According to NBA.com and SNY.tv writer Adam Zagoria (of ZagsBlog), sources close to Penn have said that Jerome Allen will be announced as full-time Penn coach sometime before the Final Four.

"Not only alum [sic] have gone to AD Steve Bilsky, but boosters, donors, parents and players have pledged their unconditional support,” a source told the blog. “They might not even interview outside candidates."

After taking over for Glen Miller seven games into the season, Allen has gone 6-14, including an upset of then-No. 22 Cornell in February.

Make sure to check back at thedp.com as we pursue this story.

(HT Noah Becker)

Jerry Carino of MyCentralJersey.com wrote a nice piece on Zack Rosen and how he is dealing with all of the losing at Penn these last two years compared with the tremendous success of his high school teams. Here are some interesting highlights from the article:

1. Rosen's comments: "I've always been on teams that have had a lot of success, and coming here I expected it would be the same thing," Rosen said last week. "That's not the case. It takes a lot more effort, more work, more commitment. It take a lot more of everything and it's been frustrating, but I think we've got a good foundation." ... On how he's stayed motivated on such a bad team: "By not letting it me bring me down, but embracing it and making me stronger for it," he explained. "That's been the key, taking the right attitude and working hard no matter what the circumstances."

2. One of his quotes in the story seems to imply that Darren Smith will be working out this summer and trying to return next season. After missing two full seasons with his knee injury, Smith would be eligible to apply for a fifth year if he proves that he needs the fifth year to do something academically as well. This usually entails something like taking on a second major or anything else that gives the player a legitimate academic reason for needing a fifth year before graduating. It's certainly something that's been discussed here and elsewhere in the circles of Penn basketball discussion, but I think the common opinion was that Smith wouldn't have a good reason to play a 5th year, especially considering the playing time constraints the team will face next year with a huge recruiting class.

3. The article mentions that Rosen has a 3.1 GPA in Wharton. I'm not in Wharton, so I can't judge that, but for someone with so much time tied up in basketball, it doesn't seem too shabby.

In case you haven't heard, Penn had a pretty big win yesterday. In addition to reading our recap (which links to a full box score), check out our sweet photo slideshow from the game, taken by DP Photo Editor Pete Lodato. (You can also read the Cornell Daily Sun's recap if you so desire).

Upsetting the top team in the Ivy League would have been a pretty big deal regardless of the program. But throw in Cornell's No. 22 rank, and last night’s game is garnering national recognition.

Pat Forde at ESPN.com has a post that discusses three big games yesterday, including the Quakers' upset. He calls Penn's win "certainly the biggest league upset of the year nationwide. Might be the biggest upset, period." That link also has a video interview with Zack Rosen and Jerome Allen. Yahoo Sports also asks if this was the upset of the year.

In addition, here's another ESPN article about the wide-open Ivy race. On that note, Penn (3-2 Ivy) is technically in control of its own Ivy League title destiny, since it will take on both Cornell (6-1) and Harvard (5-2) again and has yet to face off against Princeton (5-0). As a friend of mine joked, if Penn wins the rest of its games this season, it will win the national championship. Of course that isn't going to happen -- nor is it even likely they will sweep the rest of the Ivy slate. But a team that many thought would struggle to win four or five Ivy games, has already won twice on the road and is now undefeated at home after upsetting the No. 22 team in the nation.

So far this week, we've seen a book devoted to Ivy hoops and a Wall Street Journal piece saying that the Harvard-Cornell game (tonight, 7 p.m. ET, Ithaca, N.Y.) may be “[t]he game of the year in college basketball.”

Well, now Sports Illustrated jumps into the fray with a feature on Harvard basketball. The story focuses on coach Tommy Amaker and star guard Jeremy Lin, who may be headed for the NBA. SI also had an interesting table with the story, replicated below:

*   *   *

Zach Klitzman gave his picks for yesterday's games. All the favorites cruised, and Klitzman didn't do too badly, going 2-1.  But his line-setting prognostication skills weren't quite as good; here are the previously unavailable spreads for today's action:

Harvard at Cornell -8

Princeton -2 at Yale

Dartmouth at Columbia -9

Penn at Brown -6

Personally, I think The Wall Street Journal's rhetoric is a bit over the top on this one. But an article in Wednesday's paper says that the Ivy League may just have "[t]he game of the year in college basketball."

The essence:

Saturday's game between Harvard (13-3) and Cornell (16-3)—and the scheduled rematch on Feb. 19 at Harvard—will bring a sense of urgency that this sport is unaccustomed to, at least before March. For the first time—arguably ever—the Ivy League has two legitimate NCAA Tournament-caliber teams.

