wake-up call — both to the fans and the players — that it's not so easy.
The real expert on the topic of repeat championships? Women's lacrosse coach Karin Corbett. She's won five straight.
Penn men's basketball finally released its non-conference schedule this afternoon — and while all but two of the games have previously been confirmed by the Quakers' opponents, here's a look at what has shaped up to be a doozy of a slate:
Nov. 11 @ UMBC
Nov. 14 vs. Temple
Nov. 17 @ Rider (Hoop Group Classic)
Nov. 19 vs. Robert Morris (Hoop Group Classic)
Nov. 22 vs. Wagner
Nov. 25 vs. Pitt (Hoop Group Classic)
Nov. 26 vs. James Madison (Hoop Group Classic)
Nov. 29 vs. Manhattan
Dec. 3 @ Villanova
Dec. 7 vs. Delaware
Dec. 10 @ UCLA (Honda Center)
Dec. 23 vs. Marist
Dec. 29 @ Davidson
Jan. 1 @ Duke
Jan. 4 @ Lafayette
Jan. 10 vs. La Salle
Jan. 21 vs. St. Joe's
Not on the docket this year is City Six rival Drexel. The last time Penn didn't play the Dragons was the season after current coach Jerome Allen graduated — 1995-96. That's too bad, since a wonderful little rivalry has sprung up in recent years.
What is a new-era rear-end kicking? That's the real question I have after this Saturday's blowout loss in Penn football's opener.
"Spanked at the Frank" is what my colleague Brian Kotloff called the 37-12 drubbing, which coach Al Bagnoli described as the above title. Jennifer Scuteri recaps the action, which seemed to go from mediocre, to bad, to worse as the evening wore on. But hey, if you were there, you can tell everyone you saw the first blocked PAT returned for a 2-point conversion in 13 years! My man Ethan Alter also says we shouldn't blame Bagnoli for the loss, even though he tried to shoulder the blame in the post-game presser.
Rundown:
I guess they're not invincible. Women's soccer finally lost (and finally gave up a goal...or three), dropping a 3-2 contest to George Mason Sunday. The Quakers did pull of a nice 1-0 win over James Madison on Friday, but, as coach Darren Ambrose put it, “There was no edge to us. We were just not alive,” on Sunday.
One game into their Ivy season, Penn field hockey has matched their win total from last year. The Quakers took down last year's runner up, Cornell, with a 1-0 win at Franklin Field this weekend. As an aside, I'll note that our field hockey beat, Mike Wisniewski, called the win after seeing a double rainbow over Franklin Field at Thursday's practice.
After two tournament losses, Penn volleyball returned to the Palestra to host the Penn Invitational and won the thing. They did drop one match to William and Mary.
Weekend win: The honor this week goes to Emily Corcoran. The frosh scored her first collegiate goal in field hockey's upset. Talk about big time.
The two-time defending champion Quakers laid an egg in their first 2011-12 game, losing to Lafayette, 37-12. Here is the first of our weekly post-game breakdowns of all things good, bad and ugly.
The Good: The aerial attack didn't exactly take flight (we'll get to that in a minute), but Penn's ground game looked as strong as ever against a physical defense. The Quakers finished with 185 rushing yards on the night on the strength of a balanced attack -- bruiser Brandon Colavita rumbled his way to 67 yards, quarterback Billy Ragone scampered for another 52, and fullback Greg Schuster added a surprising 30. I also can't forget to mention Justyn Williams' ridiculous blocked extra point return, which he took 92 yards to the house for a two-point conversion after juking a Lafayette defender 40 yards from paydirt. Maybe the most exciting Penn football play I've seen in my three-plus years here.
The Bad: Al Bagnoli has eight rings to prove that he's a great coach. But in sorting through this mess of a game, Bagnoli's playcalling definitely needs to be questioned. He looked to be trying to open up the playbook early on, but the offense clearly was not ready for that. This loss is by no means the end of the world -- in fact, it means nothing in the long run -- so maybe Bagnoli was trying to see where his team stood during its first game action. If you're looking for a reason why this particular game turned into a romp, however, look no further than the Quakers getting away from what worked, i.e. pounding the rock. Of course, completely losing momentum after Williams' electrifying play was also crushing.
The Ugly: Where to start? The Quakers were thoroughly outplayed in all three phases of the game. They were "embarrassed," "humbled" and given a "good old-fashioned rear-end kicking" -- Bagnoli's words, not mine. So there's a lot of ugly to pick from here in trying to find the ugliest of the ugly. I'll go with: 1) Ragone's nightmarish game -- 8 for 23, 91 yards, 2 INTs. You never want to overreact to the first game of the season, but Ragone looked completely off in this one. Did he catch a lot of teams off guard with his running ability last season? With a year of game tape, will teams develop game plans to shut the junior down? Time will tell, and it will be a fascinating subplot.
