Basketball Preview 2022

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PREVIEW PREVIEW PREVIEW 2022

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM

THIS ISSUE'S TEAM ALESSANDRA PINTADO-URBANC President PIA SINGH Executive Editor

TYLER KLIEM Design Editor MATTHEW FRANK Sports Editor ESTHER LIM Sports Editor EASHWAR KANTEMNENI Deputy Sports Editor SOPHIE APFEL Copy Editor

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2022

JESSE ZHANG Photo Editor ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL Sports Photo Editor CALEB CRAIN Deputy Design Editor LILIAN LIU Deputy Design Editor SOPHIA LIU Design Associate JULIA FISCHER Deputy Copy Editor ALLYSON NELSON Deputy Copy Editor CHARLOTTE BOTT Copy Associate BRITTANY DARROW Copy Associate JADA EIBLE HARGRO Copy Associate

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DIAMY WANG Copy Associate

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

JONAH CHARLTON DP Editor-in-Chief

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Five decisive games for women's basketball

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'We want to get back to the NCAA Tournament': Coach Steve Donahue talks upcoming season

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Five decisive games for men's basketball

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The smallest freshman class in the Ivy League: Cam Thrower and Chris Ubochi of men's basketball

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In Photos | A look back at Penn Basketball's 2021-2022

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Preseason Ivy League women's basketball power rankings

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Emails, tryouts, and time management: Walking on to Penn women's basketball

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Red and Blue Scrimmages: In images

Kayla Padilla: Wearing Filipino heritage in the Red and Blue

Jordan Dingle: Inside the Penn superstar's redemption tour

COVER DESIGN BY SOPHIA LIU COVER PHOTOS BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL AND KYLIE COOPER

Eyes on March: Coach Mike McLaughlin 'excited to see the team succeed'

Preseason Ivy League men's basketball power rankings The geography of Penn basketball: Coast to coast and across the pond

Frank | Now is the time for Penn to become a basketball school

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ALEXIS GARCIA Sports Associate

Nov. 13 · at Northwestern Evanston, Ill. The Quakers will head to Evanston, Ill. to face off against Big 10 opponent Northwestern in their second game of the season.

The two programs haven’t gone head-tohead since 2009, so gauging an accurate

result to the matchup is difficult. But the Wildcats will likely shape up to be a dangerous opponent for the Quakers, as they return four of their six players who surpassed 500 minutes on the court last season.

Nov. 17 · vs Villanova The Palestra

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As soon as Penn returns from Northwestern, back-to-back games against Big 5 rivals Saint Joseph’s and Villanova await the Quakers — the more challenging of the two being the latter, another team named the Wildcats.

The biggest threat on the Wildcats' roster

who the Red and Blue will need to avert in the frontcourt is senior Maddy Siegrist. The star forward led the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018 last season, averaging 27.9 points and reigning as the Big East Player of the Year.

Nov. 23 · at USC Los Angeles Penn will spend Thanksgiving break in California, taking on Pac-12 foe USC. Penn's opponent returns All-Pac-12 Preseason Honorable Mention sophomore Rayah Marshall and its leading threepoint scorer, senior Alyson Miura. The Trojans enter only their second season

women's basketball key games PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER GRAPHICS BY JOJO BUCCINI, JONAH CHARLTON, AND CALEB CRAIN

under the leadership of coach Lindsay Gottlieb, and welcome a whopping seven transfers to their squad. Penn can aim to capitalize on the team in the early season where it will have yet to perfect its rotation with its many new names and dynamics.

Jan. 7 · vs. Columbia The Palestra Having lost both matchups against the Ancient Eight rival last winter — within close margins — it will be critical for the Quakers to collect a win against the Lions in conference play. Otherwise, hopes to hoist the Ivy League Championship trophy come March will be dim. The Lion pack boosts maturity

and scoring depth on its roster, as seen in conference single-season three-point recordholder, junior Abbey Hsu. Penn’s offense will hold the more exciting story to play for, as the program looks to upset Columbia, and fans can expect high-scoring clashes between both teams as the calendar turns.

March 3 · vs. Princeton The Palestra Ranked atop the Ancient Eight standings in the Ivy League preseason media poll and favored to win the conference title, the Tigers will be the toughest opponent for the Red and Blue next year. The program is coming back from a season

where it was undefeated in Ivy League play and secured its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in the past decade.

Princeton boosts a stacked lineup and is headed by Ivy League Coach of the Year Carla Berube.

A productive summer stands behind the optimism for Penn women’s basketball ALEXIS GARCIA Sports Associate

Next Sunday, Nov. 13, Penn women’s basketball tips off for its first non-exhibition game this season. The promising roster, headed by coach Mike McLaughlin, is hoping to return to a winning conference record after finishing 7-7 against the Ancient Eight last year.

The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with McLaughlin for his thoughts on the upcoming season.

This season there’s a very special connection on the roster — sisters Sydnei and Saniah Caldwell. What have you seen of their relationship as both teammates and sisters so far?

It’s awesome. I haven’t coached sisters here at Penn. I’ve coached sisters in the past where I coached Killion, my assistant, and her sister at the same time when I was at Holy Family University. But this is the first time I have had sisters in a long time.

You won’t even know it out on the floor.

You can see the connectivity, you can see the big sister-little sister energy. There was an incident where Saniah went down a little bit in practice — hit the floor with an injury and she’s coming off an ACL injury — and Sydnei was the first one to fly over.

I told their parents how special it is to have both of them on the court at the same time at one of the best schools in the world.

If you would have asked for that when they were 2 or 3 years old, you probably would have thought it was a dream. Now the dream is a reality. I want them to really savor this next five months together on the court.

Kayla Padilla and Jordan Obi were the team’s leading scorers last

season. What can fans expect from them this season?

Kayla has been special on and off the floor. Her last year at Penn is going to be the best yet — I can just feel it. She is determined to get the team to the Ivy League playoffs, she’s fun to watch, she’s great to be around, and a great role model.

Jordan is sponging off Kayla’s on-thefloor ability. Jordan is incredibly talented but one of the things I am most excited about is the way they are playing together.

The year together has helped them. They are both individually special players but together they are even better, and I see that this year. They really started to come together late last year and I am excited to watch that growth unfold.

What are you most excited about after witnessing the team bond all preseason?

Growth. I am excited to play a full season without interruptions. I am excited to see the team succeed. I am excited to help them navigate through adversity. I want them to represent Penn and I just want to see them give everything they have to school, the program, and whoever is watching. I don’t have any personal goals for myself — I just want to see them succeed.

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How have the roles of graduated seniors like Kennedy Suttle and Mia Lakstigala, who contributed so much to Penn’s success last season, been filled?

They each had such an impact on the team. I couldn’t take them off the floor; they were so ready to play at the end of last year ,and I miss them. They set a pretty good bar for us. They were professional

kids that knew what it was like to compete every day.

But I think you would have to ask the players. They see things a little differently.

