News and Notes: Monday Edition

Above, A Date in Cornell Basketball History.  A 1930 ticket stub for a Cornell-Syracuse game at the old Archbold Gym.  Cornell has played Syracuse regularly since the 1900-1901 season.  Below, news and notes for Monday...

• Above, Jeff Foote's (Cornell '10) official season highlight video from the NBA D-League. 

• The annual Cornell Basketball Prospect Camp is just around the corner and will run from June 28-29.  This program often yields some of Cornell's top recruits.

• Yeshiva University's head basketball coach, Jonathan Halpert, notes that Cornell's JoJo Fallas is among Jewish college basketball players that played in the Saracheck tournament when in high school but later walked-on to a roster spot in Division I.

• Hammer and Rails recaps the season of Purdue's departing players and writes of Errick Peck (Cornell '13):

Errick Peck - F - Peck was the second of the two graduate transfers and I also would consider him a success. I never expected him to be a guy to come in and drop 15 and 10 on teams, but Peck was perhaps the most consistent player on the entire team. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the floor and 35% from three.  He was almost metronomic in those numbers too. He was going to give you 15-20 solid minutes each night, good hustle on the offensive glass, and the occasional three-pointer. He trailed only Hammons in offensive rebounds and I know he had to have led the team in offensive rebound putbacks for baskets.

Best game: At Iowa Peck had a career high 12 points and was 5 of 6 from the field with a pair of threes. Again, he contributed enough to keep Purdue close in a near road upset over a ranked team, but as a whole the Boilers could not get it done.

• The Indianapolis Star talks about the rising numbers of transfers in college basketball and writes in part:

Local schools have benefited recently from up-transferring...Purdue added both Errick Peck (Cornell) and Sterling Carter (Seattle) prior to last season.  When Peck finished his junior season at Cornell, he also completed work on his bachelor's degree. An Ivy League rule said he could not play as a fifth-year graduate student, so the Indianapolis native had to find a one-year home.  Peck's requirements weren't that different from those any high school recruit might keep: He wanted to be closer to home, he wanted a competitive team in a competitive conference, and he wanted to get along with his new coaching staff.  Purdue fit all three. And while Peck admitted the move required adjustment, and he felt "almost ostracized" early in his time in West Lafayette, he never felt like he had to live down any sort of stigma attached to transferring.  "I would say it's a little bit more accepted," said Peck, who wound up serving as one of four team captains for the Boilermakers last season. "It's not necessarily frowned upon as much. I would say it's become a lot more widespread."

• Nolan Cressler is mentioned in a pair of articles in the Pittsburgh Tribune.  Click here and here. 

• On Nolan Cressler's transfer, the Big Red Sports Network writes:

Nolan Cressler Bids Farewell to East Hill, Transfers to Vanderbilt

Sophomore shooting guard Nolan Cressler has transferred to Vanderbilt University, Cressler announced via twitter. Due to NCAA transfer rules, Cressler will have to sit for a year before officially joining the Commodores for his two remaining years of eligibility. The news comes after a disappointing season for the Big Red, who finished 2-26 overall and 1-13 in Ivy League play.
In his two years at Cornell, Nolan Cressler became a rising star in the Ivy League. He became the leading scorer this past year for a Big Red team looking for offense after losing junior forward Shonn Miller to injury for the season. An All-Ivy Honorable mention, Cressler averaged 16.8 points per game for the Big Red this season on 41.1% shooting from the field and 36.4% from beyond the three point arc. The guard’s highlight performance this season came in the very first game of the year, when Cornell visited then #8 ranked Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. Cressler led the Big Red to a 38-32 halftime lead with 20 first half points in a game Cornell would ultimately lose 82-60.
Cressler similarly had a strong rookie campaign where he won Ivy League Rookie of the Week twice and averaged 9.3 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game on 42.7% shooting from the field and 40.3% 3 point shooting.
To fill the gap left by Cressler’s departure, coach Bill Courtney will turn toward rising senior Devin Cherry (12.3 points per game, 3.5 assists per game) and returning forward Shonn Miller to anchor the offense this upcoming season. The Big Red also have a young group of guards behind Cherry, including two time Ivy League Rookie of the Week Robert Hatter (9.0 ppg, 2.1 apg) and fellow rising sophomore guard Daryl Smith (5.0 ppg, 37.0% 3 point shooting) along with incoming recruits including forward Jordan Abdur-Ra’oof.
Cressler joins a Vanderbilt team that finished in the bottom half of the Southeastern Conference at 15-16 overall and 7-11 in conference play. Cressler reportedly also had transfer offers from the University of Dayton, the University of Notre Dame, and Rutgers University.

• Check out the now updated profiles, including senior year honors and accolades, of Cornell's five incoming recruits for next season.  The class consists of 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, Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood HS) Warminster, PA, 6-5, F, and Kyle Brown (Newport HS) Bellevue, Washington, 6-3, G.  Pat Smith was selected as First Team all area by The Intelligencer and was also named the newspaper's Player of the Year.  Smith was the 2013 Player of the Year by the Courier Times as a junior, but was beat out this season.  He was however named First Team all area by the Courier Times for his senior year which noted, "First-team All-Philadelphia Catholic League  selection who was the Golden Team Player of the Year in 2012-13 .. Made the PCL’s honors list three times in a remarkable career ... Named second-team all-state after averaging 17 points per game ... Broke 1,000-point plateau in late January ... Will play at Cornell."  Meanwhile, The Intelligencer on its First Team designation noted of Smith, "Second-team All-Philadelphia Catholic League ... Three-time All-Catholic, second-team PIAA Class AAA all-state ... Four-year starter averaged 17 points a game as a senior ... Will play at Cornell University" and writes on the Player of the Year honors:

