Kreitz, a shooting guard, is averaging 8.6 points a game and giving the Quakers a good effort at the defensive end.
As a freshman, he appeared in only 13 of 28 Penn games. ``I wasn't looking to get much playing time this year, but due to the circumstances, it came a little earlier than I thought it would,'' Kreitz said. ``I've always felt, if I was put in a position to play, I would be able to respond. I had no doubt as to whether I could play at this level.''
Kreitz has started the Quakers' last 17 games. He replaced Jamie Lyren in the regular lineup when Lyren, a junior guard, was lost for the season with a broken bone in his left foot.
Lyren sustained the injury during a game against Penn State in December, and around the same time, 6-9 senior forward Bill Guthrie and 6-11 center Vigor Kapetanovic were put on academic probation. And late last month, 6-6 junior center and forward Nat Graham, who had started seven of the team's games, left the team, citing a loss of interest in the sport.
With those four players gone, Dunphy was left with comparatively little flexibility. And as the Quakers have gone about trying to successfully defend their league title after losing all five starters from last year's team to graduation, they have needed Kreitz to make some contributions.
``I remember, the first practice after the Penn State game, Coach came to me and told me to turn my shirt over to the blue,'' said Kreitz, referring to the blue jersey that's worn by the team's starters in practice. ``Right at that moment, it lifted me up. My intensity magnified right away. My role is to make shots, play hard on defense and get a couple of scrappy rebounds.''
