News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Thursday...

• Penn Athletics notes, "The National Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its candidates for the 2011-12 Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the nation's top point guard, and for the second straight year Penn's Zack Rosen is on the list. He is one of 65 candidates nationally, including three others from the Ivy League (Brian Barbour, Columbia; Chris Wroblewski, Cornell; Brandyn Curry, Harvard)."

• SBNation writes, "Even with a sparkling 11-1 record, No. 24 Illinois has been struggling lately. The Illini were embarrassed in front of a raucous Chicago crowd against UNLV last week, and just barely snuck by Cornell on Monday."

• Recapping Cornell's Big Ten Conference road swing, the Cornell Daily Sun writes:

Men's Basketball Winter Break Notebook
Red follows home win with pair of Big 10 defeats

Cornell kicked off the break with a dramatic overtime victory against Upstate rival Albany at Newman Arena, 85-82. Senior guard and co-captain Drew Ferry led the way with 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting from downtown. Juniors Josh Figini and Johnathan Gray also scored in double figures, while freshman guard Galal Cancer chipped in with 11 points. The Red trailed by six at half, but erased the deficit with an impressive 49-point second half performance to tie things up, 76-76. Senior guard and co-captain Chris Wroblewski registered the game-winner on a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining in extra time to secure the win for Cornell.

Start of a Big Trip: 12-19-11

No. 25 Illinois squeaked past Cornell, 64-60, handing the Red a tough defeat in the first end of a two-game swing against Big 10 opponents. The squads entered the locker room tied at half, 32-32, in a contest that experienced eight lead changes. With the Red trailing in the final minutes, 60-58, Ferry failed to convert on a pair of 3’s and the Fighting Illini registered four straight points to put the game on ice. Figini led the way with 14 points and the Cornell bench out-scored Illinois’ reinforcements, 16-0, but the Illini starting five proved durable enough to outlast the Red.

On the Road Again: 12-21-11

The Red fell in another close contest at a Big 10 foe, losing to Penn State, 74-67, in State College, Pa. Twenty points from the sharp-shooting Ferry, who hit 6-of-11 from 3-point land, helped trim the deficit to give Cornell a chance at a late comeback; however, the Nittany Lions finished strong at the free throw line to quash any chance of the Red securing its first road victory of the season. Freshman Shonn Miller continued his fast start with 15 points, while Cancer added 10 points and seven rebounds to the Cornell effort. The Red returns to action on Dec. 28 for a 7 p.m. matchup at Stony Brook before closing out its five-game road trip against Bucknell and Maryland.

• Watch Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) in action tonight when his Springfield Armor take on the Dakota Wizards in the NBA D-League.

• Watch committed Cornell recruit, Tim Higgins (Paul VI HS) Fairfax, VA, 6-10, C (class of 2013), via online video in the Chick-Fil-A Classic in South Carolina as Paul VI meets Oak Hill Academy tonight in the championship game. In a tournament loaded with Division I talent, Higgins boosted Paul VI with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 1 block in 11 minutes in a quarterfinal win over United Faith Christian. Higgins followed the performance with 4 points and 1 block in 8 minutes in a semifinal win yesterday against Word of God Academy.
  

• Cornell recruiting commit Nolan Cressler (Plum HS) Plum, PA, 6-4, G (class of 2012) faces Shaler High School and Penn State commit, Geno Thorpe, a 6'3" guard tonight.

• ESPN HS Pennsylvania writes of Cressler:

Each week, we'll take an in-depth look at our preseason All-State basketball team and let you know how a few of those athletes are faring as the season progresses. We'll feature a Prime-Time player (PTP), an Other Top Player (OTP) and an under the radar star who is making a bid to be one of the state's top players (UTR).

If you've got athletes you think we should mention in our All-State Stock Watch, hit me up on Twitter @CParishESPNHS.

It's the first stock watch of the season, and some players and teams are off to very good starts. Let's get to it.

