News and Notes: Friday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, a scan of the 1978-1979 Media Guide. Below, news and notes for Friday...

• The Syracuse Post Standard discusses Canada's Junior Men's National Team.  Cornell's Braxston Bunce is photographed in the story with the 2012 Canadian JMNT.

• Former Cornell basketball radio voice and current Miami Heat broadcaster, Eric Reid, is mentioned in the Florida Sun Sentinel.

• Shonn Miller reportedly had offseason shoulder surgery and is not expected to participate in the Cleveland AmPro Summer League as he did last year.  Miller was the AmPro's Defensive Player of the Year.  Other Cornell players who could potentially compete in summer leagues include but not limited to:

Jake Matthews (Pittsburgh Basketball Club ProAm)
Nolan Cressler (Pittsburgh Basketball Club ProAm)
Ned Tomic (Cleveland AmPro)
Jamal Cherry (City of Orlando/Midnight Basketball Pro-Am Summer League)
Galal Cancer (Capital District Basketball Association Summer League)
Dwight Tarwater (Rocky Top League, Knoxville, TN)

News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, the 1984-1985 Media Guide with Ken Bantum (Cornell '85) on the cover. Bantum was the 1985 Ivy League Player of the Year and a 1985 NBA Draft selection of the New York Knicks. Below, news and notes for Thursday...

• We are inching closer to The Cornell Basketball Prospect Camp which will run from June 22-23, 2013.  The Camp is one of the program's most significant recruiting weekends and in recent years yielded several new commitments. 

• Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) is back home in Lockwood, New York after his season in Lithuania concluded.  Foote had a 1-year deal with his club Zalgiris.  Since his graduation from Cornell in 2010, Foote has attended training camps or played for five NBA teams, including the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Hornets and the Portland Trailblazers.

• Lee Morton (Cornell '54), a member of the Big Red's 1954 Ivy League Championship and NCAA Tournament team and a 3rd round NBA draft choice in 1954 by the Rochester Royals (Sacramento Kings), passed away on May 9.  Morton was a 1954 All District selection and 1st Team All Ivy League selection in 1953 and 1954.  Morton's obituary is below:

After a long battle with cancer, Lee Eugene Morton, Sr., of Shrewsbury, died on May 9 at 81.
A graduate of Cornell University's reknowned Hotel Administration program and a 1979 inductee of the university's Athletic Hall of Fame, Morton was known as a stand-out baseball and basketball player who co-captained a team that won the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League and the Ivy League basketball championships and was an MVP in basketball, according to legacy.com.
Morton was also a third-round choice for the NBA draft in the 1950s.
After college, Morton became a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force  and was a member of the Air National Guard.
After a 33-year career between the two military posts, he retired as a lieutenant colonel. He was a also an American Airlines pilot while serving in the National Guard.
Morton is predeceased by his son, Lee E. Morton Jr.
He is survived by: his wife of 57 years, Mary Morton; his daughters, Kathleen M. Morton of Memphis, TN, and Dana M. Emery, of San Francisco, CA; and his brothers, Dr. Phillip Morton, of Indianapolis, IN, and Paul Morton, of Ponte Vedra, lL; and his grandchildren, Michael and Marie Morton, of Indianapolis, IN, and Rob, Matt and Will Emery, of San Francisco, CA
In lieu of flowers, donations in Lee's memory may be made to the "Lee Morton '54 Ivy AMI Fund" at Cornell University. A celebration of Morton's life will be held at Rumson Country Club on May 18 at 11 a.m.

Above far left, Lee Morton (Cornell '54) with former Cornell head coach, Steve Donahue.  Below, a photo of Morton from the Cornell Daily SUn.

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, the 1986-1987 Media Guide.  Below, news and notes...

• Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) could only watch from the sidelines with street clothing (injured with back pains) as his Zalgiris club of Luthuania had their season come to an end on Tuesday following a 3-1 series defeat to Lokomotiv in the Eastern European VTB league semifinals.

• Jeff Aubry (Cornell '99) is averaging 4.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for Los Indios de Mayaguez of the Puerto Rico BSN.  Aubry, a former All NBA D-League honoree, had 12 points and 6 rebounds on May 26 in an 87-86 defeat to Humaco.  Mayaguez is 14-11 and in 4th place in the 10-team league.

• The Ft. Wayne News Sentinel writes of Errick Peck:

Painter picks Peck

The Boilermaker coach had the unexpected luxury of having three scholarships open earlier this spring, as Sandi Marcius, Jacob Lawson and Anthony Johnson each elected to transfer out of the program. Painter filled one of those vacancies with the addition of Cornell graduate student transfer Errick Peck.

Despite Peck having played in the non-scholarship Ivy League, Painter believes that the Cathedral High School graduate will make an impact for the Boilermakers.

“Errick had a very good career at Cornell,” Painter said. “He gives us kind of that combo (small or power forward). We think that he’s a very good addition for us.”

The 6-foot-6 forward averaged nearly 10 points and five boards for the Big Red this past season after missing his junior season with a knee injury.

“Errick gives us experience,” Painter said. “We don’t have any juniors on our team. He’ll be our oldest and most experienced guy.”

Purdue returns redshirt sophomore-to-be Donnie Hale at that position, as well as redshirt freshman Jay Simpson and incoming freshman Basil Smotherman. So Peck will have a lot of competition – though it will be much younger – for minutes next season.

“I think Errick is a player,” Painter said. “He’s going to be one of those guys that comes in and competes for a starting position. I don’t know if he will or not, he’s going to have to earn that. But after watching him on tape, I was very impressed.”

News and Notes: Friday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, a 1951-1952 media guide.  Below, news and notes for Friday...

• Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) is out with an injury to his back but his Zalgiris (Lithuania) team opens the semifinals series of the Eastern European VTB league today against Lokomotiv of Russia.  Lokomotiv features players such as former San Antonio Spur/NY Knick, Derrick Brown (Xavier) as well as other former U.S. college stars, Nick Calathas (Florida), Jim Baron (Rhode Island) and Richard Hendrix (Alabama).  Zalgiris is currently ranked No. 5 in Europe.

• Purdue head coach, Matt Painter, told the Chicago Sun Times that Errick Peck “could play a big guard or an undersized four” next season.

• The Daily Progress writes:

Blue Ridge's Smith signs with Cornell

Whether he was dishing out an assist on the basketball court, or playing one-on-one coverage against a wide receiver on the football field, Darryl Smith has just about seen it all during his time at the Blue Ridge School.
Smith has experienced exhilarating highs, such as the basketball team’s run to the state championship game in 2011 and the football team’s state title in 2012. In addition, the senior is a member of the Blue Ridge track team, and recently won the 100-meter dash at the VIC meet. He’s also seen some disappointments, including the Barons basketball team missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Throughout all of the athletic triumphs and defeats, one thing has always remained consistent during Smith’s time at the Blue Ridge; the word "student" has always come before athlete.

The Chesapeake native arrived at Blue Ridge at the start of the 2010-11 school year, and immediately embraced the intimate school setting. The small class sizes and one-on-one time with instructors allowed Smith to reach his full academic potential.

"My parents instilled the importance of academics from an early age," Smith said. "They said that in high school that if I maintained a good GPA, I would get into a great college. Ever since then, I kept up my grades."

