Playing against a Division I opponent for the first time this season, Penn showed some signs of progress and a few trouble spots in an 84-78 loss on the road Sunday against American, the defending Patriot League champion.
The Quakers (1-1) battled all the way back from a 13-point deficit to take the lead a few times in the second half, climbing ahead for the final time when senior wing Michael Zanoni drained an open three in transition to give Penn a 67-66 advantage.
American (1-1) responded immediately on the next possession with a wide-open three from freshman Madden Collins off some nice passing and never looked back; Collins finished with a game-high 25 points.
However, the game was arguably lost long before then. The Quakers dug themselves a deep hole in the first half with a long stretch of live ball turnovers and offensive discombobulation, which gave themselves little margin for error the rest of the way.
Penn will face a much stiffer test on Tuesday at Providence, which should be a contender for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Quakers will likely be 20-point-plus Vegas underdogs against the Friars.
What did Penn fans learn from a tough afternoon?
The point guard position is unsettled.
It wouldn’t shock me if Cam Thrower got a shot at starting on Tuesday, after he came off the bench to score 16 points in 31 minutes.
Thrower had some good moments in his first real extended game action in more than a full season, including a nifty backdoor cut to the rim for an easy layup which gave the Quakers a second-half lead. However, he did finish with four turnovers, including a 10-second violation when the Quakers had the ball down one point.
Current starter AJ Levine had a really rough day at the office against the Eagles. He played just five minutes in the contest and got yanked after a brutal stretch in the first minute of the second half in which he committed a foul, traveled, gave up a basket, and then air-mailed a pass into the stands.
Levine’s athleticism and on-ball defensive skills make him an asset, but the coaching staff couldn’t trust him in the game on Sunday.
Freshman Jay Jones got just four minutes of action, while Alex Massung did not appear and Dylan Williams was sidelined for the second consecutive game with an injury.
Someone needs to emerge out of that group by the time Ivy play rolls around.
The wings are plus factors.
Zanoni’s junior season was derailed by a bout with mononucleosis, but he had shown some signs of becoming a real contributor before he fell ill. On Sunday, Zanoni finished with a team-high 20 points as he moved excellently away from the ball to set himself up for easy catch-and-shoot opportunities.
If Zanoni can consistently space the floor and shoot well, he’ll have Penn’s offense operating exactly the way Fran McCaffery wants.
Lucas Lueth finished with a KenPom offensive rating of 57 points per 100 possessions, but he added an athletic dimension Penn has been sorely lacking in recent years. The 6-foot-7 juco transfer logged two vicious blocks and added a highlight-reel-worthy dunk with a one-handed power jam that pulled Penn within two points of American midway through the second half.
When you add those two players with TJ Power and Ethan Roberts, you can see how the Quakers can create matchup problems for opponents at both the “three” and the “four.”
A loss like Sunday’s shouldn’t be a shock.
It was easy to react breathlessly to how Penn lit up the floor against a Division III opponent on Friday, so Sunday served as a reminder that this is a team which is very much a work in progress.
There were moments on Sunday in which the Quakers might have played too fast, whether that be through drives into traffic or rushed passes. Those kinds of issues will work themselves out in time as the team settles in and McCaffery establishes a rotation.
Power is also still getting back on track after a long layoff. He finished with 10 points on Sunday and got to pretty much wherever he wanted on the floor whenever he wanted. It was nice to see Power drain two threes on three attempts, but there was one moment early in the game when he air-balled a free throw which made me worry about him physically.
This team will likely look a lot different once Power is all the way back and a player seizes the point guard opportunity.
Alright, time for a classic Quakeaways on the Quakeaways:
1. Don’t tell me not to be surprised
I was surprised they lost because this team was on pace to go undefeated. Anyone saying more losses like this should be expected doesn’t have high enough expectations for this team (1-loss regular season and NCAA championship or bust). I am disappointed in my comrade, sir Ian.
2. AJ Levine? More like AJ Lebenched
I really shoulda had a better pun ready. I didn’t. That’s my bad. But he screams bench guard as Fran adds more dudes in recruiting/college free agency in the next year or two.
3. Encouraging second half
That first half was ROUGH, but to see this team fight and put up something more than a fake comeback, not lay down and suffer a 20-point defeat, is nice. I’ll take it for game No. 2.