As a freshman, when you’re watching a senior, you’re seeing things that maybe I am not seeing. Our seniors are looking for employment while our freshmen are just trying to survive. This is what you have in college — 18- to 22-year-olds at different spots of their lives. So I am sure there are lessons in there that I can’t share, but [the freshmen] are probably watching and looking out for them. That’s the interesting thing about college sports, players are in different phases of their lives trying to mesh together.

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Floor Toonders is a new face on the team. What have you seen from her so far, and what should we expect?

Incredible maturity on the floor, high basketball IQ, and a phenomenal teammate. In terms of on-the-floor, she’s an excellent screen-setter, she does an amazing job slipping, and she is really productive with the ball. I am expecting a lot of minutes out of her. I am trying to develop her a little more defensively to get her where we need her to be, but I think you’re going to get a really mature, not-phased-by-anything, well-rounded basketball player.

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

Coach Mike McLaughlin speaks to players from the sidelines during last season’s game against Harvard at the Palestra on Jan. 29.

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Having just missed a trip to the Ivy League Tournament last season, what improvements are you focusing on to make the trip happen this upcoming March?

I think we had a really productive summer. I thought that the culture was phenomenal and the connections between the girls is awesome. We tried to build the culture strong. I thought this group we had last year got so much better as the year went on — we just ran out of time. We have to hit the ground a little bit quicker running when we get into Ivy League play than we did a year ago.

I think we developed slowly, we lacked a little size around the baskets, and we weren’t as strong as we wanted to be. We had good individual players, we just didn’t have the size to push the ball back out in the middle.

Our offensive game got better and better as the year went on. So I think we can put everything together a little bit faster.

This is a difficult, challenging league with talented players, and we all have incredible student-athletes, but this group here I really like. They care, they’re dedicated, they work their butts off, and they’re a great group to work with.

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Eyes on March: Coach Mike McLaughlin ‘excited to see the team succeed’

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Men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue on experience, strategy, and the NCAA Tournament After last year’s devastating loss in the Ivy Tournament, the team is bolstered by returning starters and eyeing bigger goals MATTHEW FRANK Sports Editor

The beginning of the Penn men’s basketball season is almost underway, and hopes are high for the Quaker team, ranked first in the Ivy League preseason media poll. Last season, Penn rattled off a 9-5 conference record en route to the Ivy Tournament, and Penn returns all but one key contributor from that roster.

With Penn’s opening contest at Iona just days away, The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with coach Steve Donahue to gauge his thoughts on this year’s team.

Last season, you remarked on how Penn was literally the most inexperienced team in the country.

This year, coming off an Ivy Tournament berth and having some more experience, how do you see that manifesting into the season?

Well, I think the first thing is just how the preseason has gone. We’re really just kind of jumping in where we left off. We don’t have to go through all the minutiae of why we’re doing something; guys get it. Now, we have two freshmen that we’re kind of pulling along with us, and it allows you to start figuring out how you’re going to win games, not just what you need to do to survive at this level.

And I think that’s something that will help us right away.

You mentioned the two freshmen coming into the team. What do you expect from them minuteswise, and what have you seen from them so far?

I think they’re both really progressing nicely. I think a lot of it has to do with the competition in front of them. So in some ways, Cam [Thrower] is further along, so he can come in and help us on the perimeter. We have some bigger guys up front, and Christian [Ubochi] has had some injury issues here in the preseason, but I would hope that as he continues to really work at it … that he’s someone that at some point, whether it’s this year or next, that he’s going to help us.

Last season, eight guys cracked 450 minutes on the season. The season before that, only five did. Is this going to be a team that utilizes its depth more and changes things up based on the situation, or is there going to be more of a set rotation given the added experience?

PHOTO BY JESSE ZHANG

Coach Steve Donahue speaks with the men’s basketball team during their game against Columbia on Feb. 6.

It’s a couple of things. One, we’re going to play more games this year. We could play more guys than we did, but maybe it’s nine or 10 closer to 400. So I do think we’re deep. I think we’re going to be able to play fours and fives as a group, and perimeters as a group. And whoever is playing well will play, and I sense that we’re going to have, as the season goes, we’ll probably start out early, maybe 10 or 11. As we get closer to the league, eight or nine, and in the second half of games, six or seven.

Max Lorca-Lloyd is back from injury. He was a starter last season before getting injured. What have you seen from him so far, and what do you expect from him role-wise this season?

I think Max showed early on what he could do for us defensively, and we really missed him. So I think he’s gotten bigger, stronger, faster. He’s more experienced, he’s a very good defender. For a big guy, he can guard multiple positions, and he protects the rim. Now on the offensive end, he’s become really active on the glass. He’s a very good passer. And I think he’s finishing better than he ever has, and I think he would tell you, that’s the next step in his progression, just going to a go-to move down on the block that he feels comfortable with and he can be consistent with.

Across the roster every year, there’s a number of different guys that step into the rotation. Who do you see getting a much bigger role than they did last season?

Well, we had a couple injured guys, so Max is back, and then the younger guys making a step, and I think in particular Nick Spinoso and Gus Larson in that class. I think they both, hence we’re playing bigger, those are the two guys that I think you’ll get comfortable saying that they’re going to be a big part of the rotation.

How much does last season’s exit in the Ivy Tournament serve as a motivator for this season?

I think we’re all about building the habits that help us to be a champion. And a life lesson like losing to a champion on a neutral court with a one-possession game with a minute left is a hard pill to swallow. And I thought it’s been motivation the whole year. We want to get back there, and we want to get back to the NCAA Tournament.

Jordan Dingle averaged the most points in the Ivy League last season and was undeniably the most valuable player on the team.

What have you seen from him

this offseason, and what do you think we can expect from him this season?

Well, for the most part, what I think you’re going to see from Jordan is a better defender, better all-around rebounder. And then on the offensive end, I think he now knows that he can trust his teammates.

We don’t need him to get 30 every game.

There’s going to be times where he’s going to have to score and do what he does. But it’s going to be something based on the defense. And if he could be a better distributor, I think he’s someone, to me, he’s so talented, he can lead the league in assists. Because I think that’s what we need more from him than we did. And then be a catch-and-shoot guy that shoots 40% from three.

Penn was ranked number one in the Ivy League preseason poll.

With those big expectations going into the season, what can fans expect from this team?

I hope they work out on the court and they see an identity that they feel proud of.

They play really hard, they’re really gritty, they guard, they rebound. And at the same time, there’s a skill and a talent level that they enjoy watching. And hopefully, if we continue to build those habits every day, that results in a championship.

Nov. 7 · at Iona New Rochelle, N.Y. Call it recency bias, but Penn’s seasonopening matchup against the Gaels will be a vital measuring stick for the rest of its season. Led by legendary coach Rick

Pitino, Iona comes in fresh off a 25-8 run last season that included victories over No. 10 Alabama and Ivy squads Harvard and Yale.

