Penn at Temple
Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004
Tip-Off 8:05 p.m.
Broadcasted on CN8 and www.pennathletics.com
The Quakers are off to their best start since the 2001-02 campaign, bringing a 4-2 record into Penn's game against Temple on Wednesday night. Senior captain Tim Begley is coming off a standout performance against La Salle where he scored a career-high 29 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the floor and 8-for-11 (also a career best) from beyond the arc.
Last Time Out
Senior captain Tim Begley scored a career-high 29 points to lead the Penn basketball team to a 78-67 victory over La Salle on Dec. 4 in the Big 5 Classic at The Palestra. Sophomores Ibrahim Jaaber (13) and Mark Zoller (11) added double-digit numbers for the Red and Blue to improve to 1-0 in the Big 5 and 4-0 at home. Senior Eric Osmundson contributed with six assists, while Begley added seven helpers for the second-consecutive game. The Quakers committed a season low 10 turnovers in the game, while shooting 49.1 percent from the floor.
Coaches Corner
Penn
Head Coach Fran Dunphy is in his 16th season at the helm of Penn basketball. Coach Dunphy is the winningest coach in Penn basketball history with 273 career victories. Dunphy has had 11 winning seasons at Penn including three-straight 17 plus-win seasons. Dunphy is the second winningest coach in the Ivy League with 166 Ancient Eight victories.
Temple
Head Coach John Chaney is one of the most successful coaches in collegiate basketball. After 32 seasons as a head coach, Chaney sports a 708-283 (.714) mark. His win total also ranks him 16th all-time and fifth among active coaches. Chaney arrived at Temple in 1982 and has brought the program to unprecedented levels of success.The Owls have won 23 NCAA tournament games and sport a winning percentage of .682 (483 wins, 224 losses) which is among the best in Division I over the past 22 years.Temple has won eight Atlantic 10 regular-season titles and six Atlantic 10 Tournament crowns. The Owls have won or shared 13 Philadelphia Big 5 championships.
Scouting the Owls
Temple sports a 2-3 record on the young season and is winless at home. The Owls are coming off a 53-52 win over Villanova on Dec. 4 in th Big Five Classic. The win snapped a two-game skid where Temple fell to Arizona State, 65-62, and South Carolina, 60-46. Four Owls are averaging double-digit numbers on the season. Leading the way is Mardy Collins with 13.6 ppg, followed closely by Mark Tyndale, Dustin Salisberry, Wayne Marshall who are averaging 13.4, 12.4 and 10.2 ppg, respectively.
The Series
The Owls hold a 35-18 advantage in the all-time series having won the 11 of the last 14 contests. The Quakers won their first game against Temple under Coach Dunphy on Nov. 23,1998 behind Michael Jordan's 22 points. The win snapped a 17-game losing streak against the Owls. Penn won back-to-back games against the Owls in 2001 and 2002, but fell in last year's contest, 73-69. Tim Begley scored a then-career-high 22 points including sinking five three-pointers. Three other Quakers scored in double-figures including Mark Zoller. The Owls only had a two-point advantage at the half as the Quakers would not back down. Penn took the lead on treys from Begley and then-senior Charlie Copp, but could not pull away. The Quakers pulled within one with 3:04 remaining, but Temple hit 9-of-10 free-throws attempts to secure the win.
Against the Big Five
After the Quakers, 78-67 victory over La Salle, the Red and Blue sport a 103-132 mark against Big 5 opponents. In official Big 5 games, the Red and Blue are 73-109. Penn is 1-0 in city matches in 2004-05. Penn has won five Philadelphia Big 5 titles and shared the honor eight times.
Happy 50th Birthday!
The formation of the Big 5 was announced on November 23, 1954 at Houston Hall on the University of Pennsylvania campus. The first Big 5 game was played on Dec. 14, 1955 between Saint Joseph's and Villanova at The Palestra.
Versus the Atlantic 10
Penn is 96-110 in games against schools from the Atlantic 10 conference. With the Quakers win over the Explorers last week, Penn is 1-0 against A10 foes this season. This is the second of three meetings against A10 schools this season. Penn met the same three schools last year - La Salle, Saint Joseph's and Temple recording a 1-2 record.
