News and Notes: Friday Edition

Below, news and notes for Friday...

• Grantland says Cornell's 2010 Sweet Sixteen and nationally ranked team may re-unite.

• The Ithaca Journal capsule for Cornell's weekend games notes: 

FRIDAY: Cornell (2-22 overall, 1-9 Ivy League) at Harvard (20-4, 9-1) WHEN: 7 p.m. WHERE: Lavietes Pavilion (2,050), Cambridge, Mass. RADIO: 98.7 FM The Buzzer VIDEO: IvyLeagueDigitalNetwork.com SERIES: Cornell leads 90-75 LAST MEETING: Harvard stretched its win streak over Cornell to seven games with a 67-44 victory on Feb. 15 at Newman Arena. Reserve Brandyn Curry led the Crimson with 14 points, while Cornell got a game-high 17 from sophomore guard Nolan Cressler. LEADERS: For Cornell, so. G Nolan Cressler (17.0 ppg., 4.4 rpg.), jr. G Devin Cherry (12.2 ppg., 3.4 apg.), sr. F Dwight Tarwater (6.1 ppg., 5.8 rpg.). For Harvard, jr. G/F Wesley Saunders (14.3 ppg., 4.6 rpg.), so. G Siyani Chambers (11.0 ppg., 4.7 apg.), sr. F Kyle Casey (10.0 ppg., 5.7 rpg.). FAST FACTS: The Crimson has 12-11 edge in the past 23 meetings with Cornell, and will be looking for its fourth straight sweep of the season series. ... Harvard is 9-1 at home, its only loss coming on Feb. 8 vs. Yale (74-67). ... The Crimson have won or shared the past three Ivy League titles and are a game ahead of Yale (14-10, 8-2) atop the standings. SATURDAY’S GAME: Cornell at Dartmouth (9-15, 2-8, play tonight at Columbia), 7 p.m., Leede Arena, Hanover, N.H. 

• The Star Ledger of N.J. writes, "Going into this weekend’s game, Harvard, at 9-1 in league play, holds a one-game lead over Yale (8-2).  The Crimson hosts Columbia and Cornell this weekend and will be hoping to get some help from Princeton, or Penn, who host Yale."

• The Ivy League has its weekend capsules for the upcoming games and notes:

Cornell (2-22, 1-9 Ivy) at Harvard (22-4, 9-1 Ivy)
Date: Friday, February 28 – 7 p.m.
Location: Lavietes Pavilion • Cambridge, Mass.
Live Broadcast: The Ivy League® Digital Network
Cornell-Harvard Series: Cornell leads, 90-75
Last Meeting: Harvard 67, Cornell 44 • 2/15/14 • Ithaca, N.Y.
Live Stats | Cornell Game Notes | Harvard Game Notes
***
Cornell at Dartmouth
Date: Saturday, March 1 – 7 p.m.
Location: Leede Arena • Hanover, N.H.
Live Broadcast: The Ivy League® Digital Network
Cornell-Dartmouth Series: Cornell leads, 104-103
Last Meeting: Cornell 70, Dartmouth 67  • 2/14/14 • Ithaca, N.Y.
Live Stats | Cornell Game Notes | Dartmouth Game Notes

• The Columbia Spectator writes, "the [Harvard] Crimson hosts Cornell, one of the worst teams in Division I."

• The Crimson picks the weekend games and writes:

CORNELL V. HARVARD
2010: Cornell 29-5, Harvard 21-7
2014: Harvard 22-4, Cornell 2-22
Do you remember the first game of the season, when this Cornell team was up eight at halftime on Syracuse? Me neither.
Pick: Harvard
***
CORNELL V. DARTMOUTH
Cornell-Dartmouth is a lot like Freshman Formal: You don’t want to go and if you do, you won’t remember it the next morning.
Pick: Dartmouth

• The Columbia Spectator surveys the Ivy and writes:

In the sixth week of Ivy League play, Harvard (22-4, 9-1 Ivy) claimed sole possession of the top position in the standings by finishing the weekend undefeated. Both Columbia (17-10, 6-4 Ivy) and the Crimson went 2-0 this weekend, while Yale (14-10, 8-2 Ivy), Princeton (15-8, 3-6 Ivy), Penn (7-16, 4-5 Ivy), and Brown (14-10, 6-4 Ivy) all split their respective contests. Dartmouth (9-15, 2-8 Ivy) and Cornell (2-22, 1-9 Ivy) went winless. 

***

Yale entered the weekend tied with Harvard atop the standings. The Bulldogs were able to pick up a win in their first contest against Cornell. Yale started out hot and held a commanding 45-31 lead at half. The Big Red had no answer for the Yale offense in the second half, and ultimately fell in Ithaca, 82-65. Forward Justin Sears led the way for the Bulldogs with 19 points and five rebounds, though the Yale bench also contributed 37 points to the effort. 

***

Brown had yet another exciting weekend, as both its games were decided in the final seconds. At Levien, the Bears were unable to retain an early 11-point lead and ultimately lost to Columbia, 70-68.

Brown played another thriller against Cornell the following day. The teams exchanged buckets throughout the second half, and neither team held more than a three-point lead, as Cornell held the ever-dangerous Bears guard Sean McGonagill to just seven points. 

But with 23 seconds remaining, Brown forward Cedric Kuakumensah hit a clutch layup to tie the game. Cornell had an opportunity to get back on top, but guard Devin Cherry was unable to hit a jump shot, and the game went to overtime. 

The momentum shifted in Brown’s favor in the extra period. The Bears got off to a quick start and never relinquished their lead, finishing off the Big Red, 81-75. Kuakumensah led the Bears by recording a double-double with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Nolan Cressler posted 34 points for Cornell in the loss.

***

Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Dartmouth will play at home next week. The Crimson and Big Green will take on Columbia and Cornell, while Penn and Princeton will face Yale and Brown. Harvard will look to continue its four-game win streak and stay on top of the standings, while Yale will fight to remain in the running as it faces Princeton and Penn.

•  The NCAA notes Kuakumensah's 7 blocks vs. Cornell.

• As the Steve Donahue debate continues to rage on at Boston College, a Jersey Guy writes, "Donahue did it at Cornell, eventually turning the Big Red into a Sweet 16 team in his final season in Ithaca. But it took 7 years to turn the program into a winner and Donahue did it in the middle class neighborhood of Ivy League basketball."  BC Gavel writes, "though it took him all of seven years to turn Cornell from zero to hero, does Boston College have the patience and the faith to preserve Donahue’s career? And by bringing in a coach who took so long to build a venerable program and gain stature at Cornell, was it unrealistic for BC to expect Donahue to turn around a program in such a short period of time?"

• In the NBA D-League with the Springfield Armor (Brooklyn Nets affiliate), Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) had another strong game last night. 

