News and Notes: Friday Edition

Below, news and notes for Friday...

• Vegas Insider profiles tonight's Cornell at Brown game. 

• The Philadelphia Inquirer writes,"Archbishop Wood's Pat Smith, a senior guard and Cornell commit, had drilled 40 three-pointers through Monday."
  Archbishop Wood's Pat Smith, a senior guard and Cornell commit, had drilled 40 three-pointers through Monday
  Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/242796852.html#73YdAxeWwuElbq6u.99
  Archbishop Wood's Pat Smith, a senior guard and Cornell commit, had drilled 40 three-pointers through Monday
  Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/242796852.html#73YdAxeWwuElbq6u.99""

• The Ivy League previews the weekend action and writes:

...Cornell comes into the weekend in search of its first win over a Division I foe this season with its own triple threat of sophomore guard Nolan Cressler (15.5 ppg, 3rd), junior guard Devin Cherry (11.0 ppg, 17th) and freshman guard Robert Hatter (10.1 ppg, 20th).

Cornell (1-15, 0-2 Ivy) at Brown (9-7, 1-1 Ivy)
Date: Friday, January 31 – 7 p.m.
Location: Pizzitola Sports Center • Providence, R.I.
Live Broadcast: The Ivy League® Digital Network
Cornell-Brown Series: Cornell leads, 73-46
Last Meeting:Brown 84, Cornell 65 • 3/1/13 • Ithaca, N.Y.
Live Stats | Cornell Game Notes | Brown Game Notes

***

Cornell at Yale
Date: Saturday, February 1 – 7 p.m.
Location: John J. Lee Amphitheater • New Haven, Conn.
Live Broadcast: The Ivy League® Digital Network
Cornell-Yale Series: Cornell leads, 110-104
Last Meeting: Yale 79, Cornell 70 • 3/2/13 • Ithaca, N.Y.
Live Stats | Cornell Game Notes | Yale Game Notes

• The One Bid Wonders weekly power poll notes:

8. Cornell (1-15)
Results: L 74-58 vs. Columbia
This week: Friday at Brown; Saturday at Yale
There were some good things about Cornell’s 74-58 loss to Columbia. The Big Red led, 35-32, at halftime. Nenad Tomic scored in double-figures against a Div. I opponent for the first time in his career against the Lions. If Nolan Cressler had shot better than his 0 for 5 clip from deep, Cornell might have made this one pretty interesting. The Big Red have a shot at picking up their first Div. I win of the season at Brown and Yale this weekend.
OBW Ivy League Player of the Week:
Sean McGonagill, Sr., G, Brown
If only he had played 40 minutes—then maybe Sean McGonagill could have gone after that career night he had back in 2011. On that February night three years ago, McGonagill burst onto the Ivy League scene with a 39-point performance. Since then he’s only gone for 30 once (during his sophomore season). Against Yale this past week, McGonagill came close, scoring 29 points in just 26 minutes, drilling seven 3-pointers.
***
OBW Ivy League Frosh Five
Robert Hatter, G, Cornell
Spencer Weisz, F, Princeton
Luke Petrasek, F, Columbia
Tavon Blackmon, G, Brown
Steven Speith, G, Brown

• GoHeels.com profiles former Cornell assistant coach and current North Carolina assistant, Steve Robinson and writes in part:

Wanda Williams thought her husband was moving a tad fast back in 1988 when he told her he was hiring some assistant coach from Cornell named Steve Robinson to fill out his first staff at Kansas.
"'But you just met him,''' Roy Williams remembers her telling him. "'Are you sure?'"
More than a quarter-decade later, the North Carolina coach calls the instinctive choice "the best decision I've ever made in a 24-hour period." And for good reason. ***
 But he only coached at a high school (Albemarle High in Charlottesville, Va.) for a year before his college coach called him back to Radford (and a more regular coat-and-tie wardrobe). Robinson spent three years at his alma mater before moving on to Cornell. There, he helped push the 1987-88 team to the school's first NCAA Tournament berth in 34 years. And he did it by pushing himself.
"My dad worked in textile mill, worked two jobs—sometimes he worked 24 hours in a row, going from one job to the next. He always tried to provide for us, and we always had food on the table and a roof over our head, and I that's where I learned the value of hard work," Robinson said. "So wherever I went, from Radford to Cornell and beyond, I always knew, 'I have to work hard, wherever I go.'"

• The Columbia Spectator writes, "The men’s basketball team (13-6, 2-0 Ivy) opened conference play with a pair of deceptively convincing wins against conference cellar-dweller Cornell... While Cornell went with a smaller lineup, Smith said he expects the Lions to be tested inside by the Bulldogs and Bears... While he noted that [Issac] Cohen was very effective covering Nolan Cressler—Cornell’s scoring leader—the last two weekends, Smith mentioned that guarding the smaller and quicker McGonagill poses different problems than guarding Cressler."

• The Harvard Crimson writes, "One year ago, the Harvard men’s basketball team (15-3, 2-0 Ivy) was scrambling to find its identity.With senior Kyle Casey and co-captain Brandyn Curry gone on a leave of absence, the Crimson’s lack of both depth and experience was evident during the nonconference season. Picked to finish second in the Ivy League coaches poll, Harvard had narrowly scraped by in wins against Dartmouth, Yale, Brown and Cornell before its first conference loss—a 15-point upset at Columbia"

• Duke Basketball Report writes of Syracuse, "keep an eye on point guard Tyler Ennis. In ACC play he hasn't shot it that well, but against Cornell he was 7-8 and he hit 5-9 against Indiana and 5-8 against Villanova."

•  See NBA.com for tonight's preview of Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) and the Springfield Armor vs. Erie Bay Hawks in the NBA D-League.

• Purdue 247 profiles Errick Peck (Cornell '13) and writes in part:

...Peck, also a senior, is a 6-6 forward from Indianapolis, who spent the previous three years at Cornell. Like Carter, Peck has also come in as a role player for the Boilermakers. In an October 30 interview with the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, Coach Painter praised Peck for his versatility and rebounding.
“He's a good combo forward,” Painter said. “He has a good feel for the game. He'll mix it up and play physical. I've been surprised with his ability to rebound. We're going to need him to rebound. That's been great.”
So far, Peck’s rebounding has been a big asset for Purdue, averaging 4.7 boards per game. Peck has also accumulated 4.5 PPG, 0.9 APG, 0.5 BPG, and 0.3 SPG. Although Peck has played at least 15 minutes in 17 of the Boilermakers’ 21 games this year and scored 11 points in each of the first two games this year, Peck has yet to duplicate his early season success. His last of three double-digit scoring efforts this season came on November 28, a 12-point outing against Oklahoma State.
However, Peck did record his best game in conference play last Saturday against Wisconsin. Despite the 72-58 loss, Peck played 21 minutes, tied for the most among non-starters, and recorded 6 points on 2 for 4 shooting.
Peck has even made quite the impression on his fellow transfer in Carter. “He's superman to me,” Carter told the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel in October. “He can play the post. He can play the perimeter. People underestimate his ability to dribble and handle the ball.”
Although Peck admitted there were some frustrations with the new offense during that, those concerns have dwindled as they season has moved along and the Boilermakers have improved as a team.
Although Purdue has stumbled in recent Big Ten games, there have been signs that the team is more than capable of turning it around to make a run into the NCAA tournament, with Sterling Carter and Errick Peck providing the experience and play necessary to accomplish just that.

