W.'s basketball looks to recruits for boost

With all but one player returning from last season's Ivy League runner-up, Penn women's basketball coach Kelly Greenberg took to the recruiting trail.

Greenberg focused on shoring up the Quakers' most glaring weakness -- post play.

Despite finishing the season 8-6 in the Ivies -- winning 7 of their last 10 conference games -- the Quakers were outre-bounded 583-562 in the league.

In fact, Penn was so undermanned inside, that guard Jewel Clark -- who stands no more than 5 foot 10 -- was the Quakers' top rebounder by over four rebounds per game.

To her credit, Clark did garner first team All-Ivy honors however the sophomore's skills would probably have been better utilized if she had concentrated more on her offensive scoring.

Greenberg's new four horsemen -- Katie Boeck, Jennifer Fleischer, Henley Hansen and Rachel Wilson.

The quartet of power forwards will be required to do most of the work -- leaving Clark to bombard opponents with her jump shot.

"We can't keep on counting on Jewel Clark to be our post player," Greenberg said. "Hopefully these girls will allow us to make some moves and do some different things."

Headlining the recruiting class is Fleischer -- the Central New York Player of the Year last season. The 6-foot-3 Fleischer averaged 19.8 points per game, 14.7 rpg during her senior season, drawing the attention of both Duke and Princeton as well.

"It really came down to [Penn], Princeton and Duke," Greenberg said. "[Duke] offered her a spot on the team -- but Jen heavily weighed that she wants to play."

Greenberg couldn't be happier to see Fleischer in red and blue.

"I really know that [Fleischer] will help us immediately," Greenberg said. "She is very good and she has great size."

Greenberg believes Fleischer's great size will make her an ideal front line mate for emerging post-player sophomore Katie Kilker.

"We get excited about Katie and Jen playing together," Greenberg said. "I think they will play very well together."

Penn's other three recruits -- Hansen, Wilson and Boeck -- will still be assets to a formerly shorthanded Penn front court.

Hansen was a first-team All Metro and second team All-State nominee last year, while Wilson was a McDonalds All-American nominee.

"Hansen and Wilson both are experienced and have played at top levels of basketball," Greenberg said.

Amongst Boeck's other senior honors, she was named to her league's All-Conference team.

Greenberg believes in the six-foot forward's potential.

"Boeck is a real sleeper. Not many people knew about her, but I expect some great things," Greenberg said.

Penn's roster now stands at a pretty weighty 15 players.

"It's kind of like our men's team," Greenberg joked.

And now that the Quakers have the depth of the Penn men's team, the Red and Blue have feasted their eyes on the grand prize that Fran Dunphy's bunch brought home last season -- the Ivy League title.

The last time Penn won the Ivy crown was in the 2000-2001 season.

"We want to get the title back," Greenberg said.

"We know we are a team that is at the top of the league and there's no doubt we can do it if we all stick together," Greenberg said.

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