But given the conference's diminished standing, it's all but certain that only one of them—the eventual Ivy champion—will get there.

The Ivy League has never sent more than one team to the Dance.

The rough year for Penn's basketball programs has been well-documented, but come midnight, the Quakers will reach a new mark of futility: It will be the latest ever that both hoops programs are winless.

With today's 65-51 loss to Navy, the women are 0-7, while Glen Miller's squad is 0-5.

Now, just nine years ago, Fran Dunphy's Quakers (who ultimately tied for second in the 2000-01 Ivy League standings, by the way) began the year 0-8, and in 1995-96, the women lost their first -- count 'em -- 22 games. So individually, the record books are far away, although first-year W. Hoops coach Mike McLaughlin -- the winngest coach in the NCAA -- must be frustrated and confused.

Collectively, though, the Quakers are entering uncharted territory. In the 40 years since the Penn's women's basketball program began, both squads have never been searching for their first win as late as Dec. 7. The season used to start later, too, which makes this even more remarkable.

So which team will win first? The men face Albany at the Palestra on Tuesday, then travel to the seemingly beatable Monmouth next Saturday; the women host rider next Saturday in their only game until after Christmas.

*   *   *

Food for thought: Our dear friend Pat Knapp, now an assistant with the University of Hawaii (and wearing oh-so-appropriate digs for the new gig), is 3-5 so far. Maybe he wasn't wasting his time after all.

*   *   *

I would also like to officially congratulate Noah and Zach on the good job they have done both on this blog and with the print edition of The Daily Pennsylvanian. They have begun the transition to next year's editors, who will be formally announced shortly.

Hello everybody, and welcome to the historic Palestra for tonight's Line. Neil Fanaroff here, coming at you from the 2009 Line. I'll be posting updates all night, letting you know of the goings on here in case you didn't have the foresight to come to the announcement. It looks to be a fun night for everyone involved.

(more...)

Villanova announced its men's basketball schedule earlier today, with the Wildcats hosting Penn on Monday, Nov. 16.

As Zach Klitzman previously reported, it's the first time since the 2000-01 season that this matchup will take place outside of December.

The rest of Penn's City Six schedule was already known. All games are at the Palestra:

• Drexel, Nov.24
• Temple, Jan. 13
• La Salle, Jan. 20
• Saint Joseph's, Jan. 25

It's been weeks since my original post about Sean Mullan, a basketball recruit from Australia. I haven't heard back from Mullan since that original post, so I haven't been able to provide an update on his status... until now. Although I still haven't heard back from the man himself, a reliable source confirmed today that Mullan is officially coming to Penn.

It seems that this might have been in the books for a while at this point.  When I heard from his mother in late May she indicated that everything was just about squared away, but they hadn't received their official documents yet. Then Sean's name showed up in the Penn Directories a few weeks ago, but I still could not take that as confirmation that he was definitely coming.

With Mullan in the bag, the Quakers' 2009 recruiting class is up to five players (though two are unofficial). Mullan joins Carson Sullivan and Brian Fitzpatrick as the official recruits for 2009, while Malcolm Washington and Tommy Eggleston will also join the team as "preferred walk-ons." The distinction, as far as I know, is virtually irrelevant. Penn Athletics has not released an official list of this year's recruits, but it should come very soon. Washington and Eggleston will not be on the official list.

FINAL: Albany 73, PENN 63

Albany pressing now, trying to put this away. Penn breaks it but is just a tumbling mess on offense. Somehow, the ball gets back to Bernardini behind the line, who draws three foul shots off a Harris foul. He ices all three. On the Danes' next inbounds, Penn fouls Raffa, who goes 2-for-2. Gaines hopsteps for a layup but Raffa heads to the line again as Penn is forced to foul. Tack two more on for Albany. Hastings tosses an alley-oop to Ambrose to put an emphatic end on this one.

1:03 2nd Half: Albany 67, PENN 56

Rosen finds a wide-open Eggleston who is short on his three attempt. The press forces yet another Albany turnover and Bernardini just misses a leaner but goes to the line on a blocking call. He bricks the first and gets the roll on the second. On the inbounds, Albany finally breaks the press and it pays dividends, as Raffa gets the And-1 (and makes it) off a Cofield foul. This is not looking good for Penn. After a Rosen miss, Egee commits his fifth foul and is gone.