Smith’s impressive GPA and skills on the basketball court helped the senior gain the attention of several Ivy League schools. This week, Smith officially put an end the recruiting process by deciding to continue his athletic and academic career at Cornell University.

"During the process I was looking for a school that would challenge me academically, and I wanted to play at a high level for basketball," Smith said. "Cornell fits both descriptions and it feels great to finally make it official."

Smith selected the Big Red over several Ivy League suitors, as well as Vermont, Northeastern and the University of New Orleans.

After being part of a Blue Ridge basketball team that won a combined 46 games during his sophomore and junior seasons, Smith’s senior year proved to be a completely different experience. Due to graduation and a heavy attrition rate, the team was left with just four scholarship players from the previous year. The Barons’ issues got further complicated in the middle of the season, as injuries left the team with just eight healthy players. Smith took on a leadership role from the point guard position, nearly playing the entire game on several occasions. The senior guided the inexperienced Barons throughout the campaign, serving as a leader both on and off the court.

"It was a rebuilding year after having a few important key guys leave," Smith said of the 2013 team. "This year I just had to step in and help Coach [Bill] Ramsey out and help the players out by showing them how things had to be done."

Smith averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and four assists this past season as the Barons finished with a 7-13 record.

Smith will enter a program under the direction of former University of Virginia assistant coach Bill Courtney. He plans on majoring in communications upon arriving at Cornell.

News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, Cornell's Media Guides for the '92-'93, '93-'94, '94-'95 and '95-'96 seasons.  Below, news and news for Thursday...

• As we first reported, Yanni Hufnagel (Cornell '06) has accepted an assistant coaching position at Vanderbilt.  He was an assistant at Harvard and a former team manager at Cornell under Steve Donahue. The Tennessean writes, "Animated and highly energetic, the 2006 Cornell graduate plans to arrive in Nashville to begin his job next week, pending a background check."

• HamptonRoads.com writes: "Chesapeake’s Darryl Smith signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Cornell University.  Smith, a 6-foot-3 guard, played at Norfolk Collegiate as a freshman and sophomore but transferred to Blue Ridge School, a boarding private school near Charlottesville, for his junior and senior seasons.  This past season he averaged 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.8 steals for the Barons who were 7-13.  Smith also played on for the football team which won the VISAA Division II state title this past season with a 41-16 win over Nansemond-Suffolk."

Cornell's Newcomers for 2013-2014

Check out The Cornell Basketball Blog's bios on Cornell's newcomers: Darryl Smith, Robert Hatter, David Onuorah, Braxston Bunce, and Desmond Fleming.  These five players will play their first minutes of college basketball next season.

News and Notes: Tuesday Afternoon Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, the 2006-2007 media guide.  Below, news and notes for Tuesday afternoon...

• Back in British Columbia, Braxston Bunce will serve as a basketball camp counselor during early July.

• Incoming Cornell recruit, Robert Hatter (Westside HS) Houston, TX, 6-1, G, will be honored at a Houston area scholar-athlete dinner.

• Incoming Cornell recruit, Darryl Smith (Blue Ridge School) Chesapeake, VA, 6-2, G, was honored at his school for acceptance into Cornell University.  See Smith's senior highlight video below:

News and Notes: Monday Edition

 Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, the 1979-1980 Media Guide.  Below, news and notes for Monday...

A final look at the 2012-2013 Big Red.

• The Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management lists Eitan Chemerinski among its graduates.

• BoiledSports.com discusses why Errick Peck "matters" for Purdue.  Mark December 4, 2013 on your calendar, when Peck meets his former coaches at Boston College in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge.

• Here is a box score from the 2012 AAU Nike Peach Jam event involving a pair of incoming Cornell recruits, Robert Hatter and David Onuorah.

News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History.  Cornell's regular season and postseason media guides for Cornell's three-time NCAA Tournament participant and defending Ivy League championship teams of 2008, 2009 and 2010.  The Ivy League teams ceased publication of hardcopy regular season media guides during the 2009-2010 season.  Below, news and notes for Thursday...

• Reviewing the Brooklyn Nets' season, TheBrooklynGame.com writes, "The Summer League also brought us Swamp People extra Adam Morrison scoring the first-ever points for an incarnation of the Brooklyn Nets and the only 7-footer doofier than Brook Lopez, Cornell grad Jeff Foote."

• Foote did not play with his professional club, Zalgiris' (Lithuania) opening win in the quarterfinals last night against Novgorod (Russia) in the Eastern Europe VTB League Playoffs.  Zalgiris, which now leads the series 1-0, picked up a 75-63 win.  Foote will likely miss the remainder of the season with back pains.

Below, continuing coverage of Errick Peck's enrollment at Purdue following his graduation from Cornell.  Under Ivy League rules, Peck is not eligible to play in the Ivy League as a graduate student.

• Listen to an ESPN Radio podcast interview of Errick Peck.

• On Errick Peck, the Ft. Wayne Journal writes:

Errick Peck has made a decision, and the former Indianapolis Cathedral standout and high school teammate of former Boilermaker Kelsey Barlow will play his final season of college basketball at Purdue. The 6-foot-6 forward will receive his undergraduate degree from Cornell on May 26 after spending four years at the Ivy League school. He missed the 2011-2012 season with a knee injury and has one season of college eligibility remaining. Because he will receive his bachelor’s degree in four years, the NCAA will allow Peck to play one more season as a graduate student at another university. Peck visited Purdue and Xavier, selecting the Boilermakers on Wednesday. Peck is a near-perfect fit for the Boilermakers’ 2013-2014 roster. He will give Matt Painter a fifth-year player on a roster that until Wednesday had two scholarship seniors and no scholarship juniors. Everyone else on the 2013-2014 roster will have freshman or sophomore athletic eligibility. Peck will add a mature voice and a dedicated approach to the game. And, he likes to play defense, which will get him on the floor in Painter’s world. West Lafayette High School’s David Wood, a former Purdue assistant, coached Peck during the 2009 Indiana All-Star team’s sweep of Kentucky. While Peck was one of the final two selected for that All-Star team, Wood said Indiana would not have won twice without him. Wood told me Wednesday that he would take Peck on any roster at any time. Wood said Peck is a great human being and is a player “you win with.” While Peck’s 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds averages weren’t eye-opening during Cornell’s 2012-2013 season, he was a solid player who did what he was asked. A player like that will add stability to next season’s Purdue roster. He is capable of playing small forward or power forward and is confident he can guard three different positions. Peck also said he has worked hard to improve his perimeter shot, a skill the 2013-2014 Boilermakers need. Last summer, Painter went after Julius Mays, a Marion High School product who had played at North Carolina State and Wright State and had a season of eligibility remaining after picking up his diploma at Wright State. Mays picked Kentucky instead of Purdue, and it was evident last year’s young Purdue team could have used his wise, poised leadership. This time, Painter got his “voice of reason” in Pack, a guy who will help the Boilermakers in practice, during games and in the locker room. If you are a Purdue basketball fan, you should be excited about Errick Peck’s decision to attend Purdue. As David Wood says, Peck is a guy “you win with.