• 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 January 31, 2014 is No. 338 out of 351 total Division I teams. While neither the Ken Pomeroy or the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, the KenPom.com site ranks Cornell No. 345 in the nation, while the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) have Cornell at No. 341. Both sites are predominantly used by fans and the media.

Visit The Cornell Basketball Blog's Community Forum and Message Board to interact with other fans of Cornell and Ivy League basketball. Membership is free! You may also follow us on Twitter.  Not a member of Twitter? See what The Cornell Basketball Blog is tweeting and retweeting each day by just visiting our Twitter Timeline.  The Cornell Basketball Blog received mention on NBC Sports' social media Must Follow College Hoops Directory.

• Cornell's 2014-2015 Schedule will include Cornell's participation in ESPN's Charleston Classic.

Ithaca Journal What to Watch for Cornell Men's Basketball This Weekend

What to watch for: Cornell and Ithaca College basketball

Ithaca Journal

CORNELL MEN

FRIDAY: Cornell (1-15 overall, 0-2 Ivy League)

at Brown (9-7, 1-1)

WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Pizzitola Sports Center (2,800),

Providence, R.I.

RADIO: HITS 103.3 FM

VIDEO: IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork.com

SERIES: Cornell leads, 73-46

LAST MEETING: The Bears ended Cornell’s 13-game win streak in the series with an 84-65 victory on March 1, 2013, at Newman Arena.

LEADERS: For Cornell, so. G Nolan Cressler (15.5 ppg., 4.8 rpg.), jr. G Devin Cherry (11.0 ppg., 3.3 apg.), sr. F Dwight Tarwater (6.0 rpg.). For Brown, Sean McGonagill (19.3 ppg., 4.1 rpg.), Rafael Maia (10.3 ppg., 8.4 rpg.).

FAST FACTS: Brown is 5-2 at home this season and has won three of its past four. ... Cornell is returning to the site of its last road win and last win over a Division I team; its 69-66 victory on Feb. 16, 2013, was followed by 19 straight losses, then a 77-55 win over Division III Oberlin on Jan. 11 in Ithaca.

SATURDAY: Cornell at Yale (7-9, 1-1 entering tonight’s game with Columbia)

WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Lee Amphitheater, New Haven, Conn. 

RADIO: HITS 103.3 FM

VIDEO: IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork.com

SERIES: Cornell leads 110-104

LAST MEETING: Yale won 79-70 on March 2, 2013 in Ithaca.

LEADERS: For Yale, Justin Sears (15.2 ppg., 6.3 rpg.), Javier Duren (13.5 ppg., 3.9 rpg., 2.9 apg.)

Brown Daily Herald Previews Cornell at Brown

 

Bears seek key Ivy wins in weekend’s home doubleheader

Brown Daily Herald

After the men’s basketball team opened a three-game homestand with its first Ivy League win last weekend, Bruno hopes to carry the momentum into two crucial, early-season conference games at the Pizzitola Center — taking on Cornell Friday and Columbia Saturday.

The Big Red (1-15, Ivy 0-2) has struggled so far this season, picking up their lone win against Oberlin College (5-13, NCAC 2-9) in a non-conference matchup. The Lions (13-6, 2-0), on the other hand, have one of the best records in the Ivy League — just one season after finishing last in the conference.

“We’re feeling very confident,” said Dockery Walker ’15. “We strung together a bunch of good practices in a row, so we’re feeling good going into the weekend. Both teams have their strengths, but I think we have a really good chance of taking both games.”

The Bears (9-7, 1-1) were reminded in practices throughout the week of the importance of defensive toughness, a theme Head Coach Mike Martin ’04 has stressed since day one, Walker said.

“We need to stay solid and stick to our defensive principles,” he said. “Especially against Columbia’s offense, we need to remain disciplined. Our defensive strategy has gotten us this far, so we need to just stick with what has worked.”

Columbia runs a variation on the “Princeton offense,” a strategy that employs on-ball and off-ball screens, frequent backdoor cuts and quick ball movement to catch defenses in mismatches. Through this scheme, the Lions often look to get the ball inside before kicking it back out to three-point shooters around the perimeter. Columbia leads the conference with a 40.1 shooting percentage from deep.

“We didn’t play particularly well on the defensive end against American (University) earlier in the season,” said starting point guard Tavon Blackmon ’17. “We ran up and down trying to outscore them, rather than trying to stop them. Columbia and American have very similar offenses, so we need to learn from that game and give more effort defensively to win on Saturday.”

Offensively, the Bears have produced winning numbers all season, averaging 72.6 points per game — third best in the conference. At the helm, co-captain Sean McGonagill ’14 continues to add to his impressive basketball resume, averaging an Ivy League-best 19.2 points per game.

“Teams are going to try to take (McGonagill) out of every game — he’s the league’s leading scorer, and everyone is aware of that,” Blackmon said. “All of our guys are ready to step up. ”

“Guys have to make plays,” Walker said. “(McGonagill) is a great player. It’s only a matter of time before teams start trying to play tougher defense on him. When he starts getting double-teamed, it’s going to open up other players on the floor for scoring and assist opportunities.”

One area in which even McGonagill can improve is turnovers. The Bears rank seventh in the Ivy League with nearly 15 turnovers per game. Luckily for the squad, Cornell and Columbia are the two worst teams at creating takeaways.

“We need to have patience and make the easy play,” Blackmon said. “We have a young team, so sometimes we try to do too much with the ball on offense.”

Walker added that the team should not take the Yale game as an indication that they can turn the ball over 13 times and still win games.

“Coach Martin spoke a lot about turnovers this past week,” Walker said. “He’s been telling us everyday to be mindful of our turnovers. If we have another game with that many turnovers, I’m not sure we will get the same result.”

If the Bears can limit their turnovers, stay disciplined on defense and get other players involved in scoring to take some of the pressure off McGonagill, the team should find success in their first meetings of the season against Cornell and Columbia.

Yale Daily News Previews Visitor Cornell

Yale set for doubleheader

Yale Daily News

After a disappointing loss in Providence last Saturday, the men’s basketball team will attempt to regroup at home this weekend against Columbia and Cornell.

The Elis (7–9, 1–1 Ivy) got the better of Brown in the conference opener two weeks ago but collapsed against the Bears’ formidable shooting last weekend. Brown shot 9–18 from distance with leading scorer Sean McGonagill going 7–9 from the arc for 29 points. The Bulldogs only shot 36.2 percent from the floor and missed 19 free throws on the way to a 17 point loss.