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MATTHEW FRANK Sports Editor

Dec. 3 · vs. La Salle The Palestra who led Penn from 1989-2006 and brought the Quakers to nine NCAA Tournaments. In a Saturday afternoon matchup at the Palestra, Dunphy will be returning to coach at his old stomping grounds for the first time since 2018.

Jan. 16 · vs. Princeton The Palestra Just two weeks into Ivy League play, the Quakers will confront the Princeton Tigers, a team which served defeat to Penn twice last season, and by double digits

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

New Haven, Conn.

Last season’s run for Penn was halted by a heartbreaking 67-61 loss in the Ivy Tournament semifinal against Yale. Over 10 months later, the Quakers can avenge defeat as they

travel to New Haven, Conn. for a Saturday evening matchup. The Bulldogs will be without Azar Swain, their leading scorer during the 2021-22 campaign.

Feb. 11 · at Harvard Cambridge, Mass.

Last season, for the first time since 2012, Penn earned a win on the Crimson’s home floor. Against a defensively stout Harvard squad, they’ll have their

hands full, but a win could be as big a momentum boost as it was last season to launch Penn toward the Ivy League Tournament.

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GRAPHICS BY JOJO BUCCINI, JONAH CHARLTON, AND CALEB CRAIN

Jan. 21 · at Yale

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men’s basketball key games

each time. Princeton lost two of its three main scorers this offseason, but the team is still led by reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Tosan Evbuomwan.

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Last season, the Quakers were a putrid 0-4 in Big 5 play. Against La Salle, Penn can right the ship, but that won’t be the only headline to highlight this game from the rest. The Explorers' new coach is none other than Fran Dunphy,

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Kayla Padilla Wearing Filipino heritage in the Red and Blue KRISTEL RAMBAUD Sports Reporter

Kayla Padilla, now a senior, has already been carving her name into Penn basketball history. As a two-time first team All-Ivy player and one of Penn’s most prolific three-point shooters, it’s almost like basketball runs in her blood.

In many ways, it does.

Padilla is a second-generation Filipino American. Filipinos are historically huge basketball fans, with basketball jersey shops lining the streets of their most populous cities and basketball hoops of all kinds standing throughout the island nation. The basketball court of Fort Bonifaco Tenement in Taguig City, Philippines, is considered sacred ground in the sport.

“It’s so embedded in the culture,” Padilla said. Most of her family also grew up playing basketball, but she’s been the first among her family to make it to the collegiate level.

“I feel there’s a common love for the sport. It was hard not to catch onto that growing up, especially being also surrounded by a lot of Filipinos where I’m from.”

Padilla hails from Torrance, Calif., located 18 miles south of the Crypto.com Arena, home of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers

and Clippers. When Padilla was growing up, it was in the thenStaples Center where Lakers basketball dominated, with the late Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal claiming five championships in 10 seasons. Growing up in Los Angeles at the height of purple and gold dominance fostered Padilla’s love for basketball.

And as an Asian American girl, Padilla wasn’t an outlier on the court. Within her diverse community, there were numerous other Asian American girls who also played basketball, enough so that she played in multiple Asian basketball leagues.

Today, Padilla is the lone Asian American player on the Penn women’s basketball team, which has been the case throughout her time at Penn. “[Being on the team] brings about an awareness and education that we need to start taking more consideration into things, like Filipino American Heritage Month and Asian American Pacific Islander Month; bringing that awareness not only to the team but also to Penn’s campus,” Padilla said. The FAHM and AAPI months are celebrated in October and May, respectively.

Padilla hopes that through this exposure and awareness, strides could be made for Filipinos — and people of Asian heritage in general — to play sports beyond

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

Kayla Padilla elevates for a shot against Harvard at the Palestra last season. Now in her senior year, the guard from Southern California is hoping to add to an already-stellar career as a Quaker.

high school and make it to the collegiate or even professional level.

Right now, it’s an uphill battle.

According to NCAA 2021 data, only 2% of NCAA Division I athletes identified as Asian — 9,821 student-athletes out of 493,297. Furthermore, there were only 30 women of Asian heritage playing DI basketball in 2021.

The statistics don’t improve with professional sports. In the NBA, only 0.2% of players reported identifying as Asian in the 2021-2022 season. The WNBA proves even fewer players of Asian heritage on its team

rosters. In the 2021 season, there were only two Asian American players reported. Neither had played due to opting out because of COVID-19.

Additionally, a Filipina woman has yet to see playing time in the WNBA. Chanelle Molina is the first to come close. After going undrafted, she signed a training camp contract with the Indiana Fever before being waived due to injury. Similarly, Kai Sotto was on the cusp of making history as the first-ever Filipino-born athlete to make it to the NBA this past summer, but fell short after going undrafted and unsigned.

There are barriers to be broken still, and Padilla is doing her part by trying to bring awareness to the journeys of Filipino American and Asian American athletes, not just on the court, but off it, too.

In June of 2021, the NCAA changed its longstanding stance on athletes profiting off their names. Players became allowed to engage in branding opportunities concerning their name, image, and likeness. Padilla immediately jumped on the opportunity.

She partnered with her trainer of a decade — Jared Lloyd,

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PHOTO COURTESY OF KAYLA PADILLA

people willing to support me in that kind of capacity, it’s kind of affirming that what I was doing and what I was representing was right and meant something to people,” Padilla said.

Among her biggest supporters are her family. Being across the country from them has been a challenge, but maintaining strong connections with her family has always been an immense priority. Family comes first, and not just because her grandmother makes, in Padilla’s opinion, the best version of pork sinigang, her favorite Filipino food.

Padilla also sources the value of hard work from family as well.

She admires her grandparents, who all had made the tumultuous journey from the Philippines to the United States in search of opportunities.

“That level of hard work and determination to get to the places you want to be has been a very common thread through family, and I think it translates to my time here at Penn, whether that be on the court or in the classroom or in the broader community,” Padilla said.

With support from family and community, and a personal work ethic sourced from those she finds most important, Padilla is finding the strength to shine more light on athletes of Asian

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAYLA PADILLA

heritage and share how much Filipinos love the game.

“I think I’ve made the most of the opportunity to show people that there are Filipinos that can

be in this space and play at this level. And I’m hoping it can be leveraged to be a good role model for people who want to be in the same position as I am.”

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

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Kayla Padilla brings the ball up the court during a game against Harvard on Jan. 29, 2022.

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co-founder of Homecourt Edge — to create her own merchandise line. The logo is minimalistic in design but features elements of the Filipino flag and heritage.

“From the start, I knew I had to incorporate Filipino culture in some sort of way,” Padilla said.

“I’m so cognizant that I’m not in the position I am today without everything that being a Filipino has brought me and enabled me to be in the position I am today.”

Her merch design features the blue and red that make up most of the Filipino flag — not too far off from the color scheme that Padilla dons for Penn. It also includes the Filipino sun from the flag that is frequently used in Filipino branding. Manny Pacquiao — a famed Filipino boxer that had a brief stint in professional basketball — incorporates the sun and blue and red color scheme into his logo.

