Neil Fanaroff here at The Pavillion in Villanova, Pa. I'll be bringing you live updates on Penn's contest against No. 5 Villanova. Penn hasn't beaten a ranked opponent in nearly 11 years, to this should be a tall task for the Quakers. Follow along with me here:
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November 17th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Okay, let's not mince words. No, I was not at the game. I will be at the Palestra Sat. But let us not spin, or in any way minimize, the implications of these first two terrible losses.
Two games into the season and Penn, should it somehow miraculously claim the Ivy title, has already assured itself of a 15th or 16th seed. That's right, already...15th seed if they're lucky. More likely, after last night, the 16th seed.
Yes, yes...perhaps they made the Penn State game reasonably competitive for more than a half, but come on people, they lost by 15. Not in overtime, in regulation.
Against Villanova, what did they need to do? They needed to play respectably, to lose by, say, 10? Or less than 15? Or, better yet, with an inspired effort, surprise and lose by 6, 8, or 9?
In so doing, they'd at least have retained, barely, the non-conference argument they'll want to have come NCAA seedings. However, two key, early games into the new season, and that argument is already shot to hell.
Tyler Bernadini--zero points. Zack Rosen--another stellar 2-8 night from the floor. Their starting front line combines for 15 points? Are you kidding me?
At long last, they get the kind of anticipated contribution from Darren Smith they allegedly so sorely missed last year (21 points), and what does it translate into?
A 38 point loss!
I'm not going to pretend, nor should anyone, that a single silver lining lurks in this early, disastrous feedback. Let us dispense with the excuse of their youth. We are talking about a fairly seasoned team at this point. This all bodes very ominously.
Please...do not tell me that it's Villanova, what did I expect? This is what I expected: a competitive effort. I expected their alleged "go to" guy, against the best team on their schedule, to score more than ZERO points.
Let's be honest--there are public high school teams right here in NJ (I can vouch for them) that could have lost to Villanova by 40 or fewer points.
Having vented, I will be there, as I said, Sat night, and I'll be supporting this team, even as it dredges up, for me, increasingly depressing associations with the Knicks.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Steve -
That's "Mr. Becker" to me! An awesome post; depressingly brutal, but awesome!
EN
November 17th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
The only silver lining is that Iverson may be signing soon.
Oh wait, that is for the Knicks.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Ernie, thanks, my friend!
November 17th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Looks to be an uphill fight the entire season.
Refreshing to see the return of Mr B to the forum! Welcome back Steven!
FOJL
November 17th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Meanwhile, the Genslers of the world would have said
"Yeah, but we really played hard, and didnt stop hustling and fighting and scrapping for loose balls"
FOJL
November 17th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Steve -
I'm calling you out! You are not on the list to receive Regime Change, so please go to David Gurian-Peck's Havard Football post below and read the seriousness with which Harvard now takes BB, including accepting Tommy Amaker's recruiting adventurism.
EN
November 17th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Steven: Please have a look at Ernie's materials. Welcome your insights and comments.
FOJL
November 17th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Under Fran Dunphy, I cannot remember more than 1 or 2 losses in 5-10 years that were as bad as the Villanova loss. Glen Miller does not put a competitive team on the floor, and does not put a team on the floor with a strategy that can keep it in games, much less win against physically superior opponents.
Under Dunphy, and other successful Ivy teams have played a slightly slower game, valued the ball, and played fundamentally sound offense. Under Glen Miller, the Quakers are continuously blown out.
This is not Pennsylvania basketball. Fire Glen Miller. The correct hire would have been Steve Donahue - former Dunphy assistant - now at Cornell, or Fran McCaffery, former Penn player and Penn assistant, now coach of Sienna. Now, both those guys are having success, and who knows if we could even get them.
This is Miller's 4th year. These are his guys now, and this is his system. Its time to move on and change directions.
November 17th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
By the way, the motion offense is completely not well suited for an Ivy league team. It just won't work unless you have athletes like they did in the late 1990s and early 2000s. And even then, we ran some fast breaks, but we didn't run a motion offense.
November 17th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Ernie, which post are you suggesting I read? Where is it?
I read his post of the Penn-Harvard action, but I know you're not referring to that.
And what "Regime Change" list are you referring to? Sorry I'm so clueless?
Hello FOJL! Longtime no speak.
Alum Dan, I hear you. You make excellent points in your post. I agree with them all.
November 17th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Steve -
When you arrive at The Buzz, as of my post right now it has ZK's "Football Notes", followed by NF's "Mens Hoops at Villanova..." that we are on, followed by DG_P's "Penn vs Harvard FB Game Notes" - which currently has 6 comments. The 7th - the one I'd particularly like you to focus on, is titled "Regime Change Vol 5, which was posted Nov 14, and is still "awaiting moderation". (Let's hope the awaiting bears fruit!)
In any case, here's the link, and if you have a chance, please also read the previous post directly above that thankfully did not require moderation.
http://blogs.dailypennsylvanian.com/thebuzz/2009/11/14/penn-vs-harvard-fb-game-notes/#comments
EN
November 17th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Whoops, I see the above one's awaiting moderation too!
EN
November 17th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Steven: Its always good to see a friendly honest contribution from you.
Your comments about the program appear to be on track
No sugar-coating from you!
Bravo!
FOJL
November 17th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
What Steve said. Sigh.
For those of you who attended the game, I'd be interested in your comments as to student turnout. Did we even manage to send twelve angry men?
November 17th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
The Red and Blue Crew sent a busload of students, but they were seated way up in the dark North corner of the Pavilion so it was difficult to see them. They were loud and enthusiastic in the beginning of the game, but quieted down as the game got ugly.
November 17th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
A rare sighting and contribution from a Lubin.
What a nice surprise!
Not working on the faceoff drills tonight, young man?
November 17th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
As expected, the suck up lapdog comment appeared as follows:
"If the coach calls your number and puts you in the game, you have to have enough confidence in yourself to play. You can't just jog around and hit your marks, pass the ball around like it's a hot potato, wave at the opponent as he sprints by. You have to PLAY. If you screw up do better next time. Not to anoint Malcolm Washington All-Ivy but he came out and played. He took the "Denzel" chants from the stands and picked a guy's pocket and drove in for a layup.
In the mid-90s, Garret Kreitz wasn't as talented as a lot of guys on this team but he brought it every night - even the nights he was outmatched physically. Paul Chrystie remembered the night 6-0 Charlie Copp battled 6-6 Mardy Collins of Temple in the low post because Penn had no one left to guard him and, you know what, Collins scored the game-winner. But Copp made it as difficult as possible. He battled and battled and battled and when Collins, who the following year would be in the NBA, finally scored over him, Copp was ticked off about it.
That's all you can ask..."
Puh-leeze. Talk about living in a myopic fantasyland. Get a grip. How about "We stunk"