When Fran Dunphy left Penn, he left his legacy, a talented team and three recruits hanging in the air. All three decided to keep their commitments to Penn, despite the legendary coach's departure.
While Andreas Schreiber, Darren Smith and Justin Reilly may not be key cogs for Penn this year, they will certainly be essential in the future. However, forwards Schreiber and Reilly could compete for valuable bench-minutes in the frontcourt.
"If I could pick a weakness out of Penn's team last year, it would be a lack of frontcourt depth," coach Glen Miller said. "I expect both of those guys to contribute right away; how much they will play in a game is to be determined."
The presences of these 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-8 forwards will mean a sigh of relief for a team that exhausted forwards Mark Zoller and Steve Danley last year. Of course, they will also have to compete with sophomores Brennan Votel and Cameron Lewis for time. Yet any time will be much appreciated by Zoller and Danley, who average 29 and 30.6 minutes per game, respectively. In addition, someone will need to fill the 18.2 minutes a game that Friedrich Ebede played.
Smith will be competing for minutes in a crowded backcourt and will have to define his role as well. When he came to the Palestra for a high-school game last year, he ended up playing a guard/forward role, whereas he will be more of a straight guard at Penn. While guard Ibrahim Jaaber has solidified his place on the court, Smith will compete with Brian Grandieri, Mike Kach, Aron Cohen, Kevin Egee and Adam Franklin for an opportunity to play.
However, given that each coach recruits players that best fit his unique system, it will be interesting to see how Miller interacts with, molds and utilizes the freshmen. Miller just seems pleased to have the players: "I am happy to have the opportunity to coach all three of the freshmen," he said.
The rookies are happy to be here as well, despite Dunphy's absence.
"I didn't really know Dunphy," Schreiber said. "Hopefully, everything is going great for his team, but I am really focusing on coach Miller right now, and he is a really intense person."
Justin Reilly, Forward Height/Weight: 6-8, 225 Hometown: Dallas, Texas School: Wharton High School: Reilly averaged 14.2 points per game, 7.5 rebounds and had a .520 shooting percentage his senior year at Dallas Jesuit; his team had a record of 9-18. Reilly was the captain of his squad, a McDonald's All-American nominee and two-time first-team All-District honoree. He won honorable mentions as the Dallas Morning News player of the week twice. As a sophomore, he helped his team win the district 7-5A championship. Expectations: "I'm just trying to come out here and do whatever I can to help the team - rebound, play defense." Most excited about: "Probably playing in front of my family. My Dad's side has a lot of relatives out here." Chose Penn over: Princeton, Miami, Boston University. Player Comparison: Mark Zoller, an inside banger with a head for the ball who is known for his ability to battle in the paint.
Andreas Schreiber, Forward
Height/Weight: 6-9, 235
Hometown: Taby, Sweden
School: College
High School: For the past two years, Schreiber played at the Brentwood School in Los Angeles, Calif. He averaged 14.8 points per game and nine rebounds on a team that went 15-13. He added an assist and a steal per game, as well as 1.5 blocks. However, Schreiber was turnover-prone, accumulating 100 during the season. He played for the Swedish National Under-20 Team, where he averaged 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in games during competition this summer. He was also a two-time All-Star in the Northern European Youth Basketball League.
Expectations: "Just to get a feel for the college game - it's a lot more physical."
Most excited about: "The atmosphere; it gets you pumped up. "To get to know the people; we've got some real leaders on this team."
Chose Penn over: Princeton, Santa Barbara, Loyola Marymount.
Player Comparison: Jan Fikiel, with a little more inside toughness but not as consistent of a shooter from the three-point range.
Darren Smith, Guard Height/Weight: 6-4, 200 Home town: Elizabeth, N.J. School: College High School: Smith graduated from South Plainfield High School in 2005 and committed to Penn while spending a year at the Peddie School - the school at which Jaaber also spent a prep year. Smith's Peddie team had a 6-12 record. At South Plainfield, Smith averaged 20.1 points and 8.5 rebounds during his senior year. He earned all-state honors while at South Plainfield and prep all-state while at Peddie. He was a McDonald's All-American nominee. Expectations: "To come in and play my role to help the team win - make as few mistakes as possible." Most excited about: "Playing in the Palestra [and], hopefully, making it to the NCAA Tournament." Chose Penn over: Iona Player comparison: His Peddie coach said he is a better shooter than Jaaber was coming into college, but with less natural athleticism.
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