City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Friday afternoon press releases are always intriguing.

It's when institutions tend to send out news that they're hoping gets ignored as the week ends, shuffled under during the weekend and largely forgotten about by Monday.

The one that Penn athletics sent out yesterday at 4:30 certainly fit that bill, announcing that senior guard, team captain and the leading scorer in each of the two years, Tony Hicks, would not be playing his senior year at Penn.

Instead, the 6-foot-2 guard from Chicago will stay at the school and graduate in May, where he will, according to his own words in that press release, "take my next step as a basketball player next year."

It was a move that caught everybody by surprise, coming just two weeks before the Division I regular season begins; Penn opens on Nov. 13 at home against Robert Morris.

Several sources close to the program indicated they also were caught off-guard by the decision, which came six days after Hicks had a solid outing in Penn's public Red & Blue scrimmage.

It's unclear exactly what Hicks' reasoning is for making the move; his statement in the press release was vague.

"After speaking with coach (Steve) Donahue about the best situation for Penn basketball and myself, I have decided the best decision for me will be to take a break from basketball," he said, adding "this is a personal decision, and I wrestled long and hard with it because I have thoroughly enjoyed playing for Penn the last three years and wearing the Red and the Blue."

As of this writing, Hicks had not responded to a request for further comment on the matter.

All indications are that the decision was indeed made by Hicks, and one source close to the program added that all were on "good terms."

Reading between the lines, the most likely explanation is that Hicks felt he wasn't going to get the time or opportunities he wanted under Donahue, who's in his first year as head coach of the Quakers. Donahue's changing styles from predecessor Jerome Allen, introducing a more 3-point focused attack that also features heavy involvement from the forwards.

So with one year of eligibility left, Hicks can sit the season out, stay in shape, and take advantage of the NCAA's graduate transfer rule next year to play his final year of eligibility at a program he feels is best for his skillset and abilities and one that would utilize him in a true starring role.

Donahue's system is about selflessness and getting a good shot. Hicks' game, while not exactly selfish, involves a certain amount of flash and creativity, a willingness to take (and make) shots that his coach wouldn't prefer he take.

It's certainly not the news that Donahue wanted two weeks out, but any coach will tell you they don't want to coach someone who doesn't truly want to be there. Hicks might be looking out for himself in this decision, but considering this wasn't a team with high expectations to begin with (the Quakers were picked sixth in the league's preseason poll), it gives the coaching staff the ability to focus on the future.

And it's a bright future.

From an on-court perspective, Hicks' departure almost assuredly opens up a starting spot for freshman point guard Jake Silpe, a Cherry Hill East alum who shined in last week's scrimmage. The two-time South Jersey Player of the Year has had high expectations placed upon him, and now he'll have an opportunity to step right in and play big minutes from the get-go.

Where Penn will miss Hicks' presence the most is in late shot-clock situations; though Hicks wasn't always the most efficient scorer, shooting 40 percent overall last season, he was the Quakers' best shot-creator who could bail them out when they needed a bucket.

As a point guard, Silpe's insertion into the starting lineup would likely mean moving sophomore guard Antonio Woods off the ball into Hicks' spot, while Matt Howard and Sam Jones stay at the '3' and '4' positions in Donahue's four-out offense. Woods had a solid freshman year, averaging 8.4 ppg and 3.8 apg, but it remains to be seen whether he's ready to be a leading scorer at this level.

Silpe and fellow freshman Jackson Donahue, a sharpshooting guard from Northfield Mt. Hermon (Mass.), will certainly see more minutes this year. As will sophomore Darnell Foreman, another point guard and South Jersey native whose best asset is his defensive ability.

Ultimately, the loss of Hicks is going to hurt Penn this season, especially early on as the various underclassmen adjust to new roles and responsibilities in a non-conference schedule that includes the always-challenging Big 5 slate as well as trips to Washington, George Mason and Lafayette.

But it gives Donahue an opportunity to get his talented youngsters serious minutes right away, and if the former Cornell and Boston College coach is going to lead Penn back to its first NCAA Tournament since 2007 it'll be on the backs of those who are just entering college or not yet there.

On a Penn program that already had plenty of intriguing storylines to follow this season and beyond, Hicks' departure only adds another angle to track.