It was a different sort of season at Archbishop Wood and for the Vikings’ top player, three-year All-Philadelphia Catholic League guard/forward Pat Smith.
“It was a big adjustment from Coach (Jack) Walsh to Coach (John) Mosco,” Smith said. “We played a lot of good teams, and I think it helped get the seniors ready for college. We played at a high level against some great teams.”
For first-year coach Mosco, previously an assistant at PCL and state power Neumann-Goretti, he knew how good Smith was before he took the job, but there were things he didn’t know about player.
“He’s a lot tougher,” Mosco said. “He does some of the dirty work. He’s wasn’t just a prima donna scorer.”
Smith, who averaged 17 points per game and was a second-team All-PCL pick, was named the All-Intelligencer Player of the Year for the recently concluded season.
“He’s a quiet leader,” said Mosco, whose team went 11-12 and lost in the first round of the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs.
“He really led by example. He took the coaching change in stride. He’s a real winner, worries about winning, not a selfish player at all.
“He’s not the kind of player who’s worried about getting points. I asked him to do a lot of different things, and I think that showed in his game.”
In the Smith era, the Vikings’ program took strides to being more competitive in the Catholic League, but was unable to get over the hump into the elite stratosphere of the likes of Neumann-Goretti, Roman Catholic, Archbishop Carroll, La Salle or St. Joseph’s Prep.
“There’s nothing like the Catholic League,” Smith said. “It’s the top league in the state. I’ll never forget playing after school down at the Prep on a Friday afternoon, or at Neumann on a Sunday.
“We’ll always have that experience. No, we never got over the hump, but I think we all became better basketball players.”
Smith is headed to Cornell University and the Ivy League after he graduates from Wood in June. Mosco, for one, thinks it’s a good fit.
“He’s got the work ethic,” Mosco said. “I saw the way he took to coaching. He always listened and he’ll do whatever it takes to get on the court.
“When he’s with other Division I players, he knows he has to lift, get stronger and get quicker.”
As far as the Wood program, Smith thinks it’s in good hands as Mosco prepares for his second season.
“I think Coach Mosco, with a year under his belt, has the lay of the ground,” he said. “I knows there’s new kids coming to workouts. There’s a lot of talent coming in. Hopefully, they’re going to keep (the program at a high level).”

• Cornell's 2014-2015 Schedule will be highlighted by Cornell's participation in ESPN's Charleston Classic.  Visit the Cornell team page at the Charleston Classic for more information.   In this ESPN-produced event, Cornell is guaranteed three (3) games against the field of eight (8) participants and all games are broadcast on the ESPN family network.  Potential opponents in Charleston include: Miami, South Carolina, USC, Penn State and Akron with two additional participants to be named at a later date.  The two unconfirmed additional participants are Charlotte and Drexel.  Cornell's thirty (30) games for the 2014-2015 schedule is rumored to include the following:

1. Loyola, MD (away)

2. UMass-Lowell (home)

3. Binghamton (away)

4. Colgate (home)

5. Siena (away)

6. St. Peter's (home)

7. Howard (home)

8. Radford (away)

9. Canisius (home)

10. Buffalo (away) (Guarantee Game)

11. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

12. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

13. D-III Game TBD (home)

14. Charleston Classic Game

15. Charleston Classic Game

16. Charleston Classic Game

17-30. Fourteen Ivy League Games

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.

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Above, Cornell's 2010 Sweet 16 Ring.  Below, news and notes for Wednesday...

• The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes, "First Cornell transfer Nolan Cressler, now Camron Justice. The Vanderbilt backcourt will be loaded with shooting talent in 2015-2016."

• SI.com writes:

Sure, it sounds like a movie plot.
A wide-open, free-to-enter, 32-team 5-on-5 single-elimination basketball tournament. $500,000 on the line. One shot at glory.  But this is real life, and squads from around the country are gearing up to participate in The Basketball Tournament (TBT, for short). Although you might half-expect Jackie Moon and the Flint Tropics to show up, the tournament, in its inaugural year, will bring out a whole lot of guys you might remember. The 2009 Villanova Final Four team? Check. That 2010 Cornell squad that won your heart and shot its way into the Sweet 16? They’re in.

News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Above, a photo of Cornell's 1914 team which won the Ivy League appeared earlier this season on ESPN.  Below, news and notes for Tuesday...

• Cornell commit, Will Bathurst not only plays football and basketball at Olean High School, but he golfs too.

• On the Basketball Tournament, VU Hoops writes, "TBT has also secured the 2010 Cornell players who made it to the Elite Eight as well as teams representing Wisconsin, Siena, LSU, Maryland, Notre Dame and St. Anthony's High School. For hoops fans, those teams come along with names like, Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, Sean Singletary, Ryan Wittman, Aquille Carr, Anthony Ireland, Tony Gaffney, and Ryan Gomes."

• FoxSports/SportsNetwork reports on the Nolan Cressler transfer as one of the nation's higher profile movements.  Anchor of Gold predicts Cressler will start in 2015-2016.

• The Cornell Daily Sun also reports on the transfer of Cressler:

Cornell Loses Leading Scorer Nolan Cressler to Vanderbilt University

Sophomore guard Nolan Cressler, the men’s basketball team’s leading scorer during a disappointing 2013-14 season in which the team finished 2-26, will transfer to Vanderbilt University next year. Cressler will have to redshirt a year due to the NCAA’s transfer rules, but will have two years of eligibility left to play for the Commodores.

“I didn’t want to leave Cornell and go to another school and have my academics suffer,” Cressler said. “So I wanted to find a good fit basketball wise, but also an elite academic school. So when the opportunity at Vanderbilt became available, I knew it was a place I would be interested in.”