2) The defense was gashed for big play after big play. I'll give credit to Cal for calling this one. Everyone assumes the defense will be good, because the Bagnoli-era Penn defense is almost always good. But tonight, we saw the consequences of losing so many starters from last year's team. Can't say I expected to see a line of 230 passing yards and 4 TDs for the Lafayette QB.
3) Everyone has an off week (though the Quakers didn't seem to have one last season). What made this loss "embarrassing," though, was the fact that Penn seemed to roll over when it the Leopards fought back. That's a sign of an overconfident team -- something senior DB Matt Hamscher admitted afterward -- that expected to win just by walking on the field. As both Bagnoli and Hamscher pointed out, a spanking like this could be good in the long run. Tonight, though, it was all ugly.
It's finally here. Penn begins its quest for a third-consecutive league title tonight, having not lost an Ivy League game in over two years. The Quakers start off with a non-conference tilt against Lafayette, who Penn beat in last year's opener, 19-14.
With six hours to kickoff, your DP Sports editors put together a little virtual roundtable. The question I posed my colleagues: What do you most want to see from Penn tonight against Lafayette?
Megan Soisson: I want to see Billy find a target downfield. In my conversation with him this week he seemed very confident in his passing ability, so I'd love to see that tonight. Billy mentioned Luke Nawrocki and Ryan Mitchell as potential targets, so if he can get the ball in their hands a few times (especially in the endzone), I'd call that a success.
Kevin Esteves: I want to see how the new kicker situation unfolds in the team's first game. After losing the program's all-time leader in points in Andrew Samson, Penn coach Al Bagnoli has given the nod to freshman Connor Loftus over the senior Dan Lipschutz. How will Loftus respond in his first game? If this is a close one late, like in last year's 19-14 Penn victory, I'll be watching to see how much trust Bagnoli puts in his new kicker.
Brian Kotloff: I want to see how quickly the new-look offensive line can gel. All indications are that these are smart players who know the ins and outs of the system, so it's possible they'll only need a half to shake off the rust. Or they could struggle to adjust to the pressure and speed of real game action. Whatever the case, they hold the key to the season in both protecting Billy Ragone and opening up holes for Penn's bread-and-butter, the running game.
Calder Silcox: Everyone is thinking offense but really I want to see if Penn's defense can remain as dominant as it was last year. Penn's 'D' was best in the league last season, but now only four of 11 starters remain on that side of the ball. We all remember the high-power offense running through team after team last season, but Penn played against some pretty good offenses and held them totally in check. Against Dartmouth Penn held league-leading rusher Nick Schweiger to 72 yards on 28 carries (2.6 yards per attempt). Penn's defense sacked Columbia QB Sean Bracket five times, and forced the Lions to settle twice for FGs. Isn't there an old cliche about defense winning championships?
If you can't make it to the game, be sure to follow our liveblog right here on The Buzz, starting just before kickoff at 6 p.m.
Our annual football season preview hit stands Friday! Pick up a copy of the DP before you head down to Franklin Field tomorrow for the 6 p.m. kickoff.
For those who aren't on campus, we'll be liveblogging the game, which should be infinitely more interesting than watching it on ESPN3.
And to get you in the mood, I've compiled all of the supplement here on the Buzz. You can also bookmark TheDP.com/Football for content all season long.
The feature, written by the talented Sushaan Modi, is a throwback to the Penn football dynasty of the early 1980s, led by coach Jerry Berndt. Penn won five straight titles from 1982-86, the last three of which were outright. No team has won three outright titles in a row since, and Penn has a shot to match history again this season. A must read for any Penn sports fan.
As soon as Hakim Warrick said he has "a few all-star surprises" up his sleeve for the Team Philly vs. Team Melo game, rumors swirled about Lakers star Kobe Bryant potentially joining his hometown team. After speaking with Kobe's marketing manager Jerry Foyer this afternoon, however, I can tell you that it's safe to count Kobe out of the September 25th event at the Palestra.
Foyer said Bryant has a European tour scheduled for that week and he will thus be out of the country until the end of September -- which explains the "other obligations" Warrick mentioned to philly.com. The tour is scheduled to take him through Turkey, Greece and Italy, where Kobe will run youth basketball clinics.
According to Foyer, Bryant, a Lower Merion High School (Pa.) graduate, has not even been contacted about participating in the Battle for I95. "He actually brought it up today," Foyer said, but the two "didn't go into depth" about the possibility of playing because of the prior commitment.
It's an unfortunate scheduling conflict, because Bryant's participation would have taken the exhibition to an even higher level (if that's possible). As is, the star power is heavily weighted toward Team Melo, with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul already in the fold. Recently committed Chester native Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings) will at least give the Philly fans a hometown hero to root for, but Kobe playing at the Palestra would have been a sight to behold and would have certainly helped his shaky relationship with fans in this city.