And while having her own merch line and being a brand ambassador has been a fulfilling experience, Padilla says that more of the excitement and appreciation comes from her supporters who proudly wear her gear.

In November 2021, Padilla returned to Los Angeles to play with the Quakers in the Loyola Marymount Thanksgiving Classic. Her homecoming, which included her breaking the program record of most threepointers in one game with nine total made, was well-received by the community. Half the crowd donned Padilla’s merch, a unifying display of support for her and her career.

“Just having that come into fruition and seeing the amount of

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Despite comprising the Ivy League’s smallest freshman class, they are finding much reliable guidance in the upperclassmen WALKER CARNATHAN Sports Associate

Regardless of Thrower’s status as a recruit, his first season will undoubtedly be focused on learning and growing as a player. In the preseason game against Daemen, Thrower went just 1-7 on threes. But later, when the gym was nearly empty, he was back on the court, practicing his shot and using the subpar performance as motivation.

“That first game, I had a little bit too much excitement,” Thrower said. “But working, it’s just in my nature. After practice, before practice, I always want to get extra work in. I know good things happen. And I just gotta trust in my work, because I know that’s all I have.”

That improvement over time would not be possible without the team’s veteran leaders. Both Thrower and Ubochi credit the team’s established leadership for helping them acclimate to the new climate. Ubochi, in particular, said that senior guard Jonah Charles took him under his wing even prior to his arrival at Penn.

“Even before I came here, I met [Charles] in New York and worked out with him, and we created this bond,” Ubochi said. “I actually talk to him about anything — basketball, outside of basketball. He’s been a really great leader.”

Thrower also mentioned Charles as one of his most important mentors so far, as well as junior guard Jordan Dingle and senior guard Lucas Monroe. With such a supportive team atmosphere, the pair will not be forced to grow on their own.

But there will come a time when Thrower and Ubochi will be thrust into the spotlight without older players to fall back on. They each want to help the team win in any way they can, and as the future faces of the program, that means developing a lasting relationship.

“It’s just us two,” Thrower said. “So the more we build chemistry together on and off the court, the more we talk with each other and learn with each other, I think it will make a big impact not only this year, but in the years coming.”

“As of right now we’re trying to develop that dynamic duo kind of vibe,” Ubochi added. “It’s going to take time, but in the long run, we’re hoping to be the potential leaders of the team. We might be the smallest class, but I think the bond is stronger.”

As Thrower and Ubochi prepare for their first official college game on Nov. 7 at Iona, their commitment to the process of growth is a promising sign. And when the grind inevitably grows taxing, they can each take comfort in the fact that someone always has their back.

During the Red & Blue Scrimmage on Oct. 29, the two freshmen were already making their presence felt, with Thrower (left) looking to pass away from a pair of defenders, while Ubochi (right) brought the ball up the court. Thrower finished with three points, while Ubochi racked up two points at the free throw line.

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PHOTOS BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

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Nothing can fully prepare a basketball player for the transition to the college game; the complexity, the cuts, the speed. And while many freshman classes use this upheaval to band together, Cam Thrower and Chris Ubochi have only each other to rely on.

The pair make up the smallest freshman class in the Ivy League, and are tasked with the monumental challenge of making the leap to Division I basketball without any others alongside them.

As the only two players representing the future of Penn men’s basketball, all eyes will be on guard Thrower and forward Ubochi as they adjust to an entirely new caliber of competition.

Ubochi’s calling card throughout his basketball career has been defense. In high school, he was a three-time league Defensive Player of the Year, and continued this dominance during his prep year at Williston Northampton. Now, as

he faces more lethal offenses than ever before, Ubochi will have to step up in order to maintain his on-court identity.

“It was like nothing I prepared for,” Ubochi said of the difference between the collegiate and high school games.

“The pace is very, very fast … as of right now, I’m just trying to figure out how to fit into the team and help the team win.”

To hear Ubochi describe it, being an important piece of the team looks different for each player. But the universal first step toward impacting winning is playing time, which Thrower should be seeing plenty of if the preseason has been any indication.

At the Harvard-Westlake School, one of California’s most elite basketball programs, Thrower was no stranger to big moments. He was a league champion in all four of his high school seasons, and was a McDonald’s All-American nominee as a senior. But that was in the past.

Now, Thrower is focused solely on his future.

“We’re the smallest class [in the Ivy League], and I really think that allows us more opportunity to play and contribute,” Thrower said. “Going forward, we just have to learn as much as we can this year, because once the upperclassmen are gone, it’s on us.”

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Dynamic Duo: Men’s freshmen Cam Thrower and Chris Ubochi look to make an impact

PHOTO BY JESSE ZHANG

At Columbia on Feb. 4, junior guard Clark Slajchert fights through contact to drive for the score.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL PALACIOS

Senior forward and DP sports reporter Sydnei Caldwell powers to the hoop against Columbia on Feb. 4.

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

Senior guard Mandy McGurk high-fives her teammates in advance of Penn's contest against Brown on Jan. 2.

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In Photos | A look back at Penn basketball's 2021-22

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Then-senior forward Kennedy Suttle vies for a loose ball during Penn's Jan. 2 game at Brown.

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Senior guard Lucas Monroe looks for an open Penn teammate in the Quakers' Jan. 7 game against Cornell at the Palestra.

Sophomore forward Nick Spinoso grabs his head and yells in astonishment after a big three-pointer in Penn's Feb. 12 game against Harvard.

Then-senior forward Jelani Williams goes up for a layup in Penn's March 12 Ivy Tournament semifinal bout with Yale.

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Then-senior guard Nikola Kovacikova puts up a floater in the lane against the Big Green on Feb. 26.

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Jordan Dingle

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2022

EASHWAR KANTEMNENI Deputy Sports Editor

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

Dingle elevates for a dunk against Yale during the Ivy Tournament last season. The senior is looking to take Penn to new heights.

Inside the Penn superstar's redemption tour “Having gone to the tournament and played in this atmosphere, how much does this fuel your fire to come back next year and make it a longer run?” a reporter asked Penn men’s basketball junior guard Jordan Dingle, 20 minutes after the team's season-ending loss to Yale in last year’s Ivy League Tournament.

Dingle visibly choked up for a moment, fresh off a heartbreaking finish to Penn’s biggest game of the season, and spoke briefly about how he believed his team belonged with the league’s elite.

He closed out his press conference with a statement that should have all Quaker fans excited for Monday’s season-opener against Iona.

“I’ll tell you, I cannot wait for November to come.”

In an age when college players have been entering the transfer portal to seek bigger opportunities, some pundits wondered whether the Valley Stream, N.Y. native, who averaged nearly 21 points per game last year and is now considered by many to be the best player in the Ivy League, would stay put with Penn.

In Dingle’s mind, his decision was always clear.

