The numbers: 12-8 overall, 3-1 Ivy, 106th RPI, 128th Sagarin, 111th Pomeroy
The recent results: won 77-61 at Brown (2/2), lost 77-68 at Yale (2/3)
The upcoming schedule: Dartmouth (2/9), Harvard (2/10), Princeton (2/13)
Yale brings out worst in Quakers
Saturday’s 77-68 loss in New Haven was notable for Penn in that it featured both the worst offensive and defensive performances of the season by the Quakers against an opponent not from a major conference. The 0.99 points per possession put up by the Penn offense marked only the second time Glen Miller’s squad had failed to reach the 1.10 mark in 10 games against non-major foes — and a season low in those games. Meanwhile, the 1.14 points per possession allowed was the Quakers’ worst defensive performance of the season against a non-major, and only the second time in those games Penn had allowed more than a point per possession.
Struggles at the line
The Quakers have had their team free throw shooting hindered by some normally strong shooters. Ibby Jaaber, Tommy McMahon, Kevin Egee, and Darren Smith have combined to shoot just 70 of 134 (52.2 percent) from the stripe this season. That same group of perimeter players is 74 of 194 (38.1 percent) from three and 212 of 449 (47.2 percent) from the field on the year. Smith is in his first season at Penn, but the other three combined to shoot 97 of 134 (72.4 percent) at the stripe last year.
Jaaber looking to put it all together
NBA scouts have been following him, but at 6-2 and just 170 pounds, the only way Jaaber will make the Association is as a point guard. When Glen Miller moved last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year to the point this fall, he struggled early on — at least with his floor game. Jaaber posted a 49-38 assist-turnover differential in the first nine games of the season. Since then, he has recorded 65 assists against just 22 turnovers — a 2.96-1 ratio. However, as his point guard skills showed improvement, Jaaber’s outside shooting numbers fell off. He was just 12 of his last 45 (26.7 percent) from three-point range until a 2-for-4 performance from beyond the arc on Saturday. At 35.0 percent from three on the season, the overall three-point shooting numbers still are strong. However, the scouts will be looking for Jaaber to show he can both hit the outside shot and create for his teammates.
Playing time fluctuations
Miller is known for a rotation that changes from game to game, depending on the matchup, and that has been the case again this year at Penn. Discounting garbage time and injuries, five different players have logged at least 17 minutes in a game, only to see three or fewer minutes on at least one other occasion. Aron Cohen, Justin Reilly, and Andreas Schreiber all have failed to get off the bench multiple times this season, while receiving decent playing time in other games. Part of this has been injuries to other players, as Smith and Mike Kach have been unavailable at times. However, Miller seems to enjoy having a number of different options available on his bench on a given night and switching up his rotation accordingly.
McMahon heating up
After hurting his back and losing his starting spot, McMahon has been playing much better offensively lately. The sophomore wing had just his second and third career double-digit scoring games this past weekend. McMahon earned starting honors at Yale after playing the best game in a Penn uniform on Friday, when he put up 15 points in 15 minutes at Brown. His value is first and foremost as a perimeter threat, and McMahon’s three-point shooting has been much improved in recent games. He started out just 12 of 40 (30.0 percent) from three, but has connected on 10 of his last 22 attempts (45.5 percent) from long range over the past six games.
Danley’s extended slump
Senior tri-captain Steve Danley got off to a nice offensive start this season, averaging 12.4 points in his first 10 games. However, since a 19-point outing against Illinois-Chicago, his scoring has fallen all the way to just 6.5 points over the last 10 games. Danley is having major problems finishing in close, shooting just 19 of 51 (37.3 percent) from the field in those contests. The slump also has extended beyond the arc, as he is just 2 of his last 9 (22.2 percent) from three after opening the season 6 of 17 (35.3 percent)
Team health report
After injuring his shoulder in the North Carolina game on January 6, Smith re-aggravated the injury two weeks ago, and is playing through a torn labrum. Kach has been hampered by foot pain since returning from preseason surgery on a stress fracture, though he did log 18 minutes on Saturday.
Odds & ends
– Cognizant of Penn’s desire to get out and run, Ivy opponents have looked to slow things down, as possessions per 40 minutes have gone from 71.8 in non-league games to just 63.9 in Ivy contests.
– The Quakers’ defensive rebounding was very weak outside the Ivy League (63.7 percent), but they’ve tightened it up against league opponents (71.9 percent).
– Mark Zoller has picked up four or more fouls in 12 of Penn’s 20 games this year, while Danley has finished with at least four fouls on 13 occasions and fouled out four times.
– Brian Grandieri saw his streak of six games with 14 or more points snapped on Saturday at Yale, finishing with only seven points on 3-for-10 shooting.
– Penn has been doing an excellent job of taking care of the basketball so far in Ivy play, with a turnover rate of just 17.6 percent.
– The Quakers have yet to play an Ivy League home game and will play seven of their final 10 games at The Palestra.
