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2016-17 Preview: Penn Primer

10/14/2016, 9:00am EDT
By Josh Verlin & Jeff Griffith

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Jeff Griffith (@Jeff_Griffith21)

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(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2016-17 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 11. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season, click here.)

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2016-17 Penn Quakers Primer
Coach: Steve Donahue, 2nd season (11-17, .393)
Last Year: 11-17 overall, 5-9 Ivy League

The first season of the Donahue era went about as well as was expected: a rather-young Quakers squad still won more games than in any of the three previous seasons, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t a team that was quite ready to compete in the upper half of the Ivy league like all the great Penn teams of yore. There were certainly positive signs, including a 5-2 February that brought the record to 11-13 (5-5 Ivy), but a tough four-game stretch to end the year (vs. Columbia, @ Dartmouth, @ Harvard, @ Princeton) resulted in four losses.

Work that Donahue did on the recruiting trail shortly after taking the job last spring will pay off this year, as the first class that he can rightfully call his -- most of the 2015 class was recruited primarily by prior head coach Jerome Allen -- is one that should make an impact right away. And with the Ivy League’s first-ever postseason tournament, a four-team affair, taking place at the Palestra in March, there’s a lot of incentive for the Quakers to finish in the top half of the league and get a chance to play two home games for their first NCAA berth since 2007. With two key transfers and one particularly talented freshmen ready to impress, this team certainly has the potential to finish in the top four of the Ancient Eight and find itself two wins from dancing in March.


Darien Nelson-Henry graduates after a Penn career in which he scored 1,054 points and grabbed 608 rebounds. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Key Losses: C Darien Nelson-Henry (12.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg), PG Jamal Lewis (2.6 ppg)

Penn’s losses, although there are just two, are certainly significant, especially in the case of Nelson-Henry, who was a force down low for the Quakers. Particularly in his senior season, after three years of impressive development, Nelson-Henry turned into a major low post threat. The Quakers should have the ability to make up for Nelson-Henry’s void in the paint, with the likes of 6-foot-8 junior Max Rothschild and 6-foot-8 senior Dylan Jones, but neither rivals the bulky frame that Nelson-Henry used to dominate down low.

Lewis, who came out of a storied DMV-area program in Sidwell Friends (D.C.), didn't have quite the on-court impact as his classmate, due partially to a severe illness between his sophomore and junior seasons that cost him the latter and limited him to fewer than 10 mpg as a senior; however, his story served as an inspirational one for his teammates.

Also departing from last year's roster was Mike Auger, who played in 15 contests as a sophomore, averaging 2.8 ppg and 1.9 rpg in just over 7 minutes per game.

New Faces: SG Ryan Betley (Fr./Downingtown West, Pa.), PF A.J. Brodeur (Fr./Northfield Mt. Hermon, Mass.), PG Devon Goodman (Fr./Germantown Academy, Pa.), SG Ray Jerome (Fr./Cheshire Ac., Conn.), F Zack Kaminsky (Fr./Pace Academy, Ga.), G/F Matt MacDonald (RS-Jr./Fairleigh Dickinson/Canisius HS, N.Y.), F Jakub Mijakowski (Fr./Mountain Mission School, Va.), G Caleb Wood (Jr./Lassen CC/Galena HS, Nev.)

Donahue didn’t have much of a say in Penn’s 2015 freshman class, so this is really the first group that he’s had a chance to begin to shape the roster exactly the way he wants it, and it’s clear he didn’t shy away from the challenge. That’s (count ‘em) eight newcomers to the Penn roster, with not surprisingly a lot of versatility amongst the pieces; what’s far from determined is what kind of impact each will be able to have on the program over the next 2-4 years.

Including amongst the group are two players who are instantly amongst the more well-seasoned players on the roster. MacDonald, a 6-5 wing, played an average of 29.9 minutes in 60 games during two seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson, averaging 8.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg while shooting 38.8 percent overall and 33.8 percent from 3-point range; a versatile swingman, he can play anything from the ‘1’ to the ‘4’ in Penn’s offensive scheme. Wood, a 6-3 guard originally from Reno, Nev., had only NAIA/D-III looks coming out of high school but saw plenty of D-I interest after averaging 23.2 ppg while shooting 49.1 percent from the 3-point arc as a sophomore at Lassen (Ca.) Community College.