• The Ft. Wayne News Sentinel writes of Errick Peck (Cornell '13) now a graduate student player with Purdue, "If you've followed the Boilers, you know there have been problems.  [Matt] Painter signed a couple of fifth-year seniors in Errick Peck and Sterling Carter, and they've had their moments, although not season-changing ones."

• Cornell's incoming recruiting class next season includes four members: Riley Glassmann (Fremd HS) Palatine, IL, 6-5, G, William "Will" Bathurst (Olean HS) Olean, NY, 6-3, G, Jordan Abdur-Ra'oof (Gonzaga HS) Washington, D.C., 6-7, F, and Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood HS) Warminster, PA, 6-5, F.   Will Bathurst is one of six finalists for Mr. Basketball in New York State awarded by the New York Sports Writers.  See also WIVB.

• 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 February 28, 2014 is No. 331 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. 335 in the nation, while the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) have Cornell at No. 329. 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.

Cornell Daily Sun Previews Big Red at Harvard/Dartmouth

Hoopers to Visit Harvard, Dartmouth On Final Road Trip

Cornell Daily Sun

After a devastating overtime loss on its home court last Saturday against Brown, the Red will embark on the final road trip of the season this weekend. First up will be the top-ranked team in the Ivy League, Harvard (22-4, 9-1 Ivy League), which comes into Friday’s matchup with a four-game win streak. The squad will then battle to move out of the cellar of the Ancient Eight when it takes on Dartmouth (9-15, 2-8 Ivy League) the following night.

The Red scratched and clawed its way into overtime against Brown last weekend, allowing the Bears to tie the game up on an uncontested layup with less than 20 seconds to go. Brown would eventually outscore Cornell 14-8 in overtime to escape with the win.
Cornell has not been lacking in grit and fight in its conference losses thus far. Leading scorers junior guard Devin Cherry and sophomore guard Nolan Cressler put up career performances against Brown, with Cherry playing every minute of the game and Cressler playing all but eight. The duo combined for 51 of the team’s 75 points. Cherry also helped out his teammates with 10 assists.

“Their production is always huge for us, in every game,” said senior guard Jake Matthews. “They are great at not only creating offense for themselves, but for others. They attract so much attention that it opens up opportunities for others to contribute offensively.”

While the team’s success rides on Cherry’s and Cressler’s abilities to find the open man, a focal point for the Red against Harvard will be on the defensive end of the floor.

Like Cornell, the Crimson’s strengths are in their guard play, which is led by sophomore point guard Siyani Chambers. The young guard is second in the conference in assists with 4.7 per game, and is joined in the backcourt by the league’s eighth leading scorer, junior Wesley Saunders.

The Crimson also features a deep bench, and while it leads the league in offensive production with 72.7 points per game, most of the scoring is evenly distributed throughout the roster. The Crimson has six players averaging more than nine points per game, and four of them are guards.

“We need to limit [their guards] from getting in the paint,” Matthews said. “If they are able to penetrate the lane, it sucks our defense in, leaving scorers open on the perimeter for easy scoring opportunities. If we can do that and then also embrace their physicality, we will be much better off.”

The Crimson took a 67-44 win away from Newman Arena when the teams matched up last time on Feb. 15. The Red has the opportunity to not only avenge that loss, but also to play spoiler, as Yale remains right on the heels of Harvard in the conference’s top two spots. A Harvard loss and a Yale win on Friday would put the teams in a tie for first place.

“There is definitely some incentive to play spoiler, and taking that approach allows you to play a little more loose[ly],” Matthews said.

The Red’s sole Ivy League win this season was a 70-67 victory over Dartmouth two weeks ago. If Cornell can replicate that success it could come out of the weekend on top of the Green in the conference standings.

After winning two of its first four Ivy games, the Green has dropped six straight. Those two wins came against Princeton and Penn. Dartmouth has three players averaging double figures, with leading scorer Gabas Maldunas just shy of a double-double with 11.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Maldunas will be a threat in the paint for the Red, which has struggled to both score and defend down low so far this season.

“I expect they will come out firing,” Matthews said. “They have a chance to play us on their home court with a little extra incentive after our first game, so we need to be prepared.”

As the season winds down, the Red has four more chances to prove that it can contend in the Ivy League with a team that has been ravaged by injuries. Though much of the season has been a disappointment, according to senior guard Jake Matthews, the team will have to leave the past behind going into these two tough matchups against Harvard and Dartmouth.

“We’ve definitely had our struggles this year, but our only option is to pull ourselves out of this hole and keep fighting,” he said. “We have two more opportunities this weekend to prove ourselves — that’s our mentality going in.”

Crimson Previews Cornell at Harvard

For Casey and Curry, A Long Road to Senior Night

The Crimson

Every year, Harvard men’s basketball coach Tommy Amaker shares with the team’s seniors his own experiences as a senior playing in his final home contest for Duke. As Amaker noted, quite a bit has changed in college basketball over the years, but the tradition of Senior Night is one thing that is readily relatable to all players: the emotion of the pregame recognition, followed by the need to immediately shift focus to what happens on the court.

But for senior Kyle Casey and co-captain Brandyn Curry, who returned to school this year after taking a year off in the wake of the Government 1310 cheating case, this Friday’s Senior Night against Cornell might mean a little bit more.

“It kind of hasn’t hit me yet, I kind of don’t want it to, thinking about the last time I’m going to suit up at Lavietes [Pavilion],” Curry said.

“It’s definitely going to be a special moment. I’ve got some more family coming up, and I’m just going to enjoy it.”

Amaker discussed how the journeys of Casey and Curry to get back to school were made more difficult by the fact that their names were the only ones released in association with the scandal. While other students that had to take time off at least avoided the ignominy of having their involvement made public, Casey and Curry have had to deal with the backlash from the outside world, as well as the jeers of opposing fans.

“I’m incredibly proud of those guys for what they had to endure and how they handled it and how, in a lot of ways, they became the face of [the scandal] for everybody…. I thought those guys were magnificent with it,” Amaker said.

Though the two seniors’ roles have changed substantially since re-entering the program—largely in order to accommodate the rise of sophomore point guard Siyani Chambers and junior guard Wesley Saunders—their team’s success has them right where they hoped they would be when they came back. The Crimson sits atop the Ivy League and, after a road sweep of Penn and Princeton,  is in control of its own destiny.

“This is what they wanted to return to do, to be in a position like this,” Amaker said. “It’s a long way before anything ever ends in terms of our regular season, but we’re in position.”

Curry and Casey will be honored in a ceremony before the game along with co-captain Laurent Rivard, Dee Giger, and Tom Hamel.In what was perhaps a savvy scheduling move, the Crimson will be able to deal with those distracting emotions against a struggling opponent in the last-place Big Red, which has won only one Division I game all year.