“[Perimeter defense] is certainly a concern,” said head coach James Jones. “We’ve done a poor job most of the year at guarding the arc, and it seems like we’ve almost been snake-bit. When that happens, guys sometimes try to do a little too much.”

The Elis’ first test of the weekend will come tonight against Columbia. The Lions (12–6, 2–0) have impressed so far this season and will enter the game having won their last six games, including two against Cornell.

Jones said that although Columbia’s schedule has been relatively weak, the squad has still shown solid play early in the season.

“They’ve beaten people that they should beat, they’ve won some games that you raise your eyebrows at, and they’ve won against some teams that you wouldn’t have suspected they would play as well against,” Jones said. “So they’re a very dangerous team.”

The Lions will be a particularly challenging opponent for Yale, as they currently lead the Ivy League in three point percentage with a lofty 40.1 percent. The Elis will rely on a collective effort to guard Columbia’s shooters.

Another issue for Yale so far this season has been the team’s rebounding. The Elis were a great rebounding team last year, with a rebounding differential of +4.0 per game and +5.0 against Ivy League competition. This season, the figure is down to +1.1 overall, and in the two games against Brown, the Bulldogs were a combined –16 in rebounds.

“It’s tough,” said forward Brandon Sherrod ’15. “We got a lot of offensive rebounds last year, and we didn’t lose a lot of length at all. We should definitely be getting more rebounds. I think it’s just a matter of chasing the ball.”

The Elis lost guards Austin Morgan ’13, Michael Grace ’13 and Sam Martin ’13 to graduation after last season. But with the exception of center Jeremiah Kreisberg ’14, who is out for this season with a back injury, the Elis’ frontcourt was left entirely intact. Their rebounding struggles will pose a significant hurdle this season as they aim to improve on last year’s third place Ivy finish.

Cornell (1–15, 0–2) has labored through a tough non-conference schedule and will enter the weekend after losing a pair of games against the red-hot Lions. However, Jones was quick to mention that the Big Red have competed hard and been in almost every game they have played in.

On paper, this is a game the Elis would appear to have all but secured. But guard Javier Duren ’15 noted the importance of staying focused, no matter the apparent strength of the opponent.

“There’s always a tendency to overlook a team, especially when they don’t look as good on paper,” Duren said. “But we have to come out and start strong and not take anyone for granted. I think if we play our game, we will have the results we are seeking.”

The Elis tip off against Columbia tonight at 7 p.m.

Cornell Daily Sun Previews Big Red at Brown/Yale

On to the next | Sophomore guard Nolan Cressler said his team is looking at its mistakes against Columbia and hoping to improve against Brown and Yale.

Red Searches for First Ivy Win 

Cornell Daily Sun

In a league where 14 games decide who will go to the NCAA tournament, the Red’s 0-2 start in Ivy League is troubling, but certainly not crippling. Only two teams in the Ancient Eight have undefeated conference records right now, and if the Red can catch fire, the title is open for the taking.

The Red showed promising signs against Columbia this weekend, one of the two undefeated Ivy squads, and a team that has won seven of its last eight games. Both games against the Lions have featured first halves where the two teams traded baskets. In the opening matchup, Columbia led by three at the half, and in the second game, Cornell took the same lead into the locker room. The final twenty minutes continue to plague the Red, as the squad turned the ball over a total of ten times in the second halves of the losses to the Lions.

“It was good to play competitive, but we still lost both games to them,” said sophomore guard Nolan Cressler. “We are looking at what we did wrong and what we need to correct to get better and move forward.”

This means looking ahead to the next obstacle: a four-game conference road trip that kicks off with Brown Friday. The Bears are 1-1 in the conference and are coming off a 73-56 victory last weekend against Yale.

Leading scorer Sean McGonagill — who is averaging 19.3 points per game, the highest scoring average amongst the Ancient Eight — had a career game against the Bulldogs, scoring 29 points en route to an Ivy League Player of the Week title. The Red will also have to keep center Rafael Maia out of the paint. The junior is averaging 10 points and over eight rebounds per game.

“They run a very good offense, similar to Columbia,” Cressler said. “They are definitely improved this year. They play hard and have a lot of different plays we need to be ready to defend.”

The Red’s defense was one of the highlights in the series against Columbia. Cornell held the league’s leader in three-point field goal percentage to below 30 percent in both games, while forcing the Lions to turn the ball over 22 times.

According to Cressler, the Red’s defensive intensity from the start is a good indicator of how the game will trend. Because the team is at its best in the open court, when it has room to drive to the basket, forcing turnovers is especially important.

“We just know that if we want to get open court, fast break situations, we have to get stops,” he said. “Our defense will turn into instant offense.”

Another sign of good things to come for the Red has been the play off the bench. Senior Jake Matthews, junior Ned Tomic and freshman Darryl Smith all proved their ability to contribute last weekend. Smith had 12 points and five rebounds in the first game and was named Ivy League Rookie of the week. In the second matchup, Matthews had eight points, including two big threes and Tomic had 11 points and pulled down seven boards.

“All three of them bring something different to the table for us,” Cressler said. “Darryl uses his athleticism to make plays and get to the rim. Ned plays with fire and provides energy for all of us. Jake steps up and hits shots and always competes.”

Brown is just the first roadblock the Red will have to storm through if it hopes to move up the Ivy ranks. Leading scorer Justin Hicks and Yale await the Red Saturday in New Haven. The Bulldogs lost their most recent matchup to Brown, but defeated the Bears the week before.

“We are just taking it day by day, trying to get better every day,” Cressler said. “We know that if we do this, we will get some wins going in the league. Road games are always tough in the Ivy League, but that is the fun of it.”

Brown Athletics Game Notes for Hosting Cornell

Brown Hosts Cornell and Columbia In Key Ivy Weekend

Brown Athletics

Audio | Video | Live stats |

Game Notes

Providence, R.I. -  Brown's men's basketball team hosts its first full Ivy League weekend with Cornell and Columbia coming to the Pizzitola Sports Center.  The Bears will host Cornell on Friday, January 31 at 7pm, and Columbia on Saturday, February 1 at 6pm.  Watch all the action on the Ivy League Digital Network, or listen on WPRV-AM 790.

The Records: Brown (9-7, 1-1 Ivy) is coming off a 73-56 win over Yale behind Sean McGonagill's 29 points. Columbia (13-6, 2-0 Ivy) completed the series sweep of Cornell (1-15, 0-2 Ivy) with a 74-58 win over the Big Red. Maodo Lo scored 20 points for the Lions, while Devin Cherry had 12 points for Cornell.

 

McGonagill Named Ivy League Player of the Week:  Brown senior guard Sean McGonagill (Brookfield, IL) earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors for the second time this season when he exploded for 29 points vs. Yale on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including 7-of-9 from beyond the three point arc.

