Quakeaways from Penn men’s basketball’s 95-71 loss at Princeton

For the second straight year, one of the worst seasons in Penn basketball history came to an end with a humiliation at the hands of Princeton.

 

The Quakers came out sluggish and were never seriously competitive with the Tigers in a 95-71 drubbing at Jadwin Gymnasium. Penn (8-19, 4-10 Ivy) has now finished seventh in the Ivy League for a second straight season, while Princeton (19-10, 8-6) clinched a trip to the Ivy League Tournament with the easy win.

 

Penn has now lost 13 consecutive games to Princeton. The all-time series is tied at 126-126, the first time the all-time ledger has been even since the Roosevelt administration … the Theodore Roosevelt administration, that is.

 

For one last kick in the behind, the Tigers’ Xaivian Lee racked up a 23-point triple-double.

 

If you’re a masochist, read on.

Penn was once again totally outmatched on the defensive end of the floor.

The Quakers struggled to defend any of Princeton’s actions and, much like last week’s Cornell game, left shooters wide open for threes repeatedly.

 

Princeton hit 18 three-pointers on 33 attempts; Tigers guard Blake Peters hit seven of those triples and finished with a career-high 25 points.

 

Penn just isn’t physically equipped to compete with top-end Ivy teams defensively. Per KenPom, the Quakers allowed Princeton to put up 1.4 points per possession.

 

Sam Brown probably sealed an All-Ivy nod.

 

Brown didn’t have his most efficient game of the season (he recorded a KenPom adjusted offensive rating of 99 points per 100 possessions), but his counting stats on Saturday were strong.

 

The sophomore guard put up 19 points on 16 shots and hit two threes, one of which came from Steph Curry range. 

 

Brown’s league play efficiency metrics are gaudy: Per KenPom, he finished top-five in the Ivy League in offensive rating, free throw percentage and three-point percentage. He scored at least 12 points in every Ivy game.

 

If the Quakers can keep Brown in the building, they’ll have an Ivy Player of the Year favorite on the roster when next season rolls around.

 

If Penn is going to move on from Steve Donahue, it needs to do it quickly.

 

Pseudonymous college basketball insider Trilly Donovan reported pregame that Columbia coach Jim Engles will step down. 

 

It would be a shock if Columbia didn’t at least interview NYU head coach Dave Klatsky, a Penn alum who led the Violets to a near-perfect record in Division III. Klatsky should be a top priority for Penn, too.

 

Penn may have alma mater ties to Klatsky, but the talented young coach won’t have to relocate his family if he takes the Columbia job.

Getting outmaneuvered by the Lions for its preferred coaching candidate would be the ultimate humiliation for Penn.