•  The Ft. Wayne Journal writes:

The guy you win with. That’s the way 2009 Indiana All-Star boys basketball team coach David Wood of West Lafayette describes Errick Peck, a strong 6-foot-6 forward who played three seasons at Ivy League member Cornell and now will use his final year of athletic eligibility at Purdue. Peck, an Indianapolis Cathedral graduate who led Indiana to a two-game sweep of Kentucky in 2009, is taking second-semester final examinations this week at Cornell and will receive his undergraduate degree on May 26. A knee injury forced Peck to sit out Cornell’s 2011-12 season, and because he is graduating in four years, the NCAA will allow him to play one season as a graduate student at Purdue. Peck will report to Purdue on June 10. The versatile forward, who averaged 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds for Cornell in 2012-13, also visited Xavier. On Wednesday morning, he decided to accept Purdue coach Matt Painter’s scholarship offer. “Both have great coaching staffs, great players and great overall programs,” Peck said Wednesday. “Both schools are close to home, and of course, Purdue is in the Big Ten. Both get a ton of exposure. With each visit, I got along well with the players, so they have a lot in common. “In the end, I think Purdue fit me just a bit better. Plus, with (former Boilermaker) Kelsey Barlow and I having played together in high school, I always watched them in the tournament and kind of followed them from afar. But when I was at Cornell, I really focused more on myself and my studies. That took enough time in and of itself.” With the exceptions of Peck, senior-to-be guard Terone Johnson and senior-to-be post player Travis Carroll, every other scholarship player on Purdue’s current 2013-14 roster will have freshman or sophomore athletic eligibility. Peck’s experience and leadership will be a big boost to an otherwise young team. “I believe I fit that role,” Peck said. “I’ve done that before, so I don’t think that will be anything new to me. I’m looking forward to playing on the big stage, and I think I can help them at the small forward and power forward positions. I’m able to do a lot of things, including guard a lot of positions.  “I hope to bring a lot of things when I get on the floor. I know they have good senior leaders in Terone Johnson and Travis Carroll. I’m not going to try to come in and dominate the basketball. I want to come in and help us win games. I just want an opportunity to do my part, whether that’s guarding the other team’s best player or scoring points. My biggest thing is winning.” Peck, who will begin a master’s degree in communications or business, hopes to give Painter a versatile option on each end of the court. “I can defend, rebound and spread the floor a little bit shooting,” Peck said. “When I injured my knee, all I pretty much did was work on my shooting. I’ve expanded my game a lot since high school.” Wood said that in the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star games, Indiana’s offense struggled until it began to feed Peck inside. Wood said Purdue fans will appreciate Peck’s effort and dedication. “The first thing he is going to give them is a first-class human being,” Wood said. “He is just a quality young man. It took me about 30 minutes to know that this was a really, really good young man. When I think about that Indiana All-Star team, he was one of the last two players chosen. “Then, he was our best player in those two games. From a basketball standpoint, he will bring versatility. He can go out on the floor, and he can bang down low. He also will bring physical strength. He is a guy who can guard a power forward or a small forward. He can make an 18-foot shot, which is good, because this is a Purdue team that can use guys who put the ball in the basket. He will do whatever you want him to, and he will do it really well.” Playing for Purdue will be a dream come true of sorts for Peck. "I feel like I have come full circle,” he said. “Coming out of high school, I wanted to play in the Big Ten, but I wasn't able to do that. By selecting Purdue now, I will have that opportunity."

•  Hoosier Hoops Report writes:

With only 10 players on scholarship for the 2013-14 season, Purdue was in the market for a transfer this spring. A few early offers didn’t pan out, but Matt Painter and his staff landed an important piece Wednesday with the addition of 5th year senior Errick Peck. Peck previously played for Cornell, where he sat out the 2011-12 season after injuring his knee. He is very familiar with Purdue, however, having played high school ball at Cathedral, where he was a teammate of former Purdue player Kelsey Barlow. Peck had an up and down career at Cornell, due mostly to the knee injury that derailed his junior year. He played little as a freshmen, but had a very good sophomore season, averaging 11 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 23 minutes. After sitting out his junior year, it took him awhile to get back in the flow of Cornell’s offense, but he closed the season with scoring outings of 13, 19, 26, and 14 points. On the season he averaged 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. Peck is a tough kid, playing on the interior despite lacking prototypical power forward size (6’6” 223lbs). He is able to be successful based on his toughness and energy, something Purdue’s frontcourt was sorely lacking last season. I would expect him to challenge Purdue’s returning players for a starting position – which would allow Rapheal Davis to move back to his more natural position on the wing as a ’3′. Which brings me to probably the most important things that Peck will bring to Purdue: toughness, energy, and leadership. For all of Purdue’s talent last season, all too often the energy wasn’t there. And in many cases, that lack of energy was the difference between Purdue winning and losing. But with Peck joining the Boilermakers, there is now a player who will push guys in practice, and will lead by example during games. Make no mistake, Peck is good enough to beat out nearly anyone on Purdue’s roster for playing time, but hopefully his leadership will push some of Purdue’s young talent towards maximizing their ability as well. Purdue now has three talented energy/leadership players: Peck, Davis, and Bryson Scott. I’m not sure how good Purdue will be next year (though once again, the raw talent is there for this team to be pretty good) but I do feel confident saying that some of the effort issues that plagued this team won’t be an issue next season. And even setting aside what Peck will be able to contribute in the stat sheet, his leadership alone may be enough to make the addition worthwhile. Adding Peck will help Purdue win more games, so this was an excellent pick-up for the Boilermakers.

• FortWayne.com writes:

FORT WAYNE – The Indiana and Purdue men’s basketball programs shored up the teams’ rosters with fifth-year transfers Wednesday.
Evan Gordon, an Arizona State graduate transferring to IU, and Errick Peck, a Cornell grad transferring to Purdue, will be eligible to play immediately.
Gordon averaged 10.1 points for the Sun Devils. The 6-foot-3 guard adds experience for the Hoosiers, who had two upperclassmen on scholarship before his commitment.
Two upperclassmen guards, Remy Abell and Maurice Creek, decided to leave the Hoosiers after the 2012-13 season.
Peck, an Indianapolis Cathedral graduate, will fill similar needs for a Purdue squad with 10 scholarship players.
The 6-foot-6 forward joins the Boilermakers after forwards Sandi Marcius and Jacob Lawson as well as guard Anthony Johnson left the program this offseason.
Both players kept their commitment confirmations brief. The programs are prohibited to comment about players until their letters of intent and all other paperwork have been filed with the university.
Peck sent a simple text message, “Yessir.” when asked if he had committed to the Boilermakers. Xavier was also in the mix for the graduate transfer, and after a visit with the Musketeers, Peck pushed his decision deadline of Tuesday back a day.
Gordon, the younger brother of former IU All-American Eric Gordon, took to Twitter to announce his pledge. He also spoke with Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star the morning of his commitment.
“I have decided to become a Hoosier this coming season,” Evan Gordon said on Twitter. He also considered Butler and visited the Bulldogs’ campus Tuesday.
“Nothing like an Indiana kid playing for IU,” he told Neddenriep.
The Hoosiers are bringing in one of the most talented freshman classes in the nation, but with six newcomers, it may take time to get acclimated. A fifth-year player like Gordon will help with that assimilation, and although he is new to Bloomington, he grew up around the program and learned plenty during his brother’s recruitment by IU.
Gordon is an Indianapolis native and played for North Central before heading to Hargrave Military Academy for his final season of high school. He played two years for Liberty before transferring to Arizona State for his last undergraduate season.
Peck’s path to West Lafayette was simpler.
He played three seasons for Cornell and averaged 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Big Red. Peck earned a redshirt season because of an injury his junior year, but Ivy League schools do not grant a fifth year of eligibility.
He will help a team that finished 16-18 last season behind a talented but young core of freshmen.
The fifth-year player will join an incoming class of three freshmen – Basil Smotherman, Kendall Stephens and Northrop’s Bryson Scott – as well as Jay Simpson, who was with the program last year but sat out with a medical redshirt.

