PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team just arrived back on the East Coast after a productive trip to California. The Quakers went 2-1 at the Wooden Legacy in Anaheim, finishing third in the eight-team field. There's no rest for the weary just yet, though, as the Red and Blue close out the fall-term portion of the 2019-20 season on Wednesday night when they make the short trip to the Main Line for a Big 5 meeting with Villanova. Following this game, the University will go into its exam period and the team will be off until December 21.
 
GAME 9 – PENN (5-3) at #23/22 VILLANOVA (5-2)
Wednesday, Dec. 4 | 6:30 p.m.
Finneran Pavilion | Villanova, Pa.
Watch (FS1) | Listen (QAN) | Live Stats | Penn Game Notes | Villanova Game Notes
 
Quaker Audio Network (QAN)
New this season, Penn fans can listen to every men's basketball game through the Quaker Audio Network, a free Internet-based audio streaming service. On Wednesday night, Matt Leon will be on the call while Vince Curran provides analysis. To access the Quaker Audio Network, simply type www.pennathletics.com/audio into your computer or device.
 
The Penn-Villanova Series
• The Quakers and the Wildcats are meeting for the 67th time in men's basketball, with Villanova holding a 47-19 lead in the series
 
• Last year, of course, Penn defeated Nova at The Palestra, 78-75. The win not only snapped the Red and Blue's 15-game losing streak to the Cats, dating back to 2002, but it also ended Villanova's record 25-game win streak in the Big 5.
 
• The last time Penn came to the hub of Nova Nation was two years ago, a game that was played in Jake Nevin Fieldhouse due to the renovation of what is now Finneran Pavilion. Nova won, 90-62.
 
• In fact, Penn has never won on Villanova's campus; the Quakers have visited 11 times since 1987.
 
Penn vs. The Big East
• Penn is 34-65 all-time against current Big East programs but has won two in a row dating back to last season's win over the Wildcats.
 
• Just 11 days ago, the Quakers went to Providence and knocked off the Friars at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, 81-75. Prior to that game, PC was 64-4 at the Dunk against non-conference opponents under head coach Ed Cooley.
 
Penn vs. #23 in the AP Poll (0-1)
11/23/2007: #23 Virginia 100, at Penn 85
 
A Bit About AJ Brodeur
• The senior enters Wednesday's game against Villanova with 33 straight double-figure scoring games, the fifth-longest streak in program history...
  Ernie Beck, 74 from 1951-53
  Stan Pawlak, 60 from 1964-66
  Ron Haigler, 41 from 1974-75
  Keven McDonald, 38 from 1977-78
  AJ Brodeur, 33 in 2019
 
• AJ has started all 100 games played during his career; his streak of starts is currently tied for the ninth-longest at the NCAA Division 1 level.
 
• AJ is ninth on Penn's all-time scoring list with exactly 1,500 points; he needs two points to move past Stan Pawlak (1964-66) into eighth place and 19 to move past Ibrahim Jaaber (2004-07) into seventh place.
 
• Last Friday vs. No. 14 Arizona, AJ had his 24th double-double at Penn but the first via a points/assists combo (11/10).
 
• AJ is on the cusp of becoming the first player in Ivy League history to reach all of the following five milestones...
  *1,500 points (AJ at 1,500)
  *750 rebounds (753)
  *300 assists (292)
  *150 blocked shots (163)
  *100 steals (96)
 
Penn by the Numbers
1 • Among the program's 1,795 all-time wins, the number that have taken place on an SEC opponent's home court; that happened in the season opener, when Penn won at Alabama 81-80.
 
2.18 • Penn's assist/turnover ratio in its last two games, against Arizona and Long Beach State (48/22); the Quakers' overall assist/turnover ratio (1.18) is best among Ivy League teams.
 
3 • All-Ivy players in Penn's lineup: senior captains AJ Brodeur, (two-time unanimous first-team All-Ivy), Ryan Betley (second-team in 2017-18) and Devon Goodman (second in 2018-19).
 
5 • Double-doubles by Brodeur through eight games this season.
 
5 • Consecutive games in which Penn has knocked down a double-figure total of three-point shots; the Quakers lead the Ivy League with 9.9 treys per game overall this season.
 
6 • Consecutive Big 5 wins by Penn, most since they won six in a row across the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons; the last time the Quakers won seven Big 5 games in a row was the tail end of a 12-game win streak from 1972-75.
 
10 • Penn players who have recorded at least one double-figure scoring game during their career; that includes six players with at least one game of 20 or more points and four with double-doubles (Brodeur, Betley, Eddie Scott, Bryce Washington).
 
10 • The number of NCAA Division 1 players who finished the 2018-19 season with at least 500 points, 250 rebounds and 100 assists. That list included guys like R.J. Barrett (Duke), Grant Williams (Tennessee) and Ethan Happ (Wisconsin). It also included Brodeur, who led Penn with 547 points, 257 rebounds and 113 assists.
 
10.1 • Points-per-game improvement by Goodman from 2017-18 (3.8 ppg) to last year (13.9); he was one of just five players nationally at the Division 1 level to make a double-digit jump in ppg.
 
15 • Three-pointers hit by Penn on Sunday against Long Beach State, most by the Quakers against an NCAA Division 1 opponent since they tied a program record with 16 against Harvard on February 21, 2003.
 
15.2 • Goodman's points-per-game average over Penn's last six contests.
 
15.5 • Betley's points-per-game average over Penn's last six contests.
 
19 • Assists by Brodeur over the last two games, most by a Penn player in back-to-back games since all-time assist leader Zack Rosen had a combined 22 against UCLA (10) and Marist (12) early in the 2011-12 season; Brodeur leads the Ivy League with 5.3 assists per game.
 
27 • Assists by Penn on Sunday against The Beach, most by the Quakers against a D1 opponent since Nov. 20, 2007 (30 vs. The Citadel).
 
32/89 • First-half points by freshman Jordan Dingle this season/second-half points by Dingle.
 
43 • Overall wins by Penn during the previous two seasons, 24 in 2017-18 and 19 in 2018-19; that is the most since the Quakers had 47 wins across the 2001-02 (25) and 2002-03 (22) seasons.
 
50.0 • Penn's field-goal percentage over the last four games (117-234); overall, the Quakers' 47.9 FG percentage is tops among Ivy teams.
 
74.7 • Penn's assist (65) to basket (87) ratio across the Quakers' three games at the Wooden Legacy over the Thanksgiving weekend.
 
77.2 • Penn's scoring average this season, tops among Ivy League teams.
 
83.3 • Freshman Max Martz's percentage on three-point shots Sunday against Long Beach State (5-6); he scored a career-high 17 points in the win over the 49ers.
 
100 • Games started and played by Brodeur at Penn; he is the first player in program history to start the first 100 games he played for the Red and Blue.