Princeton or Penn? Traditionally, that is the only question one has to ask in analyzing any Ivy League basketball season. Only three times since 1959—and not since 1988, when Cornell won the league—has neither school garnered at least a share of the Ivy title. Indeed, the two schools have established almost a pseudo-Ivy League championship game in scheduling their final match-up of the season on the Tuesday after every other Ivy team wraps up its campaign.

Of late, though, the Killer P’s stranglehold on the league has been weakening. Although Princeton did ultimately win the league by two games and Penn tied Brown for second, the season’s final weekend began with four teams remaining in contention.

Along with the parity, the league’s strength overall is the best it has been in recent memory. Already this year, Penn has beaten Georgia Tech and Iowa State and scared No. 2 Illinois before succumbing, 78-71. Brown has defeated Providence on the road, avenging a blowout loss from last year, while Yale has beaten Penn State and Princeton played tough against then-No. 9 St. Joseph’s before falling 74-63.

Bringing the Tigers and the Quakers back to the rest of the league is the graduation of their best players—First-Team All-Ivy selections Nate Walton and Lamar Plummer, respectively. Brown, meanwhile, returns its entire starting five, including junior Earl Hunt, whom many consider the best player in the league. However, the eligibility of junior point guard Andy Toole, who transferred from Elon two years ago, should be enough for Penn to edge out Brown and preserve the two-headed dynasty for one more year.

Pennsylvania

Coach: Fran Dunphy, 13th year (206-122)

Last season: 12-17 (9-5 Ivy), tied-2nd

Key additions: Toole; Tim Begley, G, 6-5, 210, Fr.; Jan Fikiel, F, 6-10, 205, Fr.

Key losses: Plummer, G, 6-1, 185 (14.9 ppg); Geoff Owens, C, 6-11, 240 (9.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg)

Probable starting five: Toole; Begley; Ugonna Onyekwe, F, 6-8, 225, Jr. (13.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg); Koko Archibong, F, 6-8, 215, Jr. (10 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Adam Chubb, C, 6-9, 225, So.

At a glance: Graduating Plummer—as well as Owens, a Second-Team All-Ivy selection—won’t help, but last year’s squad’s biggest problem was team chemistry. Thus, the players have been studying karate together to help team unity. If that’s successful, with Onyekwe, a Second-Team All-Ivy pick in his own right, returning and the addition of Toole, who is the talk of the league, the Quakers hope they’ll be able to wrest the crown from Princeton.

Penn’s 3-1 record this year is a far cry from last season’s atrocious 0-8 start that doomed the Quakers from the outset. Ultimately, they suffered as many Ivy losses as in their previous three campaigns combined.

This year, though, Penn has already posted impressive wins over top-flight national programs Georgia Tech and Iowa State, in addition to staying close against No. 2 Illinois.

The Quakers, too, are deeper this year than in the past, as Toole and Begley have pushed junior guard Dave Klatsky, who last year broke the Quaker record for assists in a season with 162, to the bench.

Either Toole or Onyekwe, the Ivy League’s 7th-leading scorer last season, could emerge as the go-to guy down the stretch for Penn.