Cressler said that there were other schools interested in him throughout the process, a list which included such big name institutions as Michigan, Notre Dame, Pitt and Dayton — this year’s Cinderella story team in the NCAA tournament.

“You kind of take a risk when you decide to leave a school because you don’t know who is going to be interested and who will have scholarships, but I was happy with my options,” Cressler said.

Cressler started all 28 games this season, leading the team in minutes. He was the Red’s go-to offensive weapon in a season where scoring was often hard to come by. The sophomore averaged just under 17 points per game, the fourth most in the Ivy League, and was named to the All-Ivy honorable mention list at the end of the season. Cressler also led the team in made three-pointers, connecting on 68 triples.

The move to Vanderbilt represents a shift to the SEC, a powerhouse conference in college basketball with a fast-paced style of play that is very different from the Ivy League. Cressler got a taste of SEC basketball in his freshman campaign, when the team played the Commodores on their home court. Despite outscoring Vanderbilt in the second half, the Red fell 66-55, and Cressler was one-of-six from the field in 17 minutes of play.

The sophomore said that he is excited to play in the SEC, where he will match up against top programs like Florida and Kentucky, two 2014 Final Four teams.

“Obviously if you’re a competitor, it’s every kid’s dream to play at this level,” Cressler said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings has taken his team to six NCAA tournaments and two Sweet Sixteens in 14 years with the team. In their most recent NCAA appearance in 2012, the Commodores topped Harvard in the first round, but lost a 60-57 heartbreaker to Wisconsin in the round of 32.

“Playing against a high level of players day in and day out will help me improve,” Cressler said. “But I’m confident Coach Stallings will take my game to the next level. He is a well respected coach and has a great knowledge for how to put players in good situations to score and make plays.”

Cressler also noted that the rest of the program’s staff would focus on helping him improve his individual game.

“I’m really looking forward to Assistant Coach [Tom] Richardson’s individual skill development program that has proven to be one of the best in the country.”

When asked about his reasons for leaving Cornell, Cressler did not mention the team’s struggles this season.

“I decided to leave Cornell because I felt it was not the right fit for me and I wanted to seek other opportunities,” he said.

While Cressler will move on next year, he acknowledged that there are things he will take with him into the rest of his basketball career at Vanderbilt.

“I learned a lot in my two years here that will easily translate to my next seasons at Vanderbilt. A big thing is that I now know how to balance school and basketball,” he said. “But most importantly, I have learned how to be a good teammate on and off the court. My teammates here have taught me so much and I’m really going to miss them.”

News and Notes: Monday Edition

Below, news and notes...

• Cornell's 2014-2015 roster of returning players is now available on the team's official website

• Cornell Basketball appears in Spirit Magazine.

• Sporting News quotes Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) on the NBA D-League and writes:

Jeff Foote, a veteran of European powerhouses Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Zalgiris, who also had a stint with New Orleans in the NBA, and spent the year with the Springfield Armor, said that pay is the one big difference between overseas and the D-League.  "If they were to increase the salaries here, this would be easily the second-best league in the world," Foote said. "I think that is kind of what kills it, unfortunately. I get the business aspect of it, I understand, it is tough to raise the revenues to pay the players. But I think that is where the competition loses out. It is tough to raise a family on a D-League salary. In Europe, everything that is covered here in the D-League is covered there, too, plus you make six times, seven times more money."

• See also the Bleacher Report for a Foote mentiom.

• Texas Tech announced the signing of Jonathan Gray's (Cornell '13) younger brother.

• The Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette gives mention to Errick Peck (Cornell '13)

• Check out the now updated profiles, including senior year honors and accolades, of Cornell's five incoming recruits for next season.  The class consists of 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, Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood HS) Warminster, PA, 6-5, F, and Kyle Brown, (Newport HS) Bellevue, Washington, 6-3, G.  The Olean Times Herald notes that Wil Bathurst was "the Big 30 Player of the Year, [and] was a first-team [All Western New York] selection for the second year in a row."

• Cornell's 2014-2015 Schedule will be highlighted by Cornell's participation in ESPN's Charleston Classic.  Visit the Cornell team page at the Charleston Classic for more information.   In this ESPN-produced event, Cornell is guaranteed three (3) games against the field of eight (8) participants and all games are broadcast on the ESPN family network.  Potential opponents in Charleston include: Miami, South Carolina, USC, Penn State and Akron with two additional participants to be named at a later date.  The two unconfirmed additional participants are Charlotte and Drexel.  Cornell's thirty (30) games for the 2014-2015 schedule is rumored to include the following:

1. Loyola, MD (away)

2. UMass-Lowell (home)

3. Binghamton (away)

4. Colgate (home)

5. Siena (away)

6. St. Peter's (home)

7. Howard (home)

8. Radford (away)

9. Canisius (home)

10. Buffalo (away) (Guarantee Game)

11. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

12. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

13. D-III Game TBD (home)

14. Charleston Classic Game

15. Charleston Classic Game

16. Charleston Classic Game

17-30. Fourteen Ivy League Games

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.

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, news and notes for Wednesday...

• Former Cornell assistant coach, Nat Graham, is reportedly in the mix to take an assistant coaching position at Penn.

• Dime Magazine profiles The Tournament and writes, "The same team that ruined all of our brackets during their remarkable 2010 NCAA run looks to make another unforgettable run as the Cornell Sweet Sixteen enter TBT. Cornell will be once again led by former Ivy League Players of the Year Ryan Wittman and Louis Dale, while getting some interior help from 7-0 center Jeff Foote of the NBA D-League."

• Since Jake Matthews is not eligible to play in the Ivy League next season, he will seek to play in another conference next season as a graduate student.  See ESPN.