“Something that I always try to do is to leave a legacy of winning,” he said. “I like to try to win where I’m at, and I haven’t won here yet. So transferring was never anything I could possibly seriously consider, because I haven’t won here yet. I’m fully invested in this program and what it is we’ve built here. I love our culture. I love our guys more than anything.”

Dingle is all basketball by blood. His father, Dana, was a starting forward on the 1996 UMass Final Four team. UMass’ Final Four opponent, Kentucky, included one of the elder Dingle’s cousins, Allen Edwards. Two of Dingle’s other cousins, Doug and Steven Edwards, were McDonald’s All-Americans and played at Florida State and Miami, respectively, with Doug even being selected with the 15th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft.

Dingle still receives mentoring and guidance from family today. But despite his rich family history with hoops, playing basketball was never something Dana Dingle urged onto his son. “[He tried some other sports,] but always loved basketball since he was a little kid,” the elder Dingle said. “As he started

taking it more seriously and really wanted to play, and as he got older, that’s when I got more involved in his development.”

Dana Dingle was involved in the perfect situation for his son to develop as a player: the Amateur Athletic Union Program, the New York Lightning, where he serves as a co-director. Dingle played with the Lightning from age nine to right before college, with the program that boasts alumni such as Obi Toppin and Chris Duarte.

Because of his dad's connection with the team, at a young age, Dingle forged a close bond with Abdul Razak Shanun, who traveled from Ghana to the United States to play basketball with the Lightning and spent his summers with the Dingle household.

Though the two never shared the court, Shanun quickly became an older brother figure for Dingle.

"He was really hard-working.

He was really grateful for every opportunity, and he never took anything for granted," Dingle said. "With him being foreign, not coming from the States, there was a lot of things that, me being five years younger, I taught him as

well. He didn't know how to play video games and stuff like that."

Tragically, in 2014, Shanun lost his life in a boating accident. The loss weighed immensely on the communities

Shanun was part of, including the New York Lightning and Dingle family.

"I always keep him in mind whenever I do anything, just to never take anything for granted,"

PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN DINGLE

PHOTO BY KYLIE COOPER

Jordan Dingle finishing at the rim against Yale last season. In his first collegiate game, he made a game-winning layup against an Alabama team featuring current NBA players Herb Jones and Kira Lewis Jr.

“When Jordan first got to Penn, I knew he was going to be a special player,” Brodeur said. “He had natural leadership qualities and a ton of talent, and potential upside. Even when he was a freshman, I could tell he was going to be the future leader of this team.”

Even in an unexpected break in competition, Dingle found value in the opportunity to slow down and regain his love for the game, by training on his own and

Jordan Dingle helping teammates during the Red & Blue Scrimmage at the Palestra on Oct. 29.

Beyond just his on-court abilities, Dingle has also grown in his leadership skills while a Quaker.

the game as easy as possible for them.”

“Jordan has obviously improved with his basketball and with his leadership, and I just think the next step is making others better, too, to continue to beat really good teams and challenge for a championship,” Donahue added.

Despite the depth on Penn's roster, aims for March success still lie on the shoulders of No. 3.

The rest of the Quakers will look to him for leadership, and so far have seen him answer those calls.

“I think last year, his season helped him really realize that he has a lot of respect from us,” George Smith, a sophomore guard and one of the young players whom Dingle is close with, said. “With him being an introvert, he didn’t really share much, but this year, he knows that he’s our guy and that we need him throughout the season.”

No matter how the season plays out, though, Dingle seeks to appreciate the moment at hand.

After losing an older brother figure eight years ago, he has learned to never take anything for granted.

Still, Dingle is a “sore loser” and won't be satisfied with anything less than an Ivy title this season.

One thing is for certain, though: He and the Quakers will work hard to ensure that their season ends on March 12, 2023 with him and his teammates holding up a banner in Princeton’s Jadwin Gymnasium that reads “Ivy League 2023 Champions” on it.

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listening to the advice of his idol, the late great Kobe Bryant.

“In the beginning [of the pandemic] there were no gyms open, so I was in the park every day with no games, just me and a basketball, shooting and running after every rebound,” Dingle said. “I listened to those Kobe Bryant stories where they talk about how addicted he is to basketball, and I fell in love with the game all over again.”

His renewed passion for the sport fueled one of the greatest offensive Penn campaigns in recent memory this past season, with an impressive stat line of 20.9 points (12th in the nation), 3.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, all while shooting nearly 45% from the field.

He scored over 30 points six times, including in big wins against Yale and Harvard, becoming a unanimous first team All-Ivy selection.

Dingle then spent the summer back home, practicing late at night and early in the morning at his father’s gym — sometimes with former LSU and Denver Nuggets star Mahmoud AbdulRauf — and watching film of great playmakers to learn their habits. “[The young guys on the team] didn’t have that same level of confidence last year,” Dingle said. “So I had to do a lot of the scoring and take on a really large role that I think is going to be a little more distributed going forward. Now, in practice, I’ve barely been taking any shots. It’s just been finding guys and trying to make

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2022

base to train with its professional and college players who returned home every summer.

Dingle’s hard work immediately began to show on the court in his first-ever collegiate game.

On the road against Alabama, a team that boasted future NBA players Herb Jones and Kira Lewis Jr., Dingle earned the start and seized the moment, finishing with 24 points and six rebounds.

With Penn trailing 80-79 with under 10 seconds left, Dingle drove to the hoop and hit a contested layup to give Penn the lead and victory.

“We opened up at Alabama, and I remember thinking that he was as good as any of their guards,” Donahue said. “I’ve coached a lot of Ivy League teams against the SEC, and we’ve been successful at some times, but have not had a guy who could go out there and attack on the level of some of their players. It was pretty apparent that he was a gifted basketball player, and that was just the first game of his career.”

In Dingle's freshman campaign, while serving as a second option to Penn all-time leading scorer AJ Brodeur, Penn finished fourth in the Ivy League until being derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the cancellation, the graduating players on the team were confident in Dingle’s future leadership.

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Dingle said. "He's one of the best people I've ever met."

Following Shanun's passing, Dingle played his high school and AAU ball, earning two first team All-State nods in his two years at Blair Academy in New Jersey.

Dingle’s high school success led to him earning multiple Division I offers. He sought a program with a good coach in a competitive league, a school where basketball mattered, and, most importantly, a team where he would have the opportunity to play right away.

He found all of those at Penn, where an extensive basketball legacy playing in the famed Big 5 stood as a historically successful program led by head coach Steve Donahue. Dingle was also swayed by the prospect of attending the Wharton School.

“Coach Donahue gave Jordan the message that they needed him, not just wanted him, but they needed him to be successful and get to the next level,” Dana Dingle said. “That was a major selling point for Jordan and instilled confidence in him; to be the guy to help them do it, not just a piece of the puzzle.”

