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(04/21/95 9:00am)
Even though the Princeton Tigers invade Bower Field this weekend for four games that may decide the champion of the Ivy League's Gehrig Division, Penn's biggest opponent may be Cousin Brewski. The first-place Quakers' biggest nemesis may not be Tigers' ace hurler Dave Kahney or slugger Mike Ciminiello, but the Spring Fling activities surrounding them. Penn (16-16, 8-4 Ivy league) took sole command of the division lead with last weekend's four-game sweep of Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. In tomorrow and Sunday's noon doubleheaders, the Quakers are hoping to put some distance between themselves and second-place Columbia, which is only one game out. The Tigers (13-16, 6-6) know the quartet of games is crucial if they hope to make a run for the crown. Princeton is only two games off the pace with a great opportunity to grab a share of the lead this weekend. The Tigers are also hoping to get revenge from last season, when Penn went into Old Nassau and took three out of four games en route to the Gehrig title. Ciminiello, who leads the Ancient Eight in dingers with five, will lead the Tigers' quest. Setting the table for Ciminiello are Dave Ekelund, Zack Perry and Todd Pate, all of whom are hitting over .340 in the Princeton lineup. Their opposition, the Penn pitching staff, tossed four complete games while going a combined 4-0 last weekend in Ithaca. Ed Haughey and Dan Galles, first and second in the Ivies in strikeouts, will key Penn's efforts from the hill. Lance Berger and Mike Shannon, the most talented all-around player in the Ancient Eight, will also get starts. Shannon is dangerous on the other side of the ball as well. Seddon has described him as the Quakers' "one man army" at the plate, and he leads the league in batting (.449) and RBIs (41) and is third in homeruns (4). Shannon is only six hits shy of Glenn Partridge's single-season Penn record of 59, set in 1976. He is also eight RBIs away from breaking Tom Olszak's 1979 record of 48. Trying to contain Shannon and the rest of the Quakers' lineup will be a struggling Tigers staff that has yielded nearly seven runs per game. Kahney and Jon Edgar lead the rotation. While Kahney is fourth in the Ivies in strikeouts and victories, Edgar leads the Tigers with a 2.97 ERA -- by far the best on the team. If the Quakers can focus at the task at hand, the chances are good they repeat last weekend's success and virtually lock up their second consecutive Gehrig Division title. If Penn's boys of summer spend too much time in the Quad, however, they could possibly end up with a quad in the loss column.
(04/12/95 9:00am)
As the last glimpse of sunlight slipped behind the West Philadelphia horizon yesterday, Mike Shannon fired his helmet across Bower Field. Meanwhile, the expletives muttered under Tim Henwood's breath echoed through the blustery April air. Frustration abounded for the Penn baseball team. And rightly so. The Quakers had just been swept by lowly Lehigh on their home field. They have now lost five in a row and six of their last seven, dropping their record to a measly 11-15. Ah, just weeks ago this was a season with such promise. Penn lost just two every-day starters and has its entire starting rotation back from the 1994 squad that was one game away from winning the Ivy League championship. This 1995 season was going to be a celebration of coach Bob Seddon's 25th anniversary at the Quakers' helm. This 1995 season was going to cap Penn's dominance in the major sports, possibly making the Quakers the first Ivy school in history to sweep the football, basketball and baseball crowns in the same academic year. The expectations have not been met. Not even close. Thus far, the Quakers have resembled the keystone cops more than Ivy League champions. In their last four contests, the Red and Blue have committed a whopping 13 errors. There was the booted ground ball with two out in the seventh inning and the game knotted at 2 that cost Penn the first game at Yale this past weekend. Three more miscues helped eradicate a 4-1 Penn lead in the nightcap. Yesterday, it was a ground ball between the legs that sparked a Lehigh rally in game one, giving the Engineers a 3-2 win. That error was one of three in the game, to only four Quakers hits. That's one way to neutralize solid veteran pitching. Don't worry, though. Physical miscues are not the only faux pas made by the Quakers. Penn has not played heads-up baseball of late, either. In yesterday's second game, Lehigh took control of a tied game in the top of the seventh without getting a hit. After a leadoff walk, the Penn catcher instructed his pitcher to try to make a play at second on a sacrifice bunt. Everybody was safe. With runners on first and second with nobody out, a pickoff attempt at second base sailed into center field. A sacrifice fly and suicide squeeze later, and the Quakers trailed 5-3, a lead they would never make up. But they could have. Stupidity erased a rare piece of good fortune for the Quakers. Penn's leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh flared a single into right field. After reaching first base, he rounded the bag (possibly hoping to get a better view of the lovely AT & T building across the Schuylkill) and, believe it or not, the throw from the Lehigh right fielder nabbed him while he was trying to scurry back to first. So much for that all-important leadoff man. A baserunning mistake had cost Penn a run in the bottom of the sixth as well. Miscues like these have cost Penn almost all 15 games it has lost this season. Make no mistake about it though, this ball club does have talent. Right now, the team is lacking something else. What that is -- whether it's confidence, chemistry, desire or heart -- is hard to tell. That is not my judgement to make. The Quakers will make that judgement for themselves and everybody else when they travel to Ithaca for four games against Gehrig Division-rival Cornell this weekend. Penn trails the Big Red and Princeton by only one game in the standings. So, despite all the troubles and unfulfilled expectations, the sun has not entirely set on Penn's season. But shadows are lurking. Jed Walentas is a College junior from New York and Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(04/07/95 9:00am)
There is still a bitter taste in Dan Galles' mouth. It is the taste of defeat and it's left from last season's Ivy League championship series. Galles and the Quakers lost 5-1 to Yale in the decisive third game to end Penn's season in disappointing fashion. The Elis captured their third consecutive league crown. Tomorrow at Yale Field in New Haven, the Quakers (10-9, 3-1 Ivy League) meet their Rolfe Division rivals for the first time since last May. And even though Galles was the lone Penn hurler to be victorious in last year's championship series (he won 8-4 in game two, striking out 10), he is eager to show the Elis (11-11, 2-2) which is the better ball club. "I think we were the better team last year, but they won," Galles said. "We are even stronger this year and I still think we're better. We'll just have to win two games up there to show that." Joining Galles on the mound for the Quakers tomorrow is fellow senior Ed Haughey. Haughey also has painful memories. He was the losing pitcher in game one when his defense committed nine errors en route to a 7-1 defeat. Galles (2-2 with a 2.65 ERA this season) and Haughey (4-1, 2.81 ERA) are the Quakers' two premier starters, and Penn coach Bob Seddon is counting on them to do the job against Yale, the tougher of Penn's two weekend opponents. Penn also plays a noon doubleheader at Brown Sunday. "Yale's the team to beat," Seddon said. "We'd definitely like to get off to a good start. Galles and Haughey should help us do that. Yale is not as good as they were last year, but they'll still win a lot of games. They'll be tough to beat." Making the Elis especially tough will be their two starting pitchers. Taking the hill for the Elis are southpaw Jason Bohannon (4-1, 4.63) and righthander Eric Gutshall. For a freshman, Gutshall (1-1, 3.70) has been remarkably successful, giving up only 19 hits in over 24 innings. He has walked five and struck out 13. Leadoff hitter Dave Feuerstein provides the offensive spark for Yale. Feuerstein has stolen 93 bases in just over three years in New Haven and "can steal at will" according to Seddon. If the Quakers, for their part, want to steal two wins, they know they will have to keep Feuerstein off the basepaths. "The key will be for us to get ahead early and get them out of their running game," Galles said. "Once we have a lead, it will neutralize their speed a little bit, especially in a seven-inning game." The Elis were 16th in the nation last year in stolen bases. In addition to Feuerstein, right fielder Dan Thompson provides plenty of pop to the Elis' lineup. He is tied for the league lead with 24 RBIs along with Penn first baseman Mike Shannon. If the Quakers can survive their twin bill with Yale, the road down I-95 is expected to get much easier. Even though the Bears are supposed to be much-improved over last season, to call the Brown pitching staff "suspect" would be overly generous. "Brown can swing the bats," Seddon said. "But their pitching is absolutely horrendous." Stuart Perry, the Bears' staff ace with a 3.18 ERA will face Penn in game one, but the Quakers are unsure who they'll see in the nightcap. Even against Perry, Penn will have plenty of confidence -- the Quakers have beaten him each of the last two seasons. Further, Brown's staff as a whole has a ERA approaching 8. While that statistic might have Penn's hitters salivating, the Quakers will not get rid of that bitter taste in their mouths unless they sweep Yale.