• The Ithaca Journal reports:

Sophomore Nolan Cressler, the leading scorer on a Cornell basketball team that won just twice in 28 games this past season, announced Monday night that he’s transferring to Vanderbilt University.

Cressler, who averaged 16.8 points and 4.2 rebounds this past year for Coach Bill Courtney’s Big Red, announced his intentions on Twitter, saying, “Excited to say that I’m going to Vanderbilt university next year! #AnchorDown.”

The 6-4 guard from Pittsburgh must sit out the upcoming season as per NCAA rules. He will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Commodores.

Cressler ranked fourth overall in Ivy League scoring this year. He paced the Big Red and ranked third in the league in 3-pointers made (2.4 per game) and shot 41 percent from the floor, including 36 percent from 3-point range. Cressler posted eight 20-point games, including a career-high 34-point effort in an overtime loss to Brown and 23 points in a season-opening 82-60 loss at Syracuse.

Cressler, who averaged 9.3 points as a freshman, amassed 757 points, 234 rebounds and 122 made 3-pointers in his two seasons on East Hill. He was an honorable mention All-Ivy League selection this year, the only player from Cornell to earn postseason recognition from the league.

According to web reports, Cressler had offers from Vanderbilt, Dayton and Butler after he had been granted his release from Cornell two weeks ago. Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Michigan were among others who expressed interest later in the process before he decided to head to Nashville.

Cornell lost its final six games of the 2012-13 season and opened this year by losing another 13 straight before defeating Division III Oberlin College, 77-55, on Jan. 11 at Newman Arena. Cornell’s only other win came over Ivy foe Dartmouth, 70-67, on Feb. 14 at Newman.

Courtney dealt with three significant losses heading into this past season, all who, like Cressler, were expected to return to the team. Shonn Miller, the 2011-12 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, suffered a shoulder injury late in his sophomore season and missed the entire ’13-14 campaign; 6-6 senior Errick Peck, who had a year of eligibility left, transferred to Purdue; and junior Galal Cancer left the team for personal reasons.

• The Citizen Voice writes:

Izzi Metz  has seen the game of basketball through a variety of  lenses. He’s had the chance to experience college basketball at the highest level in one of the sports most powerful conferences.
Now, Metz gets the chance to bring those experiences and implement his vision at Wilkes University.
Metz was introduced as the new Wilkes men’s basketball coach at a news conference on Tuesday at the Marts Center. He takes over for Jerry Rickrode, who stepped down in February after 22 seasons to take a job within the university’s Advancement Division as a major gifts officer.
A 1998 graduate of Hobart, Metz started his coaching career at Bishop Montgomery, near his hometown of Los Angeles. He was an assistant coach at Hobart in the 2000-01 season, then became an assistant at Cornell from 2001-06.
Metz returned to Hobart as the head coach in 2006 before spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach with Boston College in the ACC.
Metz wants to incorporate an up-tempo style on both ends of the floor at Wilkes.
“I think basketball is basketball. Here it just might mean guys are a little bit shorter, but bring something different to the table,” Metz said. “I coached at Division III for five years. I have always loved this level. I was a student-athlete at this level. A lot of the things I learned at Boston College I can bring to the table.”
Metz wanted to become a head coach again and that process was expedited when his mentor, Steve Donahue, was fired at Boston College shortly after the Eagles were eliminated from the ACC tournament. Metz coached under Donahue at Cornell and Boston College.
“I really loved my five years as the head coach,” Metz said. “Obviously, we lost our jobs at Boston College and I told the (Wilkes) search committee this enables me to not leave Boston College with unfinished business.
I guess as a coach that is the nature of the beast. In the ACC it is ultra-competitive and they expect you to win at a high level. Unfortunately what happened, happened. We have great coaches from the Boston College staff. In one capacity or another they will all land in a great situation.”
Metz’s preference for an up-tempo style developed during his time at Cornell. He ran some of the same things he learned from his time at Cornell at Hobart and only added to it during his three years at Boston College.
“You have to be in great shape and in great condition to play this style,” Metz said. “You have to be committed to playing this way. As a coach you relinquish some control and rely on the instincts of the players. You have to trust your players more. You are not going to be able to control every possession.”
With the school year coming to an end next month, Metz plans to hit the ground running in order to familiarize himself with the players coming back and the recruiting class coming in. He plans to honor the recruits who have already committed to Wilkes, but at the same time, did not close the door on a potential addition or two provided it is the right fit both academically and athletically.
Metz also wants to reach out to the high school coaches in the area and establish relationships for not just potential recruits, but with those coaches who have players set to begin attending Wilkes in the fall.
“I’m going to scour video tape and talk to their high school coaches,” Metz said of how he plans to analyze the returning players. “I am going to familiarize myself with who they are as basketball players. I’m going to put them in position to be successful. We are not implementing this system just to do it. I want to make sure these guys win now. Ideally, hopefully we can continue to recruit guys that fit that style.”

• BC Interruption adds on Metz:

According to The Citizen's Voice Newspaper, former Boston College assistant coach Izzi Metz will be named the next men's basketball coach at Division III Wilkes University, a small private school located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Wilkes has scheduled a news conference today at 3 p.m. to make the announcement.

Metz comes to Wilkes from Boston College, where he served as the Director of Basketball Operations during his first two seasons on the Heights before being elevated to assistant coach last season. Prior to joining the Eagles staff in 2011-12, Metz served five seasons as the head coach at Hobart College and five as Donahue's assistant at Cornell.

A 1998 graduate of Hobart, Metz got his collegiate coaching start as his alma mater, serving as an assistant coach for one season (2000-01) before joining Donahue at Cornell.

