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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

It's understandable if Penn fans are a little surley, as the Quakers have gotten off to a 1-5 start, including last night's Big Five loss to Villanova at the Palestra.

Wins will come for Penn, especially once the Ivy League starts play, which usually happens in like April or something. What I'd like for Quaker fans to do is keep their eye on freshman point guard Zack Rosen. The 6-1, 175-pounder first caught my eye while I was making the rounds watching summer league games for a story. Rosen shined in those games, with his good ball-handling, ability to get to the basket and his terrific decision-making. I also saw him during summer workouts at La Salle, with a slew of other Big 5 players. Again, I felt myself watching the lefty during most of the workouts, impressed with what I mentioned above but also with that Philly point guard attitude.

His numbers this year won't impress...yet. He has made just 8-of-36 field goals (22 percent), including 4-of-25 from beyond the arc. But if you look closer at his numbers, you see why I think his future is so bright.

Rosen has 35 assists to just 9 turnovers. He has also grabbed 11 steals and grabs 3.5 rebounds a game. Those numbers show what a good nose he has for the ball and what a smart player he is. He is struggling mightly with his shot. But to me, it seems to be more about a lack of confidence than anything else. He can score, but that's not his primary duty.

Sometimes it takes time for freshman to get comfortable with the college game, especially ones who have to handle the ball so much and play so many minutes. But I think it will come for Rosen. Once he stops pressing so much with his shot and the confidence builds, Penn fans will have a real preview of what should be a great four-year career.

 

Posted by Bob Cooney @ 8:54 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
1
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Posted 07:02 AM, 12/06/2008
BROWNCOACH
we are very SURLY afte navy debacle
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Philly is a hoops town and Phillyhoopsinsider.com provides complete coverage of the Big 5 and Drexel with news and commentary from the people inside the game and those who cover it. Look for regular contributions from the Daily News team of college hoops reporters and from many of Philly’s coaches.

FRAN DUNPHY, Temple
He begins his fourth season on North Broad with nearly 350 career victories after a long tenure at Penn. The Owls won the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

BRUISER FLINT, Drexel
He begins his eighth season with the Dragons after returning to the city where he played collegiately at St. Joe’s. The Dragons have advanced to the postseason in four of the last six years and have won at least 17 games four times under Flint.

DR. JOHN GIANNINI, La Salle
He begins his fifth season at the school after successful tenures at the University of Maine and Rowan, where teams made two trips to the Division III Final Four. At LaSalle two seasons ago, he engineered an 18-win season and third-place finish in the Atlantic 10, the school’s best finish since joining the league for the 1995-96 season.

PHIL MARTELLI, Saint Joseph’s
He begins his 14th season on Hawk Hill, having won more than 250 games. He is a four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and has taken the Hawks to the postseason in seven of the last eight years.

JAY WRIGHT, Villanova
He begins his eighth season at ‘Nova, having amassed 148 wins at the school. Villanova has made the NCAA Tournament for the last four seasons, including three trips to the Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight appearance. Wright came to Villanova following his tenure at Hofstra and has 270 career victories.