PRINCETON GAMEDAY
Who: Penn (10-4, 0-0) at Princeton (7-5, 0-0)
When: Saturday, 5 p.m., Jadwin Gymnasium
TV/ Radio: ESPN+, NBCSP+/ WPRB 103.3 FM
Last Time Out: Princeton def. Arizona State, 67-66; Penn lost to Monmouth, 76-74 in OT
Series History: Penn leads, 126-113 Background: The Tigers open Ivy play against the arch rival Quakers in the first game of a home and home between the schools. Princeton is at the Palestra next Saturday before breaking for exams. Penn swept the season series last year for the first time since 2008.
Around the Ivy: The league had its best non-conference showing in a long time and ranked as high as 12th in KenPom’s ratings. The Quakers had a lot to do with that with wins over Miami, Villanova and at New Mexico. The Tigers did their part to by knocking off then-No. 17 Arizona State on the road. “It’s the best the league has been since I’ve been the head coach,” Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said. Supporting Cast: The Tigers upset Arizona State thanks to big games from sophomore forwards Jerome Desrosiers and Sebastian Much. Desrosiers put in a career-best 16 points and Much added 13. Princeton needed it, too, with senior Myles Stephens resting a sore knee. Even with Stephens in the lineup, the role players have to step up. To Henderson that means defending, rebounding and making open shots.
Movin’ On Up: Senior Devin Cannady needs three points to pass Brian Earl for seventh on the program’s all-time scoring list. Cannady is on pace for 505 points and ff he gets to 516 (he enters the Penn game at 202), he’ll have the highest-scoring season for any Tiger since Brian Taylor in 1971-72 (676). His current per-game scoring average of 20.2 would make him the first player since Taylor in 1971-72 to finish a season averaging at least 20 points per contest. Taylor went on to play 10 seasons between the ABA and NBA.
Scouting Penn: The Quakers made some waves with home victories over Miami and Villanova and even found themselves receiving a few top-25 votes, but lost some of that luster in the last week after getting blown out at Toledo and dropping a home game to lowly Monmouth. Still, Steve Donahue continues to do an excellent job at Penn, having guided it to the NCAA Tournament last season. The 10 wins this year come despite a season-ending injury to leading scorer Ryan Betley. There’s plenty of punch still remaining led by AJ Brodeur (14.6 points, 7.6 rebounds) and Devon Goodman (13.5 points, 36.5 percent from 3). Freshman Michael Wang has been a revelation at 11.2 points on 40.2 percent shooting from deep, although he missed the loss to Monmouth with an ankle injury.