The back of this year's Big 5 yearbook proclaims, "They say you don't get anything for winning the Big 5. They must not be from Philly."
Last night, with a dramatic 81-76 overtime victory against La Salle, the Penn men's basketball team won the City Series outright for the first time since the 1973-1974 season -- an accomplishment that eluded even Penn's Final Four team in 1978-1979.
And although winning the Big 5, an informal conference that also includes St. Joseph's, Villanova and Temple, does not carry with it the prestige of an Ivy League championship or a trip to the NCAA tournament, it is an amazing accomplishment for a team that went 0-4 just last year in the series.
What is more amazing about the Quakers' feat is that their rival schools in the intracity competition have greater public exposure and ability to recruit star athletes. This year alone, two Big 5 teams, St. Joseph's and Temple, were ranked in the Top 25.
We hope that these early victories are a good omen for Penn as the Ivy season begins in earnest this week. As great as the City Series championship is, nothing quite compares to a trip to the Big Dance.
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