News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, news and notes...

• Per the Post and Courier, the Charleston Classic held its tip off event.

• The Spectator reports that Columbia opens its conference slate against Cornell and could be without Alex Rosenberg.

• An updated look at the Ivy recruiting commitments for 2015:

Corey Daugherty (Barrington HS) Barrington, RI, 6-1, G, Brown
Obi Okolie (Dennis O'Connor HS) Ajax, Ontario, Canada, 6-5, F, Brown
Travis Fuller (La Costa Canyon HS) San Diego, CA, 6-8, F, Brown
Chris Sullivan (Northfield Mt. Hermon) Wilmette, IL, 6-3, G, Brown
Peter Barba (Western Reserve HS) Cleveland, OH, 6-5, G, Columbia
John Sica (Bethlehem HS) Delmar, NY, 6-7, F, Columbia
Stone Gettings (Loyola HS) Los Angeles, CA, 6-8, F, Cornell
Matt Morgan (Cox Mill HS) Concord, NC, 6-2 G, Cornell
Troy Whiteside (Webb School) Knoxville, TN, 6-4, G, Cornell
Joel Davis (Wayne Country Day School) Goldsboro, NC, 6-3, G, Cornell
Donovan Wright (Blair Academy) Blairstown, NJ, 6-6, F, Cornell
Joseph Ritter (Woodrow Wilson HS) Dallas, TX, 6-8, F, Cornell
Michael Stones (Windermere Prep), Orlando, F, 6-1, G, Dartmouth
Quinten Payne (Ball State University) St. Charles, IL, 6-5, G, Dartmouth
Guilien Smith (Catholic Memorial HS), West Roxbury, MA, 6-1, G, Dartmouth
Evan Boudreaux (Lake Forest HS) Lake Forest, IL, 6-7, F, Dartmouth
Weisner Perez (Morton HS) Berwyn, IL, 6-6, F, Harvard
Tommy McCarthy (La Costa Canyon HS), Carlsbad, CA, 6-0, G, Harvard
Jake Silpe (Cherry Hill East HS) Cherry Hill, NJ, 6-0, G, Penn
Collin McManus (Northfield Mt. Hermon HS) Northfield, MA, 6-10, C, Penn
Sam Donahue (Northfield Mt. Hermon HS) Northfield, MA, 6-0, G, Penn
Jule Brown (Lower Merion HS) Merion, PA, 6-6, F, Penn
Morris Esformes (Hebrew Academy) Miami, FL, 5-10, G, Penn
Jose Morales (Cardinal Gibbons HS) Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 5-9, G, Princeton
Noah Bramlage (Ottawa-Glandorf HS) Ottawa, OH, 6-7, F, Princeton
Myles Stephens (St. Andrews) Middletown, DE, 6-4, G, Princeton
Devin Cannady (Marian HS), Mishawaka, IN, 6-3, G, Princeton
Blake Reynolds (Jackson HS) Jackson, MO, 6-7, F, Yale
Trey Phills (Charlotte Christian HS) Charlotte, NC, 6-2, G, Yale
Matt Greene (Hotchkiss School) New York, NY, 6-6, F, Yale
Alex Copeland (Harvard-Westlake HS) Hollywood, CA, 6-3, G, Yale
Eli Lininger (South Eugene HS) South Eugene, OR, 6-6, F, Yale

• CoxHub predicts Cornell to finish 8th in the Ivy and writes:

"Cornell – It was a disastrous 2012-2013 campaign for Cornell as they went 2-26 and 1-13 in the Ivy League. The played the entire season without Shonn Miller, the six-foot-seven forward who earned 1^st team All-Conference honors as a sophomore. Following the season they were dealt another blow when their leading returning scorer, Nolan Cressler, transferred to Vanderbilt. Now, with Miller back for his senior season, the Big Red will be battling for their respect. Miller will be joined by fellow senior Sevein Cherry, a six-foot-three guard, who averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game last season. Sophomore guard Robert Hatter had some impressive moments last year as a freshman, averaging 9 points in less than 20 minutes, and will be asked to make more consistent contributions this season. The return of senior guard Galal Cancer provides another potential weapon in the backcourt."