Metz replaces Jerry Rickrode, who stepped down after coaching the Colonels for 22 years. Rickrode compiled a 328-191 record at Wilkes, including a Division III Final Four during the 1997-98 season. The Colonels limped to an 8-16 finish (3-18 in the Freedom Conference) in 2013-14.

Obviously things didn't work out for Metz at Boston College, but it's good to see former Eagle staffers land on their feet elsewhere. Here's to wishing Metz nothing but success at his next coaching stop.

News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, news and notes...

• Izzi Metz is now the new head coach of Wilkes University.  The Times Tribune writes:

Izzi Metz will take over as head coach of the Colonels.

Izzi Metz will become the 11th men’s basketball coach at Wilkes University, according to The Citizen’s Voice newspaper.

Wilkes has scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. today where Metz is expected to be introduced.

The Citizen’s Voice, a sister newspaper of The Times-Tribune, learned of the

hiring through multiple sources who requested anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced yet.

Metz replaces Jerry Rickrode, who stepped down in February after 22 years at the helm to take a job within the university’s Advancement Division to work as a major gifts officer. Rickrode went 328-191 at Wilkes and guided the Colonels to the Final Four in the 1997-98 season.

Metz comes to Wilkes from Boston College where he was hired as the director of basketball operations in 2011 before being elevated to assistant coach.

Metz, a 1998 graduate of Hobart College, started his coaching career at Bishop Montgomery High School, near his hometown of Los Angeles.

Metz was an assistant coach at Hobart in the 2000-01 season, then became an assistant coach at Cornell from 2001-06. He helped guide the Big Red to back-to-back winning seasons in the Ivy League for the first time since 1986-87 and 1987-88.

He returned to Hobart as the head coach in 2006.

While the head coach at Hobart, the Statesmen went 69-62. In 2010-11, he led Hobart to the Liberty League regular-season crown and the ECAC Upstate tournament title. The Statesmen

finished with a school-record 21 wins.

Wilkes is coming off a

season where it finished 3-11 in the Freedom Conference and 8-16 overall.

• Nolan Cressler is headed to Vanderbilt.  The Tennessean writes:

The Vanderbilt men’s basketball team will have no shortage of scoring guards on campus this fall, and its latest acquisition is a proven commodity.
Cornell leading scorer Nolan Cressler will transfer to Vanderbilt, giving coach Kevin Stallings five players in this year’s signing class. He selected the Commodores on Monday over offers from Michigan, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh.
Cressler, a 6-foot-4 guard who averaged 16.8 points as a sophomore, must sit out this season per NCAA rules. He will have two years of eligibility left.
“It just felt like a great fit for me,” Cressler said via phone Monday night. “It was the relationship I built with the coaches the last couple of weeks and on my visit this weekend. And I really got to know some of guys on the team. They’re all great guys. It really made the decision easier for me.”
Vanderbilt signed three guards in November — Wade Baldwin, Matthew Fisher-Davis and Riley LaChance — and picked up a fourth commitment this spring from small forward Jeff Roberson, who plans to sign on Wednesday.
Cressler, a product of Pittsburgh’s Plum High, averaged 9.3 points as a freshman starter during 2012-13 before his breakout season. As a sophomore, he made 68 3-pointers and scored 20-plus points eight times, including a career-high 34 points in an overtime game against Brown. Cressler opened the season by scoring 23 points at Syracuse — 20 in the first half.
He shot 41.1 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from the arc and 77.8 percent from the foul line while grabbing 4.2 rebounds per game. He was granted his release to transfer after Cornell went 2-26 (1-13 in the Ivy League) this season.
“You take a risk when you decide to leave somewhere,” Cressler said. “But once these opportunities came along — it’s every kid’s dream to play at the highest level. Being in the SEC is as good as it gets.”
Cressler described himself as a player who can “score in bunches” and a “gym rat” who will put the team before his individual stats.
“Although I’m a newcomer, with two years of playing experience, I can use that as an advantage,” he said. “Hopefully, I can be a leader as soon as possible and help us win. I think we can accomplish a lot with the pieces that are starting to come together.”
Stallings and assistants Yanni Hufnagel and Tom Richardson came to visit Cressler during the recruiting process and also went to the house of his high school coach in Pittsburgh, Cressler said.
Vanderbilt is hopeful this transfer works out better than its last. Former Tulsa guard Eric McClellan was suspended for an academic issue in January and dismissed later that week after a Tennessean report that he had been arrested on a charge of misdemeanor theft.
Stallings still has two open scholarships he can use toward this year. He said recently that he will add “at least one more player and probably more than one.”
In addition to the four guards in this class, Stallings expects suspended guard Kedren Johnson to return this fall with two years of eligibility remaining.

• See more on the commitment in NBC Sports while the The Pittsburgh Post Gazette also writes on the Cressler transfer:

Nolan Cressler had to go through the basketball recruiting process for the second time. But this time, big-time programs chased him.
Cressler, a former star guard at Plum who decided to leave Cornell and transfer after this past season, said Monday night he had accepted a scholarship to Vanderbilt.
Cressler, a 6-foot-4 guard, played two years at Cornell and was the team's leading scorer this season at 16.8 points a game. Since he decided to transfer, Cressler had scholarship offers from Vanderbilt, Dayton, Notre Dame and Rutgers. Pitt and Michigan were among other schools that showed interest, but neither offered a scholarship.
Cressler made a recruiting visit to Vanderbilt this past weekend. He will finish this semester at Cornell and have to sit out next season under NCAA transfer rules. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
When Cressler signed with Cornell as a Plum senior, his other top choice was Yale. His other scholarship offers then were from Holy Cross, Boston and Saint Francis.
Cressler, a Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 selection, was an honorable mention all-Ivy League choice this past season. Besides his scoring, he averaged 4.2 rebounds a game and shot 36 percent (68 of 187) from 3-point range. He had 23 points and five rebounds against Syracuse and 17 points and nine rebounds against Notre Dame. But Cornell finished with a 2-26 record and was 13-18 in Cressler's freshman year.