Errick Peck Enrolls at Purdue for Graduate School and 5th Year Eligibility

The big news of the day is that Errick Peck will enroll in graduate school at Purdue University and will play a 5th year for the Boilermakers.  The Cornell graduate was not eligible for Ivy League play as a graduate student.  See the numerous articles below on Peck's decision.

• See some quotes on Purdue 247.
  

• The Indianapolis Star writes:

Former IndyStar Indiana All-Star Errick Peck, a 2009 Cathedral High School graduate, will play his final season at Purdue, he said Wednesday morning.
The 6-6 Peck is graduating from Cornell later this month and will be eligible right away at Purdue. He averaged 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds last season, which turned out to be his last at Cornell. Peck injured his knee as a junior and was unable to play the entire season, but the Ivy League does not allow eligibility to fifth-year players who have graduated.
Peck said it was a dream of his to play in the Big Ten out of high school, but that opportunity wasn’t available at the time.
“I definitely wanted to play in the Big Ten out of high school and didn’t have the chance,” he said. “Now I have that opportunity and schools are calling me instead of me trying to call them. It’s kind of come full circle.”
Peck visited Purdue and Xavier.
“I got along with the Xavier coaching staff very well,” he said. “I got to hang out with the players. It was a great, small atmosphere. It was a tough decision. But Purdue is close to home and I was definitely comfortable with the coaching staff. It seemed like the best decision.”
At Cathedral, Peck was one of the final two players selected for the Indiana All-Star team as a senior. He had 30 points and 21 rebounds in a two-game sweep over the Kentucky team, more than proving he’d earned his spot.
Peck said Purdue coach Matt Painter didn’t guarantee him anything beyond a chance to earn playing time.“He didn’t promise anything, which you expect from any good coach,” he said. “I’m going to work my tail off in the offseason and be a better player than I was last year. Last year seemed like more of a rehab season because of the (knee) injury. I didn’t think I had my full athleticism last year and now I’m starting to feel the explosiveness come back.”

• The Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette writes:

Errick Peck, a 6-foot-6 forward who played three seasons at Ivy League member Cornell, has accepted a scholarship offer from Matt Painter and will use his final season of athletic eligibility with the Boilermakers.
Peck, an Indianapolis Cathedral graduate and a 2009 Indiana All-Star who was a high school teammate of former Boilermaker Kelsey Barlow, averaged 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds this past season for Cornell. He sat out the 2011-2012 season with a knee injury. Peck is graduating from Cornell and will play at Purdue as a graduate student.
He visited Purdue two weeks ago and spent part of this past weekend visiting Xavier, which was the only other school he was seriously considering.
Peck will bring experience, maturity and versatility to a 2013-2014 Boilermaker team that as of this time will have only two other scholarship players with junior or senior eligibility – senior-to-be guard Terone Johnson and senior-to-be forward/center Travis Carroll.
Peck, who averaged 14.4 points as a high school senior, is expected to play small forward or power forward for a Purdue team that will have eight scholarship players who will have freshman or sophomore eligibility.

• The Ft. Wayne Journal writes:

Cornell transfer Errick Peck, a Cathedral grad, has committed to Purdue.
He kept it brief -- a "Yessir." via text -- in confirming the news.
The 6-foot-6 forward fills a need for the Boilermakers, who were down to 10 scholarship players before Peck's commitment. He will be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer.
Peck also considered Xavier. He averaged 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game for Cornell in his final season with Big Red.

• Scout.com/Boiler Sports Report writes:
  

Filling scholarships was a top priority for Purdue this offseason. It made a key addition on Wednesday with Cornell transfer Errick Peck. A source confirmed the forward picked Purdue over Xavier.
Peck, an Indianapolis native and former standout at Cathedral High School, joins the Boilermakers as a fifth-year graduate transfer, making him eligible to play immediately this season.
A 6-foot-6 forward, Peck first visited Purdue on May 1 and got a glimpse of what the program offers. He spent this past weekend at Xavier while his mother visited West Lafayette.
As a senior -- his third year of eligibility -- Peck averaged 9.7 points in 24.5 minutes per game. He missed his entire junior season due to a knee injury.
Purdue lost three players -- Sandi Marcius, Anthony Johnson and Jacob Lawson -- to transfers after the season, leaving the program along with departing seniors D.J. Byrd and Dru Anthrop. The Boilermakers do have three freshmen entering the program, but must add depth for next season.
Boiler Sports Report will provide further updates as they are made available.

• Rivals.com/Gold and Black writes:

Cornell fifth-year transfer Errick Peck has decided on Purdue.
The 6-foot-6 forward chose the Boilermakers on Wednesday over Xavier, Loyola and Duquesne.
"Coming out of high school, I definitely wanted to play at a higher level and for whatever reason, I wasn't able to," Peck said Wednesday, while preparing for final exams at Cornell. "I came to Cornell for the degree itself and to be able to play for a very good mid-major team. For me, education was really important. My parents are teachers.
"This time, academics was important, but it was also a basketball decision. The chance to play in the Big Ten is huge, and so was the chance to see a lot of playing time, maybe even start, and showcase my talents on the biggest stage. That was the main thing. And also to be close to home. My family hasn't been able to see me play consistently since high school. They've missed that and I've missed that, too."
"(Purdue) fit the criteria for all those things."
This past season, Peck started 11 of 29 games for Cornell and averaged just under 10 points and five rebounds per game.
Peck redshirted as a junior at Cornell due to a knee injury, thus putting him on track to graduate after four years and spend his fifth season elsewhere under the NCAA's graduate-transfer allowance.
Peck will come to Purdue immediately eligible to play his final season.
The former Indiana All-Star from Cathedral in Indianapolis gives Purdue 11 scholarship players as of right now and provides key depth in the frontcourt, where Peck is projected to be able to play either frontcourt spot.
Peck hopes his ability to do a variety of different things can impact Purdue next season.
"I know they have a great point guard, a great 2 guard and a great big. I don't want to come in and seek shots or anything like that," he said. "I want to win and that's the main thing for me. But versatility is the main thing. Whether they need me to guard the best player on the floor, get off the glass and go and get other people involved or if they need me to just post up on the block and score. I don't really have a specialty or anything like that. I just play basketball.
"I feel like I've matured a lot since (high school). I was like a 6-5 post player then. I still can get on the block, but I think the best part of my game is being able to get in the mid-post and try to create mismatches against bigger guys or set up jumpers or use size and strength to get to the rim against someone smaller. I think I'm a good passer out of the post."
Peck is the first fifth-year transfer to come to Purdue since the practice has become prominent in recent seasons. And Purdue may not be done adding such players.
Purdue has lost fifth-year transfers each of the past two springs with John Hart leaving last year and Sandi Marcius - assuming he doesn't change his mind and return - this year.

