Penn was always going to have trouble competing on the road against Associated Press No. 3 Houston, which ranks first in overall efficiency margin and first in defensive efficiency on KenPom.
But what happened to the Red and Blue on Saturday was worse than what any Penn fan could reasonably have predicted. Houston delivered an 81-42 beatdown, which was the visitors’ worst loss since they endured a 114-55 humiliation at the hands of Duke on New Year’s Eve in 2009.
Houston (13-0) started the game on an 18-0 run. Penn (8-6) did not score until more than nine minutes had passed in the first half, when freshman Sam Brown drained a long contested three-pointer off a feed from classmate Tyler Perkins.
The ugly final score wasn’t even the worst thing about Saturday. Senior Clark Slajchert rolled his ankle midway through the first half and did not return.
There’s not much to take away from a “burn the tape game,” but you can start with how …
Slajchert’s injury could be a season-altering moment.
The moment that flashed through this writer’s mind when Slajchert hobbled to the bench was when freshman Michael Wang rolled his ankle against Toledo in a game that happened nearly five years ago to the day in 2018.
Wang was on crutches on the sideline as Penn suffered a blowout loss that put any chances of the team contending for an at-large bid on ice (literally). He missed just one game in the immediate aftermath of the rolled ankle but was never the same after that injury.
There was no immediate word on Slajchert’s status postgame, but the star guard had a walking boot on his left foot.
One can only hope that Slajchert is healthy for Penn’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day game against Cornell. If the Quakers can’t beat Dartmouth in its absence, they’re in big, big trouble.
The freshmen battled.
Brown hit two three-pointers early in the first half, both from NBA range.
Perkins was Penn’s only double-figure scorer — he finished with 10 points — and had a nice burst early in the second half that cut the Quakers’ deficit to 16.
If Slajchert is out for an extended period, both of those young men will be counted on to step up big-time.
Houston looks like a real threat to win it all.
That’s a “well, duh” statement, considering the Cougars’ gaudy efficiency metrics.
They certainly passed the eye test on Saturday.
Houston was relentless on the glass, even in garbage time. By game’s end, the Cougars had tallied 19 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Penn by a 42-28 margin.
The Cougars’ pressure also generated 22 Penn turnovers.
Expect Houston to have a No. 1 seed attached to its name when March rolls around.
Definitely worried about Clark’s impending absence. I don’t want a bunch of games like the Duke blowout you mentioned. My friend watched that game in an Outback Steakhouse and he’s never been the same.