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'Special' Big 5 doubleheader at the Palestra feels rather ordinary

12/01/2022, 10:00am EST
By Owen McCue

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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Four local Division I basketball rivals met up at the place dubbed ‘The Cathedral of College’ Basketball’ on Wednesday night.

The city of Philadelphia was treated to a Big 5 doubleheader for the first time in six years and just the third time this century (2004, 2016, 2022). 

Those looking for a revival of the past came away disappointed. The teams were the same, the venue as well but the atmosphere didn’t even compare to the one six years ago when Temple, La Salle, St. Joe’s and Penn last met up for a double header at the Palestra.

“It’s always special to me,” La Salle coach Fran Dunphy said. “Whether all the corners were filled or they’re not. I don’t think they were filled tonight, but it’s fun to be here. It’s a great atmosphere. There’s nothing quite like it. And the competition, You live for that and you want your guys to live for that too. You want to get them understanding how special this place is and how special playing in the city of Philadelphia is as a college basketball player.”

Penn and St. Joe's play in the second game of Wednesday's Big 5 doubleheader at the Palestra. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

The area scribes and historians pump out storylines about the city’s rich rivalry annually and how much it means. The programs’ players and coaches affirm its importance to them. Those who grew up college basketball fans in the city love to romanticize their favorite memories from over the years.

A look around the makeup of those sitting in the stands on Wednesday night suggests there might be some link missing to pass down that appreciation to the next generation.

None of the four sides had an impactful student presence. La Salle appeared to have some college-aged kids sitting behind one of the baskets, though there was very little yellow. Temple had even less evidence of a student section in the night’s opener.  The Hawks had seven or eight students cheering under their basket for the night cap. Penn had its band and maybe about 40, a handful of them getting out of their seats to cheer on their team.

Missing with those student section were some of traditions Big 5 fans have come accustomed to over the years like the first-point streamers and the technical fouls that come with them as the court is cleared off. (One sad, unrolled red streamer did make an appearance on the court at the conclusion of Penn’s defeat)

The Penn band had its go at the usual Big 5 rollouts, taunting the St. Joe’s Hawk with a sign that said, ‘STOP FLAPPING, START PLAYING’ — instructions the Hawk read and ignored.

There’s plenty to point at for what might have dampened the off-the-court experience. 

The Penn band holds up on of its rollouts during Wednesday's Big 5 doubleheader against St. Joe's at the Palestra. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Penn was the only squad to sport a winning record entering the doubleheader. Maybe some tradition was lost with the limited spectating during the past two seasons, students unable to pass down the importance of this type of event to the next generation.

Some suggested a weekend may have made it easier to attend. There was an announced attendance of 8,030 announced at the last Big 5 doubleheader on Jan. 16, 2016 for the Big 5’s 60th anniversary. Compare that to 3,246 on Wednesday night.

Could/should the university’s make a better effort to fill the venue with the student bodies that are supposed to make an event like that special? Yes. 

“I think since I’ve played the landscape of college basketball has uniquely changed,” Temple coach Aaron McKie said. “I think we have a unique brand here with our Big 5, City 6. It was just good to play here, be a part of a doubleheader. I’m sure the more that we do it, the more eyes that we’ll have on it. 

“I’m new to all this. We’ve gotten away from it and for good reason for schools. Everything that we do, it boils down to finances. We got away from it. I thought the energy was good. It was exciting and my guys got a chance to play here at the Palestra, a historic place.”

The city has four men’s coaches who all have an appreciation for the Big 5. Lange, from South Jersey, and Donahue, from Delco, grew up familiar with the tradition. 

Along with growing up in the area, McKie and Dunphy both played in the annual round robin tournament before spending time on the sidelines.

There’s an intent to have that trickle down to their players too.

La Salle fans cheer an Explorers basket during Wednesday's Big 5 game against Temple at the Palestra. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Dunphy, who previously played at La Salle and coached at Penn and Temple, found a spot in one of the corner to watch the second game. His players stayed to watch the first half of the nightcap as well.

St. Joe’s sophomore guard Erik Reynolds talked about touring the Palestra during his recruitment and getting a history lesson on the Big 5 when he got to campus.

“Just hearing Coach McKie and the rest of the coaches talk about how much it means to them, I just feel like we took that personally and kind of want go out there and win as many Big 5 games as we can,” Temple redshirt-sophomore Damian Dunn said.

“It was fun seeing everybody out there and just the atmosphere, seeing everybody come out and show support, even if they're La Salle fans, it’s really just fun to see everyone out there having fun,” said St. Joe’s sophomore Lynn Greer, whose father took part in the rivalry for Temple.

Events like Wednesday night’s are supposed to be special. Where else can you find four local schools squaring off in the same venue on the same night? Nowhere.

The on-court product entertained on Wednesday. Temple and La Salle went back-and-forth before the Owls ran away in the final 10 minutes for a 67-51 win. It was the opposite story in the second game as Penn looked ready to run away with things before St. Joe’s rallied for an 85-80 comeback overtime victory.

Temple forward Nick Jourdain shoots a free throw against La Salle on Wednesday during a Big 5 game at the Palestra. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

The lasting feelings, however, were underwhelming, stale, normal. Just a few thousand people to see two college basketball games. That shouldn’t be the case and can’t be the case. 

There are financial hurdles and others that come along with today’s ‘uniquely changed college basketball landscape,’ as McKie described. But the uniqueness of the city’s hoops landscape and events like Wednesday night that come with it are important for its programs’ ability to thrive.

“Whatever is fair is fair,” Lange said. “I think it is definitely a responsibility right now of all the institutions associated with the Big 5 to figure out a way to continue to make this relevant. I’m 50 years old, so when I grew up here, the Big 5 was the fifth professional sport. …

“I think it’s a waste of our energy to just continue to talk about that era. I think the energy has to say, ‘Ok things have changed.’ You’ve got teams that play 20 games, 18 games, teams that are in MTEs. Teams that are in challenges. You’ve gotta buy games and play them at home for your own home arena and your own budget, but how do we keep this relevant? 

“We’ve gotta figure out a way to do that and I don’t think we can keep going at the rate that it’s going. I think we have to get really creative and I think we can do it. … This is too big time for these guys to miss out on, so we gotta make sure to keep it going.”


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