Chubb ready for center spotlight

Imagine performing every year in a noisy-beyond-belief Palestra and at a crowded Franklin Field, two of the original athletic landmarks in the country.

Picture competing in the NCAA Basketball Tournament and the Penn Relays -- two of the world's most prestigious sporting events -- as part of your college experience.

Such activity has become commonplace for Wharton senior Adam Chubb, basketball center and co-captain and record-holder for the best high jump in school history, at 7'2 1/2''.

While four classes and a couple of weekly meetings is a stressful semester for many Penn students, Chubb is one of the few two-sport varsity college athletes left, and he said he rarely regrets making such a time commitment.

"I think it's just another experience to live through.... That's how you learn stuff about yourself and who you are," he said.

Chubb talks about his two-sport experience with ease, as if there is no other way to go through college.

"That's how I did it through my high school career, so I don't know it any other way," he said.

Chubb was on the track and basketball teams at Susquehanna Township in Pennsylvania for four years before attending Mercersburg Academy Prep School for one year to "mature physically and go through the recruiting process" for basketball, Chubb said.

Chubb went on official visits to Virginia Tech, Miami of Ohio, Boston University and James Madison before choosing Penn -- and he did so with basketball in mind.

"Of all the schools, I would have the highest chance of going to the [NCAA] Tournament" at Penn, Chubb said.

Chubb became the second Mercersburg player to join the Quakers in two years -- the first was Ugonna Onyekwe, arguably one of the most talented players to step onto the Palestra floor.

Between Onyekwe, forward Koko Archibong and former captain Geoff Owens, Chubb had many big men to learn from.

"I knew that coming in right away, I would learn a lot if I paid attention," Chubb said. "I tried to soak it all in as best as I could and tried to fit in, to do whatever I could to help the team."

Chubb impacted the stat books as a freshman, ranking in the top 15 in the Ivy League in blocks and offensive rebounds in league contests as Owens' backup.

Two years after Owens graduated, Chubb played a more prominent role -- he led the team in field-goal percentage as a junior, shooting 51 percent -- but remained beneath Onyekwe and Archibong on the depth chart.

"Playing behind those guys was tremendous for him," senior forward Jeff Schiffner said. Archibong and Onyekwe "were obviously two of the best forwards to ever come through this program.... He was probably a little overshadowed by them, so I'm excited about seeing him step out of that and being the man to provide for us."

Now the Quakers are getting younger, and it is Chubb's turn to become a leader and impart some knowledge onto a team laden with freshmen and young transfers.

"I'm trying to change my mindset a little more as being an integral part of the team," Chubb said. "It will be more of a team game this year, so I just want to be sure that I do my part.

"I think it will be difficult, but I have been practicing every day towards this goal, so it should not be that hard. I'm definitely very excited."

Penn coach Fran Dunphy stressed how crucial Chubb's presence is to the team.

"We need to get the opportunity to play him at least 30 minutes per game," he said. "It's about not getting into foul trouble, getting in the right spots, leading his team.... He's a great guy and we're going to need him like crazy."

Chubb's teammates see him as a two-sided leader -- he's a vocal leader as well as one to lead by example.

Junior forward Jan Fikiel described Chubb's leadership as "very vocal.... He always talks, before practice, during practice and after practice to people, making everyone individually try to be better and as a team.

"We definitely look up to him being able to play with a lot of emotion and intensity."

Penn co-captain Schiffner recognizes Chubb's impact.

"He does such a good job of setting the example on the court by getting loose balls and doing a good job rebounding," Schiffner said. "That says it all."

Chubb commented on the importance of "continuing the Penn tradition," which he knows a lot about, having shined brightly on Penn's most hallowed sporting grounds.

Even after becoming a Penn Relays and Heptagonals runner-up, and acknowledging the stress of Division I basketball, Chubb said his home is on the hardwood.

"It's hard for Penn's track tradition to go unnoticed, but I focus on basketball [from the fall] until the season's over.... [The track team is] grateful to have me come out there and do the best I can for the team," Chubb said. "They work with me. They are a great bunch of guys."

His basketball teammates said his track career is not an issue.

"I don't think anybody even realizes that he is committed to the track team," Schiffner said. "We hardly ever notice it."

"Basketball is his main sport, he doesn't miss practice," Fikiel said. "He's a really good athlete and is doing a really good job to not get beat up."

Track aside, Chubb said he has "embraced" the position of basketball captain, and is ready for yet another challenge in his already-challenging two-sport collegiate career.

"In the past, I have just gone in there and given all I could for two minutes here and there, but this year, I am going to have to be one of those pinnacles," he said.

"We need him a lot," Dunphy said. "These three seniors, it's their team.... I tell them to leave your mark on Penn, and leave it as strongly and loudly as possible."

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