Temple-Penn connections

Today's DP had an article by Kevin Esteves about Penn's connections to various NCAA tournament-bound teams, as well as a column by Brian Kotloff with a little advice on who to root for in the tourney.

As Penn fans know, the closest connection to the Big Dance — both geographically and not — is Temple's Fran Dunphy, who coached the Quakers until 2006, when he took them to the tournament. And as Brian mentioned, Dunphy's staff is a collection of Penn guys. There's assistant Shawn Trice, classmate and close friend of Jerome Allen, Matt Langel, Class of 2000, and Dave Duke, who assisted Dunph at Penn before he the two hopped for North side of town.

Dunphy and his staff are by all accounts accomplished — he's at 417 wins all time, won the Big 5 last year and won the Atlantic 10 championship in 2008 — but his record in the post season, 1-12, is quite the opposite. Penn hoops historians will remember the one win came with Allen and Trice in 1994.

My man Dave Zeitlin wrote a piece about the former Quakers and their quest for postseason success for the Penn Gazette Sports blog, in which Shawn Trice tells it like it is:

“At heart, we are Penn guys. But we do everything we can to help Temple be the best they can be.”

Penn connections to March Madness

You can find in today's copy of the DP a great graphic by our design/multimedia team on Penn basketball's connections to players or teams competing in this year's Tournament. Most of these ended up being ties to star point guard Zack Rosen, but that shouldn't come as a surprise — he played a year at St. Benedict's in North Jersey where high school basketball reigns supreme and D-1 recruits are cranked out with ease.  You can check out the article (gotta plug my own work too, right?) but here's the skinny in interactive form:

Gutmann's updated bracket

Last night our team of bracketologists pointed out that Amy Gutmann's presidential bracket had skipped a few picks in the Southwest region. Well, turns out we got our hands on an early revision of her bracket — Don't worry Amy! We've spent hours redoing ours too — and she wanted to get all of her picks on record before the Big Dance starts tomorrow.

For those of you keeping track: she's got UNLV over Illinois and Louisville taking down Vandy. Do you think differently? Put your bracket up against hers in the DP/Smokes March Madness Bracket Challenge!

Xavier Harris update

The Quakers may not be dancing, but a major recruit's season is still alive. Constitution High forward Xavier Harris scored 14 points Tuesday in his top-ranked PIAA Class A team's second-round, 67-53 win over Mansfield in the state tournament. Constitution plays Reading Central Catholic in Friday's state quarterfinals. On March 11, Harris scored 15 points in the Generals' 70-45 victory over Phil-Mont Christian Academy in the first round.

Off the court, Harris took the SAT for the fourth time Saturday, and will receive his scores March 31. From speaking with his coach Robert Moore, Harris seems dead set on boosting his scores to Penn's standards to become the Quakers' first Public League recruit since 1980. Here's some information from my interview with Moore, plus insight from the last Pubber to play for Penn, Willie Oliphant:

MOORE: Though the Princeton Review contacted the DP to offer Harris free tutoring, he had already been receiving tutoring and instead chose to finish up with the same tutors. Harris' scores are confidential, so Moore would not reveal them. Though it was previously reported that Harris needed to boost his current high score by 30 points, Moore suggested that there may not be an exact number that Harris needs to reach. Either way, it seems Penn's strict academic standards, even for athletic recruits, are a major obstacle. "It's really up to the Penn admissions office," the coach said. "He's set his mind that the only school he wants to go to is Penn. The application is in. Now, we're just waiting to hear from the admissions office."

Moore again raved about Harris' abilities as both a student and a player. "He’s just so much stronger and more athletic than everybody else. He has his way with people. He bullies people down low. Everything within three feet of the rim, I feel confident that he’s gonna finish it ... I don’t think there’s many players that have his type of physical ability and makeup." Though it will be much more difficult for Harris to "bully" college players, Moore added that the Penn coaches are especially interested in Harris because they believe he can compete out-of-conference. It would make sense that Jerome Allen is trying to bring Penn back to respectability within the Big 5.

Finally, the part that will be music to Penn fans' ears: "He’s a perfectionist, on and off the court. He’s gonna continue to take the test until he’s satisfied with his score." As a backup plan, Moore said he keeps in touch with various private prep schools in case Harris needs to play another year of basketball before college. "For a kid of his academic stature and athletic ability, there will be tons of options available but we’re not even thinking in terms of that. We know he’ll be at Penn in August."

OLIPHANT: The current Garnet Valley, Pa., resident heard the news about Harris via an email from Stanley Greene, a Penn player in the late 1970s from Germantown High. The two had dinner in November. "One of the things he had talked about [in November] was the fact that I was the last Public League player," Oliphant said. "It's pretty exciting. I'm certainly not surprised considering Jerome's the coach and Jerome's a Philly guy." He stressed that Allen's Philly ties are a big attraction to local recruits who "know how good a player he was."

Oliphant has a longstanding relationship with Allen, having coached him during a Sonny Hill collegiate summer league when Allen was a player. Oliphant made it clear that Allen played a vital role in bringing a Pubber to Penn. During conversations with Allen, the coach responded to the question of whether he'd pursue local players with an emphatic "absolutely." According to Oliphant, staying local and playing within the Big 5 was very important in the '70s, as was "the prestige and honor of going to an Ivy League school."