1:51 2nd Half: Albany 62, PENN 54

Rosen intercepts a second Hail Mary attempt and gets Bernardini to the line. He has not been very good from the line tonight but makes these two. Great hustle from Rosen off an Albany inbounds forces a jump-ball, but possession favors the Danes.

2:10 2nd Half: Albany 62, PENN 52

The Great Danes' try an audacious Hail Mary to beat the press but Gaines forces Ambrose to lose control of it. On the ensuing possession, Gaines dribbles in place and then tries to pop a three with a defender in his face -- he misses. After a Danes basket, Rosen cuts down the lane and hangs in the air for a double-clutch lefty layup. But Penn can't keep trading baskets.

3:02 2nd Half: Albany 60, PENN 50

Jerel Hastings throws down a nasty dunk as the Danes beat the press -- this one was certainly more impressive than Harris', because Hastings' throwdown had some anger and assertiveness to it. 8.

4:05 2nd Half: Albany 56, PENN 48

Rosen knocks down a three thanks to an aggressive Eggleston screen and the Danes can't get the ball inbounded, and are forced to call a timeout.

4:30 2nd Half: Albany 56, PENN 45

Another open three missed by the Quakers. Ambrose slices and dices and bowls over Votel for two. 

5:19 2nd Half: Albany 52, PENN 45

After a Votel layup, Albany dribbles and screen its way out of the press. Rosen misses a jumper from just inside the key and then makes a smart foul on Raffa as the Danes' go in transition. Raffa, who is 3-for-4 from three tonight, misses both foul shots. The Fox radio announcer next to me keeps calling Penn "UPenn." Guess he didn't read the press packet, which politely asks media to call the University "Penn." Rosen find Egee under the net for two and then the press forces an Albany turnover.

7:50 2nd Half: Albany 52, PENN 41

Cofield and Turley in now. Turley gets rejected on a not-so-strong attempt to dunk or lay it in. And just as Penn is in transition, Albany gets a steal. Tommy McMahon checks in for Penn again. This is going nowhere right now, and with a 13-point deficit, Penn can't let that happen. Rosen doesn't let it happen, pump-faking Raffa beyond the arc, dribbling and hitting a shot from the elbow. Bernardini then hits a three, and Raffa comes right back with one over a reaching Rosen. Bernardini pump-fakes and draws a shooting foul. He nails both. Penn starts pressing now, but the Danes easily break it. Ambrose gets an up-and-under to go and Miller is irate. 

11:40 2nd Half: Albany 47, PENN 34

Rosen finds Gaines inside, who gets fouled just before the shot clock expires. Gaines fronts the first -- almost an airball -- but gets nothing but net on No. 2. Raffa is left open from three after a double-team and swishes one again from the corner. All the momentum and all the bounces are going the Danes' way right now. Media timeout, and the cheerleaders come out, wobbling their way through the routine. Some more practice might be in order.

13:22 2nd Half: Albany 42, PENN 33

Harris is getting vocal on court, trying to rile up Albany after it committed a shot-clock violation. Eggleston gets a good look from downtown but is just short. Raffa cans a tough one from long-distance. Rosen breaks some ankles and fires a pass out but Penn can't do anything but miss another shot.

15:57 2nd Half: Albany 35, PENN 33

Lots of dribbling and passing going on in Penn's offense (as we should see in a motion offense). Another bad inbounds from Rosen results in an easy run-'n'-dunk for Will Harris. Nice extension but a weak finish -- I give it a 7. Egee isn't fazed and slips under the net from the baseline for two. Bernardini gets a steal but the ref gets in the way, knocking the ball (accidentally?) to Albany. Rosen makes a great play, jumping and blocking a Danes pass that would've resulted in an easy transition basket. Eggleston makes a 6-foot jumper after getting open along the baseline. 

HALFTIME: Albany 31, PENN 28

Rosen drives and makes a nice dish behind his head to Eggleston, but the guard's momentum gets him called for a charge. Bernardini then misses badly on bad shot in transition. Eggleston misses his first shot, a baby hook off a feed from Turley. Ambrose hits a three from the corner. On the last possession, Rosen draws two defenders and slips it inside to Turley, who puts it in for what looks to be two, and an And-1. But the refs call a charge.

Halftime stats:

FG: Albany 13-32 (40.6%), Penn 11-27 (40.7%)

3-Pointers: Albany 1-8 (12.5%), Penn 4-10 (40.0%)

Rebounds: Albany 18, Penn 18

Assists: Albany 3, Penn 9

High scorers: Eggleston 10, Ambrose 9, Harris 8, Bernardini 6, Connelly 6, Raffa 6

2:54 1st Half: PENN 28, Albany 26

I'm seriously considering sampling the arena food.

