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By Mike Mahoney, University of Pennsylvania
Tim Begley (13.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.8 apg) graduated after last season as the captain and undisputed leader of last year’s Quaker squad. He led Penn to the 2004-05 Ivy crown 
with a 13-1 record and was rewarded with the Ivy League Player of the Year honors and a unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection.
Penn’s other four starters return, however, which should make the transition to the post-Begley era a little smoother.
Ibrahim Jaaber leads the way in the backcourt. Last year the 6-foot-2 junior was the only other player besides Begley to start every game, and he set Penn and Ivy 
League records for steals in a season with 85. In addition, Jaaber averaged 11.5 points per game and dished out 80 assists — both good for second on the team — and added 4.6 rebounds per contest to earn second-team All-Ivy honors.
Eric Osmundson is the captain of this year’s Penn squad and returns with solid numbers to complement Jaaber. “Oz” averaged 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, and handed out 51 assists.
Also in the backcourt, David Whitehurst had a strong freshman campaign in 2004-05, starting five of the final six games, and will be a key reserve following the losses of Penn’s top two men off the bench last season, forwards Jan Fikiel and Ryan Pettinella. Whitehurst averaged nearly 12 minutes per game, and figures to become more of a threat at both ends in 2005-06.
Up front, juniors Mark Zoller and Steve Danley are the mainstays. Both were regular starters last season, earning honorable mention All-Ivy, and figure to
be there again when the season starts on Nov. 21.
The 6-foot-7 Zoller led the Quakers with 6.4 rebounds per game in 2004-05, and also 
scored 9.5 points per game and came up with 30 assists and 22 steals. He shot 57.3 percent from the field in Ivy League games last year, among the League leaders, and 51.2 percent overall.
Danley, 6-8, averaged 9.2 points and 5.0 boards per game last season, starting all but one game (he came off the bench for a senior on Senior Night). Danley also led the Quakers with 24 blocked shots, and added 49 assists and 26 steals.
Senior Friedrich Ebede played in 23 contests last season, and should see more time as he has progressed during his last three seasons.
Expect some of this year’s freshman class to contribute minutes and numbers to the Quaker lineup. The newcomers include Adam Franklin, a transfer from North Carolina who played on the Tar Heels’ junior varsity squad, as well as freshmen Aron Cohen, Kevin Egee, Cameron Lewis, Tommy McMahon and Brennan Votel.
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