Lastly, Oliphant explained that while he had no problems getting into Penn (even though he "wasn't the smartest student"), academic standards have become stricter. But with more tutoring available for the SAT, he believes Harris will "meet those 30 points" to ultimately end up at Penn.

Analyzing the presidential bracket

Before we get started, let me just say that this may be the best picture ever taken. It is, from left to right, the Quaker, Jerome Allen in a wig and Amy Gutmann holding a basketball. Feel free to caption in the comments.

Okay, on to more important things:

College Hall's #1 is getting excited for the DP's March Madness competition — with a $100 gift certificate to Smoke's on the line (Click here to enter!). Penn President Amy Gutmann was nice enough to fill out a bracket for this year's NCAA tourney — even though she didn't have a chance to pick the Red and Blue — and send it over to the Buzz. But hopefully the doctor can take a little constructive criticism.  With Amy's picks on the table, we assembled our blue-ribbon panel of bracketologists to analyze the boss' bracket, and her odds of being the best at Penn.

She went low risk/high reward this year, picking all four #1 seeds to make the semi-finals, and she has Ohio State winning it all. She might be a native of Brooklyn, but Amy's pragmatic. There's no way she was picking her hometown's Long Island University over No. 2 North Carolina. But what does the DP's crack team of analysts think? See Gutmann's bracket below and their thoughts after the jump.

Update: we've got a new version of Dr. Gutmann's bracket here.

Michael Gold, sports editor emeritus:

Pres. Gutmann's bracket has more chalk than a 1st grade classroom. What jumps out to me are the two random 11-over-6 upsets she chose (I guess the coin finally turned up heads): Missouri over Cincinnati and Gonzaga over St. John's. Either Amy G isn't buying the Beasts of the Big East, she thinks Cinci can't handle Mizzou's "40 minutes of hell" press or she's questioning whether the Johnnies can survive the loss of D.J. Kennedy. Or she just likes the number 11. Plus, she dozed off somewhere in the Southwest Region and forgot to pick the UNLV-Illinois and Vandy-Louisville games.

Of course, the Prez's boldest prediction is that Ohio will win the whole shebang. Though Amy's a believer in the Bobcats, last I checked, they lost in the quarterfinals of the MAC tourney and are CIT-bound. Watch those abbreviations!

Megan Soisson, actual 2nd in command:

Sushaan Modi, assistant shortest hurdler in New Jersey:

Amy Gutmann, seriously?! You picked all four number one seeds — ALL FOUR!! Does she know how many times all four number one seeds made the Final Four? 2008 was one of the most boring tournaments in recent years; hopefully nobody is subjected to the same mess. Gutmann’s bracket plays it very safe, and like just about everyone else in the country, she has the Buckeyes’ on top.

But, Gutmann doesn't seem to have picked many upsets in this year's tournament. She's got Missouri over Cincinnati in the West and a  gutsy call of the ‘Zags over St. Johns. I love this last pick. With the loss of D.J. Kennedy, the Red Storm could easily fall apart and Gutmann must believe a perennial tournament-team like the Bulldogs could easily knock them out.

Football's spring season kicks off tonight

The two-time defending Ivy League champions hit the Franklin Field turf for the first time in 2011 tonight at 8:15 for the first of 10 practices leading up to the April 9 Spring Game. The Quakers will take on a new look this year, as only 9 of 22 starters from last year's team are returning. With so much turnover, here's a look at the top 5 questions heading into the Penn football season, which begins September 17 - or 185 days from now.

1. Who will anchor the offensive line?

The Quakers graduated four All-Ivy selections: first-teamers Joe D'Orazio and Luis Ruffulo, second-teamer Drew Luongo, and honorable mention Jared Mollenback. Only first-teamer Greg Van Roten will return to what was by far the best O-line in the league. The big men up front have been the rock of Penn's title teams, opening up holes and providing protection for whatever running back and quarterback lined up behind them, and there were many. To replace the departed seniors, Van Roten will need to step up as the line's new anchor and four underclassmen will need to respond well to being thrown into the fire.

2. How will the sophomore defensive backs respond to increased playing time?

Al Bagnoli unleashed up-and-coming youngsters Anthony Marino, Dave Twamley and Justyn Williams as the 2010 season wore on, but still relied on Bradford Blackmon, Josh Powers and Jon Saelinger in the defensive backfield. The now-junior trio has the talent to become quality full-time starters; now it's time for them to show it. Penn also needs to find a safety to start alongside Matt Hamscher.

3. How will Bagnoli use QBs Billy Ragone and Ryan Becker?

This question is the most easily answerable. It's doubtful that there will be much competition during the spring for the starting job. After earning first-team All-Ivy honors as a sophomore, Ragone is locked in as the starter behind center. Still, if he completely slips up or gets injured, Becker could get significant playing time. When the season comes around, Bagnoli will likely split time between the two in the early-going, before leaning on Ragone during Ivy play.

