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Learning to play their roles

(03/07/03 10:00am)

Over the last couple of years, some Penn basketball players have made a national name for themselves. Shooting guard Jeff Schiffner is currently the NCAA's leading three-point shooter and Ugonna Onyekwe may still have an outside chance at reaching the NBA. And thanks to the YES Network, anyone in the U.S. with a satellite dish had the ability to watch David Klatsky's dramatic threes in Penn's critical Feb. 15 victory over Brown. Even New York sports radio host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo commented on WFAN how riveting it was to watch the conclusion of that contest. But every player on the Penn basketball team has a story, even if it all of them have not unfolded on the Palestra court in front of the screaming crowds. For example, one was the valedictorian of his Kentucky high school, and another has an American-Australian dual-citizenship and hopes to extend his basketball career next year Down Under. Seniors Duane King and Andrew Coates are far from household names, but they will be among those honored for Senior Night on Saturday. And if you ask head coach Fran Dunphy, they are as deserving of recognition as anyone. "Their contributions are in many ways immeasurable," Dunphy said. "They work as hard as anyone else does, they're into it, they understand their roles and they truly are team guys. We couldn't ask for a whole lot more." To their frustration, the value of King and Coates to the Penn program has not manifested itself in game situations. King, the Louisville, Ky., academic star, has appeared in 13 games, while Coates, the forward from Seattle, Wash., has played in just nine. And combined, they've barely been on the floor for an hour all season. They average a combined 1.5 points per game, as the two friends have between them netted seven field goals on the year. But they have learned to first cope with their role on the team, and have gradually appreciated it. Beyond coping with their role the two friends have over the years pushed each other forward and set a strong example for the younger members of the Quakers. "I probably couldn't have done this without him," Coates said. "I don't know if he could have done this without me because we're always there for each other. "He's one of the most positive people that I've ever been around. We find a lot of strength from each other." King, a 6-foot-5 guard who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, shared similar thoughts about Coates. "Early on this year, I was so down because I wasn't playing," he said. "But I took a page from Andrew's book -- I saw how hard he worked, how much he stuck with it and stayed positive, and I fed off him. "Now we work hard in the weight room together, come out and take extra shots on days off -- he's meant a lot to me on and off the court. We go out to eat, we hang out a lot. It's a good friendship." The two seniors, particularly King, have been afforded a few opportunities to showcase their skills in the last few years. King has enjoyed two strong performances against Temple, including a Dec. 30, 2001 game, in which he scored a career-high 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting. He connected on a trio of three-pointers that day. When King and Coates decided to attend Penn, they didn't think they would be treasuring such games. Instead, they were supposed to be regular occurrences. Still, despite some disappointment over the lack of court time, the teammates insist that they will have very fond memories of their time playing for the Red and Blue when they are honored before Saturday's game against Cornell -- a game which could clinch the Ivy title for Penn. "In general, it's been a great experience," Coates said. "The team's been so successful. It's a great team -- has great players and great coaches -- so it's been really enjoyable."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/03/learning_to_play_their_roles

Brown hoops: the new kid on the block

(02/26/03 10:00am)

