The Palestra is a arena with 97 years worth of basketball, memories, and legends. In its history, there have been countless Quakers who have made lasting contributions to the team and to basketball. This year should be no different.
This season, seven new players joined the Red and Blue on the Penn men’s basketball team. These include four freshmen — guard AJ Levine, guard Alex Massung, forward Bradyn Foster, and center Michelangelo Oberti — and three transfer students — junior guard Dylan Williams, junior guard/forward Michael Zanoni, and junior guard/forward Ethan Roberts.
Massung, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences who previously played for Hudson Catholic High School, reflected on his experience playing as a freshman guard in the Red and Blue Scrimmage. “I got those butterflies in my stomach … but it was fun to really play an official kind of game,” Massung said.
Massung, who was a four-time letter-winner in high school, anticipates playing at the Palestra to be different from his high school experience in basketball. “Getting to the basket was kind of easy for me in high school. Here it’s a little more difficult,” Massung said. “The guys here are bigger, stronger, faster.”
Despite this difference, Massung believes he can adjust to this fast-paced environment. “[People] believe that I can only get to the basket. But I can score [in] many other ways.”
Foster, also a freshman in the College, shares many of Massung’s sentiments. During his time at Highlands High School, Foster finished his career as a 1,000 point scorer. Following his time at the Palestra during the Red and Blue Scrimmage where he played as a forward, Foster noted the difference in play from high school.
“It’s a lot faster, but I think we’re working to get used to the pace and getting better,” Foster said.
With a long season ahead of him, Foster has goals for both himself and the team. “[I’m] getting better … just improving every day,” Foster said. “Getting used to [playing here] is obviously very different."
Oberti, who was conference MVP and second-team all-state as a senior at Morris Catholic High School, is no stranger to the basketball court. After his game at the Red and Blue Scrimmage, Oberti was accustomed to the pace. “It was definitely fun seeing some people in the Palestra for the first time [and] being on the floor,” Michelangelo said.
Oberti, who played as center at a height of 6-foot-10, was one of the tallest players on the court. However, he still agreed with Massung and Foster about the increase in physicality. “They’re just so big”, Oberti said about the other players on the team. “We have to prove [ourselves] to guys that are much older and bigger … but we’re going to get there too.”
In preparation for the season, Oberti — like his teammates — planned to get a better feel for the game. “Improve, get bigger, get stronger … just you know, enjoy my time,” Oberti said about his goals. “[Many people] think I’m only good because I’m tall.”
Another new Quaker was Williams. Having transferred to Penn from Triton College, the 5'11 point guard quickly became a standout player during his 18 minutes on the court at the Red and Blue Scrimmage. Having helped earn Triton win the NJCAA Region 4 title, Williams has had plenty of experience at the collegiate level. Williams was happy with where he ended up when he reflected on his experience at Triton, a junior college.
“I love JUCO. I was fortunate. My JUCO wasn’t … like people would picture JUCO,” Williams said.
Though he will now play as a point guard for the Quakers, Williams still likes to reminisce about his time playing at Triton.
“JUCO is like working day after day … you’re at the goal that you’re working for,” Williams said. “I loved it. I enjoyed it. I made some of my best friends from JUCO.”
What sets Williams apart from the other players is his height. Being only 5-foot-11, Williams needed to use his speed to his advantage. “[People think] I’m just undersized and I can’t do things the bigger guard could do,” Williams said. He hasn't let this misconception hinder his ability to play as a point guard, though. “I think being a leader on the court [is something] I’m very dominant at doing. I just want to continue to make my teammates better.”
With high hopes following practices and the Red and Blue Scrimmage, all seven freshmen and transfer Quakers — with the rest of the team — are set to face NJIT on the road to kick off the basketball season.
“[We’ll] win an Ivy League championship,” Williams said.
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