It hasn’t been easy being a fan of Penn men’s basketball over the last few years, considering that Red and Blue supporters used to take NCAA tournament trips for granted. As rough as it has been, though, imagine the last few seasons without Zack Rosen.

College basketball coaches learn of potential recruits from a variety outlets, but the gym custodian isn’t usually one of them.

Two of the nation’s friendliest-sounding mascots will face off as the Quakers visit the Retrievers of Maryland-Baltimore County. THE BUZZ: Position-by-position breakdownSEASON COUNTDOWN: Fans’ favorite Penn basketball memories VIDEO: This Week on 33rd Street

Though they try to present an honest and fair representation of the action on the court, it can sometimes be hard to repress their undying school spirit.

Rosen sank two of three, missing the third on purpose, to give Penn a 74-72 win over visiting Carleton — located in Ottawa, Ontario — in the Red and Blue’s final tune-up before the regular season starts Friday at the Maryland-Baltimore County.

Freshmen basketball players Keelan Cairns and Simeon Esprit hail from Ireland and England, respectively, but have fit right in at Penn so far — or as well as two tall athletes with foreign accents can fit in.

Bernardini has most recently battled an ankle injury which sidelined him from most summer basketball activity, but with just over a week before the season tips off, he said he’s ready to roll.

Former Penn and current Temple men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy recently tried a unique way to build his team’s chemistry — he had his players go out on the Schuylkill River to train with the Temple crew team.

The first thing teammates and coaches noticed about the new-and-improved Fran Dougherty was his body. Over the offseason, the timid, slight freshman has grown into a sturdy sophomore.

It’s time to stop kidding ourselves and cut our losses. Organizers have tried tinkering with the event for several years with no success.

The Quakers and the Red and Blue Crew will host “The Line,” an annual tradition at the Palestra, where students will have the opportunity to purchase season tickets and meet both the men’s and women’s teams.

This Saturday, the “Cathedral of College Basketball” will host the first annual Palestra Charity 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, organized by a Wharton MGMT 100 team to support two local nonprofit organizations.

Saturday, Penn basketball coach Jerome Allen and his staff landed their third recruit in six days with the addition of guard Julian Harrell. The Buzz: More from Julian Harrell

Even after Jerome Allen reeled in seven intriguing recruits, the glaring need for a legitimate big man remained. That changed Thursday.

Hicks joins fellow guard Jamal Lewis in Penn basketball’s Class of 2012 recruitment, and like Lewis, he appears to be a highly talented pickup for the Quakers.

Sunday night, Palestra folklore became reality, as NBA stars brought the magic back to the legendary arena.

DP’s resident NBA junkies debate what’s in store for Sunday’s NBA scrimmage, which features LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.