Dingle sought to play against as much older competition as possible during his high school summers to prepare for the college game. He took advantage of the New York Lightning’s alumni

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Ivy League women's basketball power rankings: Preseason The Quakers clock in at third as the season is close to getting underway ALEXIS GARCIA Sports Associate

Following a year where Penn women's basketball drifted below expectations, the Quakers are returning an exciting lineup in hopes of reaching their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017. Here's a look at Penn's chances, as well as the rest of the Ivy League heading into the 2022-23 season.

1. Princeton

2021-22: 25-5, 14-0 Ivy

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Being the only team among the Ancient Eight to earn itself a ranking in the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association Preseason Poll, Princeton holds the leaguefavorite spot for the 2022-23 season.

The Tigers are returning from a stellar 2021-22 season: going undefeated in Ivy League play, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and toppling No. 6

Kentucky as the 11th seed before falling just short to No. 3 Indiana in the second round.

Ivy League Coach of the Year Carla Berube leads a lineup stacked with AllIvy honors and accolades from last season — including senior Julia Cunningham, who earned first team All-Ivy, and junior Kaitlyn Chen, who won Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

2. Columbia

2021-22: 25-7, 12-2 Ivy Columbia is coming off its winningest season in program history, and will prove a tough competitor for the No. 1 spot in the Ancient Eight.

Last season, the Tigers proved to be the stronger competitor as both of the Lions' conference losses were to crown-winning Princeton. This season, Columbia will look to employ its more experienced roster to its favor.

The pack will be led by seven seniors and four juniors, headed by decorated junior Abbey Hsu. The two-time All-Ivy League selection shattered the single-season conference record for three-pointers last season and reigns as the Lions' leading scorer. The maturity and experience of a majority-upperclassmen roster may give Columbia the much-needed advantage.

3. Penn

2021-22: 12-14, 7-7 Ivy Just missing a spot in the Ivy League Tournament last spring, Penn can utilize last season’s fifth-place conference finish as motivation in the fight for a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Senior captain Kayla Padilla will lead the Red and Blue after holding the leading-scorer title in the Ivy League last season with an 18.6 points per game

average. Padilla was critical to the Quakers' success last season and has set numerous program records in just her two seasons of play.

More central figures on the 2021-22 roster are set to return. Junior Jordan Obi, senior Mandy McGurk, and senior Sydnei Caldwell contribute to a reliable scoring and defensive depth for the Quakers.

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4. Yale

2021-22: 16-11, 9-5 Ivy The Bulldogs, in their first season with former WNBA player Dalila Eshe as head coach, will have to take on the 2022-23 season without one of their star players — Camilla Emsbo.

Emsbo's season-ending injury is a major blow to Yale’s roster. The senior forward abruptly ends her Yale career after coming off arguably her best season yet, leading the

Ancient Eight in blocks per game, doubledoubles, and field goal percentage. Emsbo also joined the 1,000-point club and earned a unanimous first team All-Ivy selection.

With four other additions to the coaching staff, three new players on the roster, and the lone senior down for the count, the program has its fair share of kinks it must iron out for a successful conference run.

5. Harvard

2021-22: 13-14, 7-7 Ivy Presenting an identical conference record to Penn last season, Harvard serves strong contest for the four th and final spot in the Ivy Tournament for the 2022-23 season.

Names to watch on the Crimson’s lineup include co-captains Mckenzie Forbes and Maggie McCarthy. Forbes recorded a scor ing average of 14.1 points per game and was awarded to

the All-Ivy second team last season.

McCa r thy sta r ted in a ll 27 ga mes last season and picked up the title of h ighest accuracy in the league, notching a field goal percentage of over 45% and a three-point percentage of over 35%.

Wit hout v ictor ies aga i nst top ranked conference teams, this season could prove stagnation for Harvard.

6. Cornell

2021-22: 9-16, 4-10 Ivy The Big Red started 2021-22 conference play with a promising 45-36 victory over Dartmouth, but the three-game losing streak that followed spiraled them into a devastating finish.

Only three of the program’s top five scorers from last season will return, with the most anticipated being senior Olivia Snyder, who notched 130 points

despite missing the final 11 games with an injury.

Coach Dayna Smith will lead the Big Red program for a comfortable 19th straight season. Despite earning the title for the winningest coach in Cornell history last season, there is pressure to produce a more victorious conference outcome in 2022-23.

7. Dartmouth

2021-22: 3-23, 2-12 Ivy Recording only one more victory than Brown to keep the program out of last place in the Ivy standings last season is the Big Green, which is looking for a big boost. And the addition of five new players may be just what they need.

Of the new faces is transfer Leiya Stua r t, who joins Da r tmouth after

two yea rs at Ver mont. The junior guard, along with two freshmen towering over 6 feet, will contribute to strengthening the team’s defensive front. In the 2021-22 season, Dartmouth was outscored by an average of 18 points per game and underperformed its opponents in nearly every defensive category.

8. Brown

2021-22: 6-20, 1-13 Ivy During its first season of play under head coach Monique LeBlanc, Brown only turned up a singular conference victory in the 2021-22 season, tabbing it last in the Ancient Eight rankings.

Near the end of its slate last season, the

program fell off of the close-loss success it experienced early in conference play, beginning to return blowout losses instead.

Aims to improve will take more than the return of its top six leading scorers from last season.

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Ivy League men’s basketball power rankings: Preseason The exit of many crucial offensive players is shaking up the Ivy League ASHIL SRIVASTAVA Sports Associate

After a long wait since Penn’s conference tournament run last season, Ivy League basketball is on the cusp of returning. Several preseason polls have Penn in the top spot, but a slew of teams are aiming to claim that status. Here are our rankings for the upcoming season:

1. Penn

2021-22: 12-16, 9-5 Ivy Penn fell short of the conference title, placing third last season after a heartbreaking loss in the Ivy Tournament semifinal to Yale. This year, however, Penn received first-place designation in the Ivy preseason media poll, and for good reason.

Almost all of Penn’s key contributors are returning, including junior guard Jordan Dingle. After an impressive 2021 campaign in which he averaged an Ivy-high 20.8 points per game, Dingle will once again be a crucial engine behind the Quakers’ offense. Additionally, Dingle has support in

the form of last year’s standout, junior Clark Slajchert. The guard added 10.7 points per game and made some clutch baskets for Penn off the bench.

Defensively, Penn will rely on junior guard/forward Max Martz, who was an effective three-and-D wing averaging 10 points on 35% shooting with a total of 11 blocks and 13 steals. Senior forward Michael Moshkovitz, who tied to lead the team with 29 steals last season, will also be crucial in strengthening the team’s defensive presence along with providing rebounding.

2. Princeton

2021-22: 21-7, 12-2 Ivy The Tigers dominated the Ivy League last season with their trio of forward Tosan Evbuomwan and guards Jaelin Llewellyn and Ethan Wright. Combined, they averaged 46.4 points per game. Unfortunately for Princeton, it’s lost both Llewellyn and Wright.

