Last year, perhaps Penn's biggest weakness was zone defenses. This trend, which was largely started by then-Brown and current Quakers coach Glen Miller, continued early in this season.
But lately, the Quakers have had some more success against the zone. In their 83-71 win Saturday night over Cornell, Penn had 40 offensive possessions against the Big Red's various zone defenses and scored 34 points.
Penn did better against the man-to-man, with 33 points in 24 trips down the floor, but the zone execution, especially in the halfcourt, was much better. The Quakers had a few turnovers against Cornell's 1-2-2 trapping zone, while they succeeded a great deal against the Big Red's 2-3 defense.
The 2-3 defense invites three-point shots, which Penn took its share of, making a very respectable 40 percent. But the Quakers also succeeded in the interior game and passing through the high post.
Eight of Penn's 17 assists came from forwards Mark Zoller (6) and Stephen Danley (2), who were able to make dishes that led to some of Penn's 48 points in the paint.
The Quakers are not a perfectly executing team against the zone yet, but foes can no longer exploit that weakness at will.
Into the books. Zoller's six assists were tied for a career high, and helped land him the Ivy League Player of the Week award for the second time this year and the fourth time in his career.
In Penn's three wins this week, Zoller had 55 points, and matched a career high with five steals on Friday against Columbia to go with the assist mark against the Big Red.
This is the fifth time a Penn player has won the award this season, as senior guard Ibrahim Jaaber has won it twice and junior guard Brian Grandieri has won it once.
Road to the top. If Penn wins two more games this year, it will be the sixth season in a row with at least 10 Ivy League wins for the Quakers. That would be the longest such streak since a 15-year run between the 1968-69 and 1982-83 seasons, the program's glory days.
Speaking of glory, the Quakers are closing in on their third-straight Ivy League title, which would match the three-year run by the 1992-95 Quakers teams.
Those squads combined for 42-0 in league play, though. This team has lost four games thus far, all of them on the road.
Penn cannot, however, clinch the league title this weekend. The earliest the Quakers can punch their ticket to the big dance is March 3 against Yale.
In order to do this, Penn would have to win its three games, Cornell would have to lose once by then, and Yale wold have to lose once as well. Cornell and Yale play this Friday night, so one of those teams will be eliminated if the Quakers take care of their business.
Penn clinched the Ivy title against the Elis on the equivalent Friday night last year, the only time the Quakers have won at Yale in the last four seasons.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.