4. Will the quarterbacks even have reliable targets to throw to?

No matter who plays QB, the Quakers need sure-handed receivers who run precise routes. Penn relied heavily on David Wurst and Matt Tuten on the outside, two undersized but tough wideouts who led the team in receiving with over 300 yards apiece. 6-foot-4 Conner Scott could become one weapon after catching 10 passes during his freshmen year. The other starters will be determined in camp. And while Penn's WRs have been reliable, finding more dynamic receivers could add a new dimension to the offense.

5. Who will be the kicker?

Andrew Samson, who became the school's all-time leader in points last season, may be the toughest player to replace. The Quakers knew that if they could get inside the opponents' 25 yard-line, 3 points were virtually automatic. Now, someone - seniors Dan Lipschutz or Brad Marvin, or junior punter Scott Lopano? - will have big shoes to fill (pun intended).

The DP's own 'Culture Grid'

Inspired by Sports Illustrated's Pop Culture Grid, I set out to see what's on the minds of some men's hoops seniors now that their college basketball careers have ended. Unfortunately, Darren Smith was unable to be reached for comment. Zack Gordon is also absent from the survey, because he is indeed taking a fifth year.

For answers that didn't make the print edition, check the jump.

My apologies about the resolution of the image — Here's the PDF link for a better look.

Here's what didn't make it:

What will Conor Turley do with his beard next? Conor Turley: I have actually pondered this subject profoundly for some time now. I might open it up to the public. Perhaps a once forbidden twitter account (team rules) should commence. Jack Eggleston: Probably turn it into a mustache Andreas Schreiber: Insure it and list it on his organ donor card. Danny Monckton: I think he is going to sell it as padding for scorpion nests (I hear theres a huge market) or braid it and sell it as bracelets to tourists when he moves to Mexico

Teammates would be shocked to know... CT: My teammates are my brothers. They know everything about me. We have good talks in the showers. JE: How much TV I watch AS: I will be back for a 6th and 7th year. DM: How educated I am in the fine arts. Mozart really moves me.

Song no one knows I listen to CT: “Faena” by Gipsy Kings. Spanish Guitar does good things for me. JE: I don't keep secrets very well AS: Fireworks - Katy Perry DM: London bridges falling down

I think I'm addicted to... CT: Electric Feel MGMT (Shout out to Lawrence Loughery playing Call Of Duty somewhere out there). JE: Call of Duty. And sleeping on Danny's futon AS: Computer games and skittles (sour) DM: Flight simulators, cardboard

____ would have me at hello CT: Sofía Vergara (from Modern Family). JE: Most girls AS: Rosemarie Burnett DM: Kristin Kaiser

Charlie Sheen is... CT: Out of control crazy, but really entertaining. I’ll admit that I statused his “droopy-eyed armless children” line on the book last week. JE: Refreshingly honest AS: A winner just like Penn basketball. DM: God?

Most famous number in my cell phone is... CT: Probably Troy Polamalu JE: Baron Davis. Don't know if it's real AS: Ben Howland (UCLA) or Jonas Jerebko (Detroit Pistons) DM: Shania Twain

Best Penn food truck? CT: Don Memo’s (38th and Sansom) hands down. JE: Frita's on 33rd. Easy AS: Definitely Frita's (outside DRL). It is the most famous food cart in all of Philly. DM: Gotta give it to Frita's

The entirety of Andreas's answer to "most memorable Penn hoops moment" 1. Going to the NCAA my freshman year. Nothing, and I repeat NOTHING is like the tournament. The hype, the atmosphere, the excitement is unimaginable. It's something worth every suicide during the preseason. 2. Win over #16 ranked Cornell last year. Even though I was hurt and didn't play in it, it was the most emotional win I've ever been a part of. I think everyone who was at that game would agree. Even President Gutmann was emotional in the locker room. 3. Coach Miller accidentally punting a basketball in Conor's face during practice, furthermore knocking Conor off his feet and putting him on to the ground. The most hilarious and awkward moment ever.

And finally, Worst loss? CT: The most painful were our 3 consecutive OT losses in the Ivy League this year. If a few more things had gone our way we could have very easily been 6-0 to start out in conference. I don’t think we would’ve ever looked back. JE: The game that shall not be named from freshman year AS: Hmmmm. What year? Florida Gulf Coast a few years ago where we had something like 6 points in a half, tying for least points in a half by a D1 team. DM: Florida Gulf Coast (that was fun...)

Snub-lection Sunday?

As soon as Harvard found out it didn't make the field for the NCAA tourney, talk turned to whether the Crimson had been snubbed. I won't venture a guess as to whether I think they were or weren't — I'll simply say they could have competed with many of the No. 16 seeds or new First Four play-in teams.

The folks over at ESPN, however, did rank their top five snubs. Harvard, much like on selection Sunday, did not make the list — Snubbed from the group of snubs. But the Crimson did receive an honorable mention — the award equivalent of a trip to the NIT.

Two honorable mentions: Harvard Crimson (top-40 RPI, neutral/road wins over BC and Colorado, only one bad loss, mere seconds from the Ivy League's auto-bid); Missouri State Bears (Missouri Valley regular-season champions that went to the MVC final). Harvard, like most of the teams on this list, could make an argument that its resume is legitimately better than UAB's. At least the Crimson beat somebody. And if UAB is in, why isn't Missouri State? Why are those two résumés different?

