The Penn Quakers men's basketball team is the
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
program representing the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
. As the
twentieth-winningest men's basketball program of all-time, the team from Penn had its greatest success from 1966 to 2007, a period of over 40 years. Penn plays in the
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...
in
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
.
On March 20, 1897, Penn and Yale played in the first basketball game with five players on a team. Prior to the formation of the Ivy League in 1956 Penn was a member of the
Eastern Intercollegiate League (EIL) from 1903 through 1955. Penn won 13 EIL Regular Season Championships – 1906, 1908, 1916, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1945, 1953. Penn was retroactively recognized as the pre-
NCAA tournament national champion for the 1919–20 and 1920–21 seasons by the
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his ownership ...
and for the 1919–20 season by the
Premo-Porretta Power Poll
The Premo-Porretta Power Poll is a retroactive end-of-year ranking for American college basketball teams competing in the 1895–96 through the 1947–48 seasons.
The Premo-Porretta Polls are intended to serve collectively as a source of informa ...
.
Penn has appeared in one
Final Four, in
1979. Penn and Princeton are tied for the most
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...
regular season championships with 26 each. (1966, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2018). Penn has won 21 outright championships to Princeton's 18 outright championships.
Their main Ivy League rivalry is with
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
, whom they used to always play as the last regular season game. Combining the EIL and Ivy Championships Penn leads with 39 championships; Princeton 32; Columbia 14; Yale 13; Dartmouth 12; Cornell 8; Harvard 6; and Brown 1.
One of Penn's most memorable seasons came in 1979 when the Quakers advanced to the
NCAA tournament Final Four. With players such as
Tony Price, the Quakers stunned the nation with victories over ,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, , and to advance to the Final Four. The Quakers faced
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
and
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
in the national semifinals in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, but ultimately were met with defeat, 101–67. Other notable Penn teams include the team led by guards Matt Maloney and Jerome Allen during the mid-1990s and the nationally ranked teams of the early 1970s led by Dave Wohl, Steve Bilsky, Corky Calhoun and Bob Morse. Penn's 1970–71 team completed an undefeated regular season (26–0) and advanced to the Eastern Regional Final in the NCAA Tournament, losing there to a
Villanova team it had defeated during the regular season. Villanova lost to
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
in the national championship game, but was later found to be using an ineligible player, Howard Porter.
The last NCAA Tournament victory for the Quakers came on March 17, 1994, at the
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, east of New York City. The Long Island venue is approximately east of the eastern limits of the New York City Borough of ...
in
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 ...
. The No. 11 Red and Blue defeated the No. 6
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Divis ...
, 90–80, in the
first round
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
. The Quakers fell in the second round to No. 3
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
on March 19, 1994, as the Gators prevailed, 70–58.
Rivalries
The Quakers, a member of the
Big 5 Big Five may refer to:
Animals
* the Big Five, large African wild animals said to be most difficult to hunt: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo
* Big Five animals of the Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India: Indian rhinocero ...
, have long-standing rivalries with a multitude of institutions such as
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
,
La Salle University
La Salle University () is a private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle.
History
La ...
,
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...
, and
Villanova University
Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinians in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Sa ...
. Another rival is
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
, which is a member of the
City 6
The City 6 is an informal association of college athletic programs in the Philadelphia area. It is an intra-city intramural competition, but it is also used as a colloquial term to describe all the Division-I schools in the Philadelphia area.
The ...
.
In the Ivy League the Penn-Princeton Basketball rivalry is a classic. They have met 239 times since 1903. Penn leads in the series 126 victories to Princeton's 113 victories.
History
*First Year of Basketball: 1897–98
*Overall All-Time Record: 1,771–1,092–1
*National Championships: 2, (1919–1920) and (1920–1921)
*Final Four Appearances: 1 (1979)
*Eastern Intercollegiate League Champs: 15
*Ivy League Championships: 26
*NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 24 (2018)
*NIT Appearances (Last): 1 (1981)
*Last Postseason Opponent:
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
(
NCAA tournament)
*Result: Lost 76–60 in the first round.
*
PennPrinceton Rivalry:
**Games Penn 126 – Princeton 113//First Met 1903
**Ivy League Championships since 1956 Penn 26–Princeton 26
**Outright Ivy League Championships since 1956 Penn 21-Princeton 18
*Penn vs. Ivy League Opponents (Thru 2017–18 season)
*Overall
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...
In-Conference Record: 966-489.
*Total Conference Games Played: 1455 (w/l .663)
Postseason
NCAA tournament results
The Quakers have appeared in the
NCAA tournament 24 times. Their combined record is 13–26.