• The Black Hammer writes:

Purdue was in a need for another basketball player for next season and they got one in Cornell transfer and former Cathedral(IN) High School standout, Errick Peck.
Having only 10 scholarship players next season would have been rough but Matt Painter played last season with only 11 and he will at least match that again this season. Peck was down to Purdue and Xavier after visiting both schools over the past 10 days with Loyola(IL) and Duquesne on the outside looking in.
While at Cornell, the 6-6, 224-pound wing averaged 7.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, and 1.1 apg. Errick Peck played his high school ball at Cathedral(IN) in Indianapolis and was a member of the 2009 Indiana All-Star team his senior season. Peck missed a year due to a knee injury but looks healthy over the past year or so.
Peck's former AAU coach David Hamilton gave 247Sports an idea of what to expect from Purdue's future wing:
"Errick is an outstanding person and player. His experience and knowledge of the game would be beneficial to Purdue's younger players. His rebounding and mid-range game would be an added asset to the program."

• HammaerAndRails.com writes:

Purdue Basketball received some much-needed good news on Wednesday when Errick Peck announced his decision to use his final season of eligibility in West Lafayette after playing for Cornell for three plus seasons. Peck was a key reserve as true freshman in 2009-10 on a Cornell team that reached the Sweet 16 and missed the entire 2011-12 season due to a knee injury, opening the door for his transfer to a bigger program.

The numbers are good but far from overwhelming. As a 6'6" 223 pound forward he averaged 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 for Cornell in 2012-13 coming off of injury. How does he fit in with Purdue though?

Outside Shooting

One of Purdue's biggest vulnerabilities in 2012-13 was the lack of any outside shooting aside from D.J. Byrd. Byrd was 79 of 218 from three with Terone Johnson next on the team at 37 of 107. the only player with more than 10 or more made threes for the entire season was Rapheal Davis, who was 10 of 33, and two of those ten came against Western Illinois in the CBI.

Peck at least brings the threat of the outside shot. He was 14 of 43 last year and 25 of 66 as a sophomore. For his career he is 45 of 127 for a respectable 35% average. With Byrd gone much of the same load is going to fall on Kendall Stephens. It is not like Purdue is going to suddenly be full of snipers, but Terone is at least a threat from outside and Davis, Ronnie Johnson, and Peck should at least be decent.

Purdue still needs more production and development from the guys returning as opposed to those just entering the program, but everyone knew Byrd was taking threes last year. Now there will at least be a little mystery and teams don't have to focus solely on one player on the perimeter.

A Better Barlow?

Peck was a high school teammate of the infamous Kelsey Barlow, and what we lost in Barlow's dismissal from the program and a year of his services could be given back even better. Peck is a slightly bigger, stronger version of GDB. He is not afraid to work on the glass and get rebounds. He defends well with the ability to block the occasional shot or get the occasional steal. He can distribute the ball if necessary, though I don't think he will serve as a backup point guard like GDB.

Ultimately I'd like to see him work as a run, rebound, and defend guy that is capable of scoring the ball, just like Barlow was doing before his dismissal. That is not a bad thing.

Senior Leadership

Right now, Purdue has Terone Johnson and Travis Carroll as upperclassmen and that is it. TJ is a player that could be an all-Big Ten talent this year, but Carroll is a hard-working career backup that does some things well, some things poorly, and is more of a reserve than a difference-maker. They are the only two players on the roster that have played in an NCAA Tournament game.

The rest of the roster is comprised of two walk-ons, four sophomores, and four freshmen. That's it. Peck brings in a calming presence that has played in a lot of ballgames and has been through a lot of wars. At Cornell he has played against some decent non-conference opponents (Wisconsin, Duke, Syracuse, Minnesota, Kansas, and Kentucky) so he knows what big games feel like.

As long as Peck meshes well with the roster he helps fill a leadership vacuum. Since he is an Indiana kid on a roster full of them I think he'll do fine.

Projected lineup:

With Peck on board here is how I can see the lineup working out:

Smaller, quicker starting five:

PG: Ronnie Johnson - So.

SG: Terone Johnson - Sr.

SF: Rapheal Davis - So.

PF: Errick Peck - GS

C: A.J. Hammons - So.

That's a pretty quick, athletic starting five that can spread the floor and open things up for Hammons. All four are at least capable outside shooters, and if the volume can come this season that will help Purdue immensely. All can create their own shots as well.

Big Five:

PG: Ronnie Johnson - So.

SG: Terone Johnson - Sr.

SF: Errick Peck - GS

PF: Donnie Hale - So.

C: A.J. Hammons - So.

People have been up and down on Hale, but with the loss of Lawson and Marcius he is now our second best post player by default. I can also see Carroll starting in this role based on experience alone. Carroll is better away from the basket, but doesn't have the size or strength to really pound down low defensively. Hale is slightly better there, but Carroll's hustle was better last season.

Let us not forget Jay Simpson here. The big man can give us a pair of twin towers to cause havoc in the paint defensively like the Pacers are currently doing with Roy Hibbert and David West. Simpson easily could pass Hale and Carroll in the rotation.

Top reserves:

PG: Bryson Scott - Scott is going to be a bulldog and compete for minutes immediately.

SG: Kendall Stephens - With Anthony Johnson gone Stephens is going to get even more minutes. Everyone was talking about his shooting prowess, but Ic an see him starting off as a Ryne Smith/Byrd guy when both were coming off the bench and sniping from long range before teams knew about them and they were starting.

SF: Peck/Davis I think Davis and Peck are our best options here regardless of if we go big or small.

PF: Travis Carroll - Name Purdue's best shooter from the field last season. It was Carroll, who was a stunning 62.5% (25 of 40). You know what you're going to get from Travis. He's going to give you 8-10 minutes of hard work every night, a couple of rebounds, a decent mid-range jumper, and generally scrappy play. We could do worse in that regard. I still like Tacos' jumper enough that I'd love to see him become a three-point shooter (he is 2 of 6 in his career), but I feel the same about Hale, who also shot well from long range in HS.

I would love to have TC as a reserve at the three, but he is not quick enough to defend opposing threes.

C: When Hammons needs a spell Purdue is going to go small. I see Simpson, Carroll, and Hale splitting his reserve minutes, but we could have really used the Chooch in this spot.

From all this it looks like Peck is a key addition. He is more of a forward when Purdue needs another one on the floor, but not a hulking power forward to protect Hammons' weak side. He can bring his defender away from the basket to open up the motion offense, and Purdue was sorely lacking that in 2012-13.

• KentSterling.com writes:

Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star has reported that former Cathedral High School standout Errick Peck has committed to Purdue for his post-grad year of eligibility.
Peck spent the last four years at Cornell, but Hoosiers know him as a an Indiana All-Star who enjoyed a nice prep career at Cathedral.
What Purdue gets in Peck is a selfless and coachable player who can do everything.  He’s 6’6″, long, and athletic, able to shoot it, and possesses outstanding hands.
He can post up, step out and shoot, and is an accurate passer.
Peck was a teammate of my son’s at Cathedral, and he enjoyed Peck as a person and player.
It was baffling to me that Purdue coach Matt Painter didn’t recruit Peck straight out of high school as he signed Cathedral teammate Kelsey Barlow.  He certainly must have seen him play a great deal.
The only downside to Peck in the way he was evaluated was that he was never selfish.  His play is never about him.  He’s a lot more Pacer than he is Knick.
I coached him in a couple of fun youth games when he was 16, and while I was more a proctor than instructor, anytime I called a timeout, Peck ran to the huddle and looked at me with an expectation that I might say something smart to help the team win.
He listened attentively, and always did exactly what he was told – by me.  Imagine the attention he’ll pay to Painter.
This may not appear to be a big deal for the Boilers, but it can be.  Peck will help the culture of Purdue Basketball with his presence, and when called upon, he will do some big things, but a lot of little things all with the intent of helping the team.
Congrats to Purdue, Matt, and Errick.