Harvard nets 6-seed in NIT

The 32-team NIT field was also announced yesterday, and Harvard earned a 6-seed, its first ever NIT berth. The Crimson will be the 9th Ivy representative in the men's NIT, and the first since 2003. That year, Brown made the 40-team field (the field was reduced back to 32 in 2007), and lost 89-73 to Virginia in the first round. Harvard's first-round matchup against Oklahoma State will air on ESPN tomorrow night at 7:30 PM.

So what do we make of Harvard's selection? It's not a surprise, considering Harvard's school-record 23 wins, RPI of 35, and #77 placement in the Pomeroy rankings. Princeton, which was slightly behind Harvard in the RPI and Pomeroy ratings, probably would have gotten the NIT bid if Doug Davis's shot had missed at the buzzer in the Ivy playoff. This confirms that the Ivy League is deeper (or at least stronger at the top) now than it has been in recent years. The 6-seed suggests that Harvard also would have made the field even without the 4-team expansion to the NCAA tournament. On the other hand, that might be balanced by the belief that it was a weak year for college basketball in the major conferences.

From Penn's perspective, Harvard's NIT bid itself isn't very meaningful, but it does give some perspective about the Crimson's end-of-season resume. That resume has to be sobering for the Penn program and its fans, especially when you see that the Harvard roster has no seniors and just three juniors. Meanwhile Penn loses frontcourt stalwart Jack Eggleston and is left with a cast of question marks to match up with Harvard's Keith Wright and Kyle Casey next year. Princeton should take more of a step back toward the pack with the losses of seniors Dan Mavraides and Kareem Maddox, but Harvard should be the overwhelming favorite next year.

The DP/Smokes March Madness bracket challenge

Each year for about the last 20 years, the DP has partnered with Penn watering hole Smokey Joe's for a Sweet Sixteen bracket challenge. In past year's we've asked participants to cut the bracket out of the newspaper, fill it out, and fax it in.

At some point, we had to face facts — nobody actually uses fax machines any more. So in 2011 we've made the jump to the crazy world of the interweb, and our friends over at Smokes have come with us. This year they're sponsoring our full March Madness Bracket Challenge, online at thedp.com/marchmadness. The winner receives a $100 gift certificate to Smokey Joe's, and a perfect bracket also scores you $10,000 from Dell Sports, which hosts the software.

So sign up! it's quick, easy and you might just have the best bracket at Penn.

Mano-A-Mano: Volume IV

It's the most wonderful time of the year, basketball fans. The Madness is upon us and, as has become the standard, a team of Ivy Leaguers will be taking on some of the nation's best. This year, in the not-quite-immortal words of Jack Eggleston, "It's Princeton." The 13-seed Tigers - in their first tourney appearance since 2004 - will do battle with 4-seed Kentucky Thursday in Tampa, Fla. Champions of the SEC tournament, the Wildcats boast a 25-8 record heading into the matchup and two potential NBA lottery picks. But how vulnerable is Kentucky to a major upset? Back from spring break, The Buzz's resident bracketologists (not really) debate in what is sure to be one of March's best bouts.

Question: Do the Tigers have what it takes to be a Giant (Wildcat) Killer?

Brian Kotloff: No breaks for DP Sports Editors, Kevin. We’re getting thrown right into the fire the night we get back from spring vacation.

We’ll get to your thoughts in a second, but I actually smell a potential upset in the East Region’s 4-13 game. Granted, the smell is very, very faint, but I think the Tigers have the makings of a Giant Killer. They have a few of the essential ingredients to a Cinderella team: 1. Veteran leadership – Four of Princeton’s top five scorers are upperclassmen. Experience always plays well in March, and inexperience haunts even the best teams at some point during their drive to a title. 2. A good backcourt – junior Douglas Davis, now of YouTube and SportsCenter fame, and senior Dan Mavraides are both tough guards who are capable of scoring and distributing. Cinderella teams are almost always led by veteran guards, a la Louis Dale from Cornell last season, who can control the pace of the game and their teammates’ emotions. 3. A low post presence – Second-team All-Ivy selection Ian Hummer is a 6-foot-7 load in the paint, averaging 13.9 points per game on 56 percent shooting. His ability (or inability) to battle with bigger, more athletic frontcourt opponents will be crucial in this game. 4. Balanced scoring – The Tigers have two major threats in the backcourt and the frontcourt, with four players averaging at least 11 ppg. Most importantly, Kareem Maddox, Hummer, Mavraides and Davis each have the ability to go off during any particular game.

