Behind the line: the most prolific three-point shooters in Penn men's basketball history

Although the Penn men's basketball season cancelled, there has not been any chance for players to make dents in the record books recently. Today, we take a look at some stellar players of Quaker past, and in honor of the NBA's annual Three-Point Contest, we focus on some of the best shooters from behind the line to ever don the Red and the Blue.

4. Jeff Schiffner, 220 career made three-pointers, 2000-04

Appearing in 106 of the team's 108 games during the four years he played, Schiffner averaged double figures in points for each of his last three seasons. As a senior, he topped the team in scoring with an average of 14.4 points a game.

Schiffner was especially on target as a junior, with his season accuracy of 49.3% good enough for second-highest all time for the team (only behind Kegler's senior season). His totals of 76 and 74 three-pointers during his senior and junior seasons, respectively, rank seventh and ninth all-time in most makes in a season in program history.

Five of his shots from beyond the arc came during Penn's two March Madness games during his time, including going 4-for-6 from distance in a tight 82-75 loss to sixth-seeded Cal in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

3.  Zack Rosen, 225, 2008-12

Rosen, who is also in the top four on the overall Penn scoring list, is no stranger to the record books. The 6-foot-1 point guard started 115 of 177 games during his four year tenure with the Quakers, averaging nearly two made three-pointers per game, shooting a superb .391 clip from behind the line. His best season was arguably his final one, when he was unanimously voted as the Ivy League Player of the Year while making 75 three-pointers and while also third in the league in assists. It's safe to say he ran the offense for the Quakers that year. 

After graduating, Rosen signed professionally with Hapoel Holon of the Israeli Basketball Super League. He bounced around that league for a few years before his playing career ended. Since then, he has remained active in Israel where he runs a youth basketball program.  

2.  Matt Maloney, 244, 1992-95

After spending his freshman year at Vanderbilt, Maloney transferred to Penn, where he made a massive impact on the men's basketball program. As starting guard, the Quakers went 42-0 in Ivy League play in his three seasons, which in large part was due to his standout play. Overall, the team went 69-14 during Maloney's career. He was a two-time first-team All-Big 5 selection (1992-93 and 1994-95) and was a second-team All-Big 5 selection in 1993-94. Additionally, Maloney earned the Ivy League Player of the Year honor in 1995 and first-team All-Ivy League in each of his three seasons. 

As the only player in the top four from before the 2000s, Maloney was a crucial asset for Penn men's basketball. His three-point game supplied an added wrinkle to a team previously less focused on the outside game and bettered the Quakers basketball team of the early-to-mid '90s. After his Penn days, Maloney took his sharpshooting abilities to the pros, as he played seven seasons in the NBA.

1.  Tim Begley, 253, 2001-05 

In 2005, Tim Begley set the record for most made threes in Penn basketball history, and he still holds that honor today. Begley’s mark of 253 three-pointers was second-most in Ivy League history when he finished his Penn career, and he is now ninth on the list. Begley went to three NCAA Tournaments in his four seasons with the Quakers, and he earned Ivy League Player of the Year honors as a senior.

That season, the 6-foot-6 guard led the Ancient Eight in assists (134) and threes (71), while also scoring a team-high 13.9 points per game. One of the highlights of Begley’s senior year was when he scored a career-high 29 points on eight threes against La Salle at the Palestra. Begley started 113 games throughout his career, and the Red and Blue had a 48-8 record against Ivy League opponents in his four years with the program.