• Ivy Hoops Online writes, "We all know this conference is loaded this season. Columbia, Yale, Brown and Dartmouth return nearly everyone. Even Cornell will be more dangerous with Shonn Miller back, so the Big Red will be poised for an upset or two. So what does that mean for prohibitive conference favorite Harvard?"

• Ivy Hoops Online previews Cornell:

Is the glass half empty or half full?
Well, let’s start with half full. Braxton Bunce, Galal Cancer and 2012-13 first-team All-Ivy Shonn Miller return after missing all of last season, and Deion Giddens returns after missing most of last year as well. There’s presumably nowhere to go but up from 2-26, and sophomores like Darryl Smith and Robert Hatter will be well-seasoned after getting pressed into action early and often as rookies a year ago.

And now for half empty: Shonn Miller is this team, plain and simple. Last season proved that. If he’s not completely healthy for the entire season and firing on all cylinders from the get-go, forget it. This conference is too deep this year for Cornell to win games on the strength of just one player. Miller aside, what else ya got, Big Red? Galal Cancer running the point? He may be a solid slasher, but he’s no asset from the field, shooting just 35.4 percent from the field for his career after taking last season off to focus on regular student life. Three of Cornell’s top six scorers are gone, with 2013-14 leading scorer Nolan Cressler peacing out to transfer to Vanderbilt. This team was absolutely pathetic for pretty much all of last season, looking no more accomplished than a high school squad at times.
Bill Courtney seemed especially optimistic at the Ivy preseason media teleconference last week, because of course he did. It’s his job to generate excitement for a program that has been slipping away ever since he took over in 2010. Courtney’s most important observation at the teleconference was that the Big Red will have to hit the ground running to start their schedule, which includes eight games in 16 days. We’ll know what this team is made of soon. Without further ado, the rundown:
#0 – David Onuorah – Forward – 6-9, 230 So.
This big man easily led Cornell in shots blocked a year ago and is likely to have developed his inside game substantially in the offseason. But he’ll have to step up his rebounding game a little more to give this team some extra oomph in the paint while also cutting down on fouls – he averaged more than three fouls in just 18.4 minutes per contest a season ago.
#1 – Darryl Smith –  Guard – 6-2, 180 So.
Still sitting pretty on that $16.1 million contract. Oh wait, not that Daryl Smith. Cornell’s Smith was a spark plug as conference play commenced last season, earning Ivy Rookie of the Week honors for his energetic defense and impressive 32-minute effort at Columbia. Needs to improve his assist-to-turnover ratio in the backcourt. Will likely be trusted early on in a three-guard rotation with Pat Smith and Devin Cherry.
#3 – Galal Cancer – Guard – 6-2, 180 Sr.
Not much to add on Cancer other than that he needs to improve his offensive decision-making at times. Too athletic not to keep defenses fixated on Miller honest.
#4 – Dave LaMore – Forward/Center – 6-9, 225 Sr.
Look at LaMore’s glasses in his official headcut. Just look at them. My elementary school library teacher had specs just like those.
#5 – Robert Hatter – Guard – 6-2, 180 So.
I like Robert Hatter’s glasses better. I like his game better too. Cornell’s third-leading scorer as a freshman last year, Hatter is a threat from anywhere but the foul line, where he shot just 46.3 percent a season ago. Watch Hatter play off the ball and you’ll see why he’s one of Cornell’s few legitimate offensive weapons besides Miller on this roster.
#11 – Desmond Fleming – Guard – 5-11, 180 So.
Don’t expect to see much of Mr. Fleming this season. There are an awful lot of 180-pound gentlemen on this team.
#12 – Jordan Abdur-Ra’oof – Forward – 6-7, 205 Fr.
I don’t have a great feel for what we can expect from Abdur-Ra’oof yet, and it’s likely Courtney doesn’t either. His athleticism easily puts him in the offensive mix, though.
#13 – Devin Cherry – Guard – 6-3, 185 – Sr.
Without Devin Cherry, Cornell’s 2013-14 season really could have been a disaster. Joking aside, Cherry stepped up in a big way, ranking fifth in the conference in assists and somehow finishing second on the team in rebounding. He looked more comfortable as the season progressed too, which bodes well for any possible resurrection of Bill Courtney’s coaching career.
#15 – Braxston Bunce – Center – 6-11, 250 – Jr.
Injuries have sadly defined Bunce’s career up to this point, as he sat out his entire freshman season before missing 19 of 28 games last year. Let’s just hope he can stay healthy.
#20 – Wil Bathurst – Guard/Forward – 6-3, 180 – Fr.
The pride of Western New York, Bathurst may or may not complement Cancer at the two spot this year, depending on whether he can develop a cleaner shot.
#21 – Kyle Brown – Guard – 6-2, 180 – Fr.
Seriously, how many 6-2/6-3, 180 guys are there on this roster? Courtney definitely has a “type.”
#22 – Robert Mischler – Guard – 6-3, 183 – Jr.
Mischler showed little promise in his limited action as a sophomore and isn’t likely to make too many waves as a junior either.
#24 – Pat Smith – Guard/Forward – 6-5, 195 – Fr.
Smith was quite the sharpshooter at Archbishop Wood Catholic, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc and showing solid offensive efficiency everywhere on the floor. The most indelible freshman impact on this team in 2014-15 is likely to be Smith’s.
#25 – JoJo Fallas – Guard – 5-11, 175 – So.
I’ll go to bat for anybody named JoJo. Undersized and somewhat limited offensively, JoJo will keep doing JoJo, and that should be good enough for anybody.
#32 – Shonn Miller – Forward – 6-7, 210 – Sr.
The man himself. Offseason shoulder energy wiped out his 2013-14 campaign, but before that, Miller was a long, strong force to be reckoned with, finishing first in the league in defensive rebounding, second in steals and third in blocks as a sophomore. There’s very little Miller can’t do extremely well. He scores, he rebounds, he blocks, he steals. He just changes games. And he could change the complexion of this program with a career year very shortly. Then again, he’s the one with the massive target on his back too, the focal point of every opponent. He’s healthy, but he’s not God. He needs help at both ends of the floor for Cornell to turn heads this season.
#35 – Nenad Tomic – Forward – 6-7, 220 – Sr.
Affectionately known as “Ned,” Tomic averaged 8.3 minutes per game a season ago and isn’t likely to eclipse that consistently this season.
#50 – Deion Giddens – Forward/Center – 6-9, 202 – Sr.
A knee injury cut his junior campaign short a year ago, which was a shame because Giddens had momentum. He was making the most of his 14.5 minutes per contest, proving himself as an offensive weapon down low. He’ll be just that again this season.