Kevin Esteves: Very nice, Mr. Kotloff. I think you hinted at the obvious problem that Princeton will have against Kentucky in your point about Hummer: a mismatch in athleticism. That’s what burned the Quakers earlier this season when they tried to upset UK. Penn was able to jump out to an early lead, and Princeton may be able to do the same on Thursday, but it’s a whole different story when you’re tasked with controlling that athleticism for an entire game. We saw it in Turkey with Team USA during the basketball championships this past summer. Even though the American team may not have had the chemistry that other international teams may have, their superior athleticism just overwhelmed opponents – USA won gold, by the way. Now, I’m not saying that UK is comparable to the Redeem Team 2.0, but the point remains. The Tigers play great defense, but they will have to try to slow down a Wildcat offense ranked 25^th in the nation and spearheaded by a lightning quick guard in Brandon Knight and a versatile forward in Terrence Jones. It’s hard to compare numbers between Princeton and Kentucky, so I’ll just resort to the Penn-UK game. My favorite stat? 1 – the number of rebounds Penn had in the 2^nd half. You know it’s a good stat when it looks like a typo at first glance. To be fair, the Wildcats weren’t missing (they shot 18-for-22), but it’s awfully tough to get any rebounds — offensive or defensive —  when you’re trying to outwork guys that are much more athletic than you. And the Big Blue had 11 blocks, another sign of superior athleticism and size. Princeton is better than Penn, and should keep it closer, but I don’t smell an upset here. Too potent an offense and too much athleticism.

BK: There’s no question the Tigers will be the much less athletic team in this game. But this is March MADNESS, where Vermont can beat Syracuse and Butler can come inches shy of winning the championship. What makes this tournament so great is that almost anything can happen, at least in the early rounds. Princeton coach Sydney Johnson knows that better than anyone: he played a huge role on the 1996 Tigers team that beat UCLA, 43-41, in one of the biggest upsets in history.

I see the Black & Orange using a similar formula here. Slow the game down, take care of the ball, and grind out possessions. If they can do that, throw all numbers out the window and get the athleticism factor out of your head — on a day when the Basketball Gods are in their favor (and based on the Ivy playoff game, they currently are), Princeton can beat Kentucky. With top teams losing top players to the NBA every year, the talent is more spread out and parity is on the rise in college basketball. Just last year, Butler, Cornell and Northern Iowa proved that great coaching and fundamentally sound play can allow underdogs to down more talented heavyweights. Kentucky is a young team in a transition year, so who knows how the players will respond to the bright lights of the NCAAs and the pressure of playing for Big Blue Nation away from the comforts of Rupp Arena? The Tigers are playing with nothing to use.

KE: Absolutely, I agree. Princeton definitely has a shot, and I like your idea of slowing the game down. Princeton had the top scoring defense in the Ivy League and if they can keep UK in the half-court, they can pull off an upset. But am I gonna call one here? No. The Wildcats are young and inexperienced, but I think Knight and Jones are going to be too much to handle. Sure, the Tigers can send out Ivy League Defensive POY Maddox to defend Jones, but Maddox did not exactly come up huge in Princeton’s only game against a top-tier opponent, which was Duke back in November. In a 97-60 loss, Maddox scored six points and had seven turnovers, while Duke forward Kyle Singler scored an easy 16 points in 26 minutes. Jones is a unique athlete because he can handle the rock extremely well for a guy his size and I like teams that are strong at the point and the 4-spot; so I think that duo will just be too good to stop. Anything can happen, but if I have to go with one, I’m gonna go with the Wildcats, who have bigger fish to fry and can’t afford to get complacent.

BK: I definitely wouldn’t advise anyone this week to pick the upset, but my point is that the upsets that often happen are the ones few people pick. Princeton over Kentucky would instantly rank highly among those classics. I give it a 15% chance of happening. I see this game playing out similarly to Penn’s game at Rupp (though not as extreme). The Tigers hang with the Wildcats for a half before succumbing to UK’s talent, size and athletic ability. Kentucky 73, Princeton 57.

KE: I’m going to give it a 10% chance, which is a reasonable chance. Princeton would have to get balanced scoring (which to their credit, they do have), Maddox would have to contain Jones, and the Tigers would have to stay in front of Knight. A tall task, for sure, so I see this one: Ketucky 74 - Princeton 60.

BK: After all that arguing, pretty much the same score. But if Princeton wins, you know I’ll be taking all the credit.

Breaking News: Princeton a No. 13 Seed

As just announced on the CBS Selection Show, the Tigers will take on No. 4 seed Kentucky on Thursday in the East Region in Tampa, Fla.

No qualms with the Ivy champ being a 13-seed. Seems about right, and this is definitely an interesting matchup. Two teams with great history, but from vastly different conferences. Both teams received automatic bids to the tournament, with Kentucky qualifying after beating Florida in Sunday's SEC conference tourney title game. Princeton, of course, qualified in dramatic fashion with Douglas Davis' buzzer beater in Saturday's one-game Ivy playoff against Harvard.

Luckily, there is some recent history that could provide some sort of insight into this matchup. Penn hung with Kentucky for a half earlier this year before getting blown away after the break to lose, 86-62. In last year's Sweet Sixteen, Cinderella Cornell also fell, 62-45, to a Wildcats team that featured five first-round NBA draft picks.

