M. basketball to wrap up Ivy season with Penn

"The boys are back in town." This quote adorns the cover of the 2002-2003 Penn men's basketball media guide. Contrary to Penn's characterization of its team, the Quakers have played more like men amongst boys in the Ivy League this season.

They are back in Princeton tonight like bullies from the wrong side of the tracks — or river at least — to take on their archrival in the last men's basketball game of the season.

Penn (21-5 overall, 13-0 Ivy League) has won 22 straight Ivy League games, including 3 straight against Princeton (16-10, 10-3). Last Saturday night, the Quakers clinched their second straight trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Assocation tournament as the Ivy League representative.

The last time these two teams met was Feb. 11 at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Princeton went across the Delaware River only to suffer a demoralizing 10-point defeat — its first in the Ivy League this season. Penn has showed itself to be the class of the league by cruising through the season unscathed so far, while Princeton has since lost two games to Brown (17-11, 12-2).

Penn's attack is keyed by forward Ugonna Onyekwe, who reeled off 22 points in Penn's Feb. 11 victory. Onyekwe dominated the Tigers down low, a place that has caused defensive trouble for Princeton all year.

However, more important than containing post play itself, the Tigers must counteract Penn's extraordinary ability to provide players in the post with open looks by spreading out the defense.

"They are a terrific three-point shooting team," head coach John Thompson III '88 said. "Their interior guys have been pretty dominant, but we have to limit the threes they make. As a unit, we have to work hard to not let them get open shots."

One of Princeton's biggest successes in the last game against Penn was its control of reigning first-team All-Ivy selection Koko Archibong. The six-foot, eight-inch senior forward scored zero points against the Tigers in the Palestra thanks to a blanket of defense provided by Princeton's former junior forward Spencer Gloger, who is no longer attending the University due to academic ineligibility.

"That's what I always said we were going to miss most about Spencer — his defense and rebounding," Thompson said. "Guys have been stepping up, [senior forward] Ray [Robins] in particular.

"Koko is a very good player. He had a bad game, a tough day down there in the Palestra, and he's going to want to play."

Princeton's focus for the victory will be on the defensive end tonight, aiming to derail Penn's potent attack by stopping it rather than trying to outscore it. Penn would provide the Tigers with a good deal of trouble if they tried that method. The Quakers boast the best scoring defense in the league, as well as the best scoring margin, field goal percentage defense and rebounding margin — a stat that may have little effect as the teams are the two top field goal shooters in the league.

"We're going to have to play with a lot of energy, a lot of effort on the defensive end," Thompson said.

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While winning the Ivy League title is now mathematically impossible, Princeton is looking to take away a perfect season from Penn. However, the team does not view the game as a source of strength for the upcoming off-season, should it win.

"Basketball players and basketball teams go out to win every time," Thompson said. "Unless you're the NCAA champion, no one is going to end the season completely happy. I don't think the last game gives momentum or hurts momentum for the next season."

Penn has now won the Ivy League for the past two seasons, and Princeton won it the year before that. The two historically best teams in the Ivy League square off tonight in Jadwin Gym, and both are looking to pull out a win, but only one is aiming for momentum into the NCAA tournament.

"History comes and goes," Thompson said. "We won the league two years ago, and they've won it the past two. We'll see what the future holds."

The big boys are back in town tonight, and the Tigers will be looking for one last shot to show that they can hang with their rival from across the river.