This doesn’t mean the Tigers are out of contention, though. Senior guard Ryan Langborg will jump into an increased role from last year along with Evbuomwan. Langborg shot over 40%

from downtown on high volume.

Princeton still holds depth that has allowed it to average nearly 80 points as a team last season. Efficient offense combined with above-average defense is the Tigers’ formula, and they likely won’t deviate. The loss of two of their top three scorers from last year is concerning and could see them drop games they would have won last year, but at the moment, they are hunting Penn for the premier spot.

3. Yale

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2021-22: 18-12, 11-3 Ivy It would be unwise to count out the champion Bulldogs at the start of the season, but the team hasn’t shown signs of improvement since. Yale lost arguably the best scorer in the Ivy League, guard Azar Swain, who averaged over 19 points last year. Its numbertwo scorer, Jalen Gabbidon, who chipped in 11 a game, is also absent from the lineup.

Last year, Yale’s defense impressed throughout, allowing just 69 points per

game. Forward Isaiah Kelly and guard Bez Mbeng will be keys to keeping that up this season, as the duo tallied a solid 26 blocks and 36 steals, respectively.

Scoring could be an issue for this Yale team as well. Look for junior forward Matt Knowling to be an offensive leader. Sharpshooter August Mahoney can help out from the perimeter, too.

4. Harvard

2021-22: 10-13, 5-9 Ivy

T he Cr i mson la nde d t ie d for sixth after a disappointing season.

Offensively, Harvard loses its top scorer in Noah Kirkwood, which is

detrimental to a team that has already struggled scoring-wise. Senior guard Luka Sakota should fill some of that void with his solid three-point shooting, but it will be forward Chris Ledlum that could make the difference. Ledlum averaged 16.7 points in

13 games last year, along with 9.3 rebounds.

All in all, Harvard isn’t impressive in any one area. The Crimson’s best attribute last year was their defense, so if they can replicate that, they have a shot at being in the mix for the top four.

5. Brown

2021-22: 11-16, 5-9 Ivy Brown was one of the teams last season whose standing in the Ivy League didn’t truly reflect its regular season.

The Bears had a slightly better regular season than Penn, but were poor within division play. Losing last year’s leading scorer Tamenang Choh won’t help, but Brown can look forward to guard Kino Lilly Jr. stepping up, who had an

impressive freshman year, averaging 13.3 points.

Brown’s defense will be the main area of concern. Jaylan Gainey amassed 62 blocks last season and was the foundation of a solid Brown defense. Unfortunately for the Bears, he has since graduated, so the Bears will have to look elsewhere for a rim-protecting presence.

6. Cornell

2021-22: 13-11, 7-7 Ivy Cornell had a pretty strong season, sneaking into the top four of the Ivy League last year, but whether it’ll have the same success this season is up in the air. The Big Red’s defense was their Achilles’ heel last season, allowing an average of over 74 points per game.

On the offensive side of the ball, Cornell loses Dean Noll, one of its better scorers. In a deeper Ivy League, this team feels like the odd man out. Guard Chris Manon will likely be the player to watch, as he was last year’s second-best scorer.

7. Dartmouth

2021-22: 8-16, 6-8 Ivy Dartmouth is another squad hurt by the loss of some top scorers. Aaryn Rai and Brendan Barry, who averaged nearly 27 points per game combined, are gone this season. Barry was an elite shooter at 41% on the year from distance. This will be a huge loss for a team that relied on

the duo for much of its offense.

Additionally, some of the Big Green’s other starters, including Taurus Samuels and Garrison Wade, are not on the roster anymore. It’s hard to see Dartmouth making much noise without a clear number-one or even number-two option.

8. Columbia

2021-22: 3-22, 1-13 Ivy Last season’s record is clear for why the Lions land at the bottom of these rankings.

Columbia was abysmal in the Ivy League, notching just one win and 13 losses. The Lions lose their number-one scorer, so look for Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa to be

the new offensive leader. Defensively, allowing nearly 79 points per game won’t cut it against the rest of the Ivy League. Unless it can gain significant offensive ground, Columbia will likely guard the bottom for the rest of the season.

Despite clusters in the Northeast, both the men's and women's teams feature players from all over the country and around the world.

ANDREA BARAJAS, CALEB CRAIN, & ESTHER LIM Sports Staff

Of the 16 players on the Quaker roster heading into the 2022-23 season, eight of them are from the Mid-Atlantic and New England, with three hailing from the Philadelphia metro area. However, the other half come from locales as diverse as Los Angeles, Israel, and Nigeria.

With a roster of 18 players heading into the 2022-23 season, the Penn women's basketball team features a variety of backgrounds, spanning seven states in the United States and four countries overall.

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Geography of Penn basketball

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Walk-on athletes take the first initiative in reaching out to coaches, then training for tryouts on campus LAUREN MEHRARA Sports Reporter

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Freshman guard and walk-on Isabel Gomez (right) defends fellow freshman guard Simone Sawyer during the Red & Blue Scrimmage at the Palestra on Oct. 29.

sure her habits and schedules are well-established ahead of time.

“It has been an adjustment balancing classes, but I’m trying to stay organized to make time for everything,” Gomez said.

The process of walking on to a sports team at Penn varies by sport. Walk-on athletes across all sports teams at Penn have to adjust to joining a pre-established team and roster, as well as managing their rigorous

academic work with their new schedule.

Doing so requires incredible discipline, organizational skills, and adaptability — which only a select few have enough diligence and determination to confront.

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As a Division I institution, Penn prides itself on being competitive in many sports.

The recruitment behind building these strong teams is a nuanced process on its own, from reaching out early to potential prospects and maintaining relationships with strong high school athletic programs.

Yet many of Penn’s most successful sports teams also feature several walk-on athletes on their rosters; those who were not committed to or recruited prior to coming to Penn.

Teams with larger rosters are more likely to accept walk-on athletes, such as cross country and wrestling. Isabel Gomez, a point guard for women’s basketball, joined the team only after receiving her Penn acceptance letter — a process much different from recruits or commits.

Gomez reached out to the women’s basketball team coaches during her junior year of high school when she realized she wanted to play college basketball and was interested in Penn as a school overall.

Penn’s basketball teams also typically maintain a smaller roster of fewer than 20 players, so the process of walking on to the team involves a lengthy tryout.

Tryouts began the first week of September and lasted around two weeks. Gomez had spent the entire summer training in anticipation of her tryout this past fall, and her hard work paid off when she made the team.

Gomez felt welcomed once she began, despite onboarding after the summer when teams usually find time to connect with the newcomers.

“I felt immediately welcomed on the team after I made it,” Gomez said. “I’m really happy I was able to get on. It’s a great community and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Being a student-athlete at Penn demands a great deal of responsibility and proper time management. When a player walks on, whether or not they will have time to stay on top of their work is a huge factor in their decision. Penn does not designate a particular time in the academic schedule for sports practices or club activities, so athletes must arrange their time wisely.