***

OTP: Nolan Cressler, Plum, Senior

Although it came in a loss, Nolan Cressler had reason to celebrate last week against Kiski Area. The senior scored his 1,000th career point in the contest and led all scorers in the game with 25 points, but Plum lost in a 52-47 game. Cressler is headed to Ivy League school Cornell after his senior campaign.

• The Pittsburgh Post Tribune writes of Cressler:

Sports Spotlight: Nolan Cressler

School: Plum

Year: Senior

Sport: Basketball

Claim to fame: Cornell recruit Nolan Cressler recorded the 1,000th point of his career in a loss to Kiski Area on Dec. 13. Cressler started off strong this season, scoring a team-high 29 points for the Mustangs in an 84-54 win against Highlands in the Plum tournament. Cressler averaged 25 points per game as a junior.

How special was it for you to break the 1,000-point plateau, especially since your brother Andrew, who now plays at Seton Hill, did it in high school, as well?

It was definitely exciting to cross that milestone. A lot of great players have come through Plum, and I watched them do it. I watched my brother do it, so it was good to keep that going.

What did you like about Cornell that prompted you to commit?

I had a pretty decent amount of offers from other schools. I had a strong connection with the coaching staff. They really went after me in the summer. It's a great fit for me academically and athletically. The opportunities I'll get after college, it was a no-brainer.

What other schools were on your radar?

I had offers from Yale, Boston University, Holy Cross, St. Francis (Pa.), Penn and Davidson. They were all heavily interested in me.

Has the coaching staff given you any idea what your role will be as a freshman?

Any freshman going in obviously has to show and prove themselves. I don't expect the coaches to have anything set for me yet. Once I get up there, I'll play my game and go from there.

Do you have a major in mind?

I'm going to major in business. I'll be in the school of applied economics and management.

Obviously, academics are very important to you since you committed to an Ivy League school. What is your favorite subject in high school?

Not so much a favorite. I really like business. I don't have any business classes this year. I take a psychology class this year, I really like that.

What do you hope to improve on heading into college?

Physically, I want to try to put on a couple of pounds. I want to improve my skill set. Defensively, I really want to be able to lock guys down. Defense is probably the biggest transition I need to work on for college.

How do you think the Mustangs will fare this year?

I really do think we can make a run. I've seen the way that we are capable of playing. If we keep playing and progressing, we'll be fine. We talk about our goals, but we don't really talk about winning a championship. We just talk about playing the way we are capable of playing.

• Game Recaps-Below are links to our game recap sections from each of Cornell's games this season.

November 11, 2011 at St. Bonaventure L 58-79


November 14, 2011 vs. Binghamton W 76-61

November 16, 2011 at Buffalo L 59-68

November 20, 2011 vs. Boston University W 71-66

November 22, 2011 at Delaware L 68-76

November 27, 2011 vs. American L 63-65

December 3, 2011 vs. Lehigh W 81-79 (OT)

December 17, 2011 vs. Albany W 85-82 (OT)

December 19, 2011 at Illinois L 60-64

December 21, 2011 at Penn State L 67-74

• Cornell RPI Watch: The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. It does not consider the margin of victory, but only whether or not a team won and where the game was played (home/away/neutral court). The formula is 25% team winning percentage (WP), 50% opponents' average winning percentage (OWP), and 25% opponents' opponents' average winning percentage (OOWP). (See: CollegeRPI.com for a further explanation of the formula.) The RPI may be the most influential factor in NCAA Tournament seeding. Cornell's RPI rank as of December 22 is No. 196 out of 344 total Division I teams. While neither the Ken Pomeroy or Jeff Sagarin rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, the KenPom.com site ranks Cornell No. 176 in the nation, while the USA Today Sagarin rankings have Cornell at No. 213. Both sites are predominantly used by fans and the media.

• Here is a look at Ivy League results and upcoming games. A full Ivy composite schedule may viewed by clicking here.

