Alex Massung

Quakeaways from Penn men’s basketball’s 70-69 loss at Rutgers

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PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Penn’s first game against Rutgers in 50 years should have been a statement win.

It wound up becoming a collapse right up there with the worst losses of the Steve Donahue era.

Plagued by a toxic combination of fouls, turnovers, mental mistakes and poor free throw shooting, the Quakers frittered away the 66-59 lead they held with 2:24 to play against the Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena Saturday night.

The coup de grâce in a 70-69 loss came when junior forward TJ Power missed two free throws with eight seconds left that would have effectively iced the game. After the second miss, Rutgers (6-6) guard Tariq Francis capped off a career-high 34-point evening by draining a pull-up game-winning three-pointer with 0.9 seconds to play over a good contest from freshman guard Jay Jones.

For Penn (6-5), the only saving grace about the loss is that it occurred in nonconference play and means nothing for the team’s Ivy and postseason ambitions. It’s better for this young team to learn a harsh lesson like this now when it can still be used as a learning experience.

So, about that learning experience. What did fans learn on Saturday night?

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Quakeaways from Penn men’s basketball’s first McCaffery-era loss at American

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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?

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Q&A with Penn men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery, part two

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Fran McCaffery speaks at his introductory press conference at the Palestra on April 7, 2025. (Penn Sports Network)
With the NCAA men’s basketball season tipping off Monday and Penn’s season opener coming a few days later, Ivy Hoops Online caught up with new Quakers head coach Fran McCaffery for an extensive Q&A about his coaching philosophy, players and the state of the sport. 
Both questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length. Check out part one of the conversation here. 

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Q&A with Penn men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery, part one

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Fran McCaffery speaks at his introductory press conference at the Palestra on April 7, 2025. (Penn Sports Network)


With the NCAA men’s basketball season tipping off Monday and Penn’s season opener coming a few days later, Ivy Hoops Online caught up with new Quakers head coach Fran McCaffery for an extensive Q&A about his coaching philosophy, players and the state of the sport.

Both questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length. Check out part two of the conversation here.  

Read more