Saturday night’s test will be far stiffer, as Columbia comes to Cambridge fresh off of its first Ivy League weekend sweep since 2009. The Lions, which dealt Yale its second conference loss of the year, will be looking to avenge a double-overtime defeat suffered to the Crimson on Valentine’s Day.

On defense, Harvard’s main challenge will be containing junior forward Alex Rosenberg, the Ivy’s fourth-leading scorer (15.8 points per game) and top three-point shooter (44.2 percent). In the teams’ last meeting, Rosenberg scored a career-high 34 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Rosenberg’s lowest point total in conference play was 12 in a Feb. 1 loss at Brown. He has averaged 21.7 points per game in the six contests since.

The Crimson has an outside shot of clinching its fourth consecutive Ivy League regular season championship and third straight NCAA tournament berth this weekend, as Yale pays visits to Princeton on Friday and Penn on Saturday. If the Bulldogs lose both contests and Harvard sweeps, the Crimson will have a three-game lead in the standings with two games to play.

More likely is that this weekend’s play will set the stage for a pivotal game next Friday night in New Haven, when Harvard travels to Payne Whitney Gymnasium for a showdown against its archrival, with massive title implications on the line.

Chances are that the Crimson will not be looking that far ahead. At Monday’s media conference, Curry was surprised to learn that Yale had even been in action the day before and that his team was a game clear in the standings. For now, Curry and his Harvard teammates are only looking to avoid a letdown against Cornell on what promises to be an emotional night.

“It’s easy to fall into the trap of ‘Oh, we’re at home, it’s going to be easy—it’s senior week, so it should be easy,” Curry said. “But I know this team, and I know that we certainly won’t.”

Harvard Athletics Game Notes for Cornell

Men's Basketball Closes Home Slate Versus Cornell, Columbia

Harvard Athletics

| Video | Live stats

Game Info Date Time Venue Tickets Stream Talent Radio Talent Stats Notes

Harvard vs. Cornell Friday, Feb. 28 7:00 p.m.   Lavietes Pavilion Buy Tickets Ivy League Digital Network Bill Spaulding and Scott Sudikoff WHRB Zack Guzman and Brecka Fetzer Live Stats Harvard Game Notes   Cornell Game Notes

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Game Info Date Time Venue Tickets Stream Talent Radio Talent Stats Notes

Harvard vs. Columbia Saturday, March 1 7:00 p.m.   Lavietes Pavilion SOLD OUT Ivy League Digital Network   Scott Sudikoff and Bill Spaulding WHRB Zack Guzman and Brecka Fetzer Live Stats Harvard Game Notes   Columbia Game Notes

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The Storyline
The Harvard men's basketball team will close out its home schedule this weekend when it welcomes Cornell and Columbia to Lavietes Pavilion. The Crimson will first host the Big Red on Friday, Feb. 28 before facing off against the Lions Saturday, March 1. Both games will tip off at 7 p.m. and can be seen live on the Ivy League Digital Network.

Prior to Friday's game versus Cornell, Harvard will honor the careers of its five seniors; Kyle Casey, Brandyn Curry, Dee Giger, Tom Hamel and Laurent Rivard. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to help celebrate their accomplishments, which include three Ivy League titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances.

Noteables
• Harvard enters play this weekend with a one-game lead on Yale in the Ivy League standings. With just four games remaining, including a rematch with the Eli next weekend in New Haven, the Crimson is in search of its fourth straight Ancient Eight title.

• Harvard's 22 wins this year are the third most in program history behind the 26 victories posted by the 2011-12 squad and the 23 triumphs for the 2010-11 team.

• Siyani Chambers, a 2014 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award Watch List Finalist, was named Ivy League Player of the Week on Monday for a third time this season after averaging 11.0 ppg and 9.0 apg at Penn and Princeton.

• Steve Moundou-Missi registered his first career double-double at Princeton with 11 points and 10 boards.

Last Time Out
Trailing 37-32 with 13:19 remaining, the Harvard men's basketball team outscored Princeton 27-10 the rest of the way to take a 59-47 win at Jadwin Gym Saturday night.

The win was a significant one for the Harvard record books, as it marked the team's first victory at Princeton's Jadwin Gym since 1989. Coupled with Friday's triumph at Penn, it also marks the first time a Crimson team has swept the Penn-Princeton road trip since 1985, and signifies the first time in the 103 year history of the program that a Harvard team has earned a season sweep of both Penn and Princeton in the same year.

Brandyn Curry sparked the comeback effort with a season-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 3-of-5 from three, with 12 of his points coming after the intermission. Steve Moundou-Missi turned in his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field while adding four blocks. Siyani Chambers contributed 13 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Ivy League Digital Network
For the first time ever, all of Harvard's home games and road Ivy League contests which are not being televised will be streamed in HD quality featuring a live scoreboard, new graphics package and play-by-play commentary through the Ivy League Digital Network. Subscribers to the network can watch games both live and On-Demand on their computers, tablets or smart phones, and will have access to live and On-Demand content for all Harvard events throughout the duration of their subscription.

PURCHASE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TODAY!

Socialize
Follow Harvard Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected with all the breaking news from around Cambridge and to get inside access to your favorite Crimson programs.

Rank and File
Harvard was listed as receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 each of the first 14 weeks of the season. The Crimson also received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll in eight of the first 14 weeks. The Crimson last appeared in either poll the week of Feb. 6, 2012 when the AP had the squad ranked No. 25 and the coaches had it at No. 21.

Week Preseason Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25 Dec. 3 Dec. 9 Dec. 16 Dec. 23 Dec. 30 Jan. 6 Jan. 13 Jan. 20 Jan. 27 Feb. 3 Feb. 10 Feb. 17 Feb. 24

AP Top 25 RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV -- -- --

USA Today RV RV RV RV -- -- -- -- -- RV RV RV -- RV -- -- --

RPI Watch
Harvard has consistently been among the nation's best in the RPI rankings, regardless of which service you follow.

Service NCAA RPI CBSSports.com RPI ESPN.com RPI RealTimeRPI.com KenPom.com Jeff Sagarin RPIRatings.com

Rank (as of Feb. 24) 51 51 52 53 38 41 51

Joining Elite Company
At 22-4, Harvard has become the first Ivy League program to reach 20 wins in five straight seasons since Penn did so a record six times from 1970-75. The Crimson's 112 wins during this time, meanwhile, represent the fifth highest win total in Ancient Eight history over a five-year span.

Should Harvard win a fourth straight Ivy League championship this year, it would become the first program to do so since Penn did it from 1993-96.

Players of the Week
Wesley Saunders (Dec. 3, Dec. 9, Jan. 6) and Siyani Chambers (Dec. 23, Dec. 30, Feb. 24) have combined to earn six Ivy League Player of the Week awards this season.

