Penn basketball at a glance
Key points to consider about the Quakers upcoming season.
It all comes down to: How quickly, and how often, the freshmen contribute in the backcourt. The loss of Miles Jackson-Cartwright means backcourt minutes need to be replaced and freshmen Antonio Woods and Darnell Foreman could make immediate impacts. Penn also isn't very deep in the frontcourt outside of 6-11 junior Darien Nelson-Henry. Plenty of roles and minutes are up for grabs.
Shouldering the load: Coach Jerome Allen said he doesn't assign leadership roles based on being an upperclassman. But Hicks, entering his junior year, will again be needed to carry the scoring load and will need to help the freshmen guards develop. He'll also have to cut down on turnovers.
Key stretches: The biggest is a five-game stretch from Jan. 17 to 31, all at the Palestra, with Villanova and Ivy favorite Harvard bookending and a Big 5 matchup with St. Joe's in the middle. Also, three home games against Ivy opponents to finish the year, with the finale against rival Princeton.
Quote of note: "Right now, we're trying to prepare for Delaware State. That's the short-term focus of this team. We're going to do everything we can, take advantage every day, getting ready for Nov. 15 and not looking past that. But, with that being said, the general topic is: Where do we see ourselves falling? We'll fall wherever we place ourselves at. As kind of general as that sounds, it's basically saying we control our own destiny. That theme will never change as long as I'm in this position." - Jerome Allen
Bottom line: Penn was picked to finish seventh in the Ivy League for good reason. The Quakers lost three of their top five scorers from last year to graduation, and return a relatively inexperienced roster. The Ivy has been dominated by Harvard over recent years, and programs such as Princeton, Columbia and Yale are on the rise. The next year or so will be crucial in determining the direction of the Penn program and might just determine how much longer Jerome Allen coaches as his alma mater.
FAST FACTS
Coach: Jerome Allen (56-85 in 5 years at school and overall).
Last season: 8-20 (5-9 in the Ivy League).
Postseason: None.
Last league title: 2007.
Last NCAA berth: 2007.
Homecourt: Palestra.
Ticket info: Call 215-898-6151, 215-577-3923 (Groups 20+).
Website: pennathletics.com