Rosen picks Johnson's pocket and goes coast-to-coast for a layup. The man-to-man is stifling Albany's shooters now and the Quakers are getting boards. Rosen pulls up for a three as Penn takes its first lead of the game. Bernardini then gets open in the corner and drills the trey. Meanwhile, Rosen has six assists already and only one turnover (his first in three games).

4:49 1st Half: Albany 24, PENN 20

Cofield hits only the first of his one-and-one. Harris takes a drive right into Eggleston and the crowd loves it. The refs don't though and Harris gets called for a charge. But the zebras quickly even it up with an off-the-ball foul call on Votel on the Quakers' offensive possession. Raffa capitalizes with a falling-away three from the corner. Turley and Rosen relieve Gaines and Votel. Eggleston posts and spins for another easy two, using his finesse against Albany's strength. After a tough defensive board, Penn goes downcourt and Bernardini makes a reverse layup in transition.

7:15 1st Half: Albany 22, PENN 15

Gaines finally hits a shot after he gets open at the top of the three-point line. Raffa does likewise, this time, just inside the line, and Cofield tries to return the favor and is fouled on his pull-up. 

8:06 1st Half: Albany 20, PENN, 12

Again, the Quakers don't get the roll as Bernardini just misses a tough layup. Raffa makes a nice midrange fadeaway in isolation to add two more to Albany's lead. Then, the Danes get a steal of a lazy inbounds from Rosen under their basket. Tim Ambrose then controls his body beautifully on a drive down the lane to avoid a charge on Eggleston, and nets two more for Albany. Eggleston hits right back with a 15-foot fadeaway from the baseline. In the post, Eggleston spins and gets the kiss off the glass. He's 4-for-4 so far, but that's getting neutralized by another drive and missed layup by Gaines. Ambrose shows the Penn soph how it's done with a spinning drive of his own that splits the Penn D for an easy two. Will Harris comes off a pick, gets a pass inside and takes it right to Votel for a lefty layup. Timeout Penn.

11:42 1st Half: Albany 12, PENN 8

Not much else going on. Bernardini commits a reach-in on one end and then draws one from the Danes on the other. So hungry. I have a craving for Wendy's which would have been satisfied had I actually seen a Wendy's on the drive down from Montreal. 

12:34 1st Half: Albany 12, PENN 8

Gaines is in for Egee and Turley trades his spot on the bench for Votel's on the floor. The man defense is working but once again, the Quakers cannot get the box out and Turley fouls Harris as he goes up for the putback. Harris makes both. Cam Lewis is in for Turley and Tommy McMahon comes in for Eggleston. The Great Danes' Scotty McRae airballs a trey, drawing weak "Airball, Airball" heckles from the Penn contigent. Gaines looks sloppy early on, bricking a shot from the top of the key and later dribbling his way into a double-team and turnover. Bernardini gets a good look from three but misses it, and Rosen creates his own open jumper and also misses. After a run in transition, Bernardini draws a blocking foul but only makes one of two.

15:53 1st Half: Albany 8, PENN 7

Rosen lobs a full-court pass to a streaking Eggleston for an easy transition deuce. The freshman already has two assists. Unfortunately for Penn, Egee picks up his second foul trying to stop a second-chance attempt from Albany.

17:20 1st Half: Albany 6, PENN 5

Penn comes out in a man-to-man but surrenders a drive to Ambrose. Eggleston hits right back with a nice jumper from the elbow off a halfcourt set. On the other end, Connelly, a big man, gets a mismatch against Egee in the post and the Penn guard is forced to foul. Connelly makes both free throws. On the next possession, Rosen makes an aggressive drive to the basket but can't get the roll on a tough layup. The Quakers' offense looks good early on, as Rosen finds Votel in the corner for a three.

Brandon Moyse reporting live from Albany, as the Quakers get set to square off against the Great Danes. Albany is coming off a 17-point trouncing of Columbia, while Penn is coming off a 4-hour bus ride from Philly. If you have any ideas where I should eat or what I should do after the game, please leave a comment.

Starters:

PENN:

G Zack Rosen

G Tyler Bernardini

G Kevin Egee

F Jack Eggleston

F Brennan Votel

ALBANY:

G Anthony Raffa

G Tim Ambrose

F Will Harris

F Brian Connelly

C Brett Gifford