The Red and Blue on Dec. 8
Penn has a 13-6 record in games played on the eighth of December. The Quakers first game on this date was in 1917 against Ursinus which the Quakers won 28-14. Penn has faced off with Temple twice on this date, the first coming in 1920, a 24-19 win by the Red and Blue and the second in 1984, a 70-57 loss for the Quakers. The last time Penn played on Dec. 8, they fell to Saint Joseph's, 67-61, in The Palestra in 2001.
Up Next ...
Penn has a 23 day break from the hardwood. The Quakers will return to the court on Dec. 31, 2004 against Villanova in a 4 p.m. match-up. After that the Red and Blue head out west to face San Francisco on Jan. 4.
Honors All Around
Senior Tim Begley was named Ivy League and Big 5 Player of the week for his performance in Penn's win over La Salle and Bucknell last week. He averaged 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds on the week. Its the second-straight week the Quakers won both honors, as sophomore Mark Zoller earned bothhonors the week prior. Begley was last named Ivy Player of the Week in February of 2003.
Love for the Long Ball
Led by Tim Begley's 8-for-11 effort from beyond the arc, the Quakers scored a season-high 13 trifectas against La Salle. Ibrahim Jaaber added career-high three treys, while Eric Osmundson and freshman Michael Kach each added one. You have to go back to Feb. 27, 2004 against Cornell to find a game in which the Quakers scored more three-pointers in a game.
How May I Assist You
The Red and Blue handed out 22 assists against the Explorers on Dec. 4. Its the first time this season the Quakers have dished out more than 20 helpers. Tim Begley led the way with seven assists, followed by senior Eric Osmundson who had six, senior Jan Fikiel (four), sophomore Ibrahim Jaaber (two), freshman Michael Kach (two) and sophomore Mark Zoller (one).
Moving Up the Charts
With his three-pointer with 4:31 remaining against La Salle on Dec. 4 , Begley surpassed Garrett Kreitz on the all-time three-pointers made list. He ranks fourth all-time at Penn with 200 trifectas in his career. He needs two more treys to move ahead of current Assistant Coach Matt Langel and needs only 44 baskets from three-point land to nab the top-spot, which is held by former Quaker Matt Maloney. Begley also stands third in the Penn accolades in three pointers made in a season with 83 in 2003-04.
244Matt Maloney1993-95
220Jeff Schiffner2001-04
201Matt Langel1997-00
200Tim Begley2002-present
199Garrett Kreitz1995-98
Quite the Steal
Led by sophomore Ibrahim Jaaber's career-high seven steals, the Red and Blue snatched away 14 balls against Bucknell on Dec. 1. The last time the Quakers accomplished that feat was against Harvard on Feb. 15, 2002. Five different Quakers got their hands in the pot including sophomore Steve Danley (three), senior Tim Begley (two), senior Eric Osmundson (one) and sophomore Ryan Pettinella (one).
Crashing the Boards
The Quakers are 3-0 this season when they have outrebounded their opponents. Overall, Penn has beaten its opposition on the boards, grabbing 185 rebounds to their opponents 170 (avg. 37 rpg). Leading the Red and Blue on the boards is sophomore Mark Zoller who his averaging 7.4 rpg. Classmate Steve Danley follows at 5.4 boards per game.
On The Line
Senior Eric Osmundson and junior Friedrich Ebede are perfect from the charity stripe this season. Osmundson is 2-for-2, while Ebede is 3-for-3. Several other Quakers are shooting well from the foul line this season as well. Sophomore Ibrahim Jaaber is shooting 80 percent from the charity stripe, while freshman Michael Kach is 9-for-12 (.750) from the line.
Snatching the Ball Away
Sophomore Ibrahim Jaaber has 19 steals this season including a career-high seven against the Bison on Dec. 1. Jaaber led the Quakers in thefts last season with 32.
Beyond the Arc
The Red and Blue shot 78.6 percent from the three-point line against Drexel, breaking the program record for three point accuracy in a game. The previous record of 75 percent was set against USC on Jan. 11, 2003 when the Quakers went 15-of -20 from beyond the arc. Penn tied the record just 19 days later against Princeton, nailing 6-of-8 trifectas.
The Swat Team
Sophomores Steve Danley and Ibrahim Jaaber have combined for 10 blocks this season. Danley has six to his credit, while Jaaber has four.
Dishing Out
Senior Tim Begley dished out a season-high seven helpers against Bucknell on Dec. 1 and La Salle on Dec. 4 for a total of 29 assists thus far. He stands sixth in program history with 318 helpers. He needs 27 more to move up the all-time list. Begley is currently averaging 4.8 apg.