 

Bear Facts: Sean McGonagill '14 ranks 7^th nationally with 3.75 treys per game and is the Ivy League's top scorer (19.3 ppg)… Rafael Maia '15 is the Ivy League's second leading rebounder (8.4 rpg). He had a career high five assists vs. Yale…Cedric Kuakumensah '16 leads the Ivy League and ranks 19^th in the nation with 2.9 blocked shots per game… Brown ranks 13^th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.382)…Three different Brown freshmen have earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors – Steven Spieth, Norman Hobbie (three times) and Leland King… Freshman Steven Spieth scored nine points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out five assists vs. Yale…Freshman Tavon Blackmon's seven assists vs. Yale tied his career high. His 3.5 assists per game are second in the Ivies.

McGonagill 2^nd In Brown Career Treys:  First team All-Ivy guard Sean McGonagill (Brookfield, IL) ranks fourth on Brown's all-time scoring list with 1,421 career points, and is the Ivy League's leading scorer with 19.3 points per game. He has scored 20 or more points 20 times in his Brown career. McGonagill, who handed out a career high 12 assists vs. Daniel Webster, has 468 career assists, third in the Brown record book and 16^th in Ivy history.  His 216 career treys are second all-time at Brown and 17^th in the Ivy record book. McGonagill leads the Ivy League and ranks 7^th nationally with 3.7 treys per game. He also has 117 career steals, 10^th in the Brown record book. McGonagill was named the Ivy League Player of the Week after he exploded for 29 points vs. Yale on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including 7-of-9 from beyond the three point arc.  His seven treys are a career high and eighth in the Brown record book. He was Brown's top scorer in Brown's first game vs. Yale with 17 points. McGonagill tossed in a game high 23 points in Brown's win over New Hampshire. He also netted a team high 24 points vs. URI on 9-of-18 shooting from the field. He scored 19 points against Niagara, hitting five treys, and tossed in 16 points against Northwestern and 22 points vs. Albany. He was named the Ivy League Player of the Week for his play against Providence and Sacred Heart. McGonagill scored 14 of his game high 23 points in the second half vs. Sacred Heart, while also making a career high five steals.  He tried to give the Bears an upset win over Providence, by hitting a trey with nine seconds remaining to put Brown within two points, stealing the inbounds pass and taking a three-point attempt with three seconds remaining that just fell off the front rim.  He scored 14 of his game high 21 points in the second half against the Friars.  McGonagill opened the season with a 22-point performance against Binghamton, connecting on 7-of-10 field goals, including 4-of-6 from behind the three-point arc. He scored 20 points vs. Longwood and 18 points vs. Bryant.  2012-13:  He was the Ivy League's fourth leading scorer with 14.0 points per game and also ranked fourth in the league in assists. McGonagill scored 20 or more points six times, including a season-high 24 points in Brown's win over Princeton that eliminated the Tigers from Ivy title contention.

 

Brown's All-Time Top Scorers – Top 10               Brown All-Time Career 3-Pointers Made

1.     2,041     Earl Hunt (1999-03)                                          1.     232, Damon Huffman (2004-2008)       

2.     1,668     Arnie Berman (1969-72)                                   2.     216, Sean McGonagill (2010-2013)

3.     1,597     Jason Forte (2001-05)                           3.     215, Brian Lloyd (1992-1996)

4.     1,421     Sean McGonagill (2010-present)      4.     201, Rick Lloyd (1988-1992)

5.     1,361     Peter Sullivan (2007-11)                                    5.     165, Mark McAndrew (2004-2008)

6.     1,344     Alai Nuualiitia (1999-03)                               165, Matt Sullivan (2009-2013)

7.     1,331     Mike Cingiser (1959-62)                        7.     159, Adrian Williams (2007-2011)     

8.     1,328     Marcus Thompson (1985-89)                8.     158, Earl Hunt (1999-2003)

9.     1,319     Joe Tebo (1955-58)                               9.     144, by Tucker Halpern (2009-2013)                 

10.   1,306     Damon Huffman (2004-08)                               10.   143, Mike Martin (2000-2004)

 

Sean McGonagill      Career Points            Career Treys             Career Assists

2010-11                                   329                              39                                147

2011-12                                   392                              56                                157

2012-13                                   392                              61                                109

2013-14                                   308                              60                                55

TOTAL                                    1,421                           216                              468

The Brown vs. Cornell Series Record:  Brown and Cornell will be meeting for the 122^nd time, dating back to 1949-1950, with the Big Red holding a 74-47 series advantage. Brown earned an 84-65 win over Cornell in the second meeting last year in Ithaca, NY, behind Rafael Maia's 22 points and 13 rebounds. Cornell had won the previous 13 games between the two teams, including a 69-66 win over the Bears on 2/16/13 in Providence.

The Brown vs. Columbia Series Record: Brown and Columbia have met 131 times, dating back to 1900-1901, with the Lions holding a 68-63 series advantage. Brown has won the last three meetings with Columbia, including a 61-58 win over the Lions last year (3/2/13) in New York City on Tucker Halpern's last second trey to complete the season sweep. The Lions' last win over Brown was an 86-60 decision on 2/10/12 in New York City.

Head Coach Mike Martin: Former Brown basketball standout Mike Martin '04, the 31st head men's basketball coach in the program's 106-year history, has changed the direction and culture of the program, with the building blocks in place to develop an Ivy Championship team. Martin took over the reins of the program in 2012-13 and was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award as the nation's outstanding first-year head coach after leading the Bears to a turnaround season with a 13-15 overall record, including a fourth place finish in the Ivy standings with a 7-7 mark after winning four of its last five games. A four-year starter at Brown, Martin was part of the winningest class in Bears' basketball history, posting a 63-45 four-year record from 2000-2004. He also helped the Class of 2004 to a school-record 39-17 Ivy mark during that period -- the best by an Ivy League team, other than Penn and Princeton, since 1970. An Agawam, Mass., native, Martin launched his coaching career at Brown as an assistant coach in 2005-06 and was an assistant at Penn for six years leading up to being named Brown's head coach.

 

Rafael Maia – 2^nd In Ivy Rebounding: Junior Rafael Maia (Sao Paulo, Brazil), the Ivy League's top rebounder a year ago with 7.5 per game, is averaging 8.4 rebounds per game this season to rank second in the Ivy League. Maia stepped up in Brown's first meeting with Yale by registering his sixth career double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He pulled down a game high 11 rebounds vs. URI and has led the Bears in rebounding in eight of 13 games. His 51-percent shooting from the field (55-of-109) is seventh in the Ivy League. Maia registered his second double-double of the season vs. Niagara with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He pulled down a game high 11 rebounds vs. Northwestern, and led the Bears with 14 points in a win over American on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including his first trey of the season. He registered a double-double against Central Connecticut with 13 points, on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, while grabbing 10 rebounds.  Maia just missed a double-double in Brown's win over UMass-Lowell, scoring nine points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds in Brown's win over Sacred Heart, connecting on 5-of-8 field goals. Maia opened the season with a dominating performance against Binghamton, scoring 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while grabbing nine rebounds.   He had eight points and seven rebounds in Brown's win over Longwood, and netted 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Bryant. The rugged Brazilian, who played for his country at this summer's World University Games in Russia, was named the Ivy League's best rebounder by Lindy's Sports Annuals.  2012-13:  A two-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week, Maia averaged 10.5 points per game, 10th best in the Ivy League.  He netted a career high 22 points, while pulling down 13 rebounds against Cornell, and grabbed a season high 15 rebounds against Rhode Island and Sacred Heart.

