When you've listened to as many coaches as I have tell you how much respect they have for every opponent, you begin to distinguish the sincere from the phony. And unlike the coach who sings the praises of a Dartmouth team, Villanova head coach Jay Wright was dead serious.

Last time Frank Elegar and Chaz Crawford played at the Palestra, it wasn't pretty. Drexel's frontcourt duo, greatly outplayed by Penn's Mark Zoller and Steve Danley, was held to a combined 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting in the Dragons' loss. So in their latest game in the Palestra, Elegar and Crawford decided to make up for it.

Saturday night's 99-89 loss to Villanova was the first Big 5 experience for Penn coach Glen Miller. Afterward, Miller showed his unfamiliarity with the nature of Big 5 action. "I'm awfully ticked off when we lose a game," Miller said. Responding to a question about not dwelling on Big 5 games, Miller said, "the game is just like any game.

The Quakers may be the only people in history to be proud of their actions after a weekend in Vegas. An impressive third-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational was another milestone for the wrestling team. During the competition, the No. 15 Quakers benefited from solid performances by key grapplers and a breakout performance from senior Matt Eveleth.

The start of one chapter was the ending of another for the Penn women's fencing team. While the Quakers opened up their season last Saturday at Weightman Gym against Drew and Sacred Heart, Penn senior Jackie Schramm participated in her final meet with the Red and Blue.

With Penn and Villanova matched up more evenly than the cross-town rivals had been in years, this game was everything you could ask of a Big 5 contest. The result, though, spelled little but disappointment for the Quakers

Joey Rhoads had what it took to end her team's frustration against Villanova, but even that wasn't enough. Villanova downed Penn 57-50 yesterday afternoon at the Palestra. "When you lose by such a close margin, you think about all the little things you could have done throughout the game," the senior tri-captain said.

One team looked like the experienced one Saturday night, and it wasn't the experienced one. While Villanova freshman Scottie Reynolds and sophomore reserve Shane Clark shone under pressure, the Quakers hardly played the role of the Big 5's most seasoned squad.

It was the meet they were looking forward to all semester, and both the Penn men's and women's swim teams lived up to expectations. The men's team bested four opponents to take the Kenyon Invitational title while the women took second at the championship format meet in Gambier, Ohio.

In only the second match of the season, the men and women's squash teams have proven that they belong among the best in the nation.

A Brown radio broadcast has reported that All-Ivy guard Keenan Jeppesen quit the team right before its win over Quinnipiac. In addition, Basketball-U.com said that he has also left the school. Over the summer, Jeppesen had applied for transfer admission to Penn, but was denied.

For the second year in a row, the Quakers are hoping to have short memories following a blowout loss to Delaware. Penn (2-2) will once again be trying to bounce back when it concludes its three-game homestand and continues its Big 5 schedule against Villanova (3-4) on Sunday.

It's only two weeks into the season, but the men's and women's squash teams already face the first of the perennially elite squash teams. Both the No. 6 men's and No. 4 women's teams head to New Haven, Conn. tomorrow to meet the Elis, whose men's and women's teams are ranked fourth and second, respectively.

There will be plenty of opportunities for the Penn wrestling team to shoot up the rankings this weekend, when the No. 15 Quakers (2-2) compete in the two-day Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The tournament has a field of 49 teams from throughout the country, consisting of Division I, II, NAIA and junior-college competition.

As much as we try to deny it, the 122nd Board could only be described as "a disaster!" (After all, it is an even-numbered board). Truly, we have been Blatsteined - or "jammed up the ass by three officials," if you will. As such, a certain former DPOSTM writer seems to have notified our regional supervisor that it's time we hand over the reins to the 1-2-3.

The Quakers' Big 5 opener against Villanova was your typical City Series matchup: loud, physical and close to the very end. And once again, the Wildcats came out on top with a 99-89 win at a packed Palestra. A huge factor in 'Nova's win was their flawless free-throw shooting -- a torrid 27-of-29, with the only two misses in the irrelevant final minute.

Senior Mike Nardi is Villanova's lone remnant from an outstanding backcourt that saw three guards jump to the NBA last June. Randy Foye was drafted seventh overall and is now on the Timberwolves, Kyle Lowry was drafted 24th by the Grizzlies, and Allan Ray is now playing for the Celtics.