From the Floor
Steve Danley tied a personal best in field goals made with four against Providence and Drexel. The sophomore has continued to improve this season and leads the team in shooting percentage from the field at 53.8 percent.
Putting Time In
Freshman Michael Kach has played in all six games for the Quakers in 2004. The rookie is averaging 13.2 minutes per game and has scored at least two points in every contest. He is averaging 3.7 points per game and his 75 percent from the free-throw line is second best on the team. He as scored at least one trifecta in three of the last four games.
Continuing His Streak
Senior Tim Begley has scored at least one three-pointer in his last 12 games, dating back to Feb. 21, 2004 against Yale. Begley had a 23-game stretch last season where he scored at least one trifecta, but Brown denied him from three-point land on Feb. 20, 2004.
What a Difference a Year Makes
Sophomore Steve Danley leads the Quakers with six blocked shots this season. Last season the Germantown, Md. native batted away nine shots in 27 appearances on the court. Danley has also found his shot as she has scored 64 points in six games this season, after tallying 69 points in 27 games in 2003-04.
Double-Digits
Two players are averaging double figures this season - Tim Begley with17.2 ppg and sophomore Steve Danley with 10.7. Several Quakers have recorded multi double-digit contests. Danley has recorded four double-digit games, while Begley has four, sophomores Ibrahim Jaaber and Mark Zoller have three each and senior Jan Fikiel has one.
Penn Tabbed Second by Media
The Quakers finished second in the 2004-05 Ivy League Media Poll. Princeton garnered the top spot with 14 of the 16 first-place votes. Penn received one first-place nod, while Brown grabbed the final one. Yale was picked to finish third followed by Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard and Dartmouth.
Ivy League Media Poll
TeamVotes
Princeton (14)125
Penn (1)111
Yale85
Brown (1)83
Columbia 62
Cornell54
Harvard37
Dartmouth19
A Decade Worth of Victories
For the 10th time since his tenure began, Head Coach Fran Dunphy's team has recorded at least 17 victories in a season. The current Ivy League dean of coaches has 11 winning seasons under his belt and three straight heading into the 2004-05 campaign.
He's No. 2
Head Coach Fran Dunphy is second all-time in the Ivy League with 274 career victories, after surpassing Cappy Cappon who recorded 250 wins in 20 seasons at Princeton. Princeton's Pete Carril, who spent 29 seasons with the Tigers, is the all-time Ivy League wins leader with 514. Dunphy is also second in all-time Ivy League wins with 156. He has amassed an overall record of 156-42 against Ivy League opponents in his 14 seasons at Penn, giving him a .788 winning percentage.
Home Sweet Home
The Red and Blue are 726-313 all-time in The Palestra. Penn has not had a loosing season at home since 1984-85 where the Quakers went 4-9. The Quakers have had 19 perfect Ivy League seasons at home and four seasons without a loss in the Palestra.
Welcome to The Palestra
The Palestra, which was built in 1927, was refurbished in 2000 and reopened amid some hoopla on Dec. 7 as "The Palestra 2000." Known as college basketball's most storied gymnasium, The Palestra was renovated into a type of museum of basketball history that includes players, coaches and fans from Penn, the Ivy League, local high schools, national powerhouse colleges, and of course, the Philadelphia Big 5. In an article titled, "A Museum in the Cathedral," Sports Illustrated's Alex Wolff said "...Old friends - and the new friends The Palestra is making, like the Maryland basketball team, which strolled the halls in December on orders from Coach Gary Williams - regard the temple at 33rd and Walnut as "holier than a mere landmark."
A Little History Lesson
The University of Pennsylvania has three of the top-five longest running rivalries in NCAA Division I basketball history. Penn and Princeton have met 102 times on the hardwood, which ranks second on the all-time consecutive games played list. Penn's series with Columbia and Cornell both rank third with 101 consecutive years.
NCAA Longest Running Rivalries
Yrs.Schools Years
103Columbia vs. Yale 1902-2004
103Princeton vs. Yale 1902-2004
102Princeton vs. Penn 1903-2004
101Columbia vs. Penn 1904-2004
101Cornell vs. Penn 1904-2004
More Historical Tidbits
The Penn men's basketball program is among the top-10 winningest program in NCAA Division I. The Quakers' 1,576 all-time victories stand eighth on the list.
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