Palestra hosting rare Big Five doubleheader

Devin Coleman understands that when his Temple team meets La Salle in a Big Five game at the Palestra, there will be added excitement in the place known as the cathedral of college basketball.

To celebrate the Big Five's 60th anniversary, the Palestra will host a doubleheader Wednesday night, paying homage to the old days when these events were commonplace and gripped the basketball community.

After the Temple-La Salle game at 7, St. Joseph's and Penn will meet at 9:30.

"It's my first time playing in a doubleheader there and it will be a good experience," Coleman said. "At the same time we have to stay focused and can't feed into the magnitude of how important it is."

Good luck with that.

This is the first Big Five doubleheader since Dec. 4, 2004 when Penn defeated La Salle, 78-67, and Temple beat Villanova, 53-52. (In addition, Drexel beat St. Joseph's, 57-49, at the Palestra that day).

Coleman, a Philadelphia native who attended Friends' Central High, has grown up with the Palestra in his basketball backyard and like most from the area, he has gained a true appreciation for the ageless arena.

"It's a special place, a great gym, a shooter's gym," Coleman said.

John Giannini grew up in suburban Chicago, but during his time as coach at Rowan University and now in his 12th season as La Salle's coach, he has developed a deep appreciation of the Palestra and the Big Five.

"I think all Big Five games should be here," he said during a conference call with reporters, taking a break from his team's practice at the Palestra. "We greatly diminish the atmosphere and tradition when we play these games on campus and make them like any other game on our schedule."

That's a noble thought, but it's not going to happen. So teams should just appreciate these rare doubleheaders.

"When you tell recruits and parents that four Division I teams will play on a Wednesday night, all from the city, they tell you how amazing that is," said Penn coach Steve Donahue, a native of Delaware County. "We are spoiled: We grew up with this and this incredible arena."

A person doesn't have to be from the area to be bitten by the Palestra bug.

"Playing at the Palestra is really exciting," said St. Joseph's forward Isaiah Miles, who hails from the Baltimore area. "It's such a historic building and is a big deal."