It's all set.
Tomorrow afternoon the Penn men's basketball team will open the postseason against Oklahoma State at Boston's FleetCenter.
After capturing its second consecutive Ivy League title and 22nd in program history, the Red and Blue will again open the Tournament as an No. 11 seed. And just like last year, when the Quakers faced California, this year the opponent is relatively unknown -- the No. 23 ranked Cowboys.
Oklahoma State's coach Eddie Sutton is certainly one of the best in the nation and is almost undoubtedly headed to the Hall of Fame with an all-time record of 723-287 in 33 seasons -- 13 of which he has spent in Stillwater, Okla.
Penn's all-time winningest coach, Fran Dunphy (275-139), will put the same starting five on the floor in Boston as he did in the first round last year in Pittsburgh.
Here's a position-by-position breakdown of Penn and Oklahoma State's starters.
Point Guard Edge: Oklahoma State
Senior Victor Williams has led the Cowboys all season, averaging just over 15 points a game. In Oklahoma State's last game -- a 60-58 loss to Missouri in the quarterfinals of the Big XII Tournament -- Williams turned in a team-best 12 points on the night, to go along with 7 rebounds.
Penn's emotional leader on the court -- senior Andrew Toole -- has had an up an down season. Dealing with nagging injuries throughout the year, the Red Bank, N.J., native has averaged 10.5 points per game this season.
Williams -- a second-team Big XII selection this season -- will use his experience to guide an Oklahoma State team that has had first round losses in the Tournament in the past two years.
Shooting Guard
Edge: Oklahoma State
Senior Melvin Sanders heads to Boston as the Cowboys' third-leading scorer, dropping an average of 13.4 points a game. While the 6-foot-5 Sanders has demonstrated his scoring prowess throughout the year, Sutton often uses him as a defensive tool.
Sanders will be used to slowdown Penn's consummate player -- sophomore Tim Begley. Penn's leader in minutes last year, Begley has been solid all season with 7.0 points per game and 4.7 rebounds a game.
Sanders' size and speed could be tough for Begley to handle when Sanders heads to the basket.
Swingman
Edge: Penn
Penn's junior sharpshooter Jeff Schiffner could be the Quakers' key to success against the Cowboys tomorrow. Currently the nation's leading three-point shooter, averaging 45.8 percent from behind the arc, Schiffner's hot hand helped guide the Red and Blue to its undefeated Ivy League mark.
The Cowboys have a crack-shot of their own in transfer Tony Allen. The junior -- recently named the Big XII Newcomer of the Year -- is Oklahoma State's second-leading scorer on the season with 14.5 points per game and a solid 40.0 percent from three-point range.
Schiffner's confidence after climbing into the nation's top three-point shooting spot, coupled with his defensive skill pushes him past Allen.
Forward
Edge: Penn
Senior Koko Archibong will make his third NCAA Tournament appearance tomorrow afternoon. The Quakers' athletic forward came on strong at the end of the season, finishing the year shooting just shy of 50 percent from the field.
The Cowboys will match senior Andre Williams up against Archibong inside. The senior's offensive output is the lowest of the Cowboys' starting five at 4.3 points a game.
Against Oklahoma State's weakest starter, Archibong's experience and athleticism will allow him to have his way with Williams on the inside.
Forward
Edge: Penn
The Red and Blue's offensive leader, senior Ugonna Onyekwe -- recently honored as the Ivy League Player of the Year for the second straight year -- will look to take control inside for the Quakers. The London, England native finished the year as the team's leading scorer with 16.0 points per game and shooting just over 50 percent from the field.
Oklahoma State's Ivan Mcfarlin will attempt to contain Penn's offensive leader. The junior is the Cowboys' fourth-leading scorer with 10.5 points per game.
Onyekwe's play against McFarlin could determine whether Penn keeps dancing Sunday.
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