That was ugly... I mean really ugly. There were no redeeming qualities for Penn basketball’s blowout loss at home against Harvard.

It means that with the game on the line and Alex Mitola in possession of the ball, it wasn’t Dartmouth celebrating a win: It was Penn and that’s something to hang your hat on, at least for one day.

Before Saturday night, I did not know what a Big 5 win looked, sounded, tasted, smelled or felt like. Nor did the majority of people with whom I associate.

A trip to Ithaca is never pleasant this time of year due to its lack of cellphone service and subarctic conditions.

For a moment, it looked as if Penn basketball had turned a corner when it gave then-No. 5 Villanova a serious scare at home on Saturday. Apparently not. Playing to a mostly-empty Palestra crowd, the Quakers came out sleepwalking against Monmouth and paid dearly.

With Penn basketball approaching the midway point in its season, fans and opposing coaches alike seem to think they know what Penn is made of. But the advanced stats tell the whole story.

There will always be those who are staunch defenders of anti-tournament model for the Ancient Eight, but that’s exactly what it is: ancient.

With Ivy League play looming, the Quakers (4-9, 0-1 Ivy) look to continue their success against MAAC teams - they are 2-1 this season with wins over Marist and Niagara - with Wednesday's game against Monmouth (9-9).

With a trip to Sunshine State for anything but a vacation in the rear view for Penn swimming, will the training be worth it?

It isn’t every night that Penn basketball gets to play in front of a sold-out crowd, but Saturday’s game against No. 5 Villanova isn’t an ordinary night.

The Big Five is always a tough challenge for Penn Basketball and Tuesday was no exception, as La Salle built an early lead and held on for a 84-67 win over the Quakers.

2015 Cheshire Academy (Ct.) shooting guard Tyler Hamilton verally committed to Penn basketball on Monday, becoming the fifth member of the Quakers' Class of 2019, reports Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop. Hamilton is a 6-foot-4, 180 pound guard from Norcross, Ga.

While most students take the upcoming winter break to recover from finals and spend time with friends and family, Penn squash will be taking no days off as they continue to prepare for the tough Ivy slate ahead. The Quakers will be thrust into new environments and pitted against tough competition on their road to the Ivy League opener at the Ringe Squash Courts, including a trip across the pond.. “The boys are looking forward to the England trip,” Assistant coach Gilly Lane said.

For Penn wrestling, hopefully the stress of exams coupled with the joy of the holiday season will enable it to put the first half of the wrestling season behind it as the Quakers prepare for the Midlands Championships on Dec.

This season, the two schools will tip off for the 231st and 232nd time in the historic matchup on dates that are inconvenient for the majority of Penn’s student body. But that is this year. It absolutely shouldn’t become a trend, especially if you want students to be engaged with the best of Penn traditions.

No matter what Penn basketball accomplishes -- or doesn't accomplish -- this year, every single narrative surrounding the program will tie into the degree of proverbial heat underneath the chair of a certain coach in his fifth full season.

It seems that there are four constants in the world today (to borrow a frequently posted tweet from CBS college basketball insider Jon Rothstein): Death.