The initial reaction to most Ivy League tourney matchups is that the Ancient Eight champs will get bullied around by a team from a major conference. Typically, that's the most likely result. But don't be surprised if Princeton is picked this week as a potential candidate for a huge upset. The Ivies are gaining respectability after the Big Red's run and the Davis shot that led last night's SportsCenter. While the Wildcats are much more athletic, they don't have the size that would completely eliminate any chance of Princeton winning (i.e. DeMarcus Cousins is now on the Sacramento Kings). With no great big man on Kentucky, Princeton can hang with the Wildcats by playing their style of physical, lockdown defense. If this game turns into a shootout, the Tigers have very little shot. But the Tigers have the depth to hang with the Wildcats, in my opinion. The matchup to watch will definitely be Kentucky's Terrence Jones, a likely NBA lottery pick, versus Ivy Defensive Player of the Year Kareem Maddox. Both are 6-foot-8, versatile and athletic.

Glen Miller speaks

For anyone who follows Penn basketball and college hoops as a whole, it was hard to miss one face on ESPN over and over again this week: former Quakers coach Glen Miller, now director of basketball operations at UConn. As the Huskies made an incredible 5-games-in-5-days run to the Big East Championship, Miller was right there — on the bench, in the huddle, drawing up plays on the whiteboard, blurrily standing in front of ESPN's camera shot of Kemba Walker...

In just a season and a half, Miller has gone from mid-season Ivy dismissal to Big East champ and belle of the Big Dance. While Miller is busy preparing for the NCAA tourney next weekend, Philly.com's Jonathan Tannenwald was at the Big East tourney and caught up with the man who he used to interview beneath the Palestra bleachers. Check out his transcript here for more, but here's a few snippets:

Do you see yourself at some point, whether in the short- or medium-term, getting back into head coaching?

Yeah. Once you’ve been a head coach, you certainly still think you can do a good job. Hopefully another opportunity comes at some time. But for right now it’s just, when you’re on a team, whether you’re a player or a coach, you’re trying to contribute everything you can to help your program win.

My role is different here, and again I’m just trying to do what I can here and take care of, game by game, helping this program move forward. And winning a big game like today. I think when you win, everybody is rewarded for that, so hopefully down the road I’ll get another opportunity.

Do you still talk to any of your former players from Penn or Brown?

Yeah, you know, here and there. I don’t get to that much. Again, you’re wrapped up in the moment, and they’re busy with their seasons and their careers. So not as much as I might like. But I’m just enjoying this season and what we’re into right now at the University of Connecticut.

Live from New Haven, it's Saturday afternoon

I, unfortunately, will be on a train back to Philly come 4 P.M. when Harvard and Princeton tip off in New Haven, Conn., today to decide who is tops in the Ivy League, and as a result, who will get the League's automatic bid to the Big Dance. Sadly, I'll be following the score on my phone.

If you are better than me at planning your mid-March Saturday afternoons and will have an internet connection this afternoon, there are two ways in which I'll suggest you follow the action.

• ESPN3.com will be streaming the action live from Payne-Whitney Gymnasium. Many internet subscribers get free access to the streams, so you can watch there.
• If you don't have access or if you want to support a former DP-Sports writer, the talented Jonathan Tannenwald is taking a break from his spring break at the Big East tournament and will be live blogging Harvard-Princeton for Philly.com.

Harvard buzzing as playoff nears

The amount of attention payed this week to Harvard men's basketball is likely unprecedented — much like their Ivy League championship and possible NCAA berth. The Crimson prepare for tomorrow's playoff with Princeton at Yale with that ticket to the big dance in the forefront of their minds.

ESPN's Andy Katz led his blog post last night with a look at Harvard's momentous occasion. He reports that coach Tommy Amaker received a voicemail from an 85-year old Harvard hoops alum — who played on the last Harvard team to make the NCAA tournament in 1946.

"We're gaining momentum now," Amaker told Katz. "This has been fun and exciting. This is what we envisioned. I'm hoping we can take this to a different stage."

“It would’ve been nice [to avoid a playoff], but it wouldn’t have been right,” sophomore forward Kyle Casey told the Crimson. “This is the way it should be, and everyone’s excited to play them again ... it’s definitely going to be a fight.”

Alyssa Baron is Ivy Rookie of the Year

It might not be a surprise, but Penn guard Alyssa Baron was named Ivy League Rookie of the year after a stellar freshman campaign in which she won the Ancient Eight scoring title, averaging 16.6 points per game — 2.7 points more than her closest competitor.

Along with award, Baron was an honorable mention in all-Ivy team voting and was picked for the all-Rookie team. She was the only Penn player to make an all-Ivy list this year.

The Miami native is just the second-ever ROY selection for Penn after Diana Caramanico receieved the honor 13 years ago. She's the first-ever freshman to take home the scoring title, and is tied for third in Ivy women's history for most Rookie of the Week awards received with seven. She was also third in the league this season in minutes per game, trailing teammate Erin Power and Player of the Year Addie Micir of Princeton. The full Ivy-women's honor roll is as follows:

Player of the Year *Addie Micir, Princeton (Sr., G, Newton, Pa.)

Rookie of the Year Alyssa Baron, Penn (Fr., G, Miami, Fla.)

Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Polansky, Princeton (So., G, Mill Valley, Calif.)

