It is amazing how four years can fly by. In the blink of two Ivy League championships and an NCAA tournament appearance, senior forward Jan Fikiel is gearing up for his last season wearing the Red and Blue. His experience playing for the Quakers will be one he remembers long after the lights are shut off in The Palestra and another crop of players contemplate their own careers.

Throughout his four years playing for the Quakers, Fikiel has been part of two Ivy League Championship teams and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. "Going to the tournament is one of my best memories," he said. "It was such an awesome experience. Everyone was watching, we played in front of huge crowds and it was on national television." Each season, Fikiel has increased his minutes played, and this season is part of the starting line-up. As part of a nucleus of senior players, Fikiel will lend his knowledge of the game as well as his leadership as Penn makes its march through the season with the ultimate goal winning another Ivy League championship and earning an NCAA bid.

"Jan is a player who knows exactly what he's supposed to do," said Penn Head Coach Fran Dunphy. "He is one of the most skilled players on the team and has a great knowledge of the game."

That knowledge began cultivating itself quite early in Fikiel's career. Born in Poland, Fikiel and his family moved to Germany when he was six. His father, Christoph, played basketball professionally for Germany and began teaching Jan the elements of the game when he was eight years old. "I spent a lot of time playing with my dad," Fikiel recalled. "He was my first real coach and taught me the fundamentals of how to play and started developing my skills. He came to a lot of my games, and after every game, he would tell me what I did right and what I did wrong."

After his sophomore year in Germany, Fikiel moved to Florida to attend Westminster Academy, where he was only supposed to stay for one year. After one season, however, Fikiel's coach told him to keep working hard and that one more year would improve his collegiate basketball opportunities. Fikiel discussed it with his parents, who agreed to allow him to stay, and remained at Westminster for another year. During his senior year, he decided to attend Penn, attracted by the "great package: great academics, great program, great tradition."
At Penn, Fikiel has put his knowledge of the game to good use and has caused Coach Dunphy to recognize his talent. Fikiel has learned quite a bit from Dunphy over the years as well. "He's demanding," Fikiel said. "He tries to make you the best player you can be. He tells you what you're doing wrong so you can improve."

Fikiel's numbers have been on the rise every season. During his freshman year, he played in 30 games, scoring eight points and tying a career high against Yale in an Ivy League play-off game. As a sophomore, Fikiel played in 24 games, shot 48 percent from the field and 73 percent from the free-throw line. After a junior campaign in which he averaged 3.2 points per game, 1.4 rebounds per game and shot 46.7 percent from the field, Fikiel's goals this season involve building on those numbers as well as helping the team.

"This season, I'm looking forward to all of the games," he said. "We also have some great trips planned to Chicago and San Francisco. And, of course, I'm looking forward to making it into the NCAA Tournament again. It will be such a great feeling to get back."
"Everyone works together on this team," he said. "My goal personally is to try and make the team better."

When he evaluates his experience thus far playing basketball for Penn, Fikiel regards it as an unforgettable time. "It wasn't always easy," he conceded, noting the disappointment he and his teammates felt when they did not make it to the NCAA tournament last year as well as his own desire for more playing time. "It is also hard balancing school and practice in the preseason, but it has been worth it," he said. "I have gained some awesome friends, both on the team and in the University."

Playing basketball for the Quakers is its own challenge in terms of time and accompanying demands. Fikiel and the team still manage other commitments that take them away from The Palestra and the Penn campus and into the West Philadelphia neighborhood. Their destination allows the players to imfluence youngsters with positive leadership and act as role models. Once a week, Fikiel travels to the Shaw Middle School, where he meets with his little brother through the Big Brothers program. He and his teammates are each paired with a student and meet with them throughout the year. Fikiel truly enjoys this commitment. "We hang out for a while and they will eventually come to some of our games," he said. "It's a great mentoring opportunity, and it's important. We communicate the message to the kids that education is important and that they need to stay in school and keep studying. Eventually, they can attend college."

Throughout his time playing for Penn, Fikiel has been able to combine his knowledge of the game with a major in real estate at Wharton and also contribute to his community. Once his career as a Quaker is completed, Fikiel has his eyes on returning to Germany with hopes of playing professionally. He spoke of a desire for his parents to see him play, but then cited the difficulty of them traveling from Germany to Philadelphia because his parents both work and his sister is in school. "It's hard to find a time when everyone can travel," he said, but added that he hopes they will make it for Senior Day and his graduation in the spring.

Right now, that time might seem worlds away, but, as the start of this season proves, time passes quickly. Fikiel will be certain to enjoy this season more than the others. He is, after all, driven by the desire to return: to return to the pinnacle of success as Ivy League champions, to return to the NCAA tournament, to eventually return home and continue his career. Fikiel knows the game and can help lead his team back to familiar territory.

Written by Kim Parker