Penn’s Jordan Dingle is hoping to win big things with the Quakers: “That’s all that I want to do.”
The junior guard ranks among the best in the nation in scoring. But bringing Penn a title would mean so much more.
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As Jordan Dingle carves out his legacy at Penn and in Philly hoops history, his focus has sharpened to leading the Quakers to regular-season and tournament titles in the Ivy League.
“I hope we can just continue to improve and finish at the top of the league,” said Dingle, the 6-foot-3 junior guard from Valley Stream, N.Y. “We’re capable of that. Getting a regular-season championship and winning the [Ivy League] tournament would be a remarkable reward for all the hard work we’ve put in.”
However, after a full season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with last year’s season-ending loss to Yale, time is running out for Dingle to achieve those aspirations.
As of Monday, before a late-season nonconference game against Hartford, Penn (9-11, 2-4 Ivy) sat near the bottom of the league. However, each Ivy team plays the other twice, meaning there is still a sizable number of games for the Quakers to improve their record in the Ivy.
Fortunately, the Quakers are led by a veteran competitor who knows what it takes to win in the Ivy League and Dingle is doing all he can to help. He leads the league in scoring with 23.4 points per game, which stands third in the nation.
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He has also been named Big 5 player of the week three times and Ivy League player of the week four times this season.
“He’s dedicated to his craft,” said Penn coach Steve Donahue. “He’s competing at a much higher level on the defensive end as well. … He’s just a solid all-around player besides being an elite scorer.”
“As a competitor, I always want to go out and prove that I’m the best,” added Dingle.
Penn’s other guard, Clark Slajchert, has also played a crucial role in the Red and Blue’s offense this season. Slajchert is scoring 15.9 points per game, good for fourth in the Ivy League.
“I demand most of the defense’s attention when I’m on the floor,” said Dingle. “[Slajchert] is really, really talented, and it’s hard for one guy to guard him. With me on the floor, he gets a lot of the play calls and has been really efficient at scoring the ball in those situations.”
Dingle is still keen on improving his game, particularly as a playmaker where he strives to continue making the correct decisions.
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“I feel all the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made have been paying off,” said Dingle. “I need a lot of work still. There’s a lot of things that I have to improve on that I’ve been talking to my coaching staff about and just trying to focus on how I can improve, so I can continue to lead this team.”
But at the end of the day for Dingle, it’s about being remembered for leaving it all out on the court. His home court, the one inside the storied confines of the Palestra, is where he’s set on leaving that mark.
“I like to leave a legacy every place that I go,” said Dingle. “I’m just looking to continue that [winning] trend. With all the great basketball history in Philadelphia and at Penn, to have my name mentioned with some of those guys who were among the best to lead teams to championships would be special.”