(04/05/95 9:00am)
Until last Sunday's meeting, when Major League owners decided not to lock out the players, Veterans Stadium was supposed to be the home of the Phil-ins this spring. With the regulars back to work in Florida for spring training, the Vet will be home to another local team tonight. Penn and Drexel meet to break in the new Astroturf at Veterans' Stadium tonight at 7 p.m. in the annual Liberty Bell Classic. The Quakers (10-9) are coming off a successful weekend in which they won three of four games against Ivy League foes Harvard and Dartmouth at Bower Field. Excellent pitching was the key to the weekend's success, and Penn hopes to continue that against its West Philly rival. In last year's Classic, the Quakers saw a convincing 4-1 lead disappear in the eighth inning as Delaware rallied for three runs against senior closer Mike Komsky. Any hope for a win disappeared in the final frame, when the Blue Hens scored three more against Mike Martin for a 7-4 win. The disappointing loss was Penn's third straight setback in the Liberty Bell Classic, a trend the Quakers hope to reverse tonight against the Dragons (17-6), who are leading the North Atlantic Conference with a 6-0 record. Drexel has also defeated Temple, another Philadelphia rival, twice already this season. If Penn is to succeed, it will have to shut down Kris Doiron and John Shannon, Drexel's leading hitters. Doiron has four home runs, to go with a team-leading 25 runs batted in, while hitting .398 through 23 games. He is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak. Shannon complements him beautifully as the Dragons' leadoff man by reaching base a staggering 56 percent of the time. He is hitting .438 with six doubles and 19 walks. If Penn's hurlers can stop this dynamic duo, the odds are certainly in favor of the Quakers. Freshman Armen Simonian, who will be Penn's starting picther tonight, could use some help from the Quakers' bats. Simonian, who has been on fire of late, may help his own cause. He is hitting .600 on the season with 15 hits in 25 at bats. "Armen's a great pitcher. It'll be cold out there and he's going to throw the ball well," Penn catcher Rick Burt said. "He's very mature for a freshman. He'll have no problems at the Vet." Designated hitter Mike Shannon has hit the ball solidly for the Quakers all season, driving in 24 runs in 19 games from the cleanup spot. Unlike the replacement players, Shannon and the Quakers will, barring rain, actually get their three hours of fame under the lights at the Vet.
(03/31/95 10:00am)
For the last four years, baseball coach Bob Seddon has extensively scouted the Dartmouth baseball team before his Penn squad squared off in doubleheaders with the Big Green. And for eight consecutive ballgames, Seddon's Quakers have lost. This year it appears the Penn skipper, in his 25th season at the helm in the Quakers' dugout, is trying a different strategy. "To be perfectly honest, I don't know very much about them. Nothing really," Seddon admitted last night. "They've been our nemesis for the past several years, though," he continued. "Last year, they almost cost us the Gehrig Division title. I don't know what it is." Seddon hopes to end the eight-game streak this weekend at Bower Field. Penn (7-8, 0-0 Ivy League) hosts Harvard (2-5, 0-0) tomorrow for a noon doubleheader and the Big Green Sunday for another high noon affair in the Ancient Eight's first weekend of league play. The Quakers will send senior Ed Haughey to the hill in the opener against Harvard. Haughey is 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA this season for the Red and Blue. "With only seven-inning games, it is very important for Ed to get us off to a good start," Seddon said. "Winning the first game is always crucial." Countering Haughey will be Jamie Irving, the Crimson ace who defeated Penn two years ago. In three games this season, Irving has yet to give up an earned run, although his record is a mediocre 1-1. While his teammates try to score against Irving, Haughey will do his best to keep Harvard's three and four hitters from doing the same damage they did last year. Marc Levy and James Crowley are the Crimson's two most explosive performers at the plate. Crowley pounded out six hits in two games against Penn last year, and Seddon knows the Quakers will have to keep him from beating them again. Senior Lance Berger will try to do the same when he takes the mound for the Quakers in the nightcap tomorrow. Chip Harris will likely get the ball for Harvard. Berger has struggled with his control a bit of late, but he is confident heading into this weekend's play. Perhaps no Quaker is more confident than junior Mike Shannon. Shannon has devastated opposing pitchers all season while occasionally fooling hitters as well. The combination pitcher/first baseman/designated hitter is hitting .421 this season with two home runs and a team-leading 24 RBIs. Shannon will pitch the fourth and final game of the weekend, the nightcap against Dartmouth (4-5, 0-0). "We have to pitch Mike last so he can play the field if we need him," Seddon said. "Otherwise he'd throw out his arm and we might not be able to use him at first base." On the mound, Shannon has compiled a 1-1 record in three starts with a 2.25 ERA. Shannon will follow the Quakers' ace, senior Dan Galles, who will try to shut down the Big Green in Sunday's opener. "Dartmouth will definitely hit the ball better than Harvard," Seddon said. "But they lost all their pitchers from last year, so I think they may be suspect there." Although the Big Green did graduate a number of quality hurlers, they have found at least one ample replacement. Peter Sellers is leading Dartmouth with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings pitched. The freshman is 2-0 on his young career, and the Quakers are hoping he pitches tomorrow at Princeton instead of at Bower Field Sunday. Besides Sellers, the Big Green have only one starter with an ERA below 4. Even if Seddon is not fully up to date on Dartmouth's batting averages and strikeout numbers, he does understand the importance of getting off to a good start in league play. "After this, our next eight games are on the road," Seddon said. "Our kids all know how much these first games mean." With 25 years of experience on the Quakers' bench, it is likely Seddon knows more than he lets on.
(03/29/95 10:00am)
Even though the Quakers have been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, Penn guard Matt Maloney has found ways to continue his basketball season. Last night at Cavanaugh's Restaurant, Maloney won the NBA Jam Final Four by pouring in a world-record 278 points in the final game. The Ivy League player of the year showed off his joystick skills at the West Philadelphia bar, which was standing room only all weekend for the tournament, by winning all 164 of his games. The climax of the event was Maloney's 278-104 thumping of Fran Connors, the University's assistant athletic director, in the finals. "Congratulations big guy," the tearful Connors said to Maloney as they shook hands after the final seconds ticked off the clock. Just as he was when he was en fuego on the Palestra floor, Maloney knocked down 68 treys in the championship game, just one shy of his own record set last year in the semifinals in a losing effort. The ultra-quick guard also recorded 72 steals against Connors. That was good for an all-time finals record. "It was tremendous -- just tremendous," the overjoyed Maloney said after his victory. "My fingers were just working really well today. To be perfectly honest, I don't think there was anything Fran could do to stop me today. I've been practicing really hard all season and everything seemed to come together for me today. I was in a zone." According to one Cavs' employee, who asked to remain anonymous, Maloney has been in the bar every day since school started in September. An endorsement deal with Cavs' enables Maloney to play the video game for free -- all day, all night. "I just think that we're going to have to change his name from 'Money' to 'Quarters' after this display," said teammate Jerome Allen, once again on speaking terms with The Daily Pennsylvanian. "Quarters practices so hard, he deserves to get the win." "I think this is a terrific accomplishment for Matt," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "He's a great person, both on and off the NBA Jam machine. I'll miss being around him next season." Amidst the victory celebration of chicken wings and a Shirley Temple on the rocks, Maloney was handed his first-place prize by close friend and Penn State star John Amaechi -- free roundtrip tickets for two to visit Goofy at Disney World. "Serendipity," Maloney said.