• Rumble in the Bronx notes that St.John's will participate in the 2014 Preseason NIT and writes, "The Johnnies were last in the preseason NIT in 2008. They got a victory against Cornell, then lost in the next round to the one seed in the East Region, Boston College, 82-70." 

• Here is a link to an older interview with Cornell A.D., Andy Noel from November 2010.  Many of the topics discussed are still contemporary and remain relevant today.  See also the 18:40 mark for a discussion of the hiring of Steve Donahue and the lack of success Donahue experienced in his first five seasons.

• Cornell's 2014-2015 Schedule will be highlighted by Cornell's participation in ESPN's Charleston Classic.  Visit the Cornell team page at the Charleston Classic for more information.   In this ESPN-produced event, Cornell is guaranteed three (3) games against the field of eight (8) participants and all games are broadcast on the ESPN family network.  Potential opponents in Charleston include: Miami, South Carolina, USC, Penn State and Akron with two additional participants to be named at a later date.  The two unconfirmed additional participants are Charlotte and Drexel.  Cornell's thirty (30) games for the 2014-2015 schedule is rumored to include the following:

1. Loyola, MD (away)

2. UMass-Lowell (home)

3. Binghamton (away)

4. Colgate (home)

5. Siena (away)

6. St. Peter's (home)

7. Howard (home)

8. Radford (away)

9. Canisius (home)

10. Buffalo (away) (Guarantee Game)

11. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

12. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

13. D-III Game TBD (home)

14. Charleston Classic Game

15. Charleston Classic Game

16. Charleston Classic Game

17-30. Fourteen Ivy League Games

• The Syracuse Post Standard mentions Cornell's participation in the Charleston Classic.

• Check out the now updated profiles, including senior year honors and accolades, of Cornell's five incoming recruits for next season.  The class consists of 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, Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood HS) Warminster, PA, 6-5, F, and Kyle Brown, (Newport HS) Bellevue, Washington, 6-3, G. 

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

 

Below, news and notes for Wednesday...

• UM Hoops profiles the potential transfer of Nolan Cressler to Michigan.

• Cornell's 2014-2015 Schedule will be highlighted by Cornell's participation in ESPN's Charleston Classic.  Visit the Cornell team page at the Charleston Classic for more information.   In this ESPN-produced event, Cornell is guaranteed three (3) games against the field of eight (8) participants and all games are broadcast on the ESPN family network.  Potential opponents in Charleston include: Miami, South Carolina, USC, Penn State and Akron with two additional participants to be named at a later date.  Cornell's thirty (30) games for the 2014-2015 schedule is rumored to include the following:

1. Loyola, MD (away)

2. UMass-Lowell (home)

3. Binghamton (away)

4. Colgate (home)

5. Siena (away)

6. St. Peter's (home)

7. Howard (home)

8. Radford (away)

9. Canisius (home)

10. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

11. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

12. BCS Guarantee Game TBD (away)

13. D-III Game TBD (home)

14. Charleston Classic Game

15. Charleston Classic Game

16. Charleston Classic Game

17-30. Fourteen Ivy League Games

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.

News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, news and notes for Tuesday...

• After Steve Donahue was fired by Boston College, All ACC forward, Ryan Anderson decided to leave the program.

• The Pittsburgh Tribune notes of Nolan Cressler:

Cornell basketball transfer Nolan Cressler of Plum received his third scholarship offer Monday, this one from Elite Eight team Dayton.

A 6-foot-4 sophomore guard, Cressler also has offers from Vanderbilt and Rutgers and has been in contact with Pitt, Michigan, Notre Dame, Davidson, Butler and Creighton.

The All-Ivy League honorable mention selection who started two seasons for Cornell has a visit planned to Vanderbilt on Friday. He has had almost daily interaction with potential suitors since his release from Cornell on March 20.

Dayton is coached by Archie Miller, the son of longtime Blackhawk coach John Miller and brother of Arizona coach Sean Miller.

• Cornell's incoming recruiting class next season includes five 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, Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood HS) Warminster, PA, 6-5, F, and Kyle Brown, (Newport HS) Bellevue, Washington, 6-3, G.  Jordan Abdur' Ra'oof will participate in the Capital Classic All Star Weekend.  Pat Smith was named Second Team All State AAA by the Associated Press in Pennsylvania.  Smith was also named Third Team All City by City of Basketball Love.  CSNChicago.com lists its Boys Basketball All-Area Teams and places Riley Glassmann on the 3rd Team.  He was also named Special Mention All State by the Chicago Tribune.  Glassmann finished 16th in Illinois for Mr. Basketball voting.  Glassmann was also named Second Team All State by the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette which writes:

Riley Glassman Fremd 6-4 Sr. G Cornell recruit, averaged 17.8 points, 5.4
rebounds and 2.7 assists for a team 25-0 in regular season; Mid Suburban League West Player of the Year

Wil Bathurst, who was one of six finalists for Mr. Basketball in New York and ranked #7 by NYCHoopsNet of all players in New York State, was named all Western New York First Team (for the 2nd consecutive year).    The Buffalo News writes:

Wil Bathurst
Olean: 6-4 senior forward
PPG: 19.8 Reb: 7.0 Steals: 4.0
A two-time first-teamer for a multitude of reasons: His smooth all-around game includes a pretty outside shot, defense-staggering drives, an excellent eye for passing, the smart defensive plays (42 steals, 28 blocks) – while his ball-hawking rebounding is worth watching all by itself. Did it all in big moments for a program that faced major competition all year as an independent. A Class B All-Tournament selection as the Huskies closed out a three-year reign as Section VI champions by making the NYSPHSAA final in Glens Falls. For his career, Bathurst had 1,196 points (16.6 ppg), 545 rebounds (7.6), 224 assists and 110 blocks. Southern Tier’s Big 30 Player of the Year is committed to Cornell. Also an excellent golfer.

