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Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
The Daily Pennsylvanian

Amy Gutmann

When Yale men's basketball beat Baylor in the first round of the 2015 NCAA tournament, the entire sports world celebrated the win as a "victory for the nerds." The kids who studied textbooks at halftime had defeated a Big 12 school on the biggest stage.


All season long, Penn men's basketball appeared to be on the verge of improvement in coach Steve Donahue’s second year in charge, but the Quakers still needed that signature win to prove to the college basketball world that they were for real. Thanks to a breakout performance from junior Sam Jones, that big-time victory is in the books.

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A year ago, after Penn football won a one-third share of the Ivy League title, I wrote in the columnist issue that Ancient Eight football championships should not be shared. And this year, Penn football has forced me to put my money where my mouth is.




Junior forward Sam Jones had 15 points in Penn men's basketball's 58-49 win over UCF 

All season long, Penn men's basketball appeared to be on the verge of improvement in coach Steve Donahue’s second year in charge, but the Quakers still needed that signature win to prove to the college basketball world that they were for real. Thanks to a breakout performance from junior Sam Jones, that big-time victory is in the books.


When I finish my last day of classes each semester, feelings of happiness and relief sweep through me when I think about how I no longer have to wake up early, no longer have to speed-walk to class and come close to twisting my ankle on the Locust cobblestones.


I wish I could say that 53 were some significant number in my life — my home address, my lucky number, something like that — because that would be one hell of a lede.



Sometimes, there are just no words. Summing up the experiences of sprint football’s championship season is not a feasible task, but these past few months were so magical, so unprecedented, so perfect, that I owe it to my squad to try. First off, the hunger this team had was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.













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