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The message-sending win, whose shockwaves would resonate throughout the Big 5? Ruined. The Quakers’ hopes of finally completing the victory that would revive basketball on this campus? Vanished. For a collection of players so determined to mesh into an elite team, the game wasn’t supposed to end the way it did.
In the earliest Big 5 game in history, the Quakers will host the Owls’ season opener Monday night at the Palestra.
SEE ALSO: Penn defeats UMBC in season opener
One pair of brothers grew up in the prototypical basketball environment. The other rarely even encountered the sport in their home country. Yet both the Cartwrights and Joks found their callings in basketball, which has carried them to unforeseen heights.
It hasn’t been easy being a fan of Penn men’s basketball over the last few years, considering that Red and Blue supporters used to take NCAA tournament trips for granted. As rough as it has been, though, imagine the last few seasons without Zack Rosen.
Two of the nation’s friendliest-sounding mascots will face off as the Quakers visit the Retrievers of Maryland-Baltimore County.
THE BUZZ: Position-by-position breakdownSEASON COUNTDOWN: Fans’ favorite Penn basketball memories VIDEO: This Week on 33rd Street
Though they try to present an honest and fair representation of the action on the court, it can sometimes be hard to repress their undying school spirit.
Rosen sank two of three, missing the third on purpose, to give Penn a 74-72 win over visiting Carleton — located in Ottawa, Ontario — in the Red and Blue’s final tune-up before the regular season starts Friday at the Maryland-Baltimore County.
Freshmen basketball players Keelan Cairns and Simeon Esprit hail from Ireland and England, respectively, but have fit right in at Penn so far — or as well as two tall athletes with foreign accents can fit in.
Bernardini has most recently battled an ankle injury which sidelined him from most summer basketball activity, but with just over a week before the season tips off, he said he’s ready to roll.
Former Penn and current Temple men’s basketball coach Fran Dunphy recently tried a unique way to build his team’s chemistry — he had his players go out on the Schuylkill River to train with the Temple crew team.
The first thing teammates and coaches noticed about the new-and-improved Fran Dougherty was his body. Over the offseason, the timid, slight freshman has grown into a sturdy sophomore.
The Quakers and the Red and Blue Crew will host “The Line,” an annual tradition at the Palestra, where students will have the opportunity to purchase season tickets and meet both the men’s and women’s teams.
This Saturday, the “Cathedral of College Basketball” will host the first annual Palestra Charity 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, organized by a Wharton MGMT 100 team to support two local nonprofit organizations.
Saturday, Penn basketball coach Jerome Allen and his staff landed their third recruit in six days with the addition of guard Julian Harrell.
The Buzz: More from Julian Harrell