(03/22/95 10:00am)
Even though seniors Jerome Allen, Matt Maloney, Shawn Trice, Eric Moore and Scott Kegler will be graduating in May, there is something to look forward to for Penn basketball fans. Penn coach Fran Dunphy and his staff are working hard to fill the talent void left by the departing class -- and there is optimism on the recruiting front. Jed Ryan, a 6-foot-5 forward from Cathedral Prep in Erie, will attend Penn next fall. Cathedral won the state championship in 1993 and advanced to the finals last year. Ryan led the team in scoring this season, but Cathedral lost last week in the state semifinals. "Kids that come from really successful programs are usually harder workers," Dunphy said. "They know what it takes to win. Jed is a good player. He can make shots and he really knows the game. His best days are certainly in front of him." Ryan was also recruited by Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference schools. One of Ryan's opponents in last year's state final was Ray Carroll, a 6-2 shooting guard at Chester High. Carroll is one of the top students in his class, and is hoping to attend Penn in the fall if the financial aid package the University proposes is acceptable, according to a source familiar with the program. Carroll is a physical guard who plays excellent defense and was instrumental in Chester's state championship last season. Carroll, who averaged 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists per game this past year at Chester, was described by the source as "the ultimate warrior" on the basketball court. "Right now, we're just going through financial matters," Carroll said. "I'm not sure whether I'll get in, but Penn is definitely where I want to be. I'm hoping to get into the Wharton School, but if not I'll study engineering." Although Dunphy has seen Carroll play on numerous occasions, both over the summer and throughout the season, he cannot comment until Carroll is accepted to Penn. "I like coach Dunphy a lot," Carroll said. "He's got a great personality and he's a great coach. I took an unofficial visit and Jerome [Allen] showed me around. He told me all about Penn and what life is like there. I'm looking forward to working real hard and doing my best, but those are big shoes to fill." The most exciting of the potential incoming Quakers could be Rob Hodgson, a 6-7 forward who originally went to Indiana to play for coach Bobby Knight. The Indiana assistants who recruited Hodgson, Long Island's high school player of the year last season, informed him he would play immediately. When Hodgson arrived on campus, however, Knight said he planned to red-shirt the freshman, and Hodgson immediately transferred to Suffolk County Community College. "Indiana was very positive about him," Rob's father said. "They thought he'd be a big part of their future, but Rob feels more certain about things this way." Hodgson likes what he sees at Penn. "Rob is extremely interested in the Wharton School and in studying business," the elder Hodgson said. "He also very much likes the basketball atmosphere at Penn. The Palestra is a great place to play and Coach Dunphy does a terrific job. He wants to continue a great tradition. Right now, we're evaluating the financial aid situation, but there are a lot of positives for Penn." South Carolina, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and North Carolina State are also interested in Hodgson. "He's got lots of talent and he's a very bright student," the source said. "He has Bobby Morris qualities with a real inside-outside game. He has the potential to be really dominant in the Ivy League." Hodgson will not be eligible to play for Penn until second semester next year. After that he will have three full seasons of eligibility remaining. · With all this new talent coming to West Philadelphia, the Quakers need opponents against which to showcase their new talent. No worries. USC is expected to come to the Palestra early next season to complete a home-and-home series started two years ago. A game is also scheduled against Penn State in Atlantic City, the first for the Quakers against the Nittany Lions in three years. And after winning this season's ECAC Holiday Festival in New York, Penn will be hoping to continue its Christmas success next year when the Quakers visit Arizona State for the Sun Devils' annual tourney. In addition to Arizona State, Detroit Mercy and Southern Methodist will also compete in Tempe, Ariz. Dunphy is also trying to set up a game with either St. Louis or Missouri so junior Cedric Laster could play a game near his hometown of Clayton, Mo. This year, Penn travelled to play Michigan for Detroit native Shawn Trice. · With assistant coach Fran O'Hanlon leaving to take the head coaching job at Lafayette, at least one assistant coach position will be vacant. Although no official decision has been made, part-time assistant Steve Donahue is a front-runner for the position. Trice, if he decides to stay in Philadelphia, would be a possibility to assume the part-time job. The Quakers might lose their other assistant coach, Gil Jackson, as well. Jackson is a finalist for the head coaching job at Delaware. "One of the perils of coaching is getting close to people," Dunphy said. "The more success you have, the more chance people have of moving on. We are grateful for everything both of these people have done for our program. We will miss Fran's intellect, his personality and his knowledge of the game. As for Gil, he has served his time very well here and he's more than ready to be a head coach somewhere. It would be a loss for us, but we're prepared to deal with it if it comes to that." As for Dunphy, he insists he is perfectly happy at Penn and has no thoughts of moving on to a program like Georgia or Wisconsin. "I'm perfectly happy where I am," Dunphy said. "Obviously, you always have to do what's best for your family, and you'd look at an offer, but I'm very appreciative of what I have here." The source said he thinks Dunphy will stay at Penn for a long time and eventually would like to move into a position in the athletic administration. On the other hand, Dunphy will not be teaching his Wharton management class in the fall.
(03/17/95 10:00am)
There's nothing like home cookin'. At least that's what the Penn baseball teams hopes. After starting its season 3-7 with 10 road games, the Quakers return to the friendly confines of Bower Field tomorrow for a doubleheader with Pace University. "It's definitely nice to be returning home," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. It's also nice that the Quakers have their two aces, seniors Dan Galles and Ed Haughey, returning to the mound for the noon doubleheader. Penn gave up 13 runs on 16 hits Wednesday at St. Joseph's after stretching deep into its rotation. One problem with the Penn pitching has nothing to do with the pitchers at all. Star catcher Rick Burt, who Seddon called "the key to the success of our pitching staff," is out indefinitely with a sore hamstring. Burt will probably not see action this weekend because the coaching staff wants to make sure he's 100 percent when the Ivy League season starts in two weeks. Even though the Settlers have already beaten the St. Joe's twice this year, the Red and Blue remain confident. "With our aces on the mound, we feel good," Seddon said. "If they hit us, they'll earn it. But they'll throw two pretty good pitchers at us as well. We'll face one righty and one lefty." Seddon has reason for his optimism. Galles, Haughey and the rest of Penn's hurlers were dominant while the team was in Florida over spring break. The losses piled up as the bats were silent and Penn dropped close game after close game. Wednesday the Quakers saw the exact opposite scenario but the same result -- a heartbreaking loss. After rallying from a 9-4 deficit to take the lead, Penn gave up several late runs and suffered another close loss in the late innings. Seddon talked about making some changes to get senior speedster Allen Fischer back into the starting lineup. Sophomore Mark DeRosa had to be moved into Fischer's normal DH spot due to a shoulder injury. DeRosa is one of the team's leading hitters, but Penn sorely misses Fischer's bat and speed on the base paths. Although Seddon has not yet decided exactly how to resolve the situation, he did hint that changes would be made. "Potentially this is a very good baseball team," Seddon said. "But we have to stop talking about it. We have to do it. It's time to start putting things together."
