Last year's regular season Ivy League champs are back in action, and they’re ready to win even more games this year.

In a fast-paced, back-and-forth contest on Tuesday night, Penn men’s basketball opened the season with a nail-biting 81-80 victory against Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The Red and Blue are by no means easing into the season, as they begin their 2019-20 campaign with a road matchup against Alabama.

After working with the team for the last four years as a student manager, Sarah Parks was hired this year as the new Director of Operations for Penn men’s basketball.

The junior pair of forward Tori Crawford and guard Michae Jones picked up valuable minutes off the bench last year for Penn women’s basketball, and their roles are only set to increase this season.

Sophomores Bryce Washington and Michael Wang both played well while seeing an unprecedented amount of minutes as freshmen over the course of last season.

If Betley really does return “better than ever,” both his personal and team goals have a good chance of coming to fruition.

Through the ups and downs, dedicated Penn fans have stayed by the Quakers over the years. 

With several big gaps to fill on the court this season, having a diverse skill set will help the freshmen contribute in a big way to the Red and Blue. 

In coach Mike McLaughlin’s first season at Penn, the Quakers were struggling to win a single game. Fast forward a decade, and Penn is coming off six straight 20-win seasons.

The junior center is coming off of an all-around dominant 2018 season in which she led the Quakers to a regular season League championship while garnering numerous individual honors.

The two-time unanimous first team All-Ivy forward has carried the Red and Blue to a Big 5 title and Ivy League Tournament appearance over his three-year career.

Seniors Phoebe Sterba and Kendall Grasela have accomplished an impressive list of feats during their careers for Penn women’s basketball.

The Quakers are projected to be right in the running for an Ivy League championship. Freshmen Kayla Padilla and Silke Milliman look ready to make an impact right away. 

While it may have taken him longer to find his voice and his role in the offense, nobody can question how important Goodman will be to Penn men's basketball this season, even if he is sometimes overshadowed.

Penn and Princeton are widely expected to top the Ancient Eight this season, but the final two spots in the Ivy League Tournament are very much up for grabs. 

With Penn men's basketball getting set to start its quest for an Ivy League title, here is a look at the rest of the Ancient Eight competition.