Saunders' eight career player of the week honors are the second most in league history, trailing only Princeton's Ian Hummer and Brown's Earl Hunt who own the all-time mark with nine. Saunders' latest accolade  also tied him with Kyle Snowden '97 for the most by a member of the Crimson.

Chambers' three honors give him nine career weekly awards after having been named the conference's rookie of the week six times last year.

Cousy Award Watch List
Siyani Chambers has been named as one of 23 watch list finalists for the 2014 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in men's college basketball. The list of 23 watch list finalists will be narrowed down to a final five by early March. The Cousy Award winner will be presented the honor on Championship Monday in Dallas at the Hall of Fame's Class of 2014 Announcement and Press Conference.

VOTE SIYANI CHAMBERS FOR 2014 COUSY AWARD

Getting Off on the Right Foot
Harvard began Ivy League play with five straight wins, marking the third year in a row the Crimson has begun the conference slate 5-0 or better. The 2011-12 squad owns the program record for best start to the conference schedule at 7-0.

Home is Where the Wins Are
Harvard recently enjoyed a 20-game home win streak at Lavietes Pavilion which spanned from Dec. 1, 2012 to Feb. 7, 2014. At the time, the streak stood as the sixth-longest in the NCAA.

The program record for consecutive home wins stands at 28 games set between Feb. 19, 2010 and Feb. 24, 2012.

Making a Stand
Harvard's defense is shaping up to be one of the best ever under head coach Tommy Amaker. Opponents are scoring just 60.4 ppg, second best in the Amaker era, while shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from beyond-the-arc, both the lowest totals under Amaker.

Harvard is 11-0 this season when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points, and is 10-0 when opponents shoot under 40.0 percent.

Protecting the Paint
Kyle Casey grabbed nine rebounds against Brown to join Brian Cusworth '07, Matt Stehle '06 and Keith Wright '12 as one of four players in Crimson history to record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocks. Casey currently ranks 17th in program history with 1,192 points, 11th with 623 rebounds and third with 120 blocks.

Pouring It On
Harvard scored at least 80 points in three straight games against Dartmouth, Princeton and Penn, marking the first time the team had done so since February of 2010. The Crimson has scored 80-plus points in at least four straight games nine times in program history, including in 1971-72 when it accomplished the feat six games in a row.

The Crimson averaged 80.7 ppg during this stretch while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor, 59.6 percent from three, and outscoring its opponents by 22.0 ppg.

All-Around Effort
Wesley Saunders' full arsenal of skills was on display against Princeton as the junior led the Crimson in points (24), rebounds (9), assists (7) and steals (3). Saunders shot 9-of-13 from the floor for his fifth 20-point performance of the year while notching his fifth game with five or more assists.

Saunders became the first individual to lead Harvard in points, rebounds, assists and steals since Jeremy Lin '10 did so on Dec. 30, 2009 against George Washington. Saunders has led Harvard in points, rebounds and assists three times in his career.

Stuffing the Stat Sheet
Wesley Saunders, a unanimous All-Ivy League first team selection a year ago, entered the weekend ranked in the Ancient Eight's top 10 in seven categories; scoring (8th, 14.3 ppg), assists (3rd, 3.8 apg), steals (1st, 1.9 spg), blocks (6th, 0.9 bpg), field goal percentage (9th, 47.4 pct.), assist-to-turnover ratio (5th, 1.6), minutes (5th, 33.8 min.).

Top Shot
Laurent Rivard found his shooting touch against Princeton and Penn, making 11-of-17 attempts from deep to average 20.0 ppg for the weekend. Rivard matched his career-high with six makes against the Quakers, while his 11 combined three-pointers represented the highest total over two games of his career.

Rivard's 268 career three-pointers are the most in Harvard history and rank him fourth in Ivy League annals. Rivard also own's Harvard's single-season record, making 80 from long range in 2012-13.

They're On Fire
Harvard shot 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from beyond-the-arc at Dartmouth to set a school record for highest three-point percentage with a minimum of 10 attempts. The Crimson's 65.9 percent performance from the field, meanwhile, was the highest field goal percentage for Harvard under head coach Tommy Amaker.

Streaking
Harvard won nine straight games overall between Nov. 28 and Jan. 4, the third longest win streak in program history. The Crimson enjoyed a program record 13-game win streak in 1945-46 en route to a 19-3 record and the team's first trip to the NCAA Tournament, and won 10 in-a-row in 1904-05 to finish with an 11-5 mark.

Born to Assist
Siyani Chambers, who entered the weekend ranked second in the Ivy League in assists (4.7), has dished out at least five assists 12 times this season and has dropped eight dimes or more five times. The sophomore boasts 32 career games with five or more assists and has 10 games of eight or more assists, including four double-digit performances.

Moving on Up
Head coach Tommy Amaker, who recently won his 300th career game, continues to move up the ranks of the Ivy League's winningest coaches. Amaker's 134 wins at Harvard are the 13th most in the Ancient Eight since the conference began competition in 1956, while his 63 Ivy League victories rank 14th.

Balanced Attack
Six members of the Crimson scored in double-digits against Fordham; Siyani Chambers (19 pts.), Kyle Casey (17 pts.), Agunwa Okolie (17 pts.), Wesley Saunders (14 pts.), Steve Moundou-Missi (11 pts.) and Laurent Rivard (10 pts.).

Shootout Champs
Harvard defeated Denver, Green Bay and TCU en route to winning the 2013 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout. Wesley Saunders was named the tournament's most outstanding player after averaging 14.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 4.7 apg, and was joined on the all-tournament team by Siyani Chambers (10.3 ppg, 4.7 apg) and Steve Moundou-Missi (12.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg).

This marked the first tournament title for the Crimson since taking the inaugural Battle 4 Atlantis in 2011, and was the first Great Alaska Shootout title for Tommy Amaker after having also coached in the tournament with Seton Hall (head coach, 1997) and Duke (assistant coach, 1995).

Lock Down
The Crimson held TCU to just 25.0 percent (14-56) shooting in the Great Alaska Shootout championship game, marking the lowest opponent field goal percentage in the Tommy Amaker era. Harvard also limited Brown to 27.3 percent (15-55) shooting and MIT to 27.9 percent (12-43) this year, the second and third lowest totals under Amaker.

Block Party
Evan Cummins recorded six blocks against TCU, setting a new Great Alaska Shootout championship  game record. The previous mark of five had been held by Sheldon Williams (Duke, 2003) and Keith Owens (UCLA, 1990).

Hoop And The Harm
Senior Laurent Rivard, who ranks first in program history with 268 career three-pointers,  has been fouled 29 times while shooting from beyond the arc. Nine of those fouls have resulted in an and-one.