If anything, though, Kobe's packed schedule shows how improbable this turn of events truly is -- the game's organizers were able to bring international superstars onto our campus. Pretty amazing.
Class of 2012's Julian Harrell, a 6'5 small forward out of Loyola Academy (Calif.), took his first official visit, making a cross-country trip to Penn.
[Updated info: Harrell is also considering official visits to Duquesne, Portland, St. Mary's and Stanford]
"I took an official visit to Penn last weekend," Harrell said. "I liked it a lot. I really like coach (Jerome) Allen. Miles Cartwright, who is like a big brother to me, is up there and he showed me around. He was my host so that was pretty cool. I really liked it out there."
Cartwright's relationship with Harrell makes sense, given Cartwright is an alum of Loyola. In fact, Harrell is currently a teammate at Loyola with Miles' brother, Parker Jackson-Cartwright (who's an elite 2014 prospect).
Listed at 6-foot-5, 190 lbs., Harrell is rated an 86 according to ESPN, which had this mini-scouting report:
Julian has a nice frame with long arms, but he isn't a high level athlete. He can handle the ball well in the open court and he has a high basketball IQ.
Check out this video of highlights and and an interview with Harrell:
The gear will be sold under the scoreboard on the west end of the The Frank and will have "blowout sale" prices, mostly between $10-20. I'm told much of the gear is from the last two decades, though there will be older items as well.
We like to think we're pretty clever at The Buzz. Even if we can't come up with 'Watch the Throne' on our own, at least we catch on quickly and tag every piece of football coverage with it. Clever, huh?
I guess The Harvard Crimson caught on, too (or they are much more clever than we thought), and in their football preview today headlined a story 'Eyeing the Throne.' Do note the photo shoot and the video about Collier Winters' lettuce flow.
With a few minor word-changes (replace "second" with "first," "seventy percent" with "85 percent," and of course, "Harvard" with "Penn"), Scott A. Sherman's lede could easily run in the DP instead of the Crimson.
For most programs, back-to-back second-place finishes might be good enough. Most squads would be thrilled by a two-year stretch in which it won seventy percent of its games.
But not Harvard.
Humor aside, Penn has a huge target on its back. The Quakers know this, though, and are determined to bring home the 3-peat. Tomorrow's game against Lafayette, though technically not important in the Ivy standings, is Penn's first step to making history.
Students, stop by the Penn Park picnic on before tomorrow's 6 p.m. kickoff. Non-students, today's your last day to take advantage of this Groupon deal. And if you can't make it to Philadelphia (or are stuck in Van Pelt), check it out on ESPN3.com.
Braving the cold and the rain, the Penn community went to the Penn Park opening this afternoon and compulsively shared pictures of it. Thanks to twitter, we can share them all with you:
First Penn President Amy Gutmann and Athletic Director Steve Bilsky shared a casual chat before the opening (Via @PennAthletics)
There was lots of rubber, from the pellets in the SprinTurf fields, to the balloons, to the raincoats. (Via @Pennathletics)
Then Amy got down to business, picking up a shovel to help plant a tree with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Penn Chairman of the Board David Cohen and VP of Facilities and Real Estate Anne Papageorge. Without being there, I'm sure she said something about putting our roots down on the east end of campus. (Via @Terry_Gillen)
Then Bilsky did a short bit with Penn Sports Network's Brian Seltzer. Lookin' spiffy, Seltz! (Via @PennAthletics)
Then ALL OF PHILADELPHIA TURNED ORANGE. Except for Penn Park, of course, which remained vibrant and green. (Via @PennWebTeam)
And then your average epic rainbow showed up. It was reportedly a full-on double rainbow all the way across the sky. What does it mean? (Via @PennWebTeam)
And then there were fireworks.
And then night settled over the City of Brotherly Love. (Via Penn Athletics facebook)
Just your average night on the east end of campus.
A tipster sent in this photo of one of the new Palestra scoreboards with the message "one to go." This board appears to be the one on the west end of the building, which would face opposing-team fans. This board is the the more-statistic oriented one. The other, which apparently hasn't been installed yet, is the larger video board.
Can't make it to the big game Saturday? You might just be able to watch it streaming on ESPN3.com.
This afternoon, @Pennfb tweeted this snazzy promotional image saying that Penn's opener at Franklin Field Saturday will be broadcast by the ESPN website. But a Penn football source says the deal isn't official quite yet. Once everything is worked out, Penn should announce it later today or tomorrow.
If you can make it to the game but really only want to pay for two of the four tickets you plan on purchasing, Groupon Philly has a deal for you! 33 people have already jumped on the bandwagon — that's like 130 tickets! Can you say raucous?
Freshmen! Don't fall for this trick. Students get in free.
You know what they won't show on ESPN3? Fireworks.
