Big 5 stunner | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Big 5 tried to inject some life into the flagging City Series before this season, introducing a tournament format and finally letting Drexel into the mix. Time will tell if the changes make a difference, but for one night at least, the magic of the Big 5 returned.

Penn knocked off No. 21 Villanova, 76-72, Monday at a percolating Palestra as fans stormed the court at the finish. Freshman guard Tyler Perkins stamped his name into Big 5 lore by sinking three three-pointers and scoring 22 points. Justin Moore’s 25-point effort was not enough for the Wildcats.

Now things will get interesting for Villanova. The next Big 5 game for the Cats will be against St. Joseph’s on Nov. 29. Kyle Neptune had an impossible job following in the footsteps of Jay Wright, but a loss against the Hawks might cause Neptune’s critics to grow even louder.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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A 7-foot, 285-pound center named Christ Essandoko made his debut for St. Joseph’s on Friday night against Penn, coming away with nine points and 10 rebounds. A native of France, Essandoko wound up redshirting last season, but he appears to be ready to go now.

“He’s a good basketball player and he’s unique because he’s 7 feet, 285, has a 7-5 wingspan, and he’s more of a perimeter player than a post player,” Hawks coach Billy Lange says. “... He wants to please. He wants to be good. He wants the fans at St. Joe’s to think that it’s been worth the wait, and it is.”

Jeff Neiburg explains why the big man’s debut took so long to happen.

Tyrese Maxey is all the rage in Philly right now, and no one has been more impressed or supportive than his MVP teammate, Joel Embiid. That was clear after Maxey laid a 50-point career high on the Indiana Pacers. Embiid waxed poetic about how Maxey is never upset and sets the tone in the franchise. As for Maxey? He gushed about his big brother who “gets on me all the time.” But Embiid only gave him one thing on Sunday night: a nickname. Joel “The Process” Embiid knighted his little brother as Tyrese “The Franchise” Maxey.

Back-to-back games ahead offer the latest test for the 8-1 Sixers.

Embiid was named Eastern Conference player of the week.

Next: The Sixers again play the visiting Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. Tuesday (NBCSP).

A lot was made of the Eagles’ 2023 draft class led by Jalen Carter, but how have those players fared through nine games?

Olivia Reiner graded each of the Eagles draft picks and one undrafted free agent as the Birds return from the bye week.

The Eagles didn’t receive any help in the bye week as several of their top rivals won their games. Marcus Hayes looks at three of their NFC contenders and what they did on Sunday.

Next: The Eagles will visit the Chiefs on Monday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. (6ABC, ESPN). The Birds are slight underdogs.

With the Hockey Hall of Fame having inducted its newest class on Monday, we got to thinking about some of the Flyers who warrant a call to the Hall.

Jackie Spiegel makes a case for five former Flyers, including 400-goal man John LeClair.

Next: The Flyers will play the host Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. (TNT).

Among the Sixers who have scored 50 or more points in a game are Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Allen Iverson, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. Who was the only other Sixer to do so? First with the correct response here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Julius Erving

B) Charles Barkley

C) Willie Burton

D) Dana Barros

We asked you: Will Tyrese Maxey wind up having a better career than Joel Embiid? Among your responses:

Doubtful that Tyrese will have a better career than Embid, ‘cause you can’t coach height. However he is certainly more likable. — Bill M.

Tyrese and the rest of the Sixers have improved. I doubt he will be better than Joel. However, team unity is booming right now because two people are gone, namely James Harden and Doc Rivers. — Matt E.

This seems to be somewhat of a premature question considering this is only Maxey’s 4th season, and we are comparing him to a 5-time NBA-All Star and an MVP who is making about $40 million per year. He is looking awesome and so is the team now freed from the soap opera atmosphere caused by the Beard, but he has a long way to go. I think he can if all things go right for him, and I certainly hope he can, but for now it is wait and see. — Everett S.

Kenny Gainwell has a routine. Check the phone at halftime, send a text to his parents or girlfriend, get ready for the second half. But during the Eagles’ Oct. 29 game at Washington, he made the mistake of engaging with a frustrated fan who sent him a direct message. After the game, a screenshot of the exchange went public, and Gainwell and the Eagles had a mess on their hands. The incident, however, revived a conversation in sports: Is social media good for professional athletes? Is it worth it? Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane posed these questions to the Eagles’ locker room in our latest episode of UnCovering the Birds. Listen here.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Marcus Hayes, Olivia Reiner, Devin Jackson, Jackie Spiegel, Max Dinenberg, Collin Beazley, Justin Procope, Mike Jensen, and Max Ralph.

Penn showed it is for real on Friday by giving an improved St. Joe’s team a tough time — then there was the performance against Villanova. Maybe this is the season when we have three Big 5 teams in the NCAAs. Maria is at the newsletter controls on Wednesday. See you soon. — Jim

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