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.  Visit the Cornell team page at the Charleston Classic. 

News and Notes: Sunday Edition

Below, news and notes for Sunday...

• Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) and the Springfield Armor (Brooklyn Nets affiliate) had their NBA D-League season come to an end after a roadtrip in Delaware.  Next season. the Armor will move to Grand Rapids, Michigan and will affiliate with the Detroit Pistons. 

• Cornell's incoming recruiting class next season includes five 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, Pat Smith (Archbishop Wood HS) Warminster, PA, 6-5, F, and Kyle Brown, (Newport HS) Bellevue, Washington, 6-3, G.  Jordan Abdur' Ra'oof will participate in the Capital Classic All Star Weekend.   CSNChicago.com lists its Boys Basketball All-Area Teams and places Riley Glassmann on the 3rd Team.  Glassmann finished 16th in Illinois for Mr. Basketball voting.  Pat Smith was named Second Team All State AAA by the Associated Press in Pennsylvania.  Smith was also named Third Team All City by City of Basketball Love.  Wil Bathurst, who was one of six finalists for Mr. Basketball in New York and ranked #7 by NYCHoopsNet of all players in New York State, was named all Western New York First Team (for the 2nd consecutive year).    The Buffalo News writes:

Wil Bathurst
Olean: 6-4 senior forward
PPG: 19.8 Reb: 7.0 Steals: 4.0
A two-time first-teamer for a multitude of reasons: His smooth all-around game includes a pretty outside shot, defense-staggering drives, an excellent eye for passing, the smart defensive plays (42 steals, 28 blocks) – while his ball-hawking rebounding is worth watching all by itself. Did it all in big moments for a program that faced major competition all year as an independent. A Class B All-Tournament selection as the Huskies closed out a three-year reign as Section VI champions by making the NYSPHSAA final in Glens Falls. For his career, Bathurst had 1,196 points (16.6 ppg), 545 rebounds (7.6), 224 assists and 110 blocks. Southern Tier’s Big 30 Player of the Year is committed to Cornell. Also an excellent golfer.

• HoopNiks evaluates the Ivy League recruiting classes and writes:

Cornell Big Red- Wil Bathurst | 6′-3″ | SG | Olean (NY)| Riley Glassman | 6′-4″ | SG | Fremnd (IL)| Pat Smith | 6′-5″ | SF | Archbishop Wood (PA)| Jordan Abdur-Ra’oof | 6′-7″ | SF | Gonzaga (DC)|-It’s a perimeter-oriented quartet that is committed to joining the Big Red roster next year. A sole in-state prospect, Wil Bathurst was considered by NYCHoops.net to be among the top-10 seniors in New York during his final high school season. Bathurst left a legacy by scoring over 1,000 points in high school, and posted 23 points per game as a senior. Riley Glassman pushed his high school squad to an undefeated regular season, scoring 18 points per game. A four year varsity player, Glassman can nail outside shots with regularity. Versatile wing Pat Smith has gotten great experience after several varsity seasons in the Philadelphia Catholic League. Like Glassman, Smith is noted as as shooter. He has the reputation of either getting his shot off the bounce, or off the catch. Hailing from one of the best high school programs in one of the best leagues in the county, Jordan Abdur-Ra’oof is a nice catch for the Big Red. He has good athleticism, and can rebound and defend. He’ll need to develop his offensive game, and add to his 205 pound frame.

• Mashable writes about "The Tournament" which will feature Cornell's 2010 team, ''Cornell Sweet Sixteen: Remember that Cornell team that made an improbable March Madness run in 2010? They're baaack — this time in TBT. Many of the team's best players have reunited for another shot at glory spurred by smart, team-first basketball. Talk about old school."

• On Maurice Watson's decision to leave Boston University, Mid Major Madness writes, "Watson didn't have the loftiest of offers [in high school]. Princeton, Cornell, and Texas Tech were among his suitors, but it's unlikely those schools factor into his next decision."  See a related story in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

• Kentucky's Jon Hood said of the Wisconsin game in the Final Four, "My freshman year, it was Cornell against us," he said, recalling a 2010 NCAA Tournament game. "It was the smart guys against the stupid guys. Go back and look at that score."

• The Beloit Daily News mentions Cornell's victory over Wisconsin in the Round of 32 during 2010.

• Boston College announced its new head coach.  Jon Rothstein of CBS writes:

Boston College AD Brad Bates made an extremely bold hire with Ohio University's Jim Christian
Is this the guy Bates really wanted to hire after he fired Steve Donahue? I'm not questioning Christian's ability to X and O. He did a terrific job at Kent State and won 49 games during the past two years at Ohio after he succeeded John Groce. But he hasn't come close to having the same type of success that Donahue did in the NCAA Tournament when he went to the Sweet 16 in 2010 with Cornell. Bates was never going to get Tommy Amaker to come across town from Harvard, and in hindsight that was probably the only hire that would have "moved the needle" with the Eagles. Christian is a good coach and a good guy, but he's jumping into a situation that's simultaneously the break of his career and a very risky move. This will be an interesting story to follow on Chestnut Hill.