• NBC Sports writes:

Purdue has added a piece that could bolster their front court next season as Cornell transfer Errick Peck committed to play his final season as a collegian with the Boilermakers.
Peck, a 6-foot-6 forward and Indianapolis native, averaged 11.0 points as a sophomore in 2010-2011, but missed all of the 2011-2012 season with a knee injury. He came back to average 9.7 points and 4.8 boards last year, but with a degree in hand, he’ll be heading to the Big Ten to finish up his career.
Peck will provide a veteran presence for Matt Painter’s club. Purdue has just two upperclassmen currently on their roster — Terone Johnson and Travis Carroll.

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, the 1974-1975 Media Guide.  Below, news and notes for Wednesday...

• FloridaHoops.com checks in on recruiting with the younger brother of Jonathan Gray (Cornell '13), Justin Gray. 

• Cornell is saddened by the loss of one of the program's scorekeepers.  See the reactions of assistant coaches, Mike Blaine and Arlen Galloway.

• As of last night, still no decision on Errick Peck's graduate school destination.  The choice is between Purdue and Xavier.  Follow our Twitter timeline for all of the Errick Peck discussion.

• The Ithaca Youth Bureau is auctioning off a Cornell Basketball Jersey.

• Olimpiacos of Greece captured the EuroLeague title.  Jeff Foote's (Cornell '10) Zalgiris team went 1-1 against the champions this season in league play.  See Foote's performances here and here.  Also this week, Foote and his Zalgiris team received their championship Lithuanian LKL rings.

• Cornell alumnus, Yanni Hufnagel, now an assistant coach at Harvard, may be one of the most "flmaboyant" coaches in the country.  See what he boastfully tweeted about his Harvard team's depth.  In related news, Hufnagel is rumored to be a candidate for an assistant position at Vanderbilt.  Harvard already has a coaching vacancy following the departure of Brian Adams to Marist.

News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, Cornell's 1987-1988 Media Guide.  Below, news and notes...

• The Indianapolis Star notes, "Peck update: Former Cathedral standout Errick Peck visited Xavier this weekend and will make a college decision in the coming days. Peck, a senior at Cornell, has one year of eligibility remaining and will choose between Purdue and Xavier."

• We posted this on Twitter last week, did you know the NBA logo was designed by a former Cornell Basketball player?

News and Notes: Monday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, the 1998-1999 Media Guide with Jeff Aubry ('99) on the cover.  Below, news and notes for Monday...

• Errick Peck could make his graduate school choice today.  His final choice has come down to Purdue and Xavier.

• The Canada Junior Men's National Team (JMNT) will be announcing tryouts soon for the U19 World Championships in the Czech Republic.  Cornell's Braxston Bunce is a candidate to land on a Canadian national team this summer.

• Former Cornell assistant coach, Ricky Yahn, was named head coach of Concordia College of Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Concordia is a member of the NAIA.  The Wheeling (WVa) News Register writes:

Transition has always been something of a skill for Wheeling native Ricky Yahn, and it's a good thing, too.
Yahn, an assistant coach at Longwood University in Farmville, Va., had been the man in charge of keeping the program afloat at the school recently, and was asked to remain on the new staff after his former boss moved on. Lancers players had just left campus two or three days before Yahn got the call he's been dreaming about since he was 16.
Today, Yahn, who graduated from Wheeling Central and Wheeling Jesuit, is the new head coach at Concordia College, an NAIA institution located in Ann Arbor, Mich.
"It's a really neat experience for me,'' Yahn, who also had stops at St. Vincent, Cornell and George Mason, said by telephone Friday. "It's a Lutheran College and there are about 10 Concordias in the United States, and we are all sister schools.
"It's neat to be back at a small, Christian, private school. I have different resources and connections available through similar institutions.''
Yahn becomes the latest to graduate from what has become somewhat a cradle of coaches from the Ohio Valley, joining the likes of Doug (head coach, College of Charleston) and Dave Wojcik (head coach, San Jose State), Dino Gaudio (former Wake Forest head coach) and the late Skip Prosser, who starred at every stop, including stints with the Demon Deacons and Xavier. In addition, Joe Wallace, a former Bishop Donahue standout, was recently named an assistant coach on Doug Wojcik's staff, and Mark Prosser, also a Wheeling Central product and the son of Skip, is an assistant at Winthrop.
"That was something I touched on and talked about in my interview, is the three things that are important to me: faith, family and where I come from,'' Yahn said. "You can't put a specific word on it or say how it's happened, but you look at the last 25 years or so and we've had four or five Division-I players come out of the valley.
"We don't have D-I players or great athletes, but it is a place where basketball is important and there is tradition. That translates into coaching.
"If you weren't someone who had to work, you won't be a successful coach. That's something that growing up in the Ohio Valley fosters."
Yahn, 28, recalled sitting at study break at Wheeling Central and using that time to write in a notebook that he still keeps with him.
The notebook is filled with diagrams of offensive and defensive sets, and ways to maximize a team's ability. For that he credits his former coaches.
"I've been unbelievably blessed to move up the coaching ladder and at every stop be surrounded by coaches who were better than the level they were coaching at,'' Yahn said. "I knew how lucky I was to have Coach (Dave) Wojcik, and really since 2001, I have been trying to train myself for this opportunity.
"Coach Wojcik took over at Wheeling Central when I was a 16-year-old junior and within a month I knew that (coaching) was I wanted to do. He made such an impact on my life.''
So did Jay DeFruscio at Wheeling Jesuit, Jim Larranaga, then at George Mason and currently the national coach of the year at the University of Miami. During his stop at George Mason where he was the team's video coordinator, Yahn had the chance to work with Luke Hancock, who eventually transferred to Louisville and became the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
"It's overwhelming and humbling,'' said Yahn, who noted if he ever needs an ear, just 10 minutes up the road at Michigan is John Beilein, a WJU grad. "I've been joking with my family and friends and it does feel like it happened quick.
"When I got to Cornell I was probably one of the youngest D-I assistants in the country. Now I will probably be one of the youngest head coaches anywhere.''
The news was music to the ears of Yahn's wife, Lindsey, who he married a year ago this August. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Lindsey has spent the last couple of years 11-12 hours from her family. Now, if she cuts through Canada it will be roughly a four-hour trip home.
"She's really excited,'' Yahn said. "My Mom and Dad still live in Wheeling but my brothers moved away, so we have spent most of the holidays and things with her family, and it's been hard on them.
"She has lot of things going on this summer for her with weddings and family things, so we didn't know if she was going to be kind of staying in Buffalo and me in Virginia, or if we were going to go back and forth.
"We've been blessed."