First Team All-Ivy (6) *Devona Allgood, Princeton (Jr., C, Huntersville, N.C.) Kathleen Barry, Columbia (Sr., G, Valley Center, Calif.) *Brogan Berry, Harvard (Jr., G, Beavercreek, Ohio) *Addie Micir, Princeton (Sr., G, Newton, Pa.) Lauren Edwards, Princeton (Jr., G, Los Angeles) Megan Vasquez, Yale (So., G, Merrick, N.Y.)

Second Team All-Ivy (5) Sheila Dixon, Brown (So., G, Schenectady, N.Y.) Mady Gobrecht, Yale (Sr., F, New Haven, Conn.) Victoria Lippert, Harvard (So., G, San Diego) Emma Markley, Harvard (Sr., F, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) Faziah Steen, Dartmouth (So., G, Kalamazoo, Mich.)

Honorable Mention (3) Alyssa Baron, Penn (Fr., G, Miami, Fla.) Michelle Cashen, Yale (Jr., F, Belle Harbor, N.Y.) Clare Fitzpatrick, Cornell (So., F, Southbury, Conn.)

Rookie Team (5) *Alyssa Baron, Penn (Fr., G, Miami, Fla.) *Christine Clark, Harvard (Fr., G, Tucson, Ariz.) Lauren Clarke, Brown (Fr., G, Colts Neck, N.J.) *Janna Graf, Yale (Fr., F, Mission Woods, Kan.) Brianna Orlich, Columbia (Fr., G, Fresno, Calif.)

*unanimous selection

All-Ivy hoops selections: Reaction

Player of the Year: I wrote last month that Princeton's Kareem Maddox should get this award, and I still believe it. Maddox is the most versatile player in the league, the best defensive player in the league (as was voted) and a dynamic offensive threat. He's the backbone of the Ivies' best defense, and defense is too often underrated when it comes to MVP voting. Don't get me wrong - Keith Wright was a solid selection and is a great player. There are very few true post presences in the Ivy League, and he's one of them. His numbers look great, but I just don't think he has the same impact as Maddox on both ends of the floor. If anything, the two should have split the award - especially since their teams split the Ivy title.

Rookie of the Year: Based on the all-Ivy selections (I'll get to that soon), it's clear that the voters stressed winning. The Rookie of the Year award was the exception. McGonagill was the lead guard for the Bears and played a bigger role on his team than Miles Cartwright or Laurent Rivard. But his bigger role and his strong numbers (15 ppg, 6 apg in Ivy play) likely stemmed from his team's 11-17 record (4-10 Ivy). On a bad team with a weak backcourt, McGonagil had a much better opportunity to step in and play than Cartwright or Rivard. He was forced to carry more of the scoring and ballhandling load because of his team's lack of depth and talent - much like Zack Rosen for Penn last season. In my mind, it is more impressive for a rookie to step into a winning environment and contribute under high-pressure circumstances. Since the top 3 candidates have very similar numbers, I would have given this award to a title-winner: Laurent Rivard. Either way, though, Brown got a real steal in McGonagill.

Defensive Player of the Year: I already confessed my soft spot for Maddox above, so of course I think the league got this one right. Maddox is a legitimate defensive force with the ability to guard four, if not all five positions. His athleticism allows him to be a shutdown individual defender and a good shot blocker.

First Team: I don't think you can really argue with these selections. The voters combined players whose efforts carried lesser talented teams to solid seasons (Agho, Rosen, Mangano) with the best players on winning teams (Maddox, Wright). The big surprise here is Mangano, who seemingly came out of nowhere to jump from 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds per game to 16 and 10. Much like Maddox, there is no player in the league like Mangano, who anchored the Yale defense and provided an inside-out post threat.

Second Team: This one was a little shakier. Though I like that four of the five players came from the champions, I could make the case for two replacement players: 1) Brian Barbour or Christian Webster over Wroblewski and 2) the one all Penn fans want to hear, Jack Eggleston over Hummer.

Wroblewski seems random among this group, almost like a reward to Cornell for the past three seasons. His team was 6-8 and he shot 39 percent from the floor. Much like McGonagill, his nice numbers come from the fact that he needed to take shots to keep his young team afloat. Webster, meanwhile, shot an efficient 44 percent from the floor. You could say it's easier to get open looks on a great team like Harvard, but from what we saw out of the Big Red this year, they really space the floor and try to spread the ball around, so an efficient scorer could wait for good opportunities. Barbour put up 15 points per game during Ivy play for Columbia, fourth in the league, and shot 44 percent on the year.

Those of us who follow the Quakers day-in and day-out know the huge impact Eggleston has on this program, both on and off the court. Jack and Ian Hummer posted fairly similar numbers, so I'd think the voters would give the nod to a senior who's given his heart and soul to the Ivy League over a sophomore. Even basketball-wise, Eggleston is the more impactful player. Hummer is a beast on the low block (56 percent shooting) but can't take his game outside like Jack can. Eggleston really slowed down the second half of the Ivy season, but that's because teams began honing in on him, staying glued to him out to the three-point line. If he had the wealth of scorers around him that Hummer did, he would have found openings all season and contributed even more than Hummer. Bottom line: if there were a draft of Ivy players before the season, I think coaches would take Eggleston over Hummer in a second (the same argument can be made for Maddox over Wright for POY). Instead, Eggleston will leave Penn as a ring-less "honorable mention"

NCAA Wrestling Championships features six Penn grapplers

The NCAA released its brackets for the 2011 Wrestling Championships, which will be held March 17-19 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, and six grapplers will be representing the Red and Blue.

