Five consecutive losses. A combined scoring deficit of 98 points over this five-game losing skid. A dismal ranking of 303rd in the most recent Pomeroy rankings.
Most importantly, a league-worst 2-7 Ivy record thus far this season.
These are just a few of the most blatant indicators of the recent misgivings that Penn basketball (7-16, 2-7 Ivy) will need to ignore this weekend on the road against Brown and Yale.
Of course, leaving these sorts of statistics at the door and focusing solely on the game at hand is easier said than done, but they are hoping to do so by looking towards the future.
“This year in so many ways was about more than wins and losses,” assistant coach Nat Graham said. “It’s ultimately about a culture change and a program change.”
Making matters more difficult for the Red and Blue, Penn lost to both of its upcoming opponents at home only two weekends ago — and neither game was particularly close.
“We watched the film, and our defensive effort wasn’t where we wanted it to be,” freshman guard Antionio Woods said. “[We want to] limit their paint touches and shut down their offensive threats.”
Now the Quakers will be tasked with a lengthy roadtrip for a second consecutive weekend. For a team loaded with freshmen, this is the type of weekend that can take its toll – especially given that it is in the dead of winter in the middle of peak exam season.
“We’re just trying to take care of our bodies — whether it’s ice baths, whether it’s ice in general,” Woods said.
“There’s been dramatic ups and downs this whole season,” Graham added. “And I think a lot of that is because we’re inexperienced.”
However, the Red and Blue’s freshmen have often been more than up to the challenge, and rookies like Woods and forward Mike Auger have consistently proven themselves to be some of the team’s top performers.
What might be a more appropriate concern for the Red and Blue is whether or not the upperclassmen are able to hold up their end of the bargain.
This question rings especially true for guard Tony Hicks — who was suspended for last weekend’s contests against Harvard and Dartmouth. It wasn’t the first time Hicks faced issues superfluous to his game on the court — he notably was ejected from a game for throwing a punch last year.
The junior — who has been Penn’s leading-scorer and most dynamic offensive threat on the season — desperately needs to bounce back this weekend to prove his maturity.
“Ultimately, what we want from this team is the right approach every game, the right competitiveness every game,” Graham said in reference to Hicks’ return. “Tony’s a great kid, a part of our family, and ultimately all we want is for him to be a part of that family in a successful way on the court.”
If he and the rest of the team want to bounce back, they would be best served to try and make it happen on Friday against Brown (12-15, 3-7). Despite having won three of their last five contests, the Bears have shown themselves to be a decidedly below-average Ivy squad.
Things will get significantly more difficult for the Quakers on Saturday when they travel to New Haven to take on Yale (19-8, 8-2). The Bulldogs sit at second place in the league and clobbered Penn by 27 on Feb. 13.
As Graham put it, ins and losses may be beside the point at this point in the season, but a strong performance this weekend would certainly do wonders for a team like Penn, searching for something off of which to grow.
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