NIT results
The Quakers have appeared in the
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
(NIT) one time. Their record is 0–1.
CBI results
The Quakers have appeared in the
College Basketball Invitational
The College Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a men's college basketball tournament created in 2007 by The Gazelle Group. The inaugural tournament occurred after the conclusion of the 2007–08 men's college basketball regular season. The CBI s ...
(CBI) one time. Their record is 1–1.
Coaches
Player awards
Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year
*
A. J. Brodeur
Austin James Brodeur (born October 4, 1996) is an American former basketball player. He played college basketball for the Penn Quakers and professionally in Germany, Iceland, and Belgium.
Early life and high school career
Brodeur grew up in Nort ...
(2020)
*
Zack Rosen
Zack Rosen (born March 14, 1989) is an American basketball player. Rosen, a point guard, played collegiately at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an All-American and Ivy League player of the year.
College career
Rosen is Jewish, f ...
(2012)
*
Ibrahim Jaaber (2006, 2007)
*Tim Begley (2005)
*
Ugonna Onyekwe (2002, 2003)
*
Ira Bowman (1996)
*
Matt Maloney
Matthew Patrick Maloney (born December 6, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Early years
Maloney was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, but grew up in ...
(1995)
*
Jerome Allen (1993, 1994)
*Perry Bromwell (1987)
*Paul Little (1982)
*
Tony Price (1979)
*
Keven McDonald (1978)
*
Ron Haigler
Ronald Haigler (born 1953) is an American former basketball player and current high school basketball coach. He is best known for his collegiate career at the University of Pennsylvania between 1972–73 and 1974–75. A 6'8" power forward (baske ...
(1975)
Ivy League Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year
*Jordan Dingle (2020)*
*Tyler Bernardini (2008)
*Ugonna Onyekwe (2000)
*Will McAllister (1991)
*Paul Little (1980)
*Keven McDonald (1976)
*Ron Haigler (1973)
General
*Name of School:
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
*Location (Zip): Philadelphia, Pa. (19104)
*Founded: 1740
*Enrollment: 9,900
*Nickname: Quakers
*School Colors: Red and Blue
*Arena/Capacity: The Palestra / 8,722
*Affiliation: NCAA Division I
*Conference: Ivy League
*Other Affiliation: Big 5
*President: Dr. Amy Gutmann
*Athletic Director: M. Grace Calhoun
*Athletic Department Phone: 215.898.6121
*Ticket Office Phone: 215.898.6151
Coaching staff
*Head Coach:
Steve Donahue
Steve Donahue (born May 21, 1962) is an American college basketball coach, currently the head coach of the Penn Quakers men's basketball team. He is the former head coach of Boston College and Cornell.
Background
Donahue is a native of Spring ...
*Assistant Coaches:
*Nat Graham (Penn '97)
*Joe Mihalich
*Trey Montgomery
*Director of Men's Basketball Operations: Sarah Parks
*Athletic Trainer: Phil “Sam” Samko
Team information
*2018–2019 Overall Record: 19–12
*2018–2019 Ivy League Record/Finish: 7–7/4th
*2017–2018 Overall Record: 24–8
*2017–2018 Ivy League Record/Finish: 14–2/1st
*2016–2017 Overall Record: 13–15
*2016–2017 Ivy League Record/Finish: 6–9/4th
*2015–2016 Overall Record: 11–17
*2015–2016 Ivy League Record/Finish: 5–9/5th
*2014–2015 Overall Record: 9–19
*2014–2015 Ivy League Record/Finish: 4–10/8th
*2013–2014 Overall Record: 8–20
*2013–2014 Ivy League Record/Finish: 5–9/6th
*2012–2013 Overall Record: 9–22
*2012–2013 Ivy League Record/Finish: 6–8/5th
*2011–2012 Overall Record: 20–13
*2011–2012 Ivy League Record/Finish: 11–3/2nd
*2010–2011 Overall Record: 13–15
*2011–2012 Ivy League Record/Finish: 7–7/4th
*2009–2010 Overall Record: 6–22
*2009–2010 Ivy League Record/Finish: 5–9/5th (3 way tie)
*2008–2009 Overall Record: 10–18
*2008–2009 Ivy League Record/Finish: 6–8/6th
*2007–2008 Overall Record: 13–18
*2007–2008 Ivy League Record/Finish: 8–6/3rd
*2006–2007 Ivy League Record/Finish: 13–1/1st
*2005–2006 Ivy League Record/Finish: 12–2/1st
*Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 15/0
*Starters Returning/Lost: 5/0
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{Big 5