PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team opens the 2020 portion of its schedule on Saturday night, hosting the first Ivy League game of the campaign against archrival Princeton. The Quakers and Tigers will tip off at 7 p.m., the first of two matchups over the next six days between the Ivy's two most decorated programs (Princeton 27 titles, Penn 26).
 
GAME 12 – PENN (7-4, 0-0 Ivy League) vs. PRINCETON (4-8, 0-0)
Game is being presented by Coca-Cola
Saturday, Jan. 4 | 7 p.m.
Macquarie Court at The Palestra | Philadelphia
Watch (ESPN+) | Listen (QAN) | Live Stats | Penn Game Notes | Princeton 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 Saturday, Matt Leon will be on the call while Stan Pawlak provides analysis. To access the Quaker Audio Network, simply type www.pennathletics.com/audio into your computer or device.
 
The Penn-Princeton Series
• This is the 242nd meeting between the Quakers and the Tigers in men's basketball, with Penn leading the series 126-115. Penn has not played any opponent more than Princeton.
 
• Princeton swept the season series last year, needing overtime to win 68-65 in Princeton before coming to The Palestra one week later and walking out with a 62-53 victory.
 
• Penn, of course, swept the series two years ago, winning 76-70 here at home and 82-65 at Jadwin Gym (setting a program mark for most points in Jadwin).
 
• By calendar date, Saturday's game is the earliest meeting in a season between these Ivy rivals since they met on January 3, 1978.
 
• For the second year in a row—and the second time in history—the Penn-Princeton series will be done before the Quakers play another Ivy League game. (Penn's game at Princeton will take place next Friday.) Prior to last year, the last time both Penn-Princeton games were played before February was 1977-78.
 
The Rivalry
• From 1959-2007, Penn or Princeton won at least a share of the Ivy League title all but three years (Cornell won the title in 1988, Brown in 1986, Yale in 1962).
 
 • In 2008, ESPN.com rated the most prestigious college basketball programs of all time; Penn came in 34th, while Princeton was 40th.
 
• In 2005, The Sporting News rated the greatest college basketball programs of all time; Penn came in 16th, while Princeton was 19th.
 
A Bit About AJ Brodeur
• The senior enters the Princeton game with 35 straight double-figure scoring games against Division 1 competition...
  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, 35 in 2019
 
• AJ has started all 103 games played during his career; his streak of starts is currently the 11th-longest at the NCAA Division 1 level.
 
• AJ is seventh on Penn's all-time scoring list with 1,537 points; he needs 16 points to move past Ron Haigler (1973-75) into sixth place.
 
• AJ is on the cusp of becoming the first player in Ivy League history to reach all of the following milestones...
  *1,500 points (AJ at 1,537)
  *750 rebounds (783)
  *300 assists (307)
  *150 blocked shots (169)
  *100 steals (98)
 
Penn by the Numbers
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 • Consecutive games in which Penn has dished out at least 20 assists; the Quakers are averaging 22.0 assists per game across that span and lead the Ivy League with 17.5 assists per game.
 
6 • Consecutive double-figure scoring games by Goodman (14.8 ppg during that span).
 
7 • Double-doubles by Brodeur through 11 games this season; that includes his first-ever points (11)/assists (10) double-double, which occured against Arizona on November 29.
 
10.6 • Three-point baskets per game by Penn so far this season, tops among Ivy League teams; the Quakers have reached double figures in treys in seven of their last eight games.
 
11 • 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 five with double-doubles (Brodeur, Betley, Eddie Scott, Bryce Washington, Lucas Monroe).
 
15.5 • Senior Ryan Betley's points-per-game average over Penn's last nine contests (139 points in that span).
 
34 • Assists by Brodeur over the last five games, against just eight turnovers (4.25 ratio); Brodeur leads the Ivy League with 5.2 assists per game and is second in assist/turnover ratio (1.97).
 
35/104 • First-half/second-half points by freshman Jordan Dingle this season; of his 66 points over the Quakers' last four games, 53 of them have come in the second half.
 
36.1 • Penn's three-point shooting percentage so far this season, tops among Ivy League teams.
 
53 • Days since Penn last played a home game against an NCAA Division 1 opponent; the Quakers beat La Salle, 75-59, way back on November 13.
 
72.7 • Freshman Max Martz's shooting percentage from three-point land over Penn's last four games after he went 5-of-6 vs. Long Beach State, 5-of-8 vs. Widener, and 6-of-8 at Howard.
 
79.4 • Penn's scoring average so far this season, tops among Ivy League teams.