The Penn men's basketball team will bring a 9-0 Ivy League record into this weekend's games, but somehow that's not the main story. The Brown Bears, who have won only one Ancient Eight championship in the 47-year history of the modern Ivy League schedule, enter Friday's game against the Quakers boasting a 9-1 league record. A victory at home over the Red and Blue would put Brown in excellent position to secure its first title since the 1985-86 campaign. In the following 16 seasons, only Cornell in 1987-88 has interrupted a championship string in which either Penn or Princeton has claimed the league every year. At 7-2 in the Ancient Eight, it appears that the Tigers will not be roaring into the NCAA Tournament. This means that Brown has a real opportunity at least to set up a one-game playoff to determine the title if it can sweep its games at home this weekend against Penn and Princeton. When the ball is tossed in the air on Friday night, the Bears will have more pressure on them because they are a game behind Penn in the loss column, but the situation could easily have been reversed. The Red and Blue had an especially difficult time against Brown at the Palestra on Feb. 15, as the home team overcame a 66-61 deficit in the closing minutes to earn a 73-66 victory. Without two clutch David Klatsky three-pointers and an absolute meltdown by the Bears, the burden of catching up in the Ivy race would be on the Quakers' shoulders as they prepare for their second New England tour in as many weeks. • In the first meeting between the two teams, Klatsky ignited the crowd with his late-game heroics, but Brown coach Glen Miller offered up his own brand of fireworks afterwards at the press conference. Refusing directly to answer any reporters' inquiries, Miller instead chose to discuss at every turn what he perceived as the three referees' bias against any Ivy League road team playing in Princeton or Philadelphia. "That's why there's such an imbalance in this goddamn league, because you can't go to Penn and Princeton and get a fair shake," he vented. "Our guys outplayed them the whole freakin' game." Miller insisted that his squad played the equivalent of a five-on-eight game all night due to the officials' penchant to blow the whistle only against Brown. He also fell just short of predicting that the Bears would top Penn in this week's rematch in Providence. "We don't care about respect," Miller said. "We're good enough to beat this team. When they come to our place, we'll tee it up again. We're not taking a backseat to anybody in this league." • Penn forward Ugonna Onyekwe shot a sizzling 11-for-15 from the field at Dartmouth on Saturday night, scoring 25 points. In the process, he surpassed Kevin McDonald's 1,644 points to become the Quakers' second all-time leading scorer. Onyekwe, entering this weekend, has 1,650 career points. McDonald starred for the Red and Blue from 1975 to 1978. Ernie Beck, who graduated in 1953, is Penn's all-time leader with 1,827 points. Onyekwe had a disappointing nine-point performance against the Crimson on Friday before dominating the Big Green.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/02/brown_hoops_the_new_kid_on_the_block

Penn sweeps opening Ivy weekend

(02/03/03 10:00am)

The Penn men's basketball team had little difficulty disposing of two Ivy League rivals at the Palestra over the weekend, as the Red and Blue finally opened their conference schedule. With or without starting point guard Andrew Toole, the story was the same -- a convincing Penn win. The Quakers (10-5, 2-0 Ivy League) cruised past Dartmouth, 73-50, on Friday night before defeating Harvard (10-7, 2-2), 75-59, on Saturday. Toole, who sprained his right ankle in Tuesday night's victory over La Salle, was inactive on Friday and dressed in street clothes. He returned to the lineup on Saturday night. Junior guard Charlie Copp started in his place against the Big Green (4-13, 0-4), with senior David Klatsky providing effective minutes off the bench. "The guards are all pretty similar -- we play well together," Klatsky said. "Toole steps out, a guy like Chuck [Copp] steps in, and it doesn't really change much." Despite the pregame chants of "We want cheesesteaks" by the fans who remembered Penn's 100-point effort against Dartmouth last year, the Quakers' offense was quiet in the first half of their Ivy opener. The Red and Blue were fortunate, however, that the Big Green had even more trouble getting their shots to fall. Still, Dartmouth tied the game at 18 with 4:08 remaining in the first, when Dartmouth freshman guard Mike Lang drilled a three from the left side. But Penn used a 12-0 run to close the half, capped by a Ugonna Onyekwe three-pointer with nine seconds left. That was Onyekwe's lone basket in the first 20 minutes, but he came alive in the second stanza when he began to drive the lane. "I think he opened it up for himself," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I thought he adjusted pretty well in the second half." Onyekwe, Klatsky and sophomore guard Tim Begley all finished with 14 points to lead all scorers in the game. The Quakers also enjoyed a significant advantage on the glass, outrebounding Dartmouth, 39-22, including a 19-5 edge on the offensive boards. "I think it's very important," Dunphy said. "We had a number of second chance opportunities. Even if you don't convert on those, it's kind of demoralizing to the opposition." The rebounding disparity led to Penn attempting 19 more shots than the Big Green. Toole returned on Saturday night to lead the Quakers not only in shot attempts but also field goals, points, and assists. The Red Bank, N.J., native scored 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting against Harvard, including 11 in the game's first 10 minutes.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/02/penn_sweeps_opening_ivy_weekend

M. Hoops led by Onyekwe in Big 5 win

(01/29/03 10:00am)