Spieth Comes Up Big vs. Yale: Freshman forward Steven Spieth (Dallas, TX) has started all 16 games for the Bears at small forward, averaging 31.4 minutes per game.  His 5.8 rebounds per game are 9^th in the Ivy League. Spieth had a big game vs. Yale with nine points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win over the Bulldogs. He tossed in a career high 11 points vs. Daniel Webster, while grabbing seven rebounds, and scored seven points and pulled down a team high eight rebounds in Brown's win over New Hampshire. Spieth was named the Ivy Rookie of the Week after scoring a career high 11 points against Niagara, while grabbing five rebounds and handing out four assists. He pulled down a career high nine rebounds against Northwestern. He scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds vs. Albany. Spieth scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out five assists in Brown's win over American.  He scored six points and grabbed five rebounds in 36 minutes in the Bears season opening win over Binghamton. Spieth pulled down a season best eight rebounds against UMass-Lowell, and scored eight points against Central Connecticut.

 

McGonagill Named Senior Class Award Candidate - Brown senior guard Sean McGonagill was selected as one of 30 NCAA® men's basketball student-athletes as candidates for the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Award®. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.

Kuakumensah – 4^th In Ivy League Rebounding:  Sophomore forward Cedric Kuakumensah (Worcester, MA) ranks fourth in the Ivy League in rebounding with 6.6 per game.  He turned into the premier defensive player in the Ivy League in his first season at Brown by blocking a school record 66 shots, a mark that ranked sixth in Ivy League history, and was the most ever by a first-year player. He was the first freshman in Ivy League history to be named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.  Currently, his 113 career blocked shots rank third on Brown's career list and 23^rd in Ivy history, while his 2.9 blocked shots per game this year leads the Ivy League and rank 19^th nationally. Kuakumensah blocked five shots in the Bears' win over New Hampshire. He scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds against Northwestern. Kuakumensah netted 12 points, blocked five shots and had seven rebounds vs. Albany, and scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds vs. American. He had 10 rebounds vs. Central Connecticut, and scored 14 points and pulled down four rebounds against Providence. Kuakumensah netted 12 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots vs. Bryant.  He opened the season by scoring nine points, pulling down 14 rebounds and blocking six shots in Brown's win over Binghamton.  2012-13:   He led the Ivy League with 2.4 blocks per game, and scored a season high 19 points against Columbia. Kuakumensah ranked second in the Ivy League in rebounding with 7.5 per game, just one rebound behind teammate Rafael Maia. He turned in the Ivy League's top rebounding performance with 19 rebounds against Cornell. Kuakumensah, who played at the St. Andrew's School in Barrington, RI, blocked seven shots against both Penn and Cornell to tie the Brown record.

 

Brown Career Blocked Shots
1.     163, Matt Mullery (2006-2010)
2.     119, Alai Nuualiitia (1999-2003)

3.     113, Cedric Kuakumensah (2012-2013)

4.     104, Andrew McCarthy (2009-2011)
5.     93, Stark Langs (1981-1985)

 

Hobbie – Three-Time Ivy Rookie of the Week  Freshman guard Norman Hobbie (Spring Lake, NJ) scored 14 points in Brown's first meeting with Yale, connecting on 4-of-8 treys. He earned his first collegiate start and exploded for a career high 20 points vs. Daniel Webster on 6-of-13 shooting from behind the three-point arc, while grabbing four rebounds. Hobbie added eight points vs. New Hampshire to be named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Week for the third time this season. Hobbie ranks sixth in the Ivy League in three-point field goal percentage, knocking down 30-of-70 treys (.429). Hobbie was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the second time after scoring 13 points against URI, connecting on four treys, while grabbing a career high four rebounds. He exploded for a career best 14 points vs. Sacred Heart, hitting 5-of-6 field goals, including 4-of-5 from behind the three-point arc, and was named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Week. Not resting on his laurels, Hobbie tossed in 14 points against UMass-Lowell, connecting on 4-of-7 treys and 2-of-2 free throws. He came back with four more treys in scoring 12 points vs. Longwood.

Blackmon Ranks Second In Ivy League Assists:  Freshman point guard Tavon Blackmon (Upper Marlboro, MD) ranks second in the Ivy League in assists with 3.5 per game. He handed out seven assists, while scoring seven points, in Brown's win over Yale. Despite foul trouble, Blackmon scored nine points in Brown's first meeting with Yale on 3-of-5 shooting from the field. Blackmon scored a career high 14 points vs. New Hampshire on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 2-of-2 from beyond the three-point arc. He had an 11-point performance against URI, and dished out five assists while scoring five points vs. Niagara. Blackmon registered then career scoring highs in back-to-back games, scoring 12 points vs. Albany after he scored a career high 11 points in Brown's win over American on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. Blackmon started and had nine points and three assists in 24 minutes in Brown's season opening win over Binghamton, and is a fixture in the Bears' starting lineup. He had 10 points vs. Sacred Heart, and registered seven points and six assists vs. UMass-Lowell.

 

Walker – Second In Ivy FG Shooting:  Junior forward Dockery Walker (Magnolia, DE) returns after missing all of last season due to injury, and is Brown's third leading scorer with 8.6 points per game. He ranks second in the Ivy League in field goal percentage (.563), and 13^th in the league in rebounding with 5.3 per game. Walker scored 10 points in Brown's win over Yale on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. He put together a 17-point, nine rebound performance against Daniel Webster, where he connected on 8-of-14 field goals. He earned his first start of the season vs. New Hampshire, and responded with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, while grabbing six rebounds. Walker netted seven points and grabbed eight rebounds vs. Niagara, and scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds vs. Albany. He scored all of his 10 points in the second half vs. Central Connecticut, while grabbing six rebounds, and had nine points vs. American. Walker put together an outstanding performance against UMass-Lowell, scoring 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, while pulling down nine rebounds. Walker had a big game against Providence, with 11 points and four rebounds, and came back to scored 11 points vs. Sacred Heart, hitting 5-of-6 field goals, while grabbing five rebounds…2011-12:  He scored in double figures 13 times, including a career high 23 points against Cornell, connecting on 10-of-11 field goals, while grabbing 17 rebounds.  Walker, who started 19 games, was Brown's second leading rebounder with 4.6 rebounds per game. 

King Earns Ivy Rookie of the Week Honors:  Freshman forward Leland King (Inglewood, CA), who is averaging 7.1 points per game, scored 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field against Daniel Webster, all in the second half. He came off the bench to record his first career double-double vs. UMass-Lowell, scoring a then career high 12 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, while grabbing 12 rebounds. He came back to score a new career high of 18 points vs. Longwood, while grabbing eight rebounds, and was named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Week for his play in wins over Longwood and UMass-Lowell. King scored five points and grabbed six rebounds against Niagara.  In Brown's season opening win over Binghamton, King netted six points and pulled down three rebounds, while playing 15 minutes. King had 10 points in Brown's win over Central Connecticut, and tossed in 11 points vs. American.  He grabbed seven rebounds in a win over New Hampshire.

