Ivy League Basketball: 2017-18 stars on each team in the conference

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LEXINGTON, KY – MARCH 15: A fan of Pennsylvania Quakers smiles during their game gainst the Texas A /

Penn Quakers – A.J. Brodeur

Another player who excelled in his freshman year, A.J. Brodeur led the team in both points (13.8) and rebounds (6.9). The 6’8 225 forward was awarded a second team all Ivy League appearance.

His introduction to division one basketball was a great one, with a 23 and 11 double-double against Robert Morris. The real moment where he endeared himself to the Quaker fans was the Big 5 match up in Philadelphia against local rival LaSalle. He scored a season high 35 points to cement himself as the lead player on the team.

The issue that the Quakers have is that outside of a few guys, they have little to no production from the bench. Offensively, they’re next to last in scoring and dead last in 3-point percentage.
In terms of guard play, sophomore Ryan Bentley was the only one who helped out the bigs. He gave 12 points and 4.6 rebounds per game but will need to do more next year.

Penn will come into the season losing last year’s second best player and fellow post player Matt Howard. His numbers were closely similar to AJ’s and provided cover and a veteran presence to help Brodeur grow and mature as a player. His absence this year will leave AJ with both more touches, yet more focus from the defense.

The Quakers have the potential to make some noise in the conference with a great young player. Ultimately it’s not about what Brodeur will do, but how his supporting cast will help him out next year.