Penn set to meet 25th-ranked Harvard

The buzz on the Penn campus is at a high pitch because 25th-ranked Harvard is coming to the Palestra.

But for Quakers coach Jerome Allen, Friday night's game is special only because it's the next one, and that means the normal routine in preparation and attention to detail to give his team the best chance at victory.

"We try to keep a sense of normalcy about it," Allen said Thursday. "For us, it just comes down to keeping the game simple - defending, rebounding the ball, not turning it over, all five guys engaged in every action.

"It's great for those on the periphery and it's great for the campus and it's great for the city. But I think it's my responsibility to keep things in perspective and not get ahead of ourselves and try to stay in the moment."

Guard Zack Rosen, one of five seniors on the squad, said the Quakers (12-10, 4-1 Ivy) have been through hyped games and know how to handle them. But he admits the Harvard game should be fun.

"You'll get some students out there that probably wouldn't have come otherwise," he said. "So it's good. The campus is all hyped. They're ready to go. We're ready to go, so it should be a great atmosphere in here."

The Crimson (20-2, 6-0) have won eight straight, with their only losses coming at then-No. 9 Connecticut and at Fordham. They shoot well, leading the league in field-goal and free-throw percentage. They defend well, allowing a league-low 53.6 points per game.

Allen said he appreciates Harvard's "selfless makeup."

"They really share the ball," he said. "It looks like they enjoy playing with one another and it becomes contagious just in terms of effort and giving yourself up for the next man."

Rosen is among the league leaders in scoring (18.3, second), assists (6.0, first), and free-throw shooting (88.1 percent, fourth).

"With Coach Allen, ever since he's taken the job and ever since I've known him, he has demanded a whole lot of me," Rosen said. "I'm still working on it, but I'm trying to do all he demands of me. Defense is No. 1, then offense, seeing the game, leadership, all that stuff factors in."

The Crimson are led in scoring by Laurent Rivard, a 6-5 sophomore from Quebec who averages 11.3 points.

Along with its outstanding season, Harvard has received extra attention thanks to the exploits of former guard Jeremy Lin, now with the New York Knicks, whose last college season was 2009-10.

"I'm a huge Jeremy Lin fan," said Rosen, who is from Colonia, N.J. "I wasn't two years ago. But I'm watching the Knicks, just like when I grew up. I think it's awesome what he's doing."

Contact staff writer Joe Juliano at 215-854-4494, jjuliano@phillynews.com or @joejulesinq on Twitter.