Showtime, Ivy Style

My roommates are the skeptical sort who have developed, over the past two-and-a-half years, a healthy disrespect for Ivy League men's basketball. Accustomed by years of sports watching to wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am NBA dunks and other SportsCenter highlights, they scoff at the idea of serious competition in the Ancient Eight

But even Brian and Vasu trekked out to Briggs Cage on Friday night to watch Harvard take on Penn. They and 2,689 other fans wanted a show from the Quakers, who are finally gaining national respect after consecutive 14-0 seasons in Ivy League play and nonconference wins this year over Michigan, St. John's and Ohio State.

On Friday night, at least, Brian and Vasu were not disappointed.

Operating at cruise control for most of the contest against Harvard, Penn nonetheless dominated the Crimson. Star guards Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney scored 12 and 13 points, respectively, and, more importantly, controlled the game whenever they wanted.

Allen and Maloney were supported by a tough front line featuring Eric Moore, Shawn Trice and Scott Kegler and two solid reserves in guard Ira Bowman, a new transfer from Providence, and forward Tim Krug.

"Tonight we got to see what a hardened championship team looks like," Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan said. "They're clearly better than last year. They're at a new level. As much film as we watch, we still didn't gain an appreciation for what they could do until we saw them live."

What did Sullivan, his players, and Brian and Vasu see? Answer: An unselfish, focused and confident Penn team.

First set of facts: The Quakers' assist-to-turnover ratio against Harvard was an impressive 26-to-12. No player took more than 14 shots. Five players scored in double figures.

The best player on the court, Allen, spent most of the night setting up his teammates. When Harvard got within nine toward the end of the first half, though, Allen sighed and promptly slammed in an alley-oop pass from Maloney.

Second set of facts: In postgame interviews, the Quakers weren't giddy with excitement, even though they had just tied a record with 30 consecutive League wins. (They broke the record the next night against Dartmouth). They seemed hungry for more. This team isn't satisfied with mere League triumphs.

"This group is pretty focused, for the most part," Penn Coach Fran Dunphy said. "It's a veteran group, and we [the coaches] can kinda pull back a little bit and let them do their thing."

"We practiced hard all week," Allen said, "and we knew we were ready [for the start of the Ivy League season]. Winning the League and going to the NCAA tournament is the most important thing for us."

Third set of facts: This team has the experience and confidence to give UMass a serious battle this Saturday.

The Quakers played the Minutemen two years ago in the NCAA Tournament and barely lost, 54-50. Granted, Lou Roe has gotten better since then, and the Minutemen have added big man Marcus Camby inside, but the Quakers have also upgraded their talent.

Finally, don't forget this: Penn will benefit from having played taller teams like Michigan, St. John's and Colgate on the road earlier this season.

"I think we have a great chance," said Maloney. "If we play our game, we could definitely win."

Brian and Vasu remain doubtful of the Quakers' chances against UMass, and granted, beating the top-ranked team in the country will be difficult.

But for Ivy League basketball fans starved for a legitimate national-caliber team, Penn is it. The Quakers are for real. They showed it on Friday night against Harvard, and they should show it more as the season progresses.