Join the Club
Seniors Kyle Casey and Laurent Rivard each eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau against Green Bay, bringing Harvard's total number of 1,000 point scorers to 30. Rivard currently ranks 15th in program history with 1,201 points while Casey is 17th with 1,192.

Grand Theft
Harvard recorded double-digit steals in four straight games from Nov. 12 - Nov. 24, matching the longest stretch of double-digit steal performances under head coach Tommy Amaker, and has come away with at least 10 steals in five contests this season.

Blown Out
Harvard picked up lopsided victories versus MIT (79-37) and Howard (76-44), marking the first time under head coach Tommy Amaker that the Crimson has won back-to-back games by 30-plus points. This also marked the first time since January of 2012 that Harvard had allowed fewer than 50 points in consecutive games.

D-ing Up
Harvard's home-opening 79-37 win versus MIT was highlighted by the Crimson's play at the defensive end, which resulted in several noteable statistics;

• Harvard's 42-point margin of victory was the second largest under head coach Tommy Amaker, behind only a 94-51 triumph against Daniel Webster on Dec. 28, 2008.

• The Crimson allowed just 37 points to MIT,  marking the third time under head coach Tommy Amaker that an opponent has scored fewer than 40 points (most recent at Yale, 65-35, 1/27/12).

• The Engineers shot just 27.9 percent from the field, which at the time stood as the lowest opponent field goal percentage in the Amaker era.

• Harvard forced 29 MIT turnovers, the most for the Crimson under head coach Tommy Amaker.

• Harvard's 19 steals versus the Engineers were one shy of the program record of 20, which has been accomplished four times (most recent vs. Hartford, 1/30/01). 

2013-14 Dunk Tally

Student-Athlete Kyle Casey Steve Moundou-Missi Wesley Saunders Jonah Travis Agunwa Okolie Kenyatta Smith Evan Cummins Dee Giger Michael Hall Brandyn Curry

2013-14 22 15 5 2 6 -- 4 -- -- --

Career 95 48 22 20 10 8 4 2 2 1

Milestone Marker
The Crimson is approaching or has already reached several milestones this season;

• Laurent Rivard became the program's all-time leader in three-pointers (268) and currently ranks fourth in Ivy League history.

• Kyle Casey (1,192) and Laurent Rivard (1,201) became the 29th and 30th members of Harvard's 1,000-point club. Wesley Saunders is on pace to become the next member of the Crimson to reach the milestone with 931 career points.

• Kyle Casey became just the fourth member of the Crimson to record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocks.

• Laurent Rivard (117 app.), Kyle Casey (11s app.) and Brandyn Curry (107 app.) have each appeared in 100 career games.

• Head coach Tommy Amaker moved into third place for wins by a Harvard head coach (134) and registered his 300th career victory.

• The Crimson won its 250th game at Lavietes.

Lou Henson Preseason All-America
Wesley Saunders was named to the 2013 Lou Henson Preseason All-America Team as one of the top 25 student-athletes from mid-major conferences. Following the season, the Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top Mid-Major student-athlete in Division I college basketball. The award is named in honor of Lou Henson who retired after a spectacular coaching career that lasted 41 years.

Coach4aDay
This season, Harvard has teamed up with the 3PointFoundation to participate in the Coach4aDay program, helping to raise funds and awareness in the fight against illiteracy. The3PointFoundation teaches and mentors urban boys to prepare them for success in academics and life by concentrating on reading, writing, mathematics and character development for underserved youth who have demonstrated commitment, discipline and enthusiasm by playing in organized basketball programs.

For more information on the Coach4aDay program or to learn how you can get involved, click here.

National Pride
Three Crimson had the honor of representing their country over the summer as a member of their respective national teams; Steve Moundou-Missi (Cameroon Senior National Team), Agunwa Okolie (Canadian Men's Junior National Team) and Laurent Rivard (Canadian Developmental National Team).

In The Spotlight
Twelve of Harvard's 30 games have been picked up for national or regional television broadcasts this season. The Crimson appeared on TV a program record 17 times last season, including a record four televised games at Lavietes Pavilion.

Sold Out
Harvard will play in front of a capacity crowd against both Cornell and Columbia, bringing the team's total number of sell outs this year to seven. Harvard has now sold out 23 games over the last three years, including a record 10 during the 2011-12 campaign.

Home Court Advantage
The Harvard men's and women's basketball teams have combined for a 106-13 record at home in Lavietes Pavilion since 2009-10 while going 56-9 against the Ivy League. The Crimson men are 58-5 (.921) overall, 29-4 (.879) against the Ancient Eight, with the women going 48-9 (.842) overall, 27-6 (.818) in conference. The men's team's run of dominance includes a program record 28-game home win streak that lasted more than two calendar years between Feb. 19, 2010 and Feb. 24, 2012.

On The Sidelines
With 134 victories under his belt, Tommy Amaker ranks third all-time in Harvard coaching annals.

Frank Sullivan, 1991-07 Floyd S. Wilson, 1954-68 Tommy Amaker, 2007-present Edward A. Wachter, 1920-33 Frank McLaughlin, 1977-85

178 143 134 120 99

Amaker's .657 win percentage, meanwhile, ranks first among Harvard coaches who have spent at least two seasons at the helm of the team.

Tommy Amaker, 2007-present John K. Clark, 1900-02 Edward A. Wachter, 1920-33 Frank McLaughlin, 1977-85 Robert W. Harrison, 1968-73

.657 .606 .597 .474 .457

News and Notes: Thursday Edition

(Photo Cornell Daily Sun)

Below, news and notes for Thursday...

• Ivy Hoops Online has its latest Ivy Power Poll and writes with respect to Cornell:

8. Cornell (1-9) (8 points)
Say what you want about the ongoing campaign, but the type of fight we’ve seen from a 2-22 basketball team should not go unnoticed. This team has fought back from double digit deficits with just minutes to play instead of throwing in the towel, something that’s not quite easy for a 20 loss team. This team has fought under the pressure of being without a D-I win since February 2012, and has finally gotten over the hump. Now, Cornell has fought not only without Shonn Miller, but without Robert Hatter and Deion Giddens.
Taking a contending Brown team to overtime in a game that was truly one bounce from going the Red’s way in this kind of season is admirable. Don’t confuse my admiration with being content, because I’m definitely not. Yeah, Cornell is dead last again in our power poll–anyone could have anticipated that–but instead of using this space to hammer the team, I wanted to take a minute to admire the way the group hasn’t quit. I don’t think every team would be able to say the same in Cornell’s shoes. In amateur athletics, that’s got to stand for something.   -Jake Mastbaum

• The Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Paul Zeise tweets, "Boston College is a lot like Steve Donahue's last Cornell team - only not nearly as good...."

