Quakers get commitment from Jersey point guard

By all accounts, Penn has a really good recruiting class arriving this fall. The Quakers are off to a good start for the fall of 2008. They recently got a verbal from lefty point guard Zach Rosen, of New Jersey prep power St. Benedict's.

According to Rosen, Rutgers, Iowa State, Seton Hall and George Washington offered him scholarships. He liked the Ivy League education and the chance to play for the perennial Ivy champs even more.

"Penn's a special place," Rosen said yesterday.

Rosen lives in Colonia, N.J., and played for Colonia High until transferring to St. Benedict's before last season. St. Benedict's, in Newark, has had some really good players in recent years, including Villanova freshman Corey Stokes, highly regarded Louisville recruit Samardo Samuels, Duke's Lance Thomas and Denver Nuggets forward J.R. Smith. Coached by Bob Hurley's son Danny, St. Benedict's is 80-4 over the last three seasons.

Saint Joseph's schedule is almost complete, with the dates for the Atlantic 10 games and those with Villanova and Penn not finalized. St. Joe's will play in the Preseason NIT and renew its terrific series with Gonzaga when the Zags come to the Fieldhouse on Nov. 29. The other nonconference home games are Ball State and Holy Cross. The Hawks will play Drexel, Penn, Villanova and Penn State at the Palestra. The road nonconference games are Creighton, Boston University, Siena and Fairfield.

In the A-10, St. Joe's will play Temple, Massachusetts and Xavier home and home. Its home games will be Fordham, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis and La Salle (Palestra). The road A-10 games will be Charlotte, Dayton, Duquesne, George Washington and Rhode Island.

The Hawks open Nov. 12 against Fairleigh Dickinson at Syracuse's Carrier Dome in the first round of the Preseason NIT. If the Hawks win, they will play the winner of Siena-Syracuse the next night for the right to go to Madison Square Garden the following week for the semifinals. *