(03/16/95 10:00am)
For Philadelphia's baseball teams, there is no Big 5, but don't tell that to boys of summer at Penn or St. Joseph's. Yesterday's clash at Latshaw/McCarthy Field had all the flavor of a Philadelphia Big 5 basketball contest. The Hawks eventually prevailed 13-11 in what Penn coach Bob Seddon called a "marathon game." The teams compiled 24 runs on 31 hits at the expense of eight different pitchers. First baseman Mike Shannon led the Quakers' hit parade with a double and a grand slam home run, giving the junior six RBIs on the afternoon. The entire Penn lineup hit well yesterday after suffering through a slump during the team's spring break trip to Florida. As well as Penn hit the ball, the Hawks did just a little bit better. St. Joe's jumped out to a 4-0 lead against sophomore Alex Hayden, who had one of his poorest performances as a Quaker. Sophomore Mike Greenwood and freshman Armen Simonian did not fare much better on the hill for Penn while the Hawks erased a mild Penn comeback to extend their lead to 9-4. After the Quakers rallied in the seventh to tie the game and actually claim a brief lead on the strength of Shannon's behemoth grand slam to right center, St. Joe's responded its next time up with three more runs to take the lead for good. The St. Joe's rally was keyed by the heart of its lineup -- the Hawks' three, four and five hitters were responsible for almost all of St. Joe's 13 runs. "Those three guys just killed us all day," Seddon said. "They had extra base hits all day long until [Lance] Berger came in. But by then the damage was done." Although Seddon understands he cannot use the Quakers' best hurlers in midweek games, he is disappointed with yesterday's results after the pitching was so good in Florida. "Different things are wrong at different times," center fielder Sean Turner said. "It's just a matter of getting things all together at once. Down in Florida, our pitching really carried us and today it was just the opposite." The Quakers (3-7) have two weeks to get everything together before league-rival Harvard comes to town for the first twp Ivy League contests of the season. A big part of getting everything together for the Quakers means getting everyone healthy. Junior catcher Rick Burt, a veteran behind the plate who does an excellent job handling Penn's pitchers, is out with an injured hamstring. Although Burt's condition is improving daily, Seddon does not want to rush anything. "We need our injured players back," Seddon said. "We can't have Burt back unless he's 100 percent. I told him that. We need him for league play." Not only does it need Burt back for experience in handling pitchers, but Penn also needs shortstop Mark DeRosa to recover from a shoulder injury. Although DeRosa is healthy enough to bat for the Quakers, he cannot throw. Even though Penn has another competent shortstop in freshman Joe Carlon, DeRosa's move to designated hitter means speed-demon Allen Fischer has to take a seat on the bench. This is disappointing to the Quakers, who miss Fischer at the plate and on the base paths. "It's a major problem for us in personnel," Seddon said. "I've never seen anything like it in my 25 years here. We've got to get Fischer in the game. He's better than some of the guys we have on the field?.With DeRosa and Shannon hitting the ball the way they are, we really need them in the lineup." More than ever before, the Quakers needed them yesterday. Hopefully for the Quakers, they will put get everyone healthy and put everything together. Pace comes to Bower Field for a doubleheader this weekend and the date with the Crimson looms just over two weeks away.
(03/02/95 10:00am)
You might expect the man who played his college home games at the Palestra to cheer for the Quakers when they take on Brown tomorrow evening. Forget about it. You'd think the man who recruited Shawn Trice would be cheering for the Penn senior forward to clinch his third straight Ivy League title. No chance. Brown coach Frank "Happy" Dobbs, will put his Philadelphia roots and his ties to the Quakers behind him tomorrow night at the Palestra and do everything in his power to help his injured Bears delay Penn's hopes for a third consecutive Ivy League championship. Dobbs, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh before playing college basketball at Villanova, is in his fourth season as head coach of the Bears. While he was at 'Nova in the early 1980s, the Wildcats played their home games at the Palestra and more often than not emerged victorious. Dobbs has not won in that building since he took over at Brown. "We had lots of terrific wins in the Palestra due to the great fans there," Dobbs said. "I know what it's like to win there, and I know the losing feeling too. I want to get back on that winning track at the Palestra -- just like we had at Villanova." Many of Dobbs' memories from the Main Line involve Villanova coach Rollie Massimino, who had a great impact on Dobbs' decision to get into coaching and his style on the sidelines. "He was a great tactician as far as the game was concerned," Dobbs said. "He understood situations and when to do things and when not to better than anybody. I was always thankful for the opportunity to learn from him." Dobbs always entertained notions of getting into the coaching profession, but it was a fluke that sent him on his way to Hanover, N.H., for his first coaching assignment. After Dobbs accepted a job at Proctor and Gamble his senior year with the Wildcats, Villanova assistant Paul Cormier took the head coaching job at Dartmouth and asked Dobbs to join his staff. He was disappointed his professional career in the NBA did not work out after he was a fourth-round draft pick in 1984, but Dobbs was eager to try his hand at coaching. After a brief stint with the Big Green and some time as an assistant at Boston College, where he recruited Trice, Dobbs became one of the youngest head coaches in America when he got the top job at Brown. The now 32-year-old Dobbs has posted a career record of 43-59 in Providence. Early success has been the story of Dobbs' life. At the tender age of four, "Happy" earned his everlasting nickname from his father. "My dad felt I was so serious and competitive at that age -- he just wanted me to smile and loosen up," Dobbs said with a chuckle. "Everyone calls me that. Most of my kids don't even know what my real name is, I don't think." The Boston Red Sox knew his name as a senior in high school. The Bo Sox drafted Dobbs after graduation, but life on the diamond was too slow for him. Then the Dallas Cowboys drafted him even though Dobbs had never played football in an organized fashion. "Football was a little different," Dobbs said. "The Cowboys were just looking for athletes, and they invited me to camp. It was fun being there, but I knew it wasn't for me." Coaching is for Dobbs. Although this year's team has been decimated recently by injuries to stars Eric Blackiston and Brian Lloyd, Dobbs remains optimistic about his young club. "Every year we've played a tougher and tougher schedule, and every year we've improved," Dobbs said. "I'd love for that to continue." What would make Dobbs happiest of all is getting back on the winning track at the Palestra tomorrow night.
(03/01/95 10:00am)
Sad Penn basketball fans walk up and down Locust Walk talking about the end of an era. With five graduating seniors leaving behind a list of accomplishments unprecedented for an Ancient Eight team in the modern era, Quakers fans are understandably feeling a sense of loss. Sad Philadelphia basketball fans drive up and down the Main Line thinking about the glory days of the Big 5 -- the days of yore. They wonder why Villanova coach Steve Lappas just doesn't get it. They remember when the excitement of last night's sold-out overtime thriller at the Palestra was a routine part of a Philadelphia winter, like the Mummer's Parade and a Jim's steak on Saturday night. They remember when every game between Temple and St. Joe's came down to the final shot circling the rim several times before the ball cruelly decided who would emerge from the Palestra victorious. Now games like that are a rare and special occasion. Last night's 73-64 Hawks victory was. Big 5 fans are relishing the final games of city stars Kareem Townes, Rick Brunson, Bernard Blunt, Carlin Warley, Mark Bass, Jerome Allen, and possibly Kerry Kittles, should he elect to enter the NBA draft a year early. Penn basketball fans are dreading a future that is expected to pale in comparison to the present. Don't. There is good news on the horizon. It has nothing to do with the Quakers. It has a lot to do with basketball here in Philadelphia. Here at Penn. Here at the Palestra. It is quite possible that the La Salle Explorers, who recently joined the Atlantic 10 Conference, will play their home games at college basketball's most historic arena next season. With the future of La Salle's current home floor, the Civic Center, up in the air, the Explorers are looking for a place to play. They do not have an adequate on-campus facility. Temple's new gym, which has been discussed as a potential future home for Speedy Morris' squad, is several years from completion. The Spectrum is too big, too inconvenient and in too much demand for the Explorers to play there. The Palestra is perfect. "We're not sure about the Civic Center, and we'd love to play doubleheaders with Penn at the Palestra," La Salle athletic director Robert Mullen said last night. "We've had several meetings discussing it, but nothing has been formally decided." Although there has not been any official indication yet, both Morris and Penn coach Fran Dunphy would love to see the idea become a reality. "Personally, I'd love it," Morris said. "The Palestra is where we belong if we can't be on campus. There's not a better place to play college basketball in the country." Dunphy echoed his friend and colleague's thoughts. "I'd love to see them come back," Dunphy said. "It would only add to the character and mystique of the Palestra. It would be terrific to play doubleheaders here with them. It would be great for the city and Philadelphia basketball fans." In an era when national television contracts and big bucks are tearing apart the Big 5, Morris and Dunphy -- two Philly guys -- are quietly reassembling it. All by themselves. They're giving Philly basketball fans something to look forward to. They're giving Penn basketball fans something to look forward to. Every other year, La Salle will match up against city rivals St. Joe's and Temple as part of their regular A-10 schedule. If all goes smoothly, the Palestra would host those epic battles, as well as the rest of the Explorers talent-laden schedule. Just when we thought everything great was leaving the Palestra, the La Salle Explorers may be coming home. Jed Walentas is a College junior from New York and Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(02/27/95 10:00am)
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Penn guard Jerome Allen could not help but laugh. Moments earlier, after a steal by teammate Shawn Trice, center Eric Moore found himself all alone at midcourt. Nobody was between Moore and the Cornell basket, and only Allen could have been considered a trailer. After a treacherous trip downcourt, when Moore considered giving the ball to his nimble guard but decided against it and almost dribbled the ball off his foot several times in the process, the lumbering center finally converted the layup. Cornell coach Al Walker called timeout with his Big Red already down 10-0 after not even two minutes of play on Senior Night in Ithaca, and Allen giggled all the way to the bench. Moore smiled sheepishly. Although Moore's fast-break layup did not end with the electrifying spread-eagle jam fans have come to expect from Allen or swingman Ira Bowman, it did epitomize the Quakers' success this weekend. Penn used a stifling man-to-man defense to create a combined 30 first-half turnovers in its weekend doubleheader in the Empire State. Friday night at Levien Gym, the Quakers turned 15 first steals in the opening 20 minutes into numerous fast-break layups en route to a 48-8 lead. "We try to put a lot of pressure on opposing teams because of our speed and quickness," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I'd like to think that we're a good defensive team." Every starting Quaker and Bowman got into the first-half thievery, with Allen and Matt Maloney setting the pace with four takeaways apiece. Heckling fans commented that more stealing took place in Levien Gym Friday night than on the surrounding streets of upper Manhattan. The next night at the Newman Center was a virtual carbon copy. In what was only a mild letdown after Friday night's slaughter, the Quakers tallied five transition dunks or layups in six trips down the court while building a 21-0 lead. The Big Red never came close to recovering. After several more Allen layups and Bowman jams, the lead reached 48-9. That one-point differential may explain why Cornell remains ahead of New York rival Columbia in the Ivy League standings. Penn's defense explains why the Quakers extended their Ancient Eight winning streak to 40 this weekend. "We started off playing good defense," Maloney said. "It made it easy for us to pull away." Over the course of the first half against Cornell, Penn shot a remarkable 63.6 percent from the floor, a testament to their many uncontested looks at the basket. The Big Red on the other hand made only 18.8 percent of its field goals attempts. It is this defensive intensity that has been lacking for the Quakers throughout much of this Ivy League season. Too often, according to Dunphy, Penn has relied on its skilled offensive players to simply outscore opponents. This weekend, the Red and Blue turned up the heat, and their New York foes never even got into the ball game. Before the echo of the national anthem had left either gym, the possibility of an upset had evaporated. Penn's defense became its offense.