• The Syracuse Post Standard writes:

Here's a group of five schools. What do they have in common?Lafayette. American. St. Bonaventure. Rhode Island. Cornell.
The headline sort of gives it away, but that's where Boston College went looking for its last five basketball hires. All were schools in the East that few would describe as basketball Goliaths.
Of course, that group provided more hits than misses for the folks in Chestnut Hill. Tom Davis (two NITs at Lafayette) got Boston College to an Elite Eight in 1982. Gary Williams (two NITs at American) coaxed a pair of round of 16 appearances out of the Eagles.
Jim O'Brien (one NIT at St. Bonaventure) eventually led Boston College to an Elite Eight in 1994, though the end wasn't particularly pleasant for him or the school. His successor, Al Skinner, had two NCAA and two NIT trips in his final six years at Rhode Island before settling in for a mostly steady run in the Boston 'burbs. Steve Donahue entered with three consecutive NCAA appearances at Cornell, only to go 0-for-4 in that area at Boston College and sent packing last month.

• The Pittsburgh Tribune writes:

If college basketball had free agency, Nolan Cressler would be an unrestricted commodity who is rising to the top of the bargain bin.

The former Plum basketball star has entertained a number of potential secondary college destinations since announcing he was transferring from Cornell on March 20.

The 6-foot-4 sophomore combo guard picked up his second scholarship offer Thursday when Rutgers came calling. His other offer is from Vanderbilt, while a number of schools appear to be in the strong-interest category. Cressler said those include Pitt, Notre Dame, Davidson, Butler, Dayton and Creighton, Davidson being the only one of that group that gave him a look two years ago.

Cressler said his second spin through the recruiting cycle has been as exciting as it's been nerve-racking.

“It's a little bit of both,” the former WPIAL Quad-A star said.

This time has come with much more national buzz than the first when he had only five offers coming out of Plum — from Cornell, Yale, Boston, Holy Cross and St. Francis (Pa.).

Cressler does not appear to be in a rush to make a decision. He plans to visit Vanderbilt on April 11 and could also make stops at other schools before committing. Of course, he still has school work at Cornell — the free-agent idea does not apply to the classroom quite yet.

An All-Ivy League honorable mention this past season, Cressler led Cornell in scoring at 16.8 points per game. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in his second year as a starter for the Big Red (2-26).

• The NJ Star Ledger notes the scholarship offer from Rutgers to Cressler.   

• On the Banks, a Rutgers blog, discusses Cressler potentially playing in New Jersey. 

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.  Visit the Cornell team page at the Charleston Classic. 

News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Above, Cornell's Devin Cherry drives past Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky during the 2012-2013 season.  Below, news and notes for Thursday...

• Nolan Cressler is getting personal phone calls from Notre Dame's Mike Brey.

• A former Cornell prospect is also transferring despite his team's winning ways and his plentiful playing time.

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, news and notes...

• Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) was under consideration for Player of the Month in the NBA D-League.  Ridiculous Upside ranks Foote as the No. 5 center prospect in the D-League.

• On Steve Donahue, Naples News writes, "Donahue reportedly made $1,001,551 during the 2012-13 season. Donahue’s base salary started at $687,010 in 2010."

• Virginian-Pilot writes:

Darryl Smith and Austin Colbert recently finished their freshmen seasons in Division I college basketball.
Both players began their high school careers at Norfolk Collegiate before transferring.
Smith, who transferred to Blue Ridge, had a very good season at Cornell.
Smith, a 6-2 guard, averaged 19.5 minutes a game this season and played in all 28 games.
He averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 rebounds. He also had 22 assists and 16 steals.
He earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors in January after he scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds with two assists in his Ivy League debut against Columbia.
He also had 14 points, four rebounds, an assist, a block and steal against Ivy League champion Harvard.
And he had a career-high 15 points in his first start against Penn.

• Jeff Goodman of ESPN ranks Nolan Cressler as the 9th overall best transfer on the market and notes:

He put up 16.8 points per game this past season for Bill Courtney in the Ivy League and will sit and have two seasons left to play. Cressler is a big, strong guard who is attracting attention from the likes of Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Pittsburgh.

• Vandy Sports analyzes Nolan Cressler and writes:

After a season where he averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game - Cornell sophomore Nolan Cressler decided it was time for a change and on March 20th, he was granted his release from the Ivy League School allowing him to transfer to another program. The Big Red is coming off a 2-26 season, their fourth straight losing season and a far cry from their 2010 Sweet Sixteen run. For Cressler, the decision to transfer was due in part to both basketball and academics.
Enter Vanderbilt. Who wasted little time in offering the All-Ivy League Honorable Mention guard a scholarship on March 24th. Pittsburgh, William & Mary, and Creighton are other schools in pursuit of Cressler's services.
A product of Plum High School in Pennsylvania, Cressler averaged 25.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game during his senior season where he became the school's all-time leading scorer and was named the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Player of the Year and AAAA Player of the Year as well.
I caught up with Plum head basketball coach Ron Richards to get his take on Cressler's situation and what his new team should expect from the shooting guard.
His skillset:
"Nolan is a big guard, 6-foot-4, who can really score in many different ways. He is only 19 years old and I believe his best basketball is ahead of him."
Being under-the-radar out of high school:
"He was under-recruited coming out of high school, because western Pennsylvania is more of a football area. He is (currently) being recruited by several schools from all major conferences."
What his new team should expect:
"Wherever he ends up, someone is going to get a really good basketball player, who is an even better person. I have no doubt that he will not only play at the highest level, but will be a very good player at the highest level."
Out of high school, Cressler chose Cornell over offers from Yale and Boston University. He made an instant impact for the Big Red during his freshman campaign, averaging 9.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while burying 54 three-pointers at a 40.3% clip.
Stay tuned in to VandySports.com as this story develops.