Tydings | Hicks starting to stick for Quakers

While “Hicksanity” hasn’t quite caught on at the Palestra, Saturday’s performance at Penn State displayed that it is well on its way.

Few positives came out of Penn’s double-digit loss to a shorthanded Penn State team, but freshman Tony Hicks’ showing gave a glimpse of the Quakers’ future.

Down, 35-22, in the second half, Hicks was the spark that brought the team back into the game. Penn struggled to attack the Nittany Lions’ 2-3 zone throughout the first half, but it was Hicks’ ability to create opportunities in transition that gave his team a chance to win at the end.

Over the course of the year, a common theme for Penn has been the question of who will produce offensively in addition to juniors Fran Dougherty and Miles Cartwright. As the duo struggled to find the bottom of the net Saturday, these questions were only amplified.

Yet the game also provided a likely answer. Hicks presented himself as an offensive threat, scoring eight consecutive points in a four-minute span. Within this time, he drained a three-pointer, took the ball coast-to-coast in transition and silenced the 3,000-plus fans at the Bryce Jordan Center with an impressive dunk. This play displayed the substantial athleticism he brings to the Red and Blue.

“[Penn State forward] Ross Travis just closed out too hard,” Hicks said. “I was just a little faster than him, so I drove baseline. I saw the rim, so I just rose up.”

Now it is time for Hicks to rise up in coach Jerome Allen’s rotation. When handed the keys to the offense in the second half, Hicks ran it effectively, taking the burden off the upperclassmen. While 30 minutes per game is a lot for a freshman, he showed he is ready for additional time on the floor.
Considering the team’s slow start to the year, it cannot hurt to see what Hicks can do with extended playing time.

What’s more, the freshman has already improved his poise with the rock in his hands. After averaging three turnovers per game through Penn’s first three contests, he has averaged just 1.2 since. If his recent performance is indicative of future play, Hicks could provide stability to a team that ranks last in the Ivy League in turnovers per game.

The Quakers have also struggled from beyond the arc — they are last in the Ivies in three-point percentage. But Hicks contributes on the offensive side in other ways, even when he is not the one sinking the treys. His athleticism can help draw defenders and open long-range opportunities for other shooters.

Yet Hicks does not come without faults. His field goal percentage ranks among the lowest on the team, and he still averages less than six points per game. But eight games into the season, his 5.8 points per contest are the highest by a Penn freshman since Cartwright walked onto campus two years ago.

Though it may be tough to enter the program after the loss of Zack Rosen, Hicks has shown the ability to one day take over the former Ivy League Player of the Year’s role at point guard.
If there is anything valuable to take away from Penn’s loss to Penn State, it is that the time of Tony Hicks may be on its way for Penn basketball.

STEVEN TYDINGS is a Wharton freshman from Hopewell, N.J. He can be reached at dpsports@theDP.com.

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