(02/17/95 10:00am)
"The conditions were ridiculous. Our treatment on the floor by the officials and off the floor by those damn, horn-blowing, hollering St. Joseph's fans was atrocious. It was a damn farce. I'd just like to get them out in Kansas once." Unfortunately for coach Gary Thompson, whose undefeated and No. 1 ranked Wichita State Shockers were shocked by the Hawks 76-69 back in 1964, there is no place in Kansas like the Palestra. There is no place in the world like it. "I've been all around the free world -- also the Big 10, Pac 10, Big 8 and all those different places," Big 5 Hall of Famer and Temple star Guy Rodgers said. "None of them fits the bill as the Palestra does. I can be in a filled Palestra or an empty Palestra, and the sound is still beautiful." Thompson may have disagreed and vowed never to return, but his disdain for "college basketball's most historic gym" is not universally subscribed to. The Palestra, throughout its 68-year existence on 33rd Street, has been home to more games, more teams and more NCAA tournament contests than any other arena in the country. The rich tradition now synonymous with the Palestra resulted from decades of great basketball in every sense of the sport. It resulted from rainbows of streamers. It resulted from the smell of soft pretzels wafting through the corridors. It resulted from banners that have read everything from "Temple tuition: 500 S & H Green Stamps" after the North Philly university first received state funding to "What's the difference between Chris Ford and a dead baby? A dead baby doesn't suck," to "Penn Basketball -- It's Frantastic," in celebration of coach Fran Dunphy's revival of the Quakers' program. It resulted from players like Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell and Calvin Murphy visiting. It resulted from Guy Rodgers and Ken Durrett and Corky Calhoun and Matt Guokas playing their college home games there. It resulted from Big 5 coaches Jack Ramsay and Jack Kraft and Jack McCloskey and Dick Harter and Paul Westhead and Jack McKinney and Chuck Daly and Rollie Massimino and John Chaney roaming the sidelines. It resulted from the acoustical anomaly described by sports writer Joe Rhoads: "The Palestra has the acoustics of a big bass drum. It's a basketball echo chamber where every sound iS amplified, where every 100 people sound like 1,000, where 1,000 sound like 10,000 and where 10,000 sound like nothing you've ever heard before." It has resulted in countless mismatches becoming upsets.Wilt Chamberlain's Overbrook High suffered a shocking loss to West Catholic in the 1953 city championship game after the underdogs practiced all week with a defender standing on a table under the Palestra baskets. In 1962, top-10 Bowling Green fell to St. Joseph's on the Palestra hardwood. Two years later was the Hawks' upset of No. 1 Wichita State. In 1984, those same never-say-die Hawks toppled top-ranked DePaul in the 1980s' greatest episode of Palestra pandemonium. These are just a few of the upsets and buzzer-beaters that add a special quality to the air inside the Palestra and energize they fans as the walk into the dank arena. "It didn't have theater seats, just those bleachers with everyone crowded in," former Villanova assistant and USC coach George Raveling said. "You sat there rubbing shoulders with the guy next to you, and the human electricity got the place flowing." "It's absolutely the best college basketball arena in the country," Temple coach John Chaney said. "There's not a bad seat in the house." Like most gymnasiums, the Palestra had modest beginnings. The aura was not always there. The history could not always be smelled. The memories that provide enough stories to fill the national archives used to be just dreams. After years of discussion concerning the inadequacy of Weightman Hall as Penn's premier gym, the University finally bought several parcels of land to the north of Franklin Field with the purpose of building a new athletic facility. With the support of Penn Council of Athletics Chairman Sydney Hutchinson, construction began on the edifice in 1926. At the December 23 ceremony to formally dedicate the Palestra, Hutchinson said, "the rearing of this structure, the Palestra, is a fitting testimonial to the remarkable interest being evidenced in college athletics." The toughest part of the entire building process may have been naming the gym. After "Coliseum" and "Arena" were dismissed for their lack of originality, Ralph Morgan, the founder of the Intercollegiate Basketball Rules Committee and a Penn trustee, consulted Greek professor Dr. William N. Bates. "That's easy," Bates replied when asked what the gym should be named. "The Greeks had their gymnasia where their young men trained for their feats of prowess. And then they had their Palestra, a rectangular enclosure attached to the gymnasium where they displayed their prowess to the view of all who would come to view." Five minutes later, the arena had its name -- from the Greek palaistra and the Latin palaestra. The Palestra. The only difference between the West Philly version and its ancient counterparts was the roof. Philadelphia's Palestra has one. Athens' did not. A necessary addition to combat frigid winters, the roof was nothing shy of spectacular. Sunlight flows in through the skylights past a set of ten steel trusses. Princeton coach Pete Carril is sure his ancestors helped build those trusses at Bethlehem Steel several generations ago. The Palestra floor got its first official use January 1, 1927 as the Quakers defeated Yale 26-15. The echo of screaming Philadelphia basketball fanatics has not left the building since.