Bears On The Air:  Brown's entire 28-game schedule is being broadcast on WPRV-AM 790 with Scott Cordischi, the voice of Brown basketball and football, calling all the action. Former Brown basketball star Russ Tyler '71 (1,133 career points) provides the color analysis. Brown fans can also listen to the broadcast on BrownBears.com.

 

Mike Martin Radio Show: The Mike Martin Coach's Radio Show will be broadcast every Wednesday throughout the season, from 6-7 pm on WPRV AM-790. The Mike Martin Radio Show, hosted by Scott Cordischi, can also be accessed on Brownbears.com.

Watch Live Video of The Bears On BrownBears.TV: Brown fans can watch a multi-camera HD broadcast of all Brown home games and away Ivy League contests on BrownBears.TV as part of the Ivy League Digital Network. Powered by NeuLion, the Brown Channel is a part of the Ivy League's completely redesigned, nine-channel digital network that includes an easy-to-navigate interface, a League-wide network schedule and new interactive features, such as simultaneous four-game viewing, full DVR controls and social media integration. These new features enhance the viewing experience for the expanded range of events and other content offerings, all of which are available on computer, mobile and tablet devices without the use of an app. Packages for BrownBears.TV are $89.95 for 12 months, $39.95 for four months, $10.95 for one month and $9.95 for a single day and include multi-camera HD coverage of all available home and Ivy away games in football, and men's and women's basketball. 

 

Next Game:  Brown heads north to face Harvard and Dartmouth, traveling to Boston, MA to battle Harvard on Friday, February 7, at 7pm, and then onto Hanover, NH to face Dartmouth on Saturday, February 8 at 7pm.

News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Below, news and notes for Thursday...

• The Daily Pennsylvanian writes, "The Quakers — or anyone else of any consequence in the Ivy League — won’t lose to Cornell, which is just hibernating until its miserable season comes to an end... Columbia has played remarkably well and has done its due diligence early by defeating lowly Cornell, as it should."

• The Columbia Spectator writes, "The Lions themselves have been playing well defensively lately, turning in two strong performances against Cornell. They were able to hold Cornell’s leading scorer, guard Nolan Cressler, to a mere six points in their win over the Big Red in Ithaca."

• Ivy Hoops Online ranks Cornell dead last in its Ivy Power Poll and writes:

8. Cornell (0-2) (7 points)

Cornell showed some grit staging a late rally in New York City and hung with the Lions long enough to keep the rest of the league scoreboard watching well into the 2nd half, but the Red need to get in the win column to receive more than a last place vote in this poll.  -Jake Mastbaum

• BC Interruption writes of Steve Donahue and Boston College, "Would [Dennis] Clifford had made THAT much of a difference on the glass? On the defensive end of the floor? This is a team that has ranked 325, 299 and 325 (2013-14) in total rebounds per game nationally over the last three seasons. 185, 192, 293 (2013-14) in kenpom's AdjD. If you dig a bit further, you'll note that Donahue's teams at both Cornell and BC never did either appreciably well."

• 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 January 30, 2014 is No. 337 out of 351 total Division I teams. While neither the Ken Pomeroy or the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, the KenPom.com site ranks Cornell No. 341 in the nation, while the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) have Cornell at No. 340. Both sites are predominantly used by fans and the media.

Visit The Cornell Basketball Blog's Community Forum and Message Board to interact with other fans of Cornell and Ivy League basketball. Membership is free! You may also follow us on Twitter.  Not a member of Twitter? See what The Cornell Basketball Blog is tweeting and retweeting each day by just visiting our Twitter Timeline.  The Cornell Basketball Blog received mention on NBC Sports' social media Must Follow College Hoops Directory.

• Cornell's 2014-2015 Schedule will include Cornell's participation in ESPN's Charleston Classic.

Yale Athletics Game Notes for Cornell Visit

First Full Weekend Of Ivy Play Brings Columbia, Cornell To Town

Yale Athletics

Tickets | Video | Live stats | Preview

Lions Off To 2-0 Ivy League Start

Yale Game Notes  |  Columbia Game Notes  |  Cornell Game Notes

Yale Statistics  |  Columbia  Statistics  |  Cornell Statistics

Yale Basketball On Facebook  |  Yale Basketball On Twitter

Video: Ivy League Digital Network  |  Live Stats

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The first full weekend of Ivy League play brings Columbia and Cornell to the John J. Lee Amphitheater. The Bulldogs host the Lions on Friday night and the Big Red on Saturday. Tip off on both nights is slated for 7 p.m.  

Friday is Coaches vs. Cancer night. Both coaching staffs will wear sneakers to support the Coaches vs. Cancer® program as part of the 11th annual Suits & Sneakers weekend. In addition, any fan that wears a suit and sneakers will receive free admission. There also will be a number of raffles with all proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society.

The Bulldogs (7-9, 1-1 Ivy) opened Ivy League play by splitting two games with travel partner Brown. Yale got to the free throw line a total of 75 times in the two games.

Justin Sears (15.2 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) is fourth in the Ivy League in scoring and fifth in rebounding. He has scored 20 or more points in a game four times and has reached double figures 13 times. Javier Duren also is in the league's top-10 in several categories. He is eighth in scoring (13.5 ppg.), sixth in assists (2.9 per game), seventh in free throw percentage (.763), third in steals (27) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.0).

The Bulldogs are back on the road next weekend when they travel to Dartmouth on Friday and Harvard on Saturday.

3 KEYS FOR YALE

Share The Ball – Yale managed only six assists last Saturday at Brown. Naturally, the more the ball moves, the more efficient the offense is. The Bulldogs are 6-3 in games this year when they have at least 12 assists.

Watch The Fouls – Columbia leads the Ivy League and is seventh in the nation in free throw percentage at .763 so the Bulldogs will need to limit the Lions' opportunities. Cornell, on the other hand, shoots just 62.1 percent from the line, which may allow the Yale defense to be a little more aggressive.

Defend The Three-Point Line  – Columbia is the top three-point shooting team in the league at 40.1 percent. Cornell  is not nearly as accurate (.320), but the Big Red has attempted the third most threes in the league.

WHO'S HOT

• Justin Sears averaged 18.5 points in the two games against Brown. He had 20 points and was the Ivy League Co-Player of the Week following the win over the Bears.

• Armani Cotton also scored in double figures in both games with Brown. He was particularly effective from three-point range where he shot 50 percent (4-of-8).

HISTORY LESSONS

Yale has swept the Columbia-Cornell home weekend in two of the last three years.

The Bulldogs have won five straight over Columbia in Lee Amphitheater. Last year, Yale shot 62 percent from the field en route to a 75-56 win over the Lions. Columbia, though, rebounded to win the rematch 59-46. Columbia leads the all-time series 123-101.

