Time for Dunphy to return home

Not that it's Miller's fault. You can't blame him for snagging a better gig.

Whatever the stance, it's a unique dynamic. And it will be on display tonight at 8 at the Palestra when Dunphy makes his return. It's a Big 5 game, so it was already a date worth circling. But this is different. Maybe nobody understands that better than Vince Curran. He played for Dunphy, and they've become friends. Curran also does the color commentary on Penn's radio broadcasts, so he has developed a relationship with Miller.

"A lot of people are going to be torn, no doubt about it," Curran explained. "They wanted the continuity to continue. To that group, Glen's always going to be an outsider. My guess is that from my perch at halfcourt, I might be the closest [former Dunphy] player to the Penn bench. I'm torn. I admit it. But I was torn last weekend, when we played [against former Penn assistant] Steve Donahue at Cornell. It's always tough when you have certain connections.

"The bonds we formed with Dunph are forever. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that people feel this way. To the players of his era, Fran's their guy. He's been there for us. That'll never change. But as an alum, it is our school. You should be able to get past [what happened]. If they support Fran, it's not a slight at this team, or the [Penn] program. It just shows how strongly they feel about him.

"Those guys [who might be] sitting behind the Temple bench are Penn guys. For one night, they're backing one of their best friends. If people don't get that, that's on them. I don't think Glen feels like he has anything to prove. He appreciates everything Fran did. He's told me that, on numerous occasions. He said that what Fran did, and the way he did it, was phenomenal. And I think he's being genuine."

The reality is, this game isn't going to define the season for either team. The Owls (7-10) have lost six of seven, so any victory is a good one. But Dunphy has yet to win a City Series game in two tries on North Broad Street. Temple lost by 18 at Villanova and by 13 at home against Saint Joseph's. The Quakers (10-6) have won four straight, including by one at La Salle on Thursday. They also lost to Villanova, at home, by 10. Most important, they're 2-0 in the Ivy League. Still, their seniors have lost three in a row to Temple, by a total of nine points.

"This one definitely means a lot to us," said one of those seniors, Mark Zoller. "Since Dunph and all those guys left, I've been joking with them, [saying] 'We're going to get you.' When you play against your old coach, you want to impress him. I have so much respect for him. I realize it's a business, and he had to make that move. But you want to stick it to him a little. Years from now it'll be a nice thing to have, when you get together and talk.

"I know there's Dunph guys out there, and there should be. He's a terrific coach, and a terrific man. The emotions will be there. Hopefully we can get coach Dunph to shed a few tears and shed that hard-shell exterior a little bit. I'm sure he doesn't want to lose any more than we do."

Another 4-year starter, Ibby Jaaber, hopes the dynamics don't get in the way.

"There's going to be a ton of questions surrounding the game," he acknowleged. "The focus has to be on the opponent. You don't want to be distracted. This is a big challenge for us. He knows us. We know him. The players know each other. It's going to be a different kind of environment. So you really can't predict what might happen.

"[Dunphy] will get respected wherever he goes in this city. He has that type of personality and that type of reputation, as a good person first and a good coach second. I'm sure people won't be rooting against Penn, but rooting for him. They want to see him succeed. As players, you have to put that to the side."

As coaches, too.

"I'll be happy when it's over," said Dunphy, as you might expect him to say. "Next year the game's at the Liacouras, and [eventually] people will forget. It'll just be Penn and Temple again, as it should be.

"It'll be a little strange early on. Once the ball goes up, it'll be our team against theirs. I'll be angry at our guys if they don't take care of their business. I just want us to play well. I wish [Penn] great success, the rest of the year.

"I'm proud of those guys, in particular the seniors. They've meant so much to me, and Penn. But that's not what I'll be thinking about. I'll be thinking about the competition. You think about your [new] guys. It'll be very interesting. I was there for so long. It's a whole different world."

How's that for perspective? *