Of the six true freshmen, the best of the group are the two post-grad products; Brodeur, at 6-8 and 225, is a super-skilled big man with a high motor who will be an impact player from Day 1 at the Division I level. Jerome, a physical 6-2 wing, can play any of three perimeter positions and has a confident outside shot already. Aside from those two it's unclear how much the rest of the group will have an immediate impact, though it's got plenty of talented players.

There are two local products; Goodman, a speedy 5-11 point guard who had a terrific senior year at Germantown Academy, while Betley, a lanky 6-4 shooting guard, has a well-rounded offensive game but might need time to adjust to the physicality of college basketball. Finally there's Kaminsky, a strong-bodied 6-7 forward from Georgia, plus Mijakowski, a 6-7 wing forward originally from Poland.


Matt Howard (above) is one of two versatile wings that Steve Donahue is likely to start. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Starting Frontcourt: SF Matt MacDonald (DNP), SF Matt Howard (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), PF A.J. Brodeur (DNP)

This is a rather loose use of the term “frontcourt,” as MacDonald and Howard are both perimeter-based wings, but they’re both going to be shifting into the ‘4’ role rather often, and expect both to do a lot of the dirty things expected of most team’s forwards. So for the purposes of this preview, we’ll lump them in with Brodeur, the talented freshman who might already be the best big man on the roster -- and certainly has the highest ceiling of any of them.

Howard was the only player to start all 28 games a year ago, giving him 52 career starts (in 73 games played) heading into his senior year. He’s made big strides in his production each of his first three years on campus -- from 2.1 ppg as a freshman to 8.4 and then 12.3, making similar gains in rebounding as well. A physical wing, he's much more efficient in transition and taking advantage of mis-match opportunities; at only 28.4 percent from 3-point range last year (33-of-116), that's the only real weakness in his game.

All-in-all it's a group designed for mismatches, with MacDonald and Howard both capable of creating off the bounce if placed against bigger forwards, though they're both comfortable if they need to crash the glass and play some post defense to support Brodeur. And if really needed, there's plenty of size off the bench.

Starting Backcourt: PG Caleb Wood (DNP), SG Jackson Donahue (9.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg)

Early reports out of Penn practices have been extremely high on Wood, who does one thing well that Penn desperately needs -- hit 3-pointers at a high clip. He’s also extremely crafty with the ball as a drive-and-dish point guard, and so it’s very possible he takes the starting point guard job right away.

Donahue, a 6-0 sophomore, had an interesting freshman season. Another Northfield Mt. Hermon product -- one of three on the roster, along with Brodeur and classmate Collin McManus -- the 3-point specialist had a rather slow start to his freshman year, averaging only a little more than six minutes per game in the first 11 games, including two DNPs. But he was suddenly moved into the starting lineup for the game against Villanova on Dec. 28, and dropped 28 points on 5-of-12 3-point shooting -- a little more than a week after he went scoreless against D-III Ursinus. That kicked off a run where he scored double figures in 13 of the team’s final 17 games, averaging 13.8 ppg over that span; he’ll be more of a defensive focal point for opponents now, but his range and effectiveness in Penn’s offense are undeniable.


Sam Jones (above) is a 6-7 sharpshooter who knocked down 58 3-pointers last year. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Bench: PG Darnell Foreman (4.6 ppg, 2.2 apg), SF Sam Jones (8.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg), F/C Max Rothschild (5.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg), PG Jake Silpe (5.0 ppg, 4.5 apg)

The Quakers’ roster goes 19 deep, so I’m not going to list 14 players here, because not all of them are going to see more than a few minutes here and there.

In terms of the returning veterans, the above four all look like they'll have solid roles in this year's program. Silpe, a sophomore from Cherry Hill East, will be the first guard option off the bench and is fully capable of starting if Wood struggles at any point; Foreman who's played around 20 mpg each of his two years, will get time for his defensive work and his ability to limit mistakes.

Jones, a 6-7 sharpshooter, was also in the starting lineup often last year, but the 3-point specialist, who made 58 triples a year ago, is too one-dimensional to beat out MacDonald or Howard for a spot in the lineup, and his 33.1 percent clip from beyond the arc isn't going to cut it for another year.

