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August 19th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Pennsylvania Quakers
Overall Rank:
#82
Conference
Rank: #1 Ivy
2005-06:
20-9, 12-2, 1st
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 The
big news for
Pennsylvania is the move of Coach Fran Dunphy to Temple.
Dunphy, who won a school record 310 games with the Quakers,
leaves the coaching reigns to Glen Miller. Miller is well known
for turning around struggling programs, but now he’ll have to
orchestrate a successful squad and keep them at the top. With
three starters returning, Penn is the early favorite to once
again reach the NCAAs.
Who’s Out:
Eric
Osmundson is the big loss for Penn. The 6-5 guard averaged 9.9
points, 2.5 assists and 2.1 rebounds last year en route to
Honorable Mention All-Ivy accolades. David Whitehurst isn’t
eligible to play this campaign and would have likely found
himself in a starting role once again. As a sophomore,
Whitehurst averaged 5.8 points and he is expected to return for
the 2007-2008 season. Friedrich Ebede started ten contests on
the wing as a senior and leaves some depth questions with his
departure. Seldom used Greg Kuchinski has also run out of
eligibility.
Who’s In:
Depth is the
main problem for Penn this year and a little help from the
newcomers would put an end to most of those concerns. Power
forwards Andreas Schreiber and Justin Reilly have the most
potential to contribute right away. Schreiber, who has
experience with the youth Swedish National team, moves well for
a 6-9, 235 pounder. His toughness is a question, but that
should come with time. Reilly is a little smaller than
Schreiber at 6-8 and 225 pounds, but has the skills to battle in
the paint. Darren Smith, a native of Linden, New Jersey, is a
sharp shooting guard who hopes to make an impact off the bench
this year.
Who to Watch:
This
team is all about the returning Ivy League Player of the Year
Ibrahim Jaaber. The 6-2 guard averaged 18.2 points as a junior
and big things are expected for his final season in
Philadelphia. Jaaber anchors a young backcourt and will have to
be the team leader on the court. Brian Grandieri won’t add too
much long range shooting to the two spot, but the junior does
have some experience and always seems to be around on the
defensive end. Tommy McMahon is a decent shooter off the catch,
but lacks the athleticism to create his own shot. The 6-7 wing
averaged just over ten minutes per game in 17 contests as a
freshman and may be forced into a starting role this year.
Final
Projection:
After Jaaber,
the frontcourt duo of Mark Zoller and Steve Danley carry the
hopes of Penn fans. Zoller has the skills to play just about
anywhere on the floor. As a junior last year, the 6-7 forward
averaged 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds and earned First-team
All-Ivy honors. Zoller is a shooting threat out to the
three-point line and no slouch on the defensive end either.
Danley tacked on 8.9 points and 5.1 boards and the 6-8 forward
has done a solid job on the defensive end handling the
opposition’s big man.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Ibrahim Jaaber,
Senior, Guard, 18.2 points per game
Brian Grandieri,
Junior, Guard, 6.1 points per game
Tommy McMahon,
Sophomore, Forward, 2.9 points per game
Mark Zoller,
Senior, Forward, 12.7 points per game
Steve Danley,
Senior, Forward, 8.9 points per game
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