• The Columbia Spectator advocates a conference tournament and writes, "Over the last half-decade, Ivy League basketball has grown quite a bit. Cornell made a Sweet Sixteen run in 2010, Harvard has recently emerged as a marquee name, and, this year, the league launched the Ivy League Digital Network. Three games were even on national TV this weekend."

• Although Brandyn Curry has been in college for five years, he tells the Boston Globe that his senior day against Cornell has come too soon.

• Cornell's incoming recruiting class next season includes four members: Riley Glassmann (Fremd HS) Palatine, IL, 6-5, G, William "Will" Bathurst (Olean HS) Olean, NY, 6-3, G, Jordan Abdur-Ra'oof (Gonzaga HS) Washington, D.C., 6-7, F, and Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood HS) Warminster, PA, 6-5, F.  The Chicago Tribune named Riley Glassmann MVP of the Mid Suburban Conference title game after he scored 24 points.  See also the Daily Herald.  Will Bathurst is one of six finalists for Mr. Basketball in New York State awarded by the New York Sports Writers.  Bathurst had 12 points earlier this week.  See the Olean Times Herald.

• 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 February 27, 2014 is No. 330 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. 337 in the nation, while the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) have Cornell at No. 332. 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.

Dartmouth Athletics Game Notes for Cornell

Final Homestand for Men Concludes with Senior Night

Dartmouth Athletics

RELATED CONTENT

Game Notes for Columbia, Cornell - Feb. 28-March 1, 2014
Click through to check out the game program.

The Games: Dartmouth (9-15, 2-8) vs. Columbia (17-10, 6-4) and Cornell (2-22, 1-9)
Location: Leede Arena (2,100), Hanover, N.H.
Tipoffs: Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 1 at 7 p.m.
Series Record vs. Columbia: Lions lead 108-97
Series Record vs. Brown: Big Red lead 104-103
Online Video and Audio: Big Green Insider on the Ivy League Digital Network — Dave Collins, play-by-play
Live Stats
Complete Game Notes

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Final Home Games of the Year
•    Dartmouth returns home for its final two games at Leede Arena having lost its last six straight.
•    The Big Green have a chance to eliminate Columbia from the Ivy title chase as the Lions are three games back with four to play.
•    On Saturday, Dartmouth will honor its lone senior, captain Tyler Melville, before attempting to avenge a three-point loss against the Big Red it suffered on Valentine’s Day.
•    Last week the Green could not finish a season sweep of either Princeton or Penn, falling to the Tigers by 10 and the Quakers by nine.
•    Sophomore Brandon McDonnell enjoyed perhaps the best weekend of his career, corraling a career-high eight rebounds with three blocks against Princeton, then recording a career-best 18 points with seven more boards at Penn.
•    Big Green fans finally got a look at freshman Ike Ngwudo, who missed the first 22 games after undergoing hip surgery last summer. The rookie displayed the athleticism that excited the coaching staff with four points and six rebounds in his debut at Princeton.
•    Speaking of freshman, Wesley Dickinson tallied a season-best 10 points versus the Tigers as well.
•    Dartmouth has two regulars available averaging at least 10 points a game in sophomores Connor Boehm (10.3 ppg) and Alex Mitola (10.1).

Series vs. Columbia
•    These two teams have squared off 205 times to date with the Lions leading, 108-97. Head coach Paul Cormier is 11-10 versus Columbia.
•    Dartmouth swept the season series last year, but the Lions took the first game this season with a 69-59 win in New York two weeks ago. Maodo Lo had 22 points and Alex Rosenberg 19 in the win.
•    Dartmouth has gone 16-10 against Columbia in Leede Arena, including last year’s 64-58 victory.
•    Neither team has scored 70 points versus the other in the last 16 encounters, and in only four of those games did both teams reach 60.

Scouting the Lions
•    After starting 3-4 in league play, Columbia has won three straight, beating a team tied for the Ivy lead (Yale) and another that was third (Brown).
•    But on the road, the Lions are just 2-3 against Ancient Eight teams with wins at Cornell and Princeton.
•    After shooting better than 40 percent from three-point range in non-conference games, Columbia is barely better than 30 percent in the 10 Ivy contests.
•    The Lions rely heavily upon Alex Rosenberg and Maodo Lo with the duo providing more than half of their points in conference games. Rosenberg averages 19.6 ppg, thanks in large part to sinking nearly nine free throws per game, while Lo provides 15.5 ppg.
•    As a team, Columbia owns the best free throw percentage in Ivy play (.790) and overall (.764) by wide margins.
•    Rebounding is a team effort, though Isaac Cohen grabs a solid 5.5 boards per game. The Lions own a rebound margin of plus-3.2 as well.
•    Kyle Smith (Hamilton ’92) is in his fourth year as head coach of the Lions with a record of 42-37 after nine years as an assistant at St. Mary’s.
Series vs. Cornell
•    Dartmouth has played the Big Red 207 times entering this game, more than any other opponent, and Cornell has a slim 104-103 advantage.
•    The two teams split the series last year with each one winning on its home court. Dartmouth is trying to match that feat this year after dropping a tight 70-67 game in Ithaca on Valentine’s Day, the only game decided by less than seven points all year for the Green.
•    Dartmouth is 15-11 versus Cornell in Leede Arena having won two of the last three meetings in Hanover.
•    Dartmouth head coach Paul Cormier is 8-13 against the Big Red during his career.

Scouting the Big Red
•    The 2013-14 season has been a struggle for Cornell at 2-22, but its lone Division I victory came against the Big Green two weeks ago.
•    Last weekend, the Big Red nearly picked up another win, but lost to Brown in overtime, 81-75.
•    In Ivy games, Cornell is last in the league shooting the ball (.397), field goal percentage defense (.497) and rebound margin (-3.6).
•    One statistic which is favorable for the Big Red is free throw shooting; the team is hitting 71.7 percent of its foul shots against Ivy teams.
•    Nolan Cressler has been Cornell’s best offensive weapon, averaging 17.7 ppg while shooting 46.0 percent on three-pointers in league play.
•    Devin Cherry does a little bit of everything, posting 14.4 ppg and leading the Big Red with 33 assists and 52 rebounds against the league.
•    Dartmouth would be wise to keep tabs on Jake Matthews, too, who burned the Big Green with a trio of triples in Ithaca.
•    Head coach Bill Courtney (Bucknell ’92) is in his fourth year with an overall record of 37-74. Prior to coming to Ithaca, he had assistant coaching jobs at Virginia Tech, Virginia, Providence, George Mason and Bowling Green.