Yale and Cornell split the season series last year with the visiting team winning each game. The Big Red built an early lead and held on for a 68-61 win at Lee Amphitheater, while Yale got 19 points from Matt Townsend en route to a 79-70 win in Ithaca. Cornell leads the overall series 110-103.

SCOUTING COLUMBIA

The Lions (13-6, 2-0 Ivy) have won six straight games and are 2-0 in league play for just the second time since 2000. The last time Columbia won three straight to start the 14-game tournament was in 1994-95 when they began 4-0 with Jack Rohan patrolling the sidelines. Columbia is averaging 79.0 points per game, fueled by 9.2 three-pointers per outing, during the winning streak. Maodo Lo (14.1 ppg.) and Alex Rosenberg (14.1 ppg.) share the team lead in scoring and are the top two three-point shooters in the league.

SCOUTING CORNELL

The Big Red (1-15, 0-2 Ivy) plays at Brown on Friday night. Cornell has three players averaging double figures in scoring – Nolan Cressler (15.5 ppg.), Devin Cherry (11.0 ppg.) and Robert Hatter (10.1 ppg.). Two of Cornell's losses have come to 2013 NCAA Final Four squads (Syracuse, Louisville) and six total are at the hands of 2013 postseason squads (Syracuse, Louisville and Notre Dame - NCAA, Stony Brook - NIT, Loyola - CIT, Western Michigan - CBI) that went a combined 161-58 a year ago.

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, news and notes for Wednesday...

• Mark Tatum (Cornell '91) was selected by the NBA to serve as Deputy Commissioner under new Commissioner Adam Silver.  See CBS Sports.  Tatum is among several active Cornell alumni in the NBA's administration.

• The Columbia Spectator writes of the Lions, "Men’s basketball, riding a six-game winning streak, is off to a perfect 2-0 start in league play.  But at halftime last Saturday, in Ithaca, N.Y., there was reason for concern. The Lions trailed Cornell—which has yet to beat a Division I team—35-32 after 20 minutes, and were flirting with the possibility of replicating last year’s 1-1 start against the Big Red."  The Spectator also surveys the Ivy and writes, "Cornell (1-15, 0-2 Ivy) still remains winless in Division I play, after a loss to Columbia (13-6, 2-0 Ivy). Columbia, led by sophomore guard Maodo Lo and junior center Cory Osetkowski, extended its winning streak to six with the win. Devin Cherry led the way for the Big Red with 12 points, and forward Nenad Tomic contributed 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Cornell will head to Brown on Saturday, before taking on the Bulldogs in New Haven on Sunday."

• 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 January 29, 2014 is No. 336 out of 351 total Division I teams. While neither the Ken Pomeroy or the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, the KenPom.com site ranks Cornell No. 345 in the nation, while the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) have Cornell at No. 340. Both sites are predominantly used by fans and the media.

Visit The Cornell Basketball Blog's Community Forum and Message Board to interact with other fans of Cornell and Ivy League basketball. Membership is free! You may also follow us on Twitter.  Not a member of Twitter? See what The Cornell Basketball Blog is tweeting and retweeting each day by just visiting our Twitter Timeline.  The Cornell Basketball Blog received mention on NBC Sports' social media Must Follow College Hoops Directory.

• Cornell's 2014-2015 Schedule will include Cornell's participation in ESPN's Charleston Classic.

Game Preview Center: Cornell at Brown, Friday, January 31, 2014 and at Yale, Saturday, February 1, 2014

Get all the information you need about Cornell's games at Brown, Friday, January 31, 2014 and at Yale, Saturday, February 1, 2014, right here with The Cornell Basketball Blog's Game Preview Center.

As the games approach, we will be adding relevant links to this space. Let us know your thoughts on the upcoming games by either leaving a comment to this post, sending us an email (CornellBigRedFan@gmail.com), or posting a message on The Cornell Basketball Blog's Community Forum (click here, free membership).

Multimedia Links

• Ivy League Digital Sports Network (Online Audio Coverage All Games, Video Home Games)
• Cornell Athletics (Live Stats)
• Hits 103.3 Ithaca

Cornell Basketball Related Links

• The Cornell Basketball Blog's Community Forum and Message Board
• Cornell Basketball's Official Website at CornellBigRed.com
• Cornell Daily Sun Sports
• Ithaca Journal Sports
• ESPN 1160 Radio
• Cornell Rebounders Club
• Cornell on CBS
• Cornell on CNN/SI
• Cornell on ESPN
• Cornell on Fox Sports
• Cornell on YahooSports/Rivals.com
• Cornell on The Sports Network
• Cornell Athletics Game Notes for Trip to Brown and Yale
• Cornell Daily Sun Previews Big Red at Brown/Yale
• Ithaca Journal What to Watch for Cornell Men's Basketball This Weekend

Brown Basketball Related Links

• Brown Basketball Official Website
• Brown Athletics Game Notes for Hosting Cornell
• Brown Daily Herald Previews Cornell at Brown

Yale Basketball Related Links 

• Yale Basketball Official Website
• Yale Athletics Game Notes for Cornell Visit
• Yale Daily News Previews Visitor Cornell

Cornell Athletics Game Notes for Trip to Brown and Yale

First Ivy Road Weekend On Tap For Men's Hoops

Cornell Athletics

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GAME INFORMATION
Game #17: Cornell at Brown
Tip off: Friday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m.
Site: Pizzitola Sports Center (2,800), Providence, R.I.
2013-14 Records: Cornell (1-15, 0-2 Ivy); Brown (9-7, 1-1 Ivy)
Series Record: Cornell leads 73-46
Last Meeting: Brown won 84-65, March 1, 2013 in Ithaca, N.Y.
Radio: HITS 103.3 FM (Barry Leonard)
TV: None
Live Stats: available at www.CornellBigRed.com
Live Video: available at www.CornellBigRed.com
Tickets: available by calling (607) 254-BEAR

Game #18: Cornell at Yale
Tip off: Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m.
Site: John J. Lee Amphitheater (2,532), New Haven, Conn.
2013-14 Records: Cornell (1-15, 0-2 Ivy); Yale (7-9, 1-1 Ivy)
Series Record: Cornell leads 110-104
Last Meeting: Yale won 79-70, March 2, 2013 in Ithaca, N.Y.
Radio: HITS 103.3 FM (Barry Leonard)
TV: None
Live Stats: available at www.CornellBigRed.com
Live Video: available at www.CornellBigRed.com
Tickets: available by calling (607) 254-BEAR

HEAD COACH BILL COURTNEY
Cornell head coach Bill Courtney is in his fourth season at Cornell (36-67, .350; 18-26 Ivy, .409) ... Courtney became the fifth Robert E. Gallagher '44 Coach of Men's Basketball at Cornell on April 23, 2010.

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STORY LINES: The Cornell men's basketball team will hit the road for its first Ivy League road weekend when it visits Brown on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. before heading to Yale on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. The games can be viewed live on the Ivy League Digital Network, or you can listen to Barry Leonard's radio call on HITS 103.3 FM.

