It's rare for mighty Harvard to be left out of the conversation when it comes to Ivy League sports. But, in men's basketball, the Crimson have recently been nothing more than an afterthought in the title chases. In April, the program finally made front-page news with the hiring of Tommy Amaker.

This season is wide open for someone to step up and call for the ball. The graduated Mark Zoller and Ibrahim Jaaber leave behind a combined 34 ppg hole for the Quakers' offense to fill. Steve Danley's almost nine points per contest will be missed and Penn's fifth leading scorer Tommy McMahon will sit out the season after back surgery as well.

It's looking more and more likely that the Ivy League title will be decided by the clash between Yale and Harvard in The Game next weekend. The Bulldogs and Crimson still have their flawless League records intact and face off against two bottom dwellers in Princeton and Penn, respectively, tomorrow.

After losing All-American Matt Herrington as well as two-time national champion Matt Valenti to graduation last year, there are more than a few questions about how far the Penn wrestling team will go this year.

When the women on Penn's swim team step onto the poolside for their first meet this Saturday, they know they have big shoes to fill for the coming season. Last year, the Quakers finished fourth at the Ivy Championships and compiled a 12-4 overall record, one of their best seasons ever.

Coach Mike Schnur says this could be fastest Penn men's swimming team ever to enter a pool. So why would Schnur only set a goal for finishing within the top five of the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League? Those familiar with EISL swimming should know about powerhouses Princeton and Harvard.

Freshman Zack Kemmerer has his sights set on the National Championships. Not just one, but two. Those familiar with the level of skill and dedication required to achieve that goal may scoff at such a declaration. But not those who know Kemmerer. Hailing from Upper Perkiomen High School in rural Pennsylvania, Kemmerer was one of the most sought-after wrestling recruits in the nation, according to Penn coach Zeke Jones.

With the season opener coming up against Drexel on Friday, the Quakers have more options at starting point guard than days left to decide who it will be. Now that Ibrahim Jaaber is gone, head coach Glen Miller could conceivably see four different players bringing the ball up the Palestra court for the home team.

Ever wonder how many pounds that center on the women's basketball team is giving up to her opponent? Well, tough luck. You won't find it on Penn Athletics' Web site, and you won't find it in the game program. As a matter of policy, sports-information staffs at colleges around the country do not publish the weights of female athletes.

On the surface, it seems like the Penn women's basketball team may be in for a rough season. The Quakers finished in fourth place in the Ivy League with a 12-15 overall record last year, but the team graduated four seniors - who combined for 70 percent of the team's scoring.

On the surface, it seems like the Penn women's basketball team may be in for a rough season. The Quakers finished in fourth place in the Ivy League with a 12-15 overall record last year, but the team graduated four seniors - who combined for 70 percent of the team's scoring.

After Saturday's game against Princeton, junior Britton Ertman found himself in an unfamiliar place - the limelight. Against the Tigers, the defensive back had perhaps the best game of his career. Ertman forced the game's only turnover when he intercepted Greg Mroz's pass on 3rd-and-goal from the four-yard line, wiping out the scoring threat and keeping the Quakers' eventual shutout intact.

Sarah Bucar committed to suit up for Patrick Knapp over three years ago, before her senior year in high school even began. On Friday night, she will finally get the chance to make good on her word. The 21-year-old sophomore had planned to play under Knapp at Georgetown, where the coach spent 18 seasons before signing on to lead the Quakers in 2004.

She did it again. Senior Jesse Carlin won her second consecutive Ms. Penn title and senior Jason Myers took home the title in last night's Mr. & Ms. Penn Bodybuilding Competition.

Tigers lose play-in game, and NCAA bid Princeton field hockey may have clinched the Ivy League last week by beating Penn, but its job was not done. The Tigers learned that painful lesson yesterday, when they dropped an NCAA tournament play-in game 2-1 to UMass.

Starting goalkeeper Drew Healy missed Saturday's game, a 1-0 loss to Princeton, because of a facial injury, Quakers coach Rudy Fuller revealed yesterday. Healy, who has started all but two contests this season, sustained the injury in midweek training. He "took a shot to the face from close range," the coach said.

Goalkeeper Kevin Sweetland may have thrown his name back into the starting mix with his performance last Saturday against Princeton. The sophomore, who was the Opening Day starter, ably manned the net. He replaced junior Drew Healy, who had been the regular starter for the Quakers this season.