McDonnell McDoes It
Although Dartmouth could not pick up a win at Princeton or Penn on Feb. 21-22, sophomore Brandon McDonnell had his finest weekend as a member of the Big Green. First he collected eight rebounds and three blocks — both career highs — against the Tigers, then had a personal-best 18 points versus the Quakers the next night. Of those 18 points, 10 came in the first five minutes as he hit his first five field goal attempts.

Time To Like Ike
After missing the first 22 games while rehabbing from hip surgery last summer, freshman Ike Ngwudo finally made his collegiate debut when Dartmouth played at Princeton on Feb. 21. The rookie played 12 minutes, scoring four points and hauling in six rebounds.

On the Rebound
Dartmouth will almost undoubtedly end up with more rebounds than its opponents this year, having an edge of 79 caroms with four games to play. It has been 27 years since the Big Green finished a season with a positive rebound margin. And if Dartmouth can maintain its rebound average of 33.9 per game, it would be their highest total since posting 36.1 per game in the 1998-99 season.

Scoring Up, Too
Like the rebounding totals, Dartmouth is going to finish the 2013-14 season with its highest scoring average in quite some time. Currently at 66.8 points per game, no Big Green squad has matched that total since the 1996-97 campaign. Even if the average falls half a point lower, Dartmouth will still have its best showing since the 1999-2000 squad scored 66.4 ppg.

Mitola Joins Exclusive Club
When sophomore Alex Mitola hit a pair of three-pointers in a 70-second span during the first half at Princeton, he became just the seventh player in Dartmouth history to record 50 or more triples in a season twice. The charter members were Jim Barton ’89 and Len Bazelak ’88, who both reached the mark during the first two seasons the three-point line was instituted. Others to achieve the feat since then are P.J. Halas ’98, Greg Buth ’01, Michael McLaren ’05 and Mike Lang ’06. Barton, Buth and Lang all did it three times, but no one has done it all four years — yet.

Glass Half Full for Boehm
Sophomore Connor Boehm is poised to become the first Big Green player in nine years to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor while making at least three field goals per team game for a full season. Boehm has converted 51.7 percent thus far (105-for-203), which almost exactly matches David Gardner’s totals from the 2004-05 season (107-for-206, .519), the last person to accomplish the feat.

Lending a Helping Hand
Not just a scorer, Alex Mitola has proven he can help others score as well. The sophomore has dished out 61 assists so far this season, the most since Robby Pride ’10 provided 62 as a senior captain in 2009-10. The last Big Green player to dole out at least 70 is Mike Lang, who handed out 78 helpers in 2005-06.

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, news and notes for Wednesday...

• The Ivy League named both Devin Cherry and Nolan Cressler to the Ivy League's weekly honor roll.  The Ivy Office notes:

Devin Cherry, Cornell (Jr., G - Meridian, Miss.)  
29 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals vs. Yale
17 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists vs. Brown

Nolan Cressler, Cornell (So., G - Pittsburgh)  
11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists vs. Yale
34 points, 5 rebounds vs. Brown

IVY LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS 2013-2014  

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Wk 1 Nov 11-Tony Hicks, Penn/Justin Sears, Yale
Wk 2 Nov 18-Sean McGonagill, Brown/Javier Duren, Yale
Wk 3 Nov 25-Maodo Lo, Columbia
Wk 4 Dec 2- T.J. Bray, Princeton/Wes Saunders, Harvard
Wk 5 Dec 9-Wes Saunders, Harvard
Wk 6 Dec 16-T.J. Bray, Princeton (Cornell no games)
Wk 7 Dec 23-Siyani Chambers, Harvard
Wk 8 Dec 30-Siyani Chambers, Harvard
Wk 9 Jan 6-Wes Saunders, Harvard/Alex Rosenberg, Columbia
Wk 10 Jan 13- Fran Dougherty, Penn
Wk 11 Jan 20-Alex Rosenberg, Columbia/Justin Sears, Yale
Wk 12 Jan 27-Sean McGonagill, Brown
Wk13 Feb 3-John Golden, Dartmouth/Justin Sears, Yale
Wk 14 Feb 10-Justin Sears, Yale/Fran Dougherty, Penn
Wk 15 Feb 17-Justin Sears, Yale/Alex Rosenberg, Columbia
Wk 16 Feb 24- Alex Rosenberg, Columbia/Siyani Chambers, Harvard

ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Wk 1 Nov11-Robert Hatter, Cornell
Wk 2 Nov 18-Norman Hobbie, Brown
Wk 3 Nov 25-Leland King, Brown
Wk 4 Dec 2- Robert Hatter, Cornell
Wk 5 Dec 9-Spencer Weisz, Princeton
Wk 6 Dec 16- Spencer Weisz, Princeton (Cornell no games)
Wk 7 Dec 23-Luke Petrasek, Columbia
Wk 8 Dec 30-Luke Petrasek, Columbia/Steven Spieth, Brown
Wk 9 Jan 6-Norman Hobbie, Brown
Wk 10 Jan 13-Norman Hobbie, Brown
Wk 11 Jan 20-Darryl Smith, Cornell
Wk 12 Jan 27-Spencer Weisz, Princeton
Wk 13 Feb 3-Steven Spieth, Brown
Wk 14 Feb 10-Steven Spieth, Brown
Wk 15 Feb 17-Leland King, Brown
Wk 16 Feb 24-Leland King, Brown

• Ivy Hoops Online lists its Weekend Winners and writes in part:

Brown’s Frontcourt Duo of Kuakumensah & King and Cornell’s Backcourt Duo of Cherry & Cressler:
Many casual basketball fans were probably surprised to see Brown and Cornell on national television on Saturday night, but those who decided to stick around and watch were treated to a few unbelievable individual performances and some exciting end-game drama.
Cedric Kuakumensah– the same player who had struggled all season to get his offensive game on track– managed to record a double-double before halftime. By the time the night was over, Kuakumensah had tallied the Ivy League’s most impressive stat line of the year: 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 blocks. Leland King, filling in for the injured Rafael Maia, took advantage of his opportunity against the weak Big Red frontcourt, going for 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Bears managed to prevail in overtime, thanks in large part to a timely Sean McGonagill three pointer.
In the losing effort, the Cornell backcourt managed to record two wild stat lines of its own. Star scorer Nolan Cressler poured in a career high 34 points on 9-19 FG, and fellow guard Devin Cherry got within striking distance of a triple-double as he continued his impressive season, tallying 17 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Big Red guards also deserve recognition for the defensive job they did on McGonagill, who had one of the roughest shooting performances of his career (2-12 FG).

• The Daily Pennsylvanian believes Penn has been too inconsistent and writes:

In a variety of games this year, Penn has shown flashes of brilliance. The Quakers came out and played energetic, unselfish and confident basketball against Princeton, Cornell and Columbia, to name a few contests in particular.  But that's the Dr. Jekyll side of Jerome Allen's squad. Despite the successes, too often have the Quakers relapsed this season, following up an excellent effort in one game by laying an egg the next time out. Or vice versa.  One needs to look no further than Penn's past three weekends.  After sweeping Cornell and Columbia on Feb. 7 and 8, respectively, the Quakers followed up those performances by failing to score more than 55 points in either game the next weekend in losses to Yale and Brown.

