Ivy League Basketball News

Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports has a blog post about Jerome Allen’s goal of reviving Penn’s basketball program.  Excerpt:

Allen believes the Quakers can regain their spot atop the Ivy. Back when Allen was in uniform, Penn won three consecutive league titles and went a perfect 14-0 in conference play each of the three years.

“We try to use history to get guys to believe, but kids these days don’t remember what happened five years ago,” Allen said. “What people don’t know is that Penn is No. 10 in all-time wins in NCAA history – ahead of Indiana, Arizona and Louisville.

“Kids would think you were lying if you told them that,” Allen said.

…

Sam Blum of the Bleacher Report previews NYC-area teams, including Columbia:

Columbia will enter this season looking at a whole different team. There will be no more Coach Joe Jones. After Jones left to join Ivy coaching counterpart, Steve Donahue at Boston College, Kyle Smith left St. Mary’s to come east for a job at Columbia.

As long as Columbia can stay defensive minded, Smith will have no trouble picking up where Jones left off, and he might get some wins in the process. They will return junior star Noruwa Agho, who might find himself the best player in the league now that Jeremy Lin has left Harvard and Ryan Wittman has departed from Cornell.

…

Last week, Dartmouth coach Paul Cormier formally announced his coaching staff for 2010-11. Dartmouth Athletics reports,

Dartmouth men’s basketball head coach Paul Cormier today announced the hiring of his initial staff in his return to the Big Green for the 2010-11 season. Former UConn standout Ricky Moore, Joe Gallo, and Patrick Beilein have been brought on as assistant coaches, while Jordan Watson has been named the director of basketball operations.

“The first step of rebuilding our basketball program is in place with the hiring of these four tremendously talented and energetic coaches,” Coach Cormier stated. “I am confident that this staff will be terrific in player development and recruiting. And by putting together a couple of solid recruiting classes, our goal of winning an Ivy Championship will be within our grasp.”

…

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A number of stories today are previewing the Penn-Temple matchup this evening:

• The New York Times Quad blog: “A Compelling Matchup at the Palestra”
• The Daily Pennsylvanian: Allen to face “Daddy”
• The Daily Pennsylvanian Buzz Blog: More from Allen, Dunphy, & Recruits
• The Philadelphia Daily News: Penn coach Allen faces mentor, Temple coach Dunphy
• The Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn-Temple game a reunion for two

Note that the Daily Pennsylvanian has also added two more M. Hoops stories:

• A review of Penn’s first victory at UMBC
• A commentary on the changing in community (but not on the court) post-Glen Miller

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Penn interim head coach Jerome Allen

The New York Times runs a feature, “Penn looks to past to recapture old times“. Some excerpts:

“Not all C.E.O.’s work out, and that’s what the head coach of a basketball team is,” said Zack Rosen, a sophomore guard who is a co-captain. “With Coach Miller, there was a disconnect. For whatever reason, his formula just wasn’t working.”

… Allen may not have the talent to make a run at the 2009-10 Ivy crown, but he said he believed he could at least begin turning the program around. To do so, he wants to instill a new mind-set among his players: that mediocrity is not acceptable.

… [The Quakers] seem prepared to come back with a better attitude and more focus than in Miller’s final days.

“We were lackadaisical,” said Darren Smith, a senior guard and co-captain. “We were just roaming around and doing our own thing. There was structure, but we weren’t getting it right when it came to the little details. I already see that changing. I’m really excited about the Davidson game. To get that first win might be something that will really get us going.”

It might, but one win will not mean Penn basketball is back. One win, or even a few here and there, will not be acceptable. Nobody understands that better than Penn’s new coach.

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Penn sophomore co-captain Zack Rosen

Examiner.com runs a story “Penn basketball players adjusting to new coach Jerome Allen”. Some excerpts:

Penn’s practices, now, are a little bit different. Allen requires a lot more running during practice to keep the Quakers in shape.

Penn’s players seem to like the change in their practice routine.

“Now, there’s no barriers,” said sophomore co-captain Zack Rosen to the Inquirer. Rosen leads the team in scoring this season at 14.9 points a game. “There’s no more excuses,” he said. There’s no one to point at. Now it’s us, and what we do with it, with a new opportunity.”

Rosen had additional kind words for his new head coach.

“Jerome Allen is everything that every Penn basketball player wants to be, live up to (and) uphold,” Rosen told The Inquirer. “He really built this tradition when he was here, and when we look over at him and he’s saying something, there’s a respect factor and an accountabilty factor.”

Penn next plays Dec. 28 at Davidson.

“I’m excited, nervous, anxious, enthused, all of these things, all at once,” Allen told The Inquirer last week.

According to the Daily Pennsylvanian’s Buzz Blog:

Former Penn basketball player and WXPN color commentator Vince Curran has reportedly been hired as a volunteer assistant coach for the men’s basketball team, filling the role vacated by interim head coach Jerome Allen.

Curran played for one year at Penn with Allen.

The Philadelphia Tribune runs the story, “Allen credits coaches, teammates for his rise”:

When Jerome Allen was hired as Penn’s interim head basketball coach last week, he thought about all the people who have helped to shape him as a player and a person. In addition, Allen realizes how fortunate he is to be in this position.

… To have this opportunity is something truly special. A young kid, an African-American male born in Germantown being able to go from Germantown Avenue to Gustine Lake (Recreation Center) to Episcopal Academy to the University of Pennsylvania to the Minnesota Timberwolves to Rome, Italy and come back to have this opportunity is really something.

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