Somehow, someway, a game that seemed like a pipe-dream a month ago has evolved into THE must-see event on campus this month. Suddenly, the worlds of professional sports and Penn Athletics are colliding, and we can proudly say that our school, our Palestra will soon be the center of the basketball universe. So before someone pinches us, let's talk the upcoming Team Philly vs. Team Melo scrimmage ("The Battle for I-95") and its impact on the Penn basketball program.
Question: How will the Sept. 25th event at the Palestra help Penn's efforts to revitalize its storied basketball program?
Brian Kotloff: I know it may seem like a stretch to suggest that an NBA scrimmage could impact Penn Basketball, no matter how much excitement this announcement is creating around campus. After all, who wouldn't be thrilled to host some of the world's greatest athletes in your own backyard? And isn't student interest in the Ivy League, not the NBA, the real issue? To me, this game transcends these questions. This game has Penn sports fans — and maybe even casual observers familiar with the celebrity status of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony — legitimately buzzing about an athletic event on campus. That's a good start.
But where this event will truly make its mark on this campus is in the promotion of the Palestra. Our cathedral was integral to making this happen, and students will recognize that. Hakim Warrick said the Palestra was his first choice as a venue. "When you think of Philly," he said, "... you think of the Palestra." A major part of the problem with student interest and attendance is that current and future students do not appreciate the historical significance of their school's basketball program and its home arena. Now LeBron James — perhaps the most famous, captivating, electrifying athlete in the world right now —wants to come play here. He wouldn't even participate in the dunk contest, and now he's taking on the pressure of performing against his biggest rivals in one of the country's best basketball venues. The message that sends can be invaluable in getting students to re-discover the Palestra as THE place to be on game nights.
Kevin Esteves: Exactly right. And with the Palestra “quaking” for all of Philly and the tri-state area to hear (as the game's organizer, Rahim Thompson, put it), this event will create buzz that goes far beyond our campus, as well. In fact, I think the biggest takeaway from this whole event won’t be the jaw-dropping highlights a team of LeBron, Durant, Melo and CP3 will provide but just the memory of the atmosphere of the Palestra that night. That alone will have the non-students in attendance also talking — imagine the excitement during last year’s triple-OT Harvard game times 100 — and may compel them to come back to the Palestra when Penn basketball starts up again. So now you add some more fans in the seats, enhancing the game-day atmosphere (which can then hype up the players even more in-game and motivate them to success).
Then think about the impact this could have on recruiting. First of all, from a branding perspective, you’re associating Penn basketball with top-flight NBA talent, and the players' presence alone tells you that, yeah, playing at the Palestra is something even NBA superstars want to do (best recruiting pitch ever?). It’s also, as Thompson explained, an example that demonstrates “how involved, how committed to basketball Penn is.” From what I understand, once Hakim Warrick mentioned the Palestra as a possible destination for this, Penn did what it could to make this happen, even forgoing the option to charge a rental fee. The school and the basketball program wanted this to happen because this is what I believe the Palestra is all about in their minds: being the epicenter of Philly basketball. If this game helps cement that status, I’m sure you have a whole lot of student-athletes, coaches, and parents who want to be a part of that legacy and tradition.
BK: You said everything else I wanted to say about this topic. This is some sort of Bizarro, pacifist Mano-A-Mano where I agree wholeheartedly with all of your opinions. Just wait till next Wednesday, though. The fire will return.
UPDATE: The ticketing page now lists Chris Paul and LeBron James, but not Kevin Durant...
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The "Battle for I-95" at the Palestra went from a big deal to a HUGE one with the announcements last night that LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Kevin Durant would play.
But will they?
The short answer is yes. The long answer:
Those of you who logged on to buy tickets for the event may have noticed that the page on Penn Athletics' site has a list of prospective players:
*According to Promoter, Rahim Thompson, Confirmed Players are:
Team Philly
Hakim Warrick Phoenix Suns
Markieff Morris Phoenix Suns
Marcus Morris Houston Rockets
Ronald Murrary NBA Free Agent
Lou Williams Philadelphia 76ers
Aaron Owens And 1 Mix Tape
Wayne Ellingtion Minnesota Timberwolves
John Salmons Milwaukee Bucks
Lynn Greer Overseas/Temple Alumni
Jason Thompson Sacramento Kings
Kyle Lowry Houston Rockets
Team Melo
Carmelo Anthony New York Knicks
Donte Greene Sacarmento Kings
Gary Neal San Antonio Spurs
Eric Bledose LA Clippers
Josh Selby Memphis Grizzlies
Other Players TBA
Currently, James, Paul and Durant aren't on that list, as it was set up before those three players announced they would play. Last night, Thompson couldn't confirm their attendance, only saying that “Carmelo and his friends will be there.” Based on Penn's news release this afternoon, which listed the three as confirmed players, we can assume that they are the "Other players TBA"
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