COLUMN: As Jordan goes, so goes Penn

Let's get the obvious out of the way. Michael Jordan played badly Wednesday night. Jordan will be the first to admit he wasn't an offensive force. "I shot like shit," Jordan said. But, make no mistakes -- this is Michael Jordan's team. · During Jordan's painful showing in Rupp Arena, what produced more pain was the obvious realization that no matter how well David Klatsky handles the ball, how many threes Langel hits or how many eyebrows Ugonna Onyekwe raises, Jordan is simply irreplaceable. The reason isn't necessarily his scoring production, though he is sure to equal or better his 15.3 points per game average of last season. But Jordan didn't even come close to those numbers last night in his 34 minutes of playing time. In fact, Jordan actually missed more shots (12) than any of his teammates took (Langel attempted 11). The next highest total of minutes on the team was registered by center Geoff Owens, who was on the court for just under 28. No one else topped the 25-minute mark. While Jordan drew nothing but air on two of his shot attempts, not one of the 21,451 fans in attendance could question his heart. He is often the teams' offensive leader, but he is always its emotional leader. Langel's heroics and the inspired play of the freshmen kept Penn in the game. But without Jordan, the Quakers had no chance of getting back on top. If he hits a key shot, maybe Lamar Plummer hits one of his five threes or Frank Brown doesn't get shut out of the scorebook. But this team thrives on his energy and the success that usually comes from that energy. Even with his effort falling short, Jordan tried to lead his David over Kentucky's Goliath. Usually, if his shot isn't falling, at least his hustle gets results. "I just tried to tell them, 'Don't worry about it, keep playing hard, eventually it will work out as long as we stay calm,'" Jordan said. "But I guess it wasn't good advice. It didn't work for me." He plays every game like it might be his last, but after all, how can your team follow your example when the results just aren't there? "Personally, I just tried to keep playing hard," Jordan said, "and I thought shots would fall and they didn't. Coach [Gil] Jackson told me to keep shooting and not abandon my shot, but they just never fell." "It was an off-night. I tried to pick up defensively. I just couldn't finish down the other end." · Jordan didn't score until 22 minutes had expired in the game. He missed his first six field goal attempts, and as the Kentucky faithful deemed him a different type of "Air Jordan," he continued to play like a bat out of hell anyway. In typical Jordan fashion, when he finally produced some offense, it counted most. With the Quakers trailing, 34-28, Jordan hit a baseline jumpshot, bringing Penn within four. On Kentucky's ensuing trip down the floor, Geoff Owens rebounded a Jamaal Magloire miss. Jordan found the ball and with his trademark first step, drove into the lane for a finger roll. 34-32. It seemed like a turning point in the game. In 17 seconds, Jordan had four points. Two minutes later, with Penn back down by four, Jordan stormed the Quakers back downcourt and found Onyekwe for a short jumper from the left side. 36-34. In two fast and furious minutes, Jordan played his normal game. Then came the real turning point in the game. Kentucky blew the game open, and just four minutes later, Penn was 12 behind the Wildcats. Jordan and the Quakers made one last-ditch effort to get back in it. At the 13:35 mark in the second half, Jordan missed his fifth three-point attempt on the night. But he flew down the court and blind-sided a Saul Smith pass for his only steal of the game. Streaking down the floor in pursuit of his fifth and sixth points, Kentucky freshman Marvin Stone tracked his course and blocked Jordan's layup attempt. Once again, Jordan got himself back into the play, blocking Tayshaun Prince's three-point attempt on the other end -- only to have Prince dually recover and block Jordan's fast-break layup. In the 38-second span, Jordan missed his fifth three-pointer, had two shots blocked and tallied one steal and one block. Jordan struggled mightily, and so did his teammates. It epitomized his night. He couldn't find a way to win and the collective gasp of the team could almost be heard over the raucous crowd. When all was said and done, Jordan had a terrible game, maybe his worst in a Penn uniform. And he'll be the first to tell you that. Sure, it came at an inopportune time. But no matter how well anyone else plays, the barometer for this team's success is Jordan. That became painfully obvious Wednesday night. And, though he won't admit it, he knows that much is true. "I guarantee you that shit will never happen again," Jordan said. "I guarantee you, I will never shoot that poorly again."

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