After coming off the bench for the past five games, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year returned to the Penn starting lineup and returned his team to the win column. Ugonna Onyekwe scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds -- both team highs -- as the Quakers defeated La Salle at the Palestra last night, 79-66. The victory means that the Red and Blue (8-5, 3-1 Big 5) retain a chance at the Big 5 title, dependent upon Saint Joseph's (2-0 Big 5) final two city contests. The Hawks defeated the Quakers, 66-48, on Saturday night at the Palestra, and Penn coach Fran Dunphy was pleased with the way his team turned the page after such a frustrating loss. "I thought it was a character game for us, coming off the St. Joe's game," Dunphy said. "We needed to step up and really play well." Points were at a premium in the first half for both clubs, but La Salle (8-9, 0-2 Big 5) had particular trouble finding its touch. Neither team scored until Penn senior Andrew Toole converted a Jeff Schiffner steal into a layup at the 17:44 mark. The Explorers would not get on the board until Jermaine Thomas nailed a three with 3:37 gone by. The Quakers used threes from Toole and sophomore Tim Begley to get the offense moving -- for a while -- as Penn opened an 18-5 lead at the 11:03 point. But the Quakers did not score again for another 5:27, during which La Salle was able to slice the lead to 18-15. The teams headed to the locker room with Penn ahead, 27-21, following a first half that would even seem low-scoring to Mike Mitchell and Rob Milanese. The story was different, however, in the second half in which Penn consistently connected from beyond the arc and reeled off 52 points. Penn had a scare with 14:41 remaining in the half, when a breakaway layup by David Bell gave La Salle its first lead since it was ahead, 3-2.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/m-hoops-led-by-onyekwe-in-big-5-win

M. Hoops vies for Big 5

(01/24/03 10:00am)

Crazy things can happen in the Big 5. For example, in tomorrow night's game at the Palestra against St. Joseph's, Penn will be introduced as the road team in its own building. Common sense and the Quakers (7-4, 2-0 Big 5) are here the victims of the rotational system -- which has installed the "visiting" Hawks as the hosts. "There's going to be a huge crowd, a lot of fans for St. Joe's and a lot for us," Penn forward Jeff Schiffner said. "It's going to be a lot of fun. It'll be loud like it always is." Perhaps wearing their road jerseys could be an advantage tomorrow night for the 8 p.m. tipoff. In the Red and Blue's games against Monmouth and USC, both away, they have posted 99 and 98 points, respectively. They most recently beat Lafayette by 10 in Easton, Pa. Penn stunned USC at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Jan. 11, 99-61. One week later, the Quakers throttled Monmouth, 98-54, in Asbury Park, N.J. Like in those games, junior Adam Chubb will start in place of senior Ugonna Onyekwe. A run at free cheesesteaks -- 100 points -- does not seem to be in the cards tomorrow, however. St. Joe's (13-2, 1-0 Big 5) has played a relentless, pressure-style defense this year, which has limited opponents to an average of just 55.6 points per game. The numbers are staggering. The most points that the Hawks have surrendered this year is 78, in an overtime victory at Gonzaga. That is the only time that Phil Martelli's club allowed more than 63 points this season. Incidentally, St. Joe's most dominating defensive display came at the Palestra on Dec. 7, when the Hawks shut down Drexel in a 50-37 win. This has all the potential for a Big 5 classic, as an explosive Penn offense looks to penetrate basketball's version of Dallas' Doomsday defense. "We're shooting it well in this stretch here," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "But the problem is that we can't count on shooting that well every night. "We have to count on playing good defense and making good decisions on offense. Hopefully, we'll be able to move the basketball and run our offense as crisply as we can and get good shots." St. Joe's Jameer Nelson, a junior guard from Chester, Pa., has not had much of a problem locating his shot this season. Nelson is shooting 46 percent from the floor in 2002-2003, scoring a team-high 18.5 points per game, and grabbing a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game. "We're going to have to try a couple different things to hopefully not let him affect the game as much as he can," Dunphy said. "Whether it's not letting him touch the ball as much as he typically does, or double-teaming him." Schiffner agreed that the first- team All-Atlantic 10 star will be difficult to handle. "He's the leader of their offense. Everything is pretty much run through him," Schiffner said. "We have to try to contain him as best we can." Dunphy explained, however, that St. Joe's features a number of other offensive weapons as well. "Delonte West is becoming one of the best scorers in the area, if not [on] the East Coast. He's another guy that we really have to pay attention to," he said. West, a 6'3" sophomore from Greenbelt, Md., is averaging 17.1 points per contest. Still, the good news for Penn is that the Hawks score a shade under 70 points per game. Yet, in such a fierce rivalry, such stats often mean little. "City games are a lot more intense -- the atmosphere is incredible," Penn guard Andrew Toole said. "There will be a great buzz. "And those are the games you really want to win -- bragging rights in the city is very important. We're defending Big 5 champs, so we want to defend our crown and get a win on Saturday night."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/m-hoops-vies-for-big-5

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