Gomez described her experience with balancing classes and her practice schedule as a challenge she is learning to confront.

In anticipation of approaching the heat of the season, she has been preparing to make

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Emails, tryouts, and time management: Walking on to Penn women’s basketball

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Red and Blue Scrimmages give last look at Penn basketball before season tip-off The intrasquad event precedes the rapidly approaching start to both teams' seasons WALKER CARNATHAN Sports Associate

With the great unknown of the regular season on the horizon, Penn’s basketball teams made some of their final preparations by facing off against some familiar faces: each other.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams participated in the intra-squad Red and Blue Scrimmages on Saturday.

For both teams, it will be the last public action before their respective seasons officially begin, with the men opening at Iona on Nov. 7 and the women tipping off at Marist on Nov. 10.

The Blue Team emerged with the victory in both outings. The women’s Blue Team dispatched the Red Team 48-38, and the men’s Blue Team won 39-29.

Neither game will count toward season records, but as the teams ready themselves for the season ahead, facing off against teammates in a more structured context than practice is a nice final tuneup.

For women's basketball, there was a familiar standout in the contest. Senior guard Kayla Padilla was dominant early, getting off to a quick start with a tough layup and two threes in the first few minutes. That was no surprise for those familiar with the 5-foot-9 dynamo, who has been selected first team All-Ivy in each collegiate season she has played.

Padilla’s day ended early, though, as the second half saw her occupying a

PHOTO BY BENJAMIN MCAVOY-BICKFORD

Junior guard Michaela Stanfield attempts a contested jump shot against the Blue Team during the Red and Blue Scrimmage at the Palestra on Oct. 29.

place near the end of the bench, icing her knee and cheering on her teammates.

Throughout the game, the only sound heard more than the bouncing of the ball on the hardwood was the sound of teammates talking to one another. On both sides of the ball, vocal communication was a clear point of emphasis for the Quakers, as they filled the court with the sound of their defensive call-outs and

PHOTO BY ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Sophomore forward-center Nick Spinoso drives to the basket. The sophomore finished with 11 points on 4-9 shooting.

offensive play calls.

Playing in such a cohesive manner was the driving force behind the most impressive aspect of both Red and Blue’s performance: ball movement. They worked hard to get the ball into open spots and frequently made the extra pass to get the best look possible on every possession. One beneficiary of this crisp passing was freshman guard Simone Sawyer, who nailed two catch-and-shoot triples in the first half. She finished with 13 points on 3-6 shooting from beyond the arc.

At times, Penn’s playmaking ambition proved costly. On several occasions, it fired passes up the court on the fast break, only to have them deflected and transformed into an opportunity for the opposing team.

Conversely, the men’s teams were not quite as effective in the half-court, but found great success in transition. Many of the players are comfortable with the ball in their hands, and they are capable of directing traffic on the offensive end, often leading to big plays when it’s time to get out and run.

One player who undeniably contributes to that effort is men’s sophomore forward-center Nick Spinoso. At

6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Spinoso’s stature earns him the classification of big man. But his court vision and passing ability are guard-like, making him crucial to ensuring the team is operating on the same page. “[Passing] can help kind of with controlling the offense, especially with new guys and new faces and new lineups,” Spinoso said. “It’s just about keeping everybody together. I think passing [is] the way basketball should be played.”

With the season so close, having the team coalesce is essential if the Quakers want to make do on their lofty expectations. Coach Steve Donahue said the group has “very few weak links,” and that they continue to ask themselves, “How do we continue to grow every day?”

There is only so much the team can learn about itself as it tangles with opponents that also have Penn across their chest. But the Red and Blue scrimmages are significant in another way: They mark the only official context in which the groups are split apart.

For the rest of the season, they will be one team, one unit, pursuing their shared goal of winning with shared determination.

After Penn's No. 1 ranking in the Ivy League, there's no excuses now

M

uch has already been said of Penn’s inability to cultivate excitement around its basketball teams.

And most of it is right.

Penn students would rather sit at home, go out and party, or spend time on just about anything other than watching a live college basketball game in person, right on campus. It’s a sad truth. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

This year's Penn men’s basketball team — ranked number one in the Ivy League preseason media poll — has the potential to be special.

Last season, one of coach Steve Donahue's most frequent remarks was how the Quakers featured the most inexperienced roster in the entire NCAA. Few players had substantial experience on the collegiate floor, let alone any minutes after high school. Yet this season, Penn returns

all but one key player — Jelani Williams — and boasts a roster seemingly devoid of any major holes.

To mend the team's rebounding issues, senior center Max Lorca-Lloyd is returning from injury. Senior forward Michael Moshkovitz also enters the 2022-23 campaign a far better player after finally gaining collegiate experience, and 6-foot10 sophomore forward/center Gus Larson will look to enter the rotation. Where

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2 3

Penn students celebrate men's basketball's win over Harvard at the Palestra on Jan. 29, 2022.

MATTHEW FRANK is a Senior Sports Editor for The Daily Pennsylvanian and is a College junior from Miami studying English. He can be reached at frank@thedp.com.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2022

PHOTO BY SUKHMANI KAUR

there were defensive struggles last season, “fours and fives” will roam the floor more, according to Donahue.

And concerning the challenge of finding a superstar, well, that's wasn't — and isn't — really an issue.

Junior guard Jordan Dingle comes off a sophomore campaign in which he erupted for an Ivy-high 20.9 points per game — six times scoring 30 or more – and carried Penn's team largely on his shoulders alone for a considerable portion of the season.

Rebounds and defense are not the flashy selling points that will magnet students into the Palestra stands. But Dingle is arguably the most exciting player in the Ivy League, and warrants attention in a way that no other aspect of the team can.

Anyone who was at the Harvard game last season knows exactly what I’m talking about.

With just over a minute left and the score tied at 71 apiece, two Crimson players kept Dingle trapped behind the three-point line and starved him from any obvious options. On a prayer, the junior guard lobbed a heave toward the basket that banked off the top right corner of the backboard, bounced on the front of the rim, and finally sank into the hoop. It was an incredible moment that not only swung the game in Penn's favor, but electrified the home crowd — many of whom were in attendance for the last time at the Palestra that season.

Plays like this were habit for Dingle all season, and though his role will likely evolve into a more distributive piece within Penn's game, his talents deserve witness up close in person.

Many people at this school call themselves basketball fans. They root for an NBA team, they root for another college team, maybe they just hang around Pottruck and watch 35-year-old grad students practice — I don’t know. But if you really are a basketball fan, there’s no reason to not get behind this team, as it looks in prime position to vie for its first March Madness berth since 2018, all while calling the historic Palestra its home.

The experience is there and the superstar is there. Whether or not Penn can transform into a basketball school no longer comes down to the quality of the team — it comes down to the fans who can fill the stands and show up for their peers on the court.

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Frank | Now is the time for Penn to become a basketball school

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2022

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