Junior Mark Rappo (125 pounds) is the lone of the six — a group including him, brothers Micah and Gabe Burak, Scott Giffin, Rollie Peterkin, and Zack Kemmerer — to be making his first appearance at the NCAAs, but he and Kemmerer (who went 0-2 in his NCAA run a year ago) have emerged as two of the steadiest wrestlers on the team and could make some noise. Kemmerer (141) led the team with 31 wins and is currently ranked 13th in the nation in his weightclass.

Micah (197), a sophomore, and his senior brother Gabe (165) will each be making their second trip to NCAAs and will hope to put together extended runs in the tourney (they both had quick exits a year ago, going 1-2 and 0-2, respectively). Micah was already prepared to compete at the collegiate level as a freshman last year, and he has only gotten better this year. He currently sits ranked 9th in the nation at 197 and went 26-6 during the season (23-10 in 2009-10). Gabe meanwhile went 20-6 on the year.

For seniors Gabe, Giffin (174) and Peterkin (133), this will be the last shot at a national title. Some may have questioned whether Peterkin would be able to round back into form after taking a year off last year and moving up a weightclass, but Rollie has been a stud for the Quakers, boasting a 26-5 record. Giffin, meanwhile, looked poised to have a great year coming off his All-American honors a year ago, but injuries bogged him down to the point that he actually considered quitting. Still, he managed to secure an at-large bid thanks to his 19-10 record and perhaps the respect/reputation he has gained — he was a three-time qualifier heading into this year.

Rosen named all-Ivy, Harvard's Wright is POY

Penn junior point guard Zack Rosen was named first-team all-Ivy for the second straight season, becoming the 17th player in program history to earn the honor in consecutive years — but unlike last year, Rosen was not a unanimous selection in 2010-11.

Rosen led the Quakers, averaging 14.3 points per game and was second in the league in assists (6.2). He also led the Ancient Eight in minutes per game (37.4). He's joined on the all-Ivy rosters by senior Jack Eggleston, who was named an honorable mention. Eggleston finished 10th in the league in scoring (13.6 ppg) and third in rebounding (7.9 per game). As captains, both players brought intangibles to the team that are likely surpassed by statistics.

Earning the league's top honor of Player of the Year is Harvard's Keith Wright, who finished third in the League in scoring (14.9) and had a league leading .588 field goal percentage. He was also second in rebounds per game (8.5).

Brown freshman Sean McGonagill received the Rookie of the Year award.

The rest of the all-Ivy honors are as follows:

2010-11 MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-IVY TEAMS

Player of the Year Keith Wright, Harvard (Jr., F, Suffolk, Va.)

Rookie of the Year *Sean McGonagill, Brown (Fr., G, Brookfield, Ill.)

Defensive Player of the Year Kareem Maddox, Princeton (Sr., F, Oak Park, Ill.)

First Team All-Ivy Noruwa Agho, Columbia (Jr., G, New City, N.Y.) *Keith Wright, Harvard (Jr., F, Suffolk, Va.) Zack Rosen, Penn (Jr., G, Colonia, N.J.) *Kareem Maddox, Princeton (Sr., F, Oak Park, Ill.) *Greg Mangano, Yale (Jr., C, Orange, Conn.)

Second Team All-Ivy Chris Wroblewski, Cornell (Jr., G, Highland Park, Ill.) Kyle Casey, Harvard (So., F, Medway, Mass.) Brandyn Curry, Harvard (So., G, Huntersville, N.C.) Ian Hummer, Princeton (So., F, Vienna, Va.) Dan Mavraides, Princeton (Sr., G, San Mateo, Calif.)

Honorable Mention Tucker Halpern, Brown (So., F, Brookline, Mass.) Brian Barbour, Columbia (So., G, Alamo, Calif.) Christian Webster, Harvard (So., G, Washington, D.C.) Jack Eggleston, Penn (Sr., F, Noblesville, Ind.)

* - Unanimous Selection

Andy Toole's RMU playing to dance tonight

Penn's chances of Ivy glory and postseason dreams were dashed several weeks ago. And with Harvard and Princeton set to clash for the Ivy's bid, maybe it's time for Penn fans to start moving their eggs to another basket.

Tonight, that basket is Robert Morris, where Penn basketball alum Andy Toole (click here for a great profile of the NCAA Division I's youngest coach) is now head coach. RMU faces Brooklyn's Long Island University in the Northeast Conference tournament championship tonight. The winner goes on to represent the league in the Big Dance next weekend.

Toole's Colonials won by one the last time they traveled to Brooklyn to face LIU, but they were blown out at home by the Blackbirds in the teams' second meeting this year. You can find out who will win the rematch tonight on ESPN2