Cornell has played some good basketball despite its 1-15 start, with two of the losses coming to 2013 NCAA Final Four squads (Syracuse, Louisville) and six total coming at the hands of 2013 postseason squads (Syracuse, Louisville and Notre Dame - NCAA, Stony Brook - NIT, Loyola - CIT, Western Michigan - CBI) that went a combined 161-58 a year ago. Cornell has shown glimpses of really good play despite its heavy reliance on underclassmen and inexperienced upperclassmen. Three of the team's top five scorers are freshmen or sophomores and the three top upperclassmen had made a combined 23 career starts entering the year. The Big Red led then-No. 8/7 Syracuse by 14 points in the first half and by six at the break, led a Loyola (MD) team that won 23 games a year ago by seven points with five minutes remaining and had a 19-point advantage against Binghamton with 13 minutes left and a 10-point lead with four minutes to play against Siena and led Western Michigan in the second half. Cornell went on to drop all five games.

The Big Red backcourt has been its strength, with its three starting guards all averaging double figures. Sophomore guard Nolan Cressler is off to a great start for the Big Red, averaging 15.5 points and 4.8 rebounds and freshman guard Robert Hatter is at 10.1 ppg., while chipping in 2.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds. Playmaking junior Devin Cherry rounds out the trio at 11.0 ppg. to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Senior forward Dwight Tarwater has been a double-double threat, posting 6.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per night. Freshman Robert Onuorah (3.1 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 0.6 bpg.) and junior Deion Giddens (3.8 ppg., 3.1 rpg., 0.6 bpg.) are holding down the middle, while senior guard Dominick Scelfo (3.1 ppg., 1.0 apg.) and freshman guard Darryl Smith (4.5 ppg., 2.0 rpg.) are providing firepower off the bench. The Big Red is scoring 65.4 points on 42 percent shooting and has a near-neutral assist:turnover ratio (191:198). Much of Cornell's troubles have come on the defensive end, where the team is allowing 80.1 points on 49 percent shooting, including 40 percent from 3-point range. It has been much better over its last four games, surrendering 69.6 points on 45 percent shooting and 33 percent from 3-point range.

A WIN OVER BROWN WOULD:
• snap an eight-game Ivy League losing streak.
• give the Big Red its first road win after 11 straight defeats.
• be the 1,211th in program history (1,210-1,341 in 114 seasons).

ABOUT BROWN:
• Brown enters the weekend with a 9-7 record and a 1-1 mark in Ivy League play and are winners of three of their last four games.
• The Bears are 5-2 at home after defeating Yale 73-56 on Jan. 25 in its conference opener at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
• Sean McGonagill leads the Ivy League in scoring at 19.3 ppg. to go along with 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 46 percent from the floor and 43 percent from 3-point range.
• Rafael Maia is the team's other double figure scorer at 10.3 ppg. and averages 8.4 rebounds per contest.
• Reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week Cedric Kuakumensah is posting 2.9 blocks per game.
• The Bears are averaging 72.6 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 40 percent from beyond the arc and outrebounds opponents by more than five per game.
• Second year head coach Mike Martin, a Brown grad, has quickly moved the program toward the top of the Ivy standings and has a 22-22 mark.

THE CORNELL-BROWN SERIES:
• Cornell leads the series 73-46, dating back to the first meeting between the teams in the 1949-50 season.
• The Big Red is 16-2 in the last 18 contests against the Bears.
• Brown ended Cornell's 13-game win streak in the series with its 84-65 victory at Newman Arena last March.

ABOUT YALE:
• Yale is 7-9 overall and just 2-5 in its last seven contests, though one of those wins was a home victory over Brown (74-67) in its Ivy opener.
• The Bulldogs have a pair of double figure scorers in sophomore forward Justin Sears (15.2 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) and junior guard Javier Duren (13.5 ppg., 3.9 rpg., 2.9 apg.).
• Yale's opponents are shooting 46 percent from the floor and 43 percent from 3-point range, but are outrebounding opponents and averaging nearly 12 offensive boards per contest.
• The dean of Ivy League men's basketball coaches, 15th year mentor James Jones. He enters the weekend just three wins shy of 200 for his career and ranks fifth in conference history with 109 Ivy wins.
• Only 19 Division I coaches in the country have been at their institution as long as Jones has been at Yale.

THE CORNELL-YALE SERIES:
• Cornell leads 110-104 overall in a series that dates back to the 1898-99 campaign.
• Cornell has had the best of the series recently, winning 11 of the last 16 meetings.
• The two teams split last season's series, with each team winning on the road.

NOTES TO KNOW:
• Cornell has increased its win totals in each of the last two seasons under head coach Bill Courtney, from 10 in 2010-11 after graduating eight seniors from the previous year's NCAA Sweet 16 team, to 12 in 2011-12 to 13 a year ago.
• Cornell's 16 opponents have a combined 167-140 (.544) record and nine of the teams have already captured at least 10 wins on the year.
• In its last five games, Cornell opponents are shooting 45 percent from the floor and 33 percent from 3-point range, while the Big Red has been even on the glass (31.4-31.4).
• In the Big Red's seven home games, Cornell is shooting 45 percent from the floor and has 100 assists to just 73 turnovers, but has attempted 88 fewer free throws than its opponents.
• After surpassing 500 career points and 50 assists, Cressler is seven rebounds shy of 200 for his career.
• Junior Devin Cherry has hit for double figures in seven consecutive games, averaging 12.9 points over that span.
• In his last two home games, junior forward Ned Tomic has averaged 15.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals while shooting .609 from the floor (14-of-23).
• In his last three games, senior Jake Matthews is averaging 7.0 points and 1.3 steals while hitting 6-of-10 field goals and 5-of-9 from 3-point range.
• Big Red players have already missed 25 games already this season due to injury.

HOW TO FOLLOW CORNELL:
• There are numerous way to follow the Big Red through the 203-14 basketball season.
• Men's basketball games will be broadcast on HITS 103.3 FM for the 2013-14 season. Longtime voice of the Big Red Barry Leonard returns on the call with the play-by-play, while former All-Ivy center Eric Taylor'05 is on board to do color analysis.
• A half-hour pregame show and postgame analysis will enable Big Red fans to follow Coach Bill Courtney's team throughout the season.
• The audio of all games will also be available as part of the IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork subscription service.
• The Big Red's home contests will all be broadcast live with streaming video as part of the IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork subscription service. Visit www.IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork.com for all the latest information on Cornell broadcasts.
• Cornell will use SIDEARM Live Stats for each of the Big Red's home games in 2013-14. Visit www.CornellBigRed.com for all of the official statistics.
• You can follow the team on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Highlights, interviews and features on all 36 of Cornell's varsity sports can be found at www.youtube.com/cornellathletics, www.facebook.com/cornellathletics or www.twitter.com/cornellsports.

NEXT UP:
• The Big Red remains on the road to face Penn on Friday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. and Princeton on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.