(02/02/95 10:00am)
As a senior at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Gabe Hunterton was the most highly touted recruit to commit to the Ivy League since Jerome Allen. Like Allen, Hunterton sought a world-class education and hoped to become a leader on the hardwood. And like Allen, Hunterton was part of a strong recruiting class he hopes leads the Elis to the Ivy League championship before he graduates. Friday night in Yale's Payne Whitney Gymnasium, Hunterton will have the opportunity to go head-to-head with Allen. First place in the Ivy League standings will be at stake, as will the top spot in the league's scoring category. Allen currently ranks second with 15.5 points per game through Penn's first 14 contests, while Hunterton is leading the Elis with 13.3. In Yale's four Ivy contests, that scoring clip has risen to an extraordinary 18.5. "I can't wait to play against Allen and [Penn guard Matt] Maloney," Hunterton said. "I wish we could play against the best teams in the country every weekend. It's always a challenge to play against people that are supposedly better than you." Although Hunterton will be a stiff test for Allen and Maloney, the Quakers' star backcourt will be ready for him. "We'll be mixing up the matchups as we have all year," Allen said. "He's been playing very well, but the key is for us to control the tempo and stay in focus and in control. I respect everybody I play against. When you start taking things for granted because they're freshmen or whatever, that's when you get beat." Hunterton's resume shows he is not someone who should be taken for granted. Last season at Gorman, Hunterton averaged better than 30 ppg en route to becoming the school's all-time leading scorer and being named the Las Vegas player of the year. "There's no doubt he's a great scorer," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said of Hunterton. "He's a player that can create his own shot. Their two guards are both scorers. They complement each other nicely. Hunterton has tremendous poise. He doesn't get rattled, and he makes his shots. I like what I've seen." Dunphy recruited the him only lightly. The Quakers focused their efforts more on freshman George Zaninovich. According to Hunterton's mother, Yale was the only school that was serious about her son. "Yale was by far the most interested, and he knew he'd have a leadership impact," Nancy Sargent-Hunterton said. "He wanted to go somewhere and develop their program. To this point, he is delighted. He didn't anticipate his success to this degree." Discussing his sudden stardom in New Haven, Hunterton gives all the credit to his teammates. Backcourt mate Jim Kawahito has contributed 11.3 ppg in the Elis' four Ivy League games, taking much of the pressure off the 6-foot-2-inch freshman. "With Jim and three real good frontcourt players, I've gotten lots of good looks at the basket all year," Hunterton said. "Early on, I just wasn't hitting my shots. I've started to heat up of late, and my numbers are improving a lot." Those numbers have been astronomical in Ivy games. 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.75 assists per game. He's shooting 45.1 percent from the field, 50 percent from downtown and 87.5 from the charity stripe. Despite three straight Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors and other individual accolades, Hunterton's goals are all team oriented. He wants to win the Ivy title and get to the NCAA tournament. "I can't wait to play Penn," he said. "It's our chance to prove we belong at the top of this league."
(02/01/95 10:00am)
With the mighty Quakers so clearly dominant on the hardwood around the Ivy League and the invitations for the Big Dance already mailed to Lord Dunphy, we at Ivy Roundup are forced to look elsewhere for actual Ancient Eight entertainment. Roundup staffers have therefore abandoned their previously ongoing analysis on the genetic miscue that caused Princeton center Rick Hielscher to be stiffer than Pee Wee Herman in Times Square. After watching Tim Krug apply the "facial" to everyone's favorite pussy (cat), ah -- we mean Tiger, Roundup experts deemed Hielscher no longer worthy of our research dollars. Roundup linguistics experts are also giving up on deciphering Pete Carill's babbling antics. There's no method to his madness -- just senility. But remember, it doesn't make him a bad guy. Someday you'll be senile too -- unless you're a Swami of course, in which case you'll never grow old. The rest of you just won't look as old and ugly as poor Yoda up at Old Nassau. But then again, you probably don't have to look Hielscher in the face every day and tell him his game really is starting to take form. Princeton took enough abuse Saturday night at the Palestra, so let's get on with the show -- it's a tale of MTV and Buckelew Bonzai, of heads in awkward positions, of arms in awkward positions and of Big Red priorities (or lack thereof). SandBlast of the Week While Penn's hoops stars go on to the professional ranks, Columbia's?don't. Witness ex-Lions great Ty Buckelew. We here at Ivy Roundup discovered this awesome Ivy League hoops legend recently on MTV's "SandBlast." Crushed, outsmarted, outplayed. Oh, his Columbia playing days did indeed prepare him for something. "It was a great experience," Buckelew said. "It was a great opportunity and a great experience. I could have done better, though." Buckelew is referring to the fact that he was swept in every single one of his events. He even lost in the slam dunk contest to a kickboxer. We here at Roundup want to know what's up with that. That kickboxer may have knocked some sense into Buckelew, however. Ty did say he believes Penn will sweep the Ivy weekend, and Columbia, his former abode, will fall to Dartmouth. "They've had some tough injuries and some names vanished from the team," Buckelew confessed of the panzy Lions. But then again, this astro-physicist is still taking classes -- at Georgia State of all places. Some Ivy geniuses fall to low places. Big Red Body Parts of the Week The front of the Cornell media guide reads, "The Transition to Excellence." We here at Roundup feel the Big Red has made no transition whatsoever. Cornell sucked last year. It sucks now. Even Cornell coach Al walker agrees with us. After Friday's embarrassing 73-67 loss to Yale, Walker eloquently described his team's play: "We played with our heads stuck up our ass." Thank you, Alan. That was quite insightful. If there's anyone who's knows about people doing things with their head up their ass, it's Walker. He recruited two junior college "students" to his esteemed program this year. One of them is Eddie Samuels, a 27-year-old former Air Force Sergeant. Roundup correspondents learned Samuels and the other nine Big Red rookie scrubs whined bitterly about how difficult those Ivy roadtrips are, what with two games in 26 hours. Maybe Walker should put Samuels in diapers and give him a pacifier. If the Big Red thought its 0-2 trip at Yale and Brown was tough, they have a rude awakening ahead of them when they visit the Palestra Feb. 10. On second thought, maybe the Cornell squad will be happy to get away from Yale and coach Dick Kuchen. It seems Kuchen has publically questioned the philosophy of taking on Juco transfers at such a fine institution as Cornell. Come on Dick, go easy on them. The team sucks, and it spends its winter months in Ithaca. Ever been in Ithaca in February? It's not what Roundup travel experts deem a "garden spot." Team player of the Week Although everyone, including Kuchen, knew Cornell was a poor excuse for a basketball program, everyone in Providence got prima facia evidence of this fact Saturday night. With the Big Red trailing in Brown's Pizzitola Sports Center with eight minutes remaining, who trots into the gym but Cornell senior center James Escarzega. Roundup sleuths on the left coast found out the "dedicated one" was trying to land himself a job back home in the Sunshine State. Due to smaller than expected tailwinds, or forgotten Columbian coffee, or possibly even surprise witnesses, the Hielscher wanna-be was just a wee bit late for the weekend's festivities. So much for senior leadership. Roundup just wants to know one thing, Jimmy: "Where's the love?" Earlier this week, more bad news surfaced for Walker and his SUNY Ithaca clan. Freshman forward Brent Fisher, a resident of Cherry Hill, N.J., broke his arm during a loss to Bucknell. According to our friend Eric at The Cornell Daily Sun, a bastion of journalistic integrity if we do say so ourselves, "the arm was just kind of hanging there." Gee, isn't that a lovely image: Mr. Fisher's arm swaying in the cool breeze inside the Big Red's Newman Arena. Those of you who consider yourselves humanitarians can send an ace bandage and some duct tape to: Brent Fisher c/o Cornell Basketball Teagle Hall, Campus Road Ithaca, N.Y. 14853 Well, that's about all of the wild and whacky from the past week on the Ancient Eight hardwood. Tune in again next week for more on the exciting race for second place in the Ivies, an update on Rick Hielscher's dexterity and an update on everyone's favorite Columbia dropout turned MTV dud. Josh Friedman contributed to this story.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