•  Concordia's official release on Ricky Yahn:

(Ann Arbor, MI) - Concordia University is pleased to announce the signing of Ricky Yahn as the new head coach of the men's basketball team. The Cardinals welcome Coach Yahn from his most recent position as assistant coach at Longwood University. While there, he was involved in all aspects of the program, including on-campus and off-campus recruiting, opponent scouting and game plan preparation, coordination of team travel, player skill development, and assisting with practice preparation. Prior to joining the staff at Longwood, he previously spent time as an assistant coach at Cornell University, following a year as the video coordinator at George Mason University, as well as a stint as an assistant coach at Saint Vincent College.
 Yahn was responsible for all team travel operations under Cornell head coach Bill Courtney, and prepared advanced scouting reports of opponents while also being involved with player development. He served as director of Cornell's Basketball Camps, oversaw administrative functions and daily operations, coordinated the recruiting mail-out system with Scoutware, and supervised all student managers.
 At George Mason under head coach Jim Larranaga, the 2013 Division I National Coach of the Year, Yahn managed technical software such as Scoutware and Synergy, prepared teaching DVD's for players, assisted with advanced scouting reports, team travel, was involved with administrative functions and daily operations, and supervised student managers.
 Coach Yahn also has professional coaching experience with the Birmingham Athletics in England, where he served as a player and coach during that time. He has played professionally in both England and Buffalo, New York.
 Yahn was a four-year member of the men's basketball team at Wheeling Jesuit, and two-year team captain, earning first-team All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) honors during 2006-07 when he earned a Team MVP award as well. He helped WJU to a pair of NCAA Division II post-season tournament appearances, along with a WVIAC Championship in 2005, and finished his collegiate career with 1,467 career points, ranking eighth all-time at the school. He is also WJU's career leader in made three-pointers.
 A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Yahn earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Wheeling Jesuit University in 2007. He comes from a long line of successful basketball coaches from Wheeling, WV. His high school, Wheeling Central has produced the late Skip Prosser (Former Wake Forest & Xavier Head Coach), Dino Gaudio (Former Wake Forest Head Coach), Doug Wojcik (Head Coach, College of Charleston), Dave Wojcik (Head Coach, San Jose St).

Concordia University would once again like to welcome another fine adition to the athletic faculty, and wishes Coach Yahn and the Cardinals the best of luck during the upcoming 2013-14 season.

• The Cornell Basketball Prospect Camp will run from June 22-23, 2013.  The Camp is one of the program's most significant recruiting weekends.

• If you missed it, we updated Cornell's projected 2013-2014 list of opponents.  And if you missed it, check out Cornell's 2012-2013 season highlight video.

• Below is an updated list of players committed to Ivy League schools in the class of 2013 (unless otherwise noted):

Steven Spieth.(Jesuit HS) Dallas, TX, 6-6, F, Brown
Aram Martin (Miller School) Charlottesville, VA, 6-9, F, Brown
Lealand King (Brentwood School) Los Angeles, CA, 6-6, F, Brown
J.R. Hobbie (Manasquan HS) Manasquan, NJ, 6-4, G, Brown
Tavon Blackmon (Gonzaga) Washington, DC, 5-11, G, Brown
Matt Madigan (Mt. Tabor HS) Winston-Salem, NC, 6-4, G, Brown
Chris McComber (John McCrae School) Ottawa, ON, 6-7, F, Columbia
Kendall Jackson (Suffield Academy) Suffield, MA, 5-9, G, Columbia
Jeff Coby (Choate Rosemary Hall) Choate, CT, 6-6, F, Columbia
Luke Petrasek (Northport HS) Northport, NY, 6-10, C, Columbia

Connor Voss (St. Cloud Cathederal HS) St. Cloud, MN, 6-11, C, Columbia
Darryl Smith (Blue Ridge School) Chesapeake, VA, 6-2, G, Cornell
Desmond Fleming (College Park Woodlands HS) Woodlands, TX, 6-0, G, Cornell
Robert Hatter (Westside HS) Houston, TX, 6-1, G, Cornell

David Onuorah (Marist HS) Atlanta, GA, 6-8, 230, F, Cornell
Braxston Bunce (Kelowna SS) Kelowna, B.C., Canada, 6-11, C (red shirt)
Holt Harmon (Plano West HS) Plano, TX, 6-9, F (red shirt)

Ikemefuna Ngwudo (Milton Academy) Milton, MA, 6-5, F, Dartmouth 

Eli Harrison (Sisters HS) Sisters, OR, 6-6, F, Dartmouth
Cole Harrison  (Montrose Christian) Memphis, TN, 6-11, C, Dartmouth

Mike Flemming (N'field Mt Hermon, MA) Lincolnshire, IL, 6-1, G, Dartmouth
Wes Dickinson (Peddie School) Hightstown, NJ, 6-6, F, Dartmouth

Matt Fraschila (Highland Park HS) Highland Park, TX, 5-10 G, Harvard 

Hunter Meyers (Douglas HS) Minden, NV, 6-6, F, Harvard 

Zena Edosomwan (Northfield Mt Hermon, MA) Hollywood, CA, 6-9, F, Harvard 

Matt Howard (A.J. Flora HS), Columbia, S.C., 6-4, G, Penn 

Dylan Jones (Village HS) Houston, TX, 6-8, F, Penn 

Dave Winfield (Harvard Westlake HS) Hollywood, CA, 6-8, F, Penn 

Tony Bagtas (Westlake HS) Atlanta, GA, 5-11, G, Penn
Preston Troutt (Trinity Christian) Dallas, TX 6-0, G, Penn
Khyan Rayner (Jesuit HS) Portland, OR, 5-9, G, Princeton

Henry Caruso (Serra HS) San Mateo, CA, 6-4, G, Princeton 

Hashim Moore (Hun School, NJ) Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 6-5, F, Princeton 

Spencer Weisz (Seton Hall Prep) Florham Park, NJ, 6-4, G, Princeton 

Steven Cook (New Trier HS) Winnetka, IL, 6-5, G, Princeton
Pete Miller (Northfield Mount Hermon, MA) Northfield, MA, 6-10, C, Princeton 

Amir Bell (East Brunswick HS) E.Brunswick, NJ, 6-4, G, Princeton (2014) 

Sam Downy (Lake Forest HS) Lake Forest, IL, 6-9, C, Yale
AJ Edwards (South Kent School) Kent, CT, 6-5, F, Yale

Anthony Dallier (Northfield Mount Hermon, MA) Wexford, PA, 6-6, F, Yale 

JT Flowers (Lincoln HS) Portland, OR, 6-5, F, Yale
Maki Mason (Hotchkiss School), Lakeville, CT, 5-11, G, Yale (2014)

• Below, a look at the "Cornell Coaching Plantations"  -- the men's college basketball coaches with ties to Cornell University.

  Jon Jaques (Cornell Class of '10)-Graduate student ssistant coach at Columbia University. Played for Cornell under Steve Donahue.
  
  Kevin App (Cornell Class of '07)-Assistant coach at Army. Played for Cornell under Steve Donahue.
  
  Yanni Hufnagel (Cornell Class of '06)-Assistant coach at Harvard. Served as student-manager at Cornell under Steve Donahue.
  
  Steve Donahue-Head coach of Boston College. Served as head coach at Cornell between 2000-2010.
  
  Zach Spiker-Head coach of Army. He served as an assistant coach at Cornell under Steve Donahue from 2004-2009.
  
  Joe Burke-Head coach of Skidmore College (Division III). He was an assistant coach at Cornell under Steve Donahue between 2001-2004.
  
  Izzi Metz-Former Head coach Hobart College (Division III). He served as a Cornell assistant coach for five seasons between 2001-2006 under Steve Donahue and is currently an assistant coach and head of basketball operations at Boston College under Donahue.
  