Rothschild, a versatile 6-8 forward from Chicago, had all three of his double-digit scoring performances last year in the second half of the season, going for 18 points twice; he's the team's best option to step up alongside Brodeur as a consistent post scoring threat. Junior Dan Dwyer (6-9) and sophomore Collin McManus (6-11), who both saw spare minutes last year, will also fill in as needed off the bench.

As for the freshmen: if Jerome -- another player with an extra year of prep school experience -- can knock down shots, he’ll carve out a role as well. Goodman could get some time at point guard as a change-of-pace guard with his quickness, but he’ll have to prove he can take care of the ball reliably to take minutes away from Wood, Silpe and Foreman.

Three Games to Watch
1. @ Miami (Nov. 19, TBD): When the Quakers visit south Florida in the second weekend of their season, the Hurricanes will serve as the first test of the season for a Penn team with high aspirations. Miami, which reached the sweet sixteen last season, features an Neumann-Goretti alum in sophomore guard Ja’Quan Newton. The Hurricanes’ last experience with a Philadelphia team was not a fun one, as they became the third victim of Villanova’s national title run, but prior to the loss to the Wildcats, Miami’s experience with the Big Five was a 95-49 drubbing of La Salle at the Palestra. Who knows, Penn could certainly play spoiler and pull off an outstanding early-season upset, but if nothing else, this matchup will provide experience against the type of team Penn would play if it could win the Ivy League title and reach the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

2. vs. Yale (Jan. 13, TBD): Penn’s matchup with the defending Ivy League champions should provide a great picture of the league scope early on, with Penn and Yale being two of the conference’s top teams. Coming off of a trip to the NCAA Tournament second round and a first round upset of 5-seed Baylor, the Bulldogs are arguably the favorite to win the league, and bring back the hero of their tournament run, junior guard Makhi Mason. This game serves as the conference home opener, after the Quakers take on Princeton on the road, so those two games should provide a clear picture on what Penn can accomplish in its Ivy League slate.

3. vs. Princeton (Feb 7, TBD): There’s no denying the importance of a Penn-Princeton matchup, but this season’s will be even bigger than the last several years’ as both the Quakers and Tigers should be in contention for the league playoff. Princeton, which made it to the first round of last year’s NIT, has seven seniors on its roster, and will be looking to improve on its 2015-16 campaign with a trip to the NCAA tournament. With Penn certainly on track for the same goal, this late-season matchup should add a lot of intrigue to an always exciting rivalry showdown.

Three Keys to Success
1. 3-point improvement.
Donahue’s system puts a strong emphasis on the 3-point shot, so it’s no surprise that Penn jumped from taking around 32 percent of its shots from long-range under Jerome Allen in 2014-15 to just over 40 percent of its attempts last year. But it was a rough year of jump shooting for the Quakers, whose 30.5 percent success rate was 317nd in the country; only Donahue, at 37.8 percent, made more than one-third of his long-range shots. Howard (33-116, 28.4 percent), Jones (58-175, 33.1 percent) and Silpe (15-48, 31.3 percent) took a combined 300 3-pointers last year, and those shots need to come from more reliable sources this year -- even if it’s those same players, at a higher clip -- for the Quakers’ offensive efficiency to improve.

2. Transfer impact. If it weren’t for the arrivals of MacDonald and Wood, this would have been an extremely young Penn roster. There’s only two seniors on the roster (Howard & Jones), and with 11 freshmen and sophomores in the program, Donahue needed some help in the leadership and experience columns. He’s got that in two players that have played several thousand college minutes already, and both are now four years out of high school, giving them the maturity to see the bigger picture and the work ethic to set an example. But they’re both also talented on the court, and both can help bring stability and production to the rotation as well as the locker room. If both have impressive seasons, expect Penn to be in that four-team Ivy League playoff come March.

3. A.J. Brodeur. Yes, this is a lot of pressure to put on one player, especially a freshman. But Brodeur was the biggest recruiting coup for Donahue and staff in 2016, and for good reason. He’s already got the body and game to be a very successful player in the Ivy League, with his pick-and-pop ability and never-ending motor, and he comes from a Northfield Mt. Hermon program that has produced plenty of successful Ivy players. He’s the only true forward on the roster with the ability to consistently hit from beyond the 3-point arc, but he can also start at the ‘5’ and bang down low with the upperclassmen in the league right away. He might not be the dominant interior force that Nelson-Henry was, but his upside is far higher, and could be the biggest mismatch in the entire league before long.


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