• California Golden Blog writes, "Cornell transfer Dwight Tarwater is an under-sized tweener, though he might be strong enough to defend certain match-ups."

• The Ivy League summarizes some of the preseason media predictions:

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The national preseason honors and recognitions for Ivy League men's basketball have poured in entering the 2014-15 season:

ATHLON SPORTS
Predicted Order of Finish
1. 
Harvard
2. Yale
3. Columbia
4. Princeton
5. Brown
6. Dartmouth
7. Penn
8. Cornell

Preseason All-Ivy Team
Siyani Chambers, Harvard (Jr., G)
Maodo Lo, Columbia (Jr., G)
Alex Rosenberg, Columbia (Sr., F)
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)

Player of the Year
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)

BLUE RIBBON COLLEGE BASKETBALL YEARBOOK
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Harvard
2. Yale
3. Columbia
4. Princeton
5. Brown
6. Dartmouth
7. Cornell
8. Penn

Preseason All-Ivy Team
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)
Shonn Miller, Cornell (Sr., F)
Alex Rosenberg, Columbia (Sr., F)
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)
Maodo Lo, Columbia (Jr., G)

Player of the Year
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)

Newcomer of the Year
Amir Bell, Princeton (Fr., G)

Top Backcourts
1.    Harvard
2.    Columbia
3.    Yale

Top Frontcourts
1.    Brown
2.    Harvard
3.    Yale

COLLEGE SPORTS MADNESS
Preseason All-Mid Major Awards
First Team All-Mid Major
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)

Third Team All-Mid Major
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)

Coach of the Year
Tommy Amaker, Harvard

Preseason Ivy League Awards
First Team All-Ivy
Maodo Lo, Columbia (Jr., G)
Alex Rosenberg