After an eight-day layoff, Penn returns to action tonight when the Quakers host La Salle (10-6) at The Palestra. Both teams will be looking for their first Big 5 win of the season. Penn is favored both on paper and by seven points in Vegas, and should make it five straight wins over the Explorers. However, the game is interesting from an Ivy League perspective in that La Salle appears to be rather similar to Harvard, who appears to be Penn’s closest competition in the league.

Coming back to earth
A few weeks ago when La Salle was 10-2 this was looking like a tough task for the Quakers, but the bloom has come off the Explorers’ rose thanks to four straight losses. It was only a matter of time, as Dr. John Giannini’s team couldn’t keep playing the UMBCs and FIUs forever. While some in the media were fawning over the Explorers during their fast start, few noticed who they were beating — and sometimes barely beating. Of La Salle’s 10 wins, none are over Top 100 teams and only one is over an opponent (Drexel) in the Top 150. Both teams have played Drexel, Villanova, and Temple. Both beat the Dragons by similar scores at The Palestra, but Penn lost close games at home to Villanova and Temple, while La Salle was blown out on the road by both the Wildcats and Owls.

La Salle doesn’t have much aside from Steven Smith, so if Penn can keep him from totally going off and do a moderately respectable job on his supporting cast, Fran Dunphy should celebrate win number 300 against his alma mater and the program he nearly took over two years ago.