Big 5 basketball: City championship on the line this week in Philadelphia
By Pan Karalis
Prediction
If you had asked me before Penn’s recent four-game losing streak, I would have said, without hesitation, that the most likely finish to the Big 5 season would be a shared title between all three of Penn, Temple, and Villanova. But, as Penn had fallen out of form, so had Saint Joe’s. Until Tuesday night when the Hawks pulled themselves out of their slump by beating an Atlantic 10 favorite in Davidson, I think the odds were still very much titled toward a three-way split of the title.
Barring another major upset this season, this time over Fran Dunphy’s 14-3 Temple squad at Liacouras Center, Penn will be fighting for their third Big 5 win a week from Saturday at home against Saint Joe’s. Penn will be the clear favorite in that game at the Palestra, even on the heels of what could be a five-game losing streak. Despite Saint Joe’s’ inspired performance on Tuesday night against first place Davidson, the Hawks will still be undermanned without Fresh Kimble and Checco Oliva.
The Quakers have struggled to get healthy themselves, injury issues being the cause of their own big losing streak, but they’re back as healthy as they were when they started 10-2, and they’ll have only played three games since the New Year. They should be fresh, re-focused, and potentially looking to end a five-game losing streak. A chance to secure their school’s first city championship in 17 years might help kick the Quakers into a higher gear, too.
BPI currently favors Penn by over 75% over Saint Joe’s, and while things have gotten a little messier in the Big 5 picture since Penn’s upset over Villanova, I think Steve Donahue’s squad will end up earning a share of the title by beating the Hawks next week, following a loss to Temple on Saturday.
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But if there’s one thing every basketball fan in Philadelphia knows, when the city teams get together, expect the unexpected. These next two Big 5 games should be as electric as any in recent years, and every Philadelphia basketball fan outside of the Main Line should be excited about bringing a Big 5 title back within city limits.