Greg Muller: Penn's rival: Princeton or Brown?

Can Penn's basketball fans even consider Princeton a rival this season? Is Penn that much better than the Tigers that there isn't any competition, just tradition and history? Sure, whenever Princeton comes to the Palestra it creates an atmosphere unlike any other in college sports -- two Ivy League titans squaring off in college basketball's most historic gym always warrants and draws a sellout crowd. Nonetheless, when Tuesday night's game got underway, did anyone really think that Princeton had a shot of coming into the Palestra and leaving with a 'W?' All things considered, Princeton looked miserable on Tuesday. The Tigers' biggest threat, junior Spencer Gloger, turned out to be a dud. Finishing the first half scoreless was a telling sign. To Gloger's credit he found a way to score 12 points in the second half, but his final numbers -- 3-for-14 from the field -- left a little to be desired for the Tigers. Beyond Princeton's hotshot Gloger -- who was averaging over 16 points a game before experiencing the wrath of the Palestra crowd on Tuesday -- sophomore forward Judson Wallace was expected not only to help the Tigers offensively but also to slow down Penn's dominant frontcourt. He obviously did not, managing a meager four points on 1-for-7 shooting and failing to prevent Penn forward Ugonna Onyekwe from having his way underneath. Perhaps the biggest disappointment or maybe the best performance -- depending which team you were rooting for -- was turned in by headband-wearing Will Venable. The sophomore guard, who was Princeton's second-leading scorer in the team's last trip to the Palestra, with 10 points, wasted 37 minutes of coach John Thompson III's time. Venable scored zero points on 0-for-6 shooting and committed five fouls. Penn turned in a solid performance against the Tigers, which included a team-high 22 points from Onyekwe. The reigning Ivy League Player of the Year delighted Penn fans with a handful of thunderous dunks. While Onyekwe ran the show on Tuesday, the Quakers definitely didn't bring their 'A' game to the Palestra's hardwood, but they got the job done. Senior Koko Archibong had a tough night, going scoreless and fouling out with just over five minutes to play. Junior sharpshooter Jeff Schiffner, however, made up for Archibong's woes, dropping 18 points, including four three-pointers. And Penn's consummate backcourt duo of senior Andrew Toole and sophomore Tim Begley contributed more than their 11 and eight points indicated. Toole's leadership and timely shooting was key as the senior knocked down a jumper with just under 10 minutes to play that put Penn ahead by three and sparked an 11-0 run that finished off the Tigers. Penn simply outclassed Princeton on Tuesday. Did anyone expect anything different? After Tuesday's game in which Penn handled its traditional rival, the Quakers now must prove themselves against what could be the real competition in the Ivy League this season -- Brown. Penn's win against Princeton was its fifth in the Ancient Eight this season. But believe it or not, Brown currently sits atop the Ivy League at 6-0. So while Tuesday night's game brought the history, hype and hysteria that has come to be expected from a Penn-Princeton matchup, Saturday night's game against Brown will hopefully bring the competition that was missing.

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