Same rival, new challenge

This Penn-Princeton game marks the first in a long time that neither team is favored to win the Ivy League title. Cornell currently leads the league at 6-0 and seems poised to win the first league title since 1987 that has not been won or shared by Penn or Princeton. The Quakers have won the last three, while the Tigers last won the league in 2004.

To win this game, the Princeton offense will need to improve on last year’s showing at the Palestra when it scored a mere 35 points and lost to the Quakers 48-35. Sophomore guard Lincoln Gunn and sophomore center Zach Finley, averaging 10.5 and 10.2 points per game, will seek to take advantage of a Quaker defense that has allowed over 60 points per game in its last four games.

Senior co-captain forwards Kyle Koncz and Noah Savage will also be key players for the Tiger offense. Koncz seems positioned to make an impact after his 24-point performance against Harvard last week, as does Savage, who has started more games than any other player on the Princeton roster.

The ability to protect the ball on the offensive end will be crucial for Princeton. The Quaker defense boasts eight players with double-digit steals along with three players who have double-digit blocks this season.

The Princeton defense will also need to stifle Penn’s scoring duo of Brian Grandieri and Tyler Bernardini. Grandieri and Bernardini lead a strong offense that has scored more than 70 points in seven of its games this season. And though the Penn offense may not be at its best against Princeton, as Bernardini is listed as questionable for tonight’s game, the Tiger defense will still need to play well against the rest of the Quaker offense, which has presented a balanced attack all season.

Another key for the Tiger defense will be forcing the Quakers to make mistakes on the offensive end. Penn has averaged 17.7 turnovers per game so far this season, and solid defense from Princeton will likely produce similar results.

In recent years, the Tigers have had difficulty against Penn on the road, losing their last three games at the Palestra, including a 70-62 overtime loss in 2005. To reverse the trend, Princeton will need to avoid the mistakes that resulted in a loss against Columbia last weekend despite a halftime lead.

This also marks the first time in four years that Penn faces Princeton without talismanic former Ivy League Player of the Year Ibrahim Jaaber. Despite this absence, the home side can count on its fans, mostly students, who fill the Palestra with cheers and chants. Even if one team were favored, once the ball is tipped and it’s Princeton-Penn, all bets are off.