IVY LEAGUE COMPOSITE SCHEDULE

Friday, November 11
Johnson & Wales 66 Brown 86 (Box Score - Recap)
Columbia 57 Connecticut 70[ESPNU] (Box Score - Recap)
Cornell 58 St. Bonaventure 79 (Box Score - Recap)
MIT 49 Harvard 76 (Box Score - Recap)
Dartmouth 56 Rutgers 62 (Box Score - Recap)
Penn 59 Maryland-Baltimore County 45 (Box Score - Recap)
Yale 73 Central Connecticut State 69 (Box Score - Recap)

Saturday, November 12
Wagner 73 Princeton 57 (Box Score - Recap)

Monday, November 14
Albany 77 Brown 68 (NIT Tip-Off-1st Round@Syracuse, N.Y.)[ESPN3] (Box Score - Recap)
Temple 73 Penn 67 OT (Box Score - Recap)
Furman 58 Columbia 62 (Box Score - Recap)
Binghamton 61 Cornell 76 (Box Score - Recap)

Tuesday, November 15
Harvard 73 Holy Cross 64 (Box Score - Recap)
Yale 62 Quinnipiac 68 [SNY] (Box Score - Recap)
Brown 52 Manhattan 54 NIT Tip Consolation@Syracuse, N.Y. [ESPN3] (Box Score - Recap)

Wednesday, November 16
Cornell 59 Buffalo 68 (Box Score - Recap)
Vermont 65 Dartmouth 53 (Box Score - Recap)
Princeton 58 North Carolina State 60 [ESPNU] (Box Score - Recap)

Thursday, November 17
Penn 78 Rider 72 OT (Box Score - Recap)
Lyndon State 37 Yale 101 (Box Score - Recap)

Saturday, November 19
Buffalo 53 Princeton 61 (Box Score - Recap)
Hartford 52 Brown 59 (Box Score - Recap)
American 66 Columbia 58 (Box Score - Recap)
Bryant 62 Dartmouth 66 (Box Score - Recap)
Robert Morris 60 Penn 66 (Box Score - Recap)
Harvard 77 Loyola Marymount 67 (Box Score - Recap)

Sunday, November 20
Boston University 66 Cornell 71 (Box Score - Recap)

Sunday, November 20
Boston University 66 Cornell 71 (Box Score - Recap)

Monday, November 21
Brown 48 George Mason 74 (NIT Consolation Fairfax, VA) (Box Score - Recap)

Tuesday, November 22
Brown 79 Monmouth 71 (NIT Consolation Fairfax, VA) (Box Score - Recap)
Columbia 53 Stony Brook 67 (Box Score - Recap)
Cornell 64 Delaware 72 (Box Score - Recap)
Wagner 71 Penn 65 (Box Score - Recap)
Elon 56 Princeton 55 (Box Score - Recap)
Yale 62 Seton Hall 73 (Box Score - Recap)

Thursday, November 24
Dartmouth 69 San Francisco 71 (Great Alaska Shootout) (Box Score - Recap)
Harvard 75 Utah 47 [HDNet] (Battle 4 Atlantis Bahamas) (Box Score - Recap)

Friday, November 25
Dartmouth 64 vs. Alaska-Anchorage 52(Great Alaska Shootout) (Box Score - Recap)
Harvard 46 Florida State 41 [VERSUS] (Battle 4 Atlantis Bahamas) (Box Score - Recap)
Princeton 56 Bucknell 62 (Legends Classic, Lewisberg, PA) (Box Score - Recap)
Pittsburgh 78 Penn 58 [TCN] (Box Score - Recap)

Saturday, November 26
Yale 84 Army 75 (Box Score - Recap)
Columbia 59 Manhattan 41 (Box Score - Recap)
Princeton 56 Morehead State 68 (Legends Classic, Lewisberg, PA) (Box Score - Recap)
James Madison 60 Penn 58 [TCN] (Philly Hoop Group Classic) (Box Score - Recap)
Dartmouth 48 Western Michigan 65 (Great Alaska Shootout) (Box Score - Recap)
Harvard 59 Central Florida 49 [VERSUS] (Battle 4 Atlantis Bahamas) (Box Score - Recap)