• Recaps from Cornell games last weekend are available in the Cornell Daily Sun and Yale Daily News.

• BC Interruption talked with The Cornell Basketball Blog about Steve Donahue and Bill Courtney

• In the NBA D-League with the Springfield Armor (Brooklyn Nets affiliate), Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) has recorded double-doubles in three consecutive games. 

• Division I teams with players or coaches with connections to Cornell include- Boston College (7-20), Army (13-14) and Purdue (15-12).  Boston College's coaching staff includes former Cornell coaches, Steve Donahue, Nat Graham, Izzi Metz and Woody Kampmann and former Cornell player, Ryan Wittman (Cornell '10).  Army is coached by former Cornell coaches, Zach Spiker and Kevin App (who also played for the Big Red) (Cornell '07).  Purdue's roster includes Cornell graduate, Errick Peck (Cornell '13). 

• Cornell's incoming recruiting class next season includes four members: Riley Glassmann (Fremd HS) Palatine, IL, 6-5, G, William "Will" Bathurst (Olean HS) Olean, NY, 6-3, G, Jordan Abdur-Ra'oof (Gonzaga HS) Washington, D.C., 6-7, F, and Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood HS) Warminster, PA, 6-5, F.  Per AAU coach, Mike Weinstein, Riley Glassmann was named Chicago's Suburban Conference MVP.  The Daily Herald previews Glassmann's appearance in his conference title game.  Jordan Abdur Ra'oof was selected All WCAC Honorable Mention.

• 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 February 17, 2014 is No. 332 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. 338 in the nation, while the Sagarin Rankings (USA Today) have Cornell at No. 334. 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.

• Check out The Cornell Basketball Blog's Season Preview Index for 2013-2014 and look back at what the "experts" predicted for Cornell.

• The Cornell Basketball Blog updated its Ivy League 2013-2014 Roster Report and Recruiting Commitments List.  The Recruiting Commitment List includes bios of Cornell's incoming recruits.    

• Cornell's games against Syracuse (ACC Sports Network, ESPN3 and RSN), Louisville (WHAS/ESPN3), Notre Dame (ESPN3), Brown (NBC Sports Network) and St. Bonaventure (NBC Sports Network) are all televised games. 

• 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)-Assistant coach at at Cornell. Played for Cornell under Steve Donahue. 

  Ryan Wittman (Cornell Class of '10)-Graduate student  assistant coach at Boston College.  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 Vanderbilt. 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.

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

  Arlen Galloway-Head coach, Wentworth Institute of Technology.  He was an assistant coach at Cornell between 2011-2013 under Bill Courtney.

  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 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/diurector of basketball operations 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 Cal Poly. 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.

  
  
  
• Cornell alumni that have played professional basketball since 1995 include the following (with NBA or NBA D-League experience noted): Zeke Marshall ('95), Alex Compton ('97), John McCord ('97), Brent Fisher ('98), Jeff Aubry ('99) (NBA D-League), Ray Mercedes ('01), Jaques Vigneault ('03), Karon Barnes ('04), Stevan Marcetic ('04), Cody Toppert ('05) (NBA D-League), Eric Taylor ('05), Andrew Naeve ('07), Ryan Rourke ('07), Jason Hartford ('08), Louis Dale ('10), Jeff Foote ('10) (NBA and NBA D-League), Ryan Wittman ('10) (NBA D-League), Jon Jaques ('10), Alex Tyler ('10), Aaron Osgood ('11), Adam Wire ('11), Andrew Ferry ('12).   Throughout the year we provide periodic updates on Cornell's alumni currently playing professionally. Below, some updates: 

-Jeff Aubry ('99) (Halcones Rojos, LNBP Mexico premier league/Indios de Mayaguez, BSN Puerto Rico premier 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 Cornell veterans of the NBA D-League.  (Cornell's four NBA D-League veterans is the most in Ivy League.)  During his more than a decade of pro experience, Aubry also played professionally in  the ABA (Miami Tropics) and abroad  in Puerto Rico (Mayaguez, 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 finished his rookie season during 2012-2013 with the Victors.

-Louis Dale ('10) (KAOD Dramas, Greece A1 premier league)-Dale spent his  first two professional seasons both in Germany's BBK Bundesliga, the country's premier league with Goettingen.  His third pro season during 2012-2013 was in Greece in the A1, country's premier league, with KAOD Dramas.                                         

-Jeff Foote ('10) (Springfield Armor, NBA D-League)-Foote is playing the 2013-2014 season with the Springfield Armor of the NBA D-League.  Foote spent the 2012-2013 season with Zalgiris of Lithuania, one of Europe's top 10 teams and was named an All Star in the domestic LKL league, the country's premier league.  He also participated with the team in the EuroLeague.  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 and was named Second Team All NBA D-League. 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.    

Drew Ferry ('12) (Albacete, Spain EBA)-The 2013-2014 season is Ferry's rookie year in the Spanish league.

• Visit our growing directory of Cornell Basketball Linkedin profiles.

• 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)
-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)
-Jonathan Gray ('13)
-Miles Asafo Adjei ('13)
-Peter McMillan ('13)
-Errick Peck ('13)
-Errick Peck ('13)
-Josh Figini ('13)
-Manny Sahota (former player)
-Galal Cancer (former player)
-Holt Harmon (former player)
-The Cornell Rebounders Club

-Ned Tomic ()
-Dominick Scelfo ()
-Jake Mathews ()
-Dwight Tarwater ()
-Dave LaMore ()
-Shonn Miller ()
-Devin Cherry ()
-Nolan Cressler ()
-Braxston Bunce ()
-Robert Mischler ()
-David Onuorah ()
-Robert Hatter ()
-Desmond Fleming ()
-Darryl Smith ()
-Riley Glassmann (recruit)
-Jordan Abdur Ra-oof (recruit)
-Pat Smith (recruit)
-William Bathurst (recruit)
-Jeremy Hartigan, Cornell SID ()
-Assistant Coach Jon Jaques ('10)
-Assistant Coach Mike Blaine ()
-Assistant Coach Marlon Sears ()
-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 ()
-Former assistant coach Arlen Galloway ()

Blueprint for Success, the yearbook commemorating Cornell's memorable 2009-2010 season is on sale. Visit the Cornell Athletics website to order your copy today! Or pick up a copy sold in the Cornell Store on campus.

Fans of the basketball program in the Ithaca area should not miss the opportunity to join the Cornell Rebounders Club.