A-10 coaches think about adding 2 more league games

The Atlantic Ten's potential expansion to an 18-game league schedule was the hot topic in Monday's weekly coaches' teleconference.

League officials are still talking about the benefits and the drawbacks of moving from 16 games to 18. The decision will be made in May.

La Salle's John Giannini was one of many coaches against the move.

He said it would hurt the teams' Rating Percentage Index (RPI), which is used to rank squads based on wins and losses and strength of schedule.

"The biggest part of your RPI is your opponents' records," Giannini said. "Clearly, if we add more games against each other, we are going to have a .500 record in those games. If we play more nonconference games, our teams will have more wins, and it elevates the whole conference.

"I think when you beat up on each other and you win half those games, it's just a mathematical fact that your RPI is going to stay the same at best."

Temple coach Fran Dunphy and St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli remained undecided.

Dunphy said he hasn't put much thought into adding league games. He leans toward the 16-game schedule, but is "certainly willing to listen to 18 if the league thinks that's the way to go."

Martelli said he doesn't have a strong opinion.

But . . .

"I do worry about atmosphere," he said. "If we were to play the two [extra] league games before Christmas, or between Christmas and New Year's, when a lot of schools depend on our students to create atmosphere, are we playing games in a void? Those would be some things.

"And at the end of the day, if somebody said to me the best way to get multiple teams selected [in the NCAA tournament] on Selection Sunday would be to go with 18 games, then count me in."

When he arrived at Penn, Zack Rosen figured that academics and basketball would take up all of his focus, but an upperclassman convinced him that his role on the Quakers would enable him to have an influence on campus.

"I was totally blindsided," Rosen said. "I didn't know that people would value my opinion or be appreciative of me reaching out. So my sophomore year, I started getting more involved with students, trying to reach out and mesh more with the campus, where athletes and student groups and political groups try to get together and bridge the gap between all students.

"Everyone at Penn is doing something that's very important - or to them it's very important. Bringing everybody together is a huge thing for me in terms of the community."

In addition to his efforts to foster school unity and spirit, Rosen also was part of a trip to Rwanda last summer, along with teammate Dau Jok and 13 other Penn students, to help the people there.

Rosen is one of 10 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for men's basketball, which honors an athlete for his work in the classroom and the community.

"He truly represents all that is great about this university," Penn basketball coach Jerome Allen said.

Villanova guard Maalik Wayns, who suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee in a game last week against Providence, is questionable for Wednesday's Big East matchup at South Florida.