Sunday, November 27
Brown 64 Sacred Heart 77 (Box Score - Recap)
Princeton 66 West Alabama 66 (Legends Classic, Lewisberg, PA) (Box Score - Recap)
American 65 Cornell 63 (Box Score - Recap)

Monday, November 28
Swarthmore 42 Columbia 104 (Box Score - Recap)

Tuesday, November 29
Manhattan 72 Penn 75 (Box Score - Recap)
Yale 74 Hartford 69 (Box Score - Recap)

Wednesday, November 30
Dartmouth 50 New Hampshire 53 (Box Score - Recap)
Lafayette 69 Princeton 54 (Box Score - Recap)
Rhode Island 56 Brown 65 [myRITV] (Box Score - Recap)

Thursday, December 1
Harvard 55 Vermont 48 (Box Score - Recap)

Friday, December 2
Columbia 69 Loyola Marymount 61 (LA Westside Centennial Classic) (Box Score - Recap)

Saturday, December 3
Vermont 52 Yale 68 (Box Score - Recap)
Brown 54 Iowa 75 (Box Score - Recap)
Lehigh 79 Cornell 81 (OT) (Box Score - Recap)
Penn 65 Villanova 73 [ESPN3] (Box Score - Recap)
Columbia 72 North Texas 57 (Box Score - Recap) (LA Westside Centennial Classic)

Sunday, December 4
Columbia 78 La Sierra 56 (Box Score - Recap) (LA Westside Centennial Classic)
Seattle 70 Harvard 80 (Box Score - Recap)

Monday, December 5
Brown 49 Providence 80 [ESPN3/SNY] (Box Score - Recap)
Yale 73 Sacred Heart 71 (Box Score - Recap)

Tuesday, December 6
Holy Cross 45 Columbia 46 (Box Score - Recap)

Wednesday, December 7
Delaware 60 Penn 69 (Box Score - Recap)
New Hampshire 69 Brown 56 (Box Score - Recap)
Princeton 59 Rutgers 57 (Box Score - Recap)
Bryant 59 Yale 76 (Box Score - Recap)

Thursday, December 8
Harvard 53 Connecticut 67 [ESPN2] (Box Score - Recap)

Saturday, December 10
Central Connecticut State 80 Brown 90 (Box Score - Recap)
Long Island 53 Columbia 63 (Box Score - Recap)
Harvard 76 Boston University 52 (Box Score - Recap)
Princeton 60 Drexel 64 (Box Score - Recap)
Penn 73 UCLA 77 [DirecTV] (Box Score - Recap)
Dartmouth 47 Notre Dame 65 [ESPN3] (Box Score - Recap)

Tuesday, December 13
Dartmouth 51 IPFW 56 (Box Score - Recap)

Wednesday, December 14
Princeton 72 Rider 71 OT (Box Score - Recap)

Saturday, December 17
Elon 54 Dartmouth 62 (Box Score - Recap)
Albany 82 Cornell 85 OT (Box Score - Recap)

Sunday, December 18
Princeton 71 Northeastern 62 (Box Score - Recap)
Yale 68 Rhode Island 65 [COX RI] (Box Score - Recap)

Monday, December 19
Cornell 60 Illinois 64 [ESPN3] (Box Score - Recap)
Dartmouth 55 Colgate 61 OT (Box Score - Recap)

Wednesday, December 21
Dartmouth 64 Army 67 (Box Score - Recap)
Cornell 67 Penn State 74[Big Ten Network] (Box Score - Recap)

Thursday, December 22
Florida Atlantic at Harvard, 7 pm
Princeton at Siena, 7 pm

Friday, December 23
Maine at Brown, 2 pm
Dartmouth at Albany, 2 pm
Marist at Penn, 7 pm