  Nat Graham-Associate Head Coach (assistant) at Boston College under Steve Donahue. Served as an assistant coach under Donahue at Cornell from 2005-2010.
  
  Woody Kampmann-Assistant coach at Boston College under Steve Donahue. Served as an assistant coach under Donahue at Cornell from 2007-2010.
  
  Ryan Woerner-Former student intern coach under Steve Donahue during the 2009-2010 season and assistant coach for Cornell's women's team during 2010-2011. Currently director of basketball operations at St. Peter's.
  
  Steve Robinson-Assistant coach at North Carolina under Roy Williams. He was an assistant coach for Mike Dement at Cornell for two seasons, including on the 1988 Ivy League Championship team.
  
  Paul Fortier-Assistant coach at Washington under Lorenzo Romar. He served as an assistant coach at Cornell during 2003-2005 under Steve Donahue.

  
  

  Desmond Oliver-Assistant coach at Charlotte. He was an assistant coach at Cornell between 1998-2000 under Scott Thompson.
  
  

  Ricky Yahn-Head coach, Concordia College of Michigan. He was an assistant coach at Cornell during 2010-2011 under Bill Courtney.

  
  
  
• Throughout the year we provide periodic updates on Cornell's alumni playing professionally. Below, some updates:

-Jeff Aubry ('99) (Halcones Rojos, LNBP Mexico premier league/Indios de Mayaguez, BSN Puerto Rico premier league)-As of May 13, Aubry is averaging 3.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for Mayaguez in the Puerto Rico BSN, the island's premier league.  Mayaquez is 11-8 and in 3rd place out of 10 teams in the league.  A 6'11" center, Aubry splits his time in both the Mexican and Puerto Rican professional leagues. A well traveled pro player, Aubry spent several seasons in the NBA D League in the early part of his career with the Fayetteville Patriots and Florida Flame and earned honorable mention all NBA D League in 2002. Aubry joins Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) (Springfield Armor), Ryan Wittman (Cornell '10) (Ft. Wayne Mad Ants) and Cody Toppert (Cornell '05) (Albuquerque Thunderbirds) as veterans of the NBA D-League.  During his more than a decade of pro experience, Aubry also played professionally in  the ABA (Miami Tropics) and abroad  in Puerto Rico (Arecibo Capitanes, Leones de Ponce, and Santurce, BSN Puerto Rico), Spain (Tarragona, LEB Gold Spain 2nd Division), Mexico (Halcones Rojos and Chihuahua Dorados, LNBP Mexico premier league), Poland (Slask Wroclaw, PLK Poland premier league), Argentina (Libertad Sunchales, Liga A Argentina), Uruguay (Hebraica, LUB Uruguay )and Peru (Alas Peruanas, Peru).

-Alex Tyler ('10) (Rockville Victors, Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League)-Tyler is in his rookie season with the Victors.

-Jeff Foote ('10) (Zalgiris, Lithuania LKL premier league/EuroLeague/VTB Russian League)-As of May 13, Foote suffered a season ending back injury.  He was averaging 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for Zalgiris in the Lithuanian premier league, the LKL.  During the LKL regular season, Zalgiris finished 10-2 and in 4th place out of 12 teams but won the league championship in a 4-0 finals sweep of Lietuvos Rytas.  Foote was named to the LKL's All Star team for the 2012-2013 season.  Zalgiris also finished 8-2 in the 6-team Group C in the opening round of the EuroLeague and was elimited after finishing 6-8 in Group E in the EuroLeague's Top 16 round.  In EuroLeague action, Foote averaged 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.  In a third league of competition, the Eastern European VTB League, Zalgiris finished 16-2 and in 1st place out of 10 teams in Group B.  Zalgiris awaits its first playoff opponent in the VTB.  Zalgiris is currently ranked #3 in Europe.  Prior to the start of the 2012-2013 season, Foote played with the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Summer League and participated in the team's free agent mini-camp.  During 2011-2012, Foote averaged 15.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in the NBA D-League for the Springfield Armor (the Brooklyn Nets' affiliate) after being named a starter at the D-League's All-Star Game during February. Foote finished the D-League season ranked 4th in double-doubles and also 4th in rebounds. Foote averaged 1.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 4 games for the NBA's New Orleans Hornets during a 10-day contract between March 9 and March 19. Foote was ranked by the D-League as its #6 overall NBA prospect.  During April 2012 he was profiled in a video on NBA.com.  He participated in the Portland Trailblazers' 2011-2012 preseason training camp and played the 2011-2012 preseason with with Zastal of       the PLK Poland premier league and the full 2010-2011 season in Spain (Melilla, LEB Gold Spain 2nd division) while on loan from Euro League powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel's premier league.

• Below is a directory listing of some Twitter feeds associated with the Cornell basketball program.

-Josh Wexler ('88)
-Rich Medina ('92)
-Bo Buttenback ('98)
-Dan Wendt ('98)
-Brian Williamson ('03)
-Jacques Vigneault ('03)
-Cody Toppert ('05)
-Steve Cobb ('05)
-Ryan Rourke ('06)
-Andrew Naeve ('07)
-Jason Canady ('08)
-Khaliq Gant ('09)
-Conor Mullen ('09)
-Brian Kreefer ('09)
-Ryan Wittman ('10)
-Pete Reynolds ('10)
-Jon Jaques ('10)
-Louis Dale ('10)
-Alex Tyler ('10)
-Geoff Reeves ('10)
-Jeff Foote ('10)
-Andre Wilkins ('10) (inactive)
-Aaron Osgood ('11)
-Adam Wire ('11)
-Max Groebe ('12)
-Chris Wroblewski ('12)
-Andrew Ferry ('12)
-The Cornell Rebounders Club
-Jonathan Gray ()
-Miles Asafo Adjei ()
-Peter McMillan ()
-Errick Peck ()
-Josh Figini ()
-Galal Cancer ()
-Ned Tomic ()
-Dominick Scelfo ()
-Jake Mathews ()
-Dwight Tarwater ()
-Manny Sahota ()
-Dave LaMore ()
-Shonn Miller ()
-Devin Cherry ()
-Nolan Cressler ()
-Braxston Bunce ()
-Holt Harmon ()
-Robert Mischler ()
-David Onuorah (committed recruit) ()
-Robert Hatter (committed recruit) ()
-Desmond Fleming (committed recruit) ()
-Darryl Smith (committed recruit) ()
-Jeremy Hartigan, Cornell SID ()
-Assistant Coach Mike Blaine ()
-Assistant Coach Marlon Sears ()
-Assistant Coach Arlen Galloway ()
-Brian Delaney, ESPN Radio Ithaca ()
-Barry Leonard, Cornell Redcast/Play-By-Play Annnouncer
-Ed Boulat, Ithaca Journal
-Cornell Daily Sun Sports ()
-Slope Sports ()
-WVBR Sports
-Former assistant coach, Jay Larranaga
-Former assistant coach, Ricky Yahn ()
-Former head coach, Steve Donahue ()
-Former intern assistant Ryan Woerner ()
-Former assistant coach, Zach Spiker ()
-Former assistant coach, Nat Graham ()
-Former assistant coach, Woody Kampmann ()
-Former assistant coach, Izzi Metz ()
-Former assistant coach, Paul Fortier ()

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