Jerome Allen paused and looked up at the Palestra rafters when asked about Shawn Trice. "Let me tell you a story that shows what a tremendous person Shawn Trice is," Allen finally said. "Over the past few summers, Shawn has stayed at my house a lot. Every day, we'd come home and my mom would be much more excited to see him than me. I'd try to tell her about my day or something, and all she wanted to do was talk to Shawn." Matt Maloney described Trice as "the nicest guy I've ever known." Most of us just know him as the Quakers' 6-foot-7 power forward who walks around campus sporting a Detroit Lions hat and a goofy grin. The ever-present grin is part of what makes Trice so special both on and off the basketball court. Somehow, amidst all the excitement and pressure of starting for a top-25 caliber basketball team, the senior history major manages to keep everything in perspective. "I'm not happy all the time," Trice explained. "I get frustrated like everyone else. Especially with basketball. But for me -- and for everyone on the team -- the game of basketball has been so kind. It has given us so much. You have to love the game. You have to respect it." It is that love and respect for his sport that enables Trice to go into the Palestra with the same hard-working attitude and jubilant personality every day. "Regardless of what's going on in his life, he's the same person every day," Maloney said. "Whenever I'm having a bad day, I always look forward to seeing Shawn in the locker room. I know he'll pick me up." This is the essence of Shawn Trice. He is motivated by simple pleasures. Even on the basketball court, where his statistics may not jump out of the box score every day, he prides himself on chores that even the most astute observers may not perceive. When Maloney beats his man off the dribble and finds a crease to the rim for an easy layup, nine times out of 10 that seam exists because Trice was able to seal off his man. When Allen comes soaring through the lane to pluck a rebound out of the rafters, it's always because Trice has done a perfect job of boxing out his man. This season, Penn's leading rebounder is trying to make his presence felt more at the offensive end. In addition to working hard over the summer to get stronger, Trice has added yet another wrinkle to his game. The Well. That's the name for Trice's newly developed long-range jumper. Why The Well? There's a story. One day after practice, as Trice continued to move further and further into international waters, teammate Cedric Laster warned him that the well would surely run dry if Trice took another step back. Fully confident in his newly-found range, Trice replied, "Ced, The Well never runs dry." "It always falls when [Penn coach Fran] Dunphy's not looking," Maloney said. "As soon as Dunph turns around, you know it's a brick." Although Dunphy would prefer his guards to do the majority of Penn's long-distance bombing, he had nothing but good things to say about Trice. "Shawn has just added wonders in terms of chemistry," Dunphy said. "Most people don't give him enough credit. Whenever we've needed him, he's stepped up. "His ability to get along so well with everyone and lead by example is uncanny. He's not a gregarious guy, but when you talk about substance, you won't find anyone with more character or integrity." According to his parents, who both work for General Motors, Trice has always been quiet and reserved. The youngest of three brothers, Trice always enjoyed competing with his older siblings in athletics, but he did not share their love of mischief. One day after school, young Shawn even refused a ride home from his brother, who had taken his parents' Blazer without permission. His brothers -- one plays tailback at Iowa State, the other baseball at North Carolina A&T; -- were both excellent role models on the playing fields. Trice grew up playing basketball in the back yard with friends and relatives. But basketball was not his only sport. His first love, like most American boys, was baseball. "When he was eight, I gave him a choice between playing baseball and summer school," said Shawn's mother Aretha. "All three of the boys played throughout their young lives. I just don't know where all the talent came from." As a pitcher Trice exhibited a vicious curve ball, and his high school baseball coach still feels our national pastime is his best sport. Believe it or not, Trice also became an excellent golfer during his tenure at Redford High School in urban Detroit. After playing for only three years, he shot a 41 over 9 holes at the City Championships. "Shawn has been an inspiration to so many kids at this school," said his former golf coach and mentor Nancy Jewitt, with whom Trice still stays in touch. "He's a legend here. I'm so proud of how he's remained dedicated to academics at Penn. At first it was a struggle for him after getting straight A's here. We're a very large urban school and I still get people that come into my office asking about Shawn." That office still has a Shawn Trice bulletin board full of clips from days of yore and today. Trice may try to play professional basketball overseas immediately after graduation this spring. Down the road, he plans to return to Detroit to teach elementary school. "I'd like to take what I've learned here back to Detroit," Trice said. "I feel that I can help lots of people and tell them about college life. Redford was not a very college-oriented high school." While Trice hopes to affect many lives in the years to come, he has already touched many during his stay at Penn. "He's the brother I never had," Allen said. "He's been there for me when I've had tough times in my personal life." One of Trice's few remaining goals, in addition to a trip to Seattle this March, is to extend the Quakers' record Ivy League winning streak so it's out of reach for years to come. "I'll be sad when I have to leave this place," Trice said. "I just want to treasure my last days with these 14 guys. It's a special team -- a special mix of people."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
As the entire St. Joseph's student section rushed the court in celebration of St. Joseph's 92-82 upset over No. 25 Penn, Jerome Allen, Matt Maloney and Ira Bowman were all caught in the melee. The Quakers' trio was not in the mood to celebrate. But in a scene that captured the essence of the Big 5, they worked their way through the frenzied crowd to embrace and congratulate their rivals. These were not ordinary rivals. They were boyhood friends, contemporaries and even former teammates. Now, though, they were members of the Hawks. Despite the friendly postgame exchange, the action on the court was as fierce as any all season for the Quakers. In a game that was dominated by runs and spurts, the Hawks (9-5) had the last laugh. This Big 5 game was "unofficial" in name only. At a sold-out Alumni Memorial Field House Saturday evening, where St. Joe's has not lost since last February 13 against Rhode Island, Penn (9-3) blew several opportunities down the stretch to finish off the Hawks. With 57 seconds remaining and the Quakers clinging to a 72-69 lead, Maloney missed the front end of a one-and-one. Staring into the friendly confines of the Penn section, the Penn guard, a career 80-percent free-throw shooter, clanged this charity toss off the front iron. While the Quakers made 10 of 13 free throws, St. Joe's did not miss from the line while the outcome was still in doubt. After senior guard Mark Bass drilled a long three-pointer from the left corner to tie the contest at 72, the Quakers had one possession to escape Hawk Hill alive. Again, that rim would prove most unfriendly. After a timeout, Penn coach Fran Dunphy and the Quakers gave the ball to their best man -- Allen. When Allen was unable to get a clean look at the rim, he dished to senior forward Scott Kegler. After several dribbles, Kegler let fly with a soft leaner. In and out. After senior center Eric Moore's follow attempt met with a similar result, Penn and St. Joe's were headed to overtime. "We wanted to give it to Jerome and let him create," Dunphy said of that last possession. "He came off a staggered screen and we wanted him to take the last shot." Allen could only credit the St. Joe's defense with denying him of a scoring opportunity. "They did a good job collapsing on me," said Allen, who along with Moore attended Episcopal Academy a block from the St. Joe's campus. "So I threw it out to Scott. I thought he'd shoot it immediately, but the defense did an excellent job rotating. Sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way." That's where Penn's bad luck ended -- the Quakers were not unlucky in the overtime period, they were just outplayed. The Hawks, led by senior guards Bass and Bernard Blunt, scored on their first six possessions of the extra stanza, extending to an 84-76 lead from which Penn never recovered. Despite a game-high 28 points from Allen, the St. Joe's backcourt stole the show in front of numerous NBA scouts. In his finest performance since last season's career-threatening knee injury, Blunt recorded 26 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Bass tallied 14 on the evening, most of which came during crunch time. "I didn't know when I'd finally start shooting the ball ball better," Blunt said. "Everyone kept telling me that as long as I kept working hard, things would work out. I actually knew I'd have a big game when I missed a long jumper but the shot felt real good. It's weird. That's just the way my mind works." While the Hawks were the beneficiaries of a balanced attack, Allen did not get much help. Maloney shot two for 14 from the floor, and the St. Joe's perimeter defense did an excellent job denying Kegler good looks at the basket. The Hawks also won the battle up front, with senior Carlin Warley leading the charge. Warley was dominant, pounding in 21 points and pulling down 17 rebounds, both season highs. Allen and Blunt have been battling each other for years. Although Allen may have won the battle with two more points Saturday night, Blunt and the Hawks won the war. The friendships will go on. So will the rivalry. · Tonight at 8 p.m., the Quakers take on Lafayette on the road in Easton, Pa. Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney are both banged up, with wrist and thigh injuries respectively.
(01/17/95 10:00am)
"It will be an all-out war," is the way La Salle senior captain Kareem Townes described tonight's 7 p.m. unofficial Big 5 battle between Penn and his Explorers (Sports Channel, 88.5 WXPN-FM and 1210 WGMP-AM). The war on the Palestra floor will be waged on several fronts. Penn coach Fran Dunphy will try to outsmart his longtime friend and mentor La Salle coach Speedy Morris. On the court, two strong backcourts will go head to head. Two-time Ivy player of the year Jerome Allen will match up against Townes, the Explorers leading scorer with 23.6 points-per-game. Point guards Matt Maloney and Paul Burke are each second on their respective teams in points. "It should be a sold out Palestra and just a great environment," Morris said. "If you can't get up for this, you shouldn't be playing. In the Big 5, you can always throw the records out the window." That might not bode well for the favored Quakers. Although No. 25 Penn (8-2) has won the last three meetings and is a superior club on paper, the Quakers are coming off a devastating 93-60 loss at the hands of No. 1 UMass Saturday. The Explorers (8-4) do not have any momentum themselves, having suffered a 75-72 setback in the final minutes of Saturday's game with conference rival Xavier. Getting back on the winning track is essential for both programs as they head into the heart of their conference schedules. "It's definitely good for us to be playing again," Penn forward Scott Kegler said. "When you are in competition, you always want a chance to get out there and prove yourself." During last season's 66-62 Quaker victory at the Spectrum, Kegler started in place of Barry Pierce and lit La Salle up with several three-pointers in the first few minutes. The long range barrage paced Penn to an early lead and the Explorers never fully recovered. If the Quakers expect to get any good looks at the basket tonight, they will have to improve markedly from Saturday's dismal showing. "We got hammered, no question about it," Dunphy said. "We watched some film yesterday and we definitely were lacking patience and poise at the offensive end." Without better ball movement, the Penn offense will not generate open looks at the basket for Kegler or his backcourt mates. During practice yesterday the Quakers worked diligently on moving the ball from side to side on the perimeter, and also on getting the post players more involved. "Ball movement is definitely the key," Kegler said. The same is true for La Salle. Too often the Explorers guards become frustrated by the lack of frontcourt scoring and start taking every shot themselves. Townes and Burke will try to get the forwards involved early for some much-needed offensive balance. Everyone is aware that the war in the trenches and on the glass may decide the outcome. "It's my job to make sure everyone's involved," Burke said. "Sometimes it seems like there are five-minute stretches where just Kareem and I shoot. We have to play more like a team and I think we've been pretty successful at that this season." With Maloney and Allen guarding the La Salle backcourt, the Explorers will definitely need points from the pivot. Townes, however, has a knack of finding his shot from anywhere on the court, no matter who is covering him. "He's a difficult guy to defend," Dunphy said. "We won't step out on him at 36 feet, but we'll rotate guys on him all night and pick him up 30 feet from the basket." Although the Quakers will be wary of Townes' exceptional range, the star guard won't always be looking to let it fly. "Last year, my shots got out of hand after a while," Townes said. "It took the fun out of it. Now I try to do a little bit of everything and make everyone feel confident. "Playing Penn is always intense. The Palestra crowd will be into it. It's a challenge we're looking forward to." Both teams will come out fighting.
(01/16/95 10:00am)
HANOVER, N.H. -- For the Penn men's basketball team, the road to the Final Four does not lead through Michigan's Crisler Arena, Madison Square Garden or the Mullins Center in Amherst. To make a return to March Madness for the third consecutive season, the Quakers' most important contests are going to come in dank gymnasiums like the Briggs Athletic Center in Cambridge and Dartmouth's Leede Arena. The Quakers posted wins over Michigan and St. John's and ascended as high as No. 21 in the national rankings before losing at UMass Saturday night. They have been continuously spotlighted in the national media. But Penn still understands the importance of league play. In routing Harvard (3-9 overall, 1-1 Ivy League) and Dartmouth (4-8, 1-2) by 90-63 and 85-70 scores respectively last weekend, Penn set a new Ivy League record with 31 consecutive conference victories. The previous record of 30 was set by the 1969-72 Quakers under the guidance of coaching legends Dick Harter and Chuck Daly. "It will mean a lot more later on in life, but right now we're just kind of 2-0 for the season in the league," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "Being a part of history is important, and this is a great program in terms of history and tradition, so I'm happy to be a part of that." The Quakers (8-1, 2-0) last lost an Ivy contest March 6, 1992 at Columbia when four of Penn's current starters were all freshmen. The other senior starter, guard Matt Maloney, has never lost an Ivy game after transferring to Penn for his sophomore season. Although Maloney and backcourt mate Jerome Allen played well in both games, the true stars for the Quakers were somewhat unlikely. Senior center Eric Moore led Penn in Cambridge with 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting. Moore's solid frontcourt play gave the Penn attack a balance the Crimson could not contain. In addition to Moore up front, Shawn Trice poured in 11 points, Ira Bowman scored 12 and Tim Krug added 9. "We played more as a team than almost any night we've played," Moore said. "We were passing really well and everyone was playing together." This balance led to excellent shot selection for the Quakers and better than 60 percent shooting for the evening. The following night in Hanover, junior forward Scott Kegler took over the role of marksman from Moore. Kegler made seven of nine three-pointers en route to a career high 26 points and seven rebounds. One of Kegler's misses actually came on a desperation attempt at the end of the first half. "Scott actually came up a little bit short of my expectations," Dunphy said unable to keep a slight grin off his face. "Coming into the game I thought he might make 10 threes. We always need somebody to step up on the second night of Ivy weekends and Scott was that guy. I'm really happy for him." Allen and Maloney, Kegler's backcourt mates, combined for 28 points and 10 assists and, according to Dunphy, did an excellent job finding Kegler all night. In overcoming a fired-up Big Green squad that had knocked off Princeton the night before, the Quakers used not only a barrage of long-distance shooting but tenacious defense and several thunderous dunks from Bowman in transition. One such slam came off a Krug swat that bounced off the backboard so hard it ignited the fast break. That one-handed slam extended Penn's lead to 61-42, silencing a noisy Big Green crowd and putting the game out of reach. Krug's block was one of eight for the Quakers during the game. Penn also had 10 steals and forced 21 turnovers in all. "Penn did an excellent job pressuring the ball to get us out of our offensive sets," Dartmouth coach Dave Foucher said. "They disrupted our reads and did a good job denying entry. All the blocked shots really prevented us from making a run at a critical juncture of the ballgame." The Big Green, led by forward Jamie Halligan's 24 points, did stay close for a while. Consecutive three-pointers from last year's Ivy League Rookie of the Year Sea Lonergan cut Penn's lead to five with 6 minutes, 49 seconds left in the first half. From that juncture Kegler and Krug accounted for 14 points before the half, extending Penn's lead to 48-34 at intermission. The Quakers were never seriously challenged again. "We focused too much on Matt and Jerome, and Kegler won the game for them," Lonergan said. "Playing a nationally ranked team like Penn in your own building is the kind of thing you dream about." Although driving seven hours to New Hampshire is not the kind of glamorous road trip Penn dreams about, the Quakers understand the importance of the Ivy League. The record is at 31 and counting. A third consecutive perfect Ivy League season would make it 43 by season's end, but Dunphy and the Quakers know better than to look ahead. -- Adam Rubin contributed to this story.
(11/23/94 10:00am)
Two days after he set the school's all-time single game passing record with 360 yards at Cornell, Penn starting quarterback Mark DeRosa underwent surgery on his right thumb. Early Monday morning at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Brian Sennett re-attached the ligaments to the bone in what was described as a "successful operation." DeRosa had torn the ulnar collateral ligaments in his right thumb completely off the bone in the Nov. 12 game against Harvard. He played Saturday in Ithaca, N.Y., in severe pain and with a splint on the thumb, and led the Quakers back from a 14-0 deficit. In his first season as the Quakers' starting quarterback, he led the team to its second consecutive undefeated Ivy League championship with a perfect 9-0 record. The fact the ligaments came completely off the bone was actually good news for the doctors and DeRosa. It made the surgery easier for doctors to perform and the ligaments are expected to heal faster. Chances for future problems are also decreased. "Everything was fine," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. DeRosa is expected to start at shortstop this spring for the baseball team. Last year, as the third baseman, the freshman led the Quakers in runs batted in. He will wear a cast for the next three weeks. "I'll have a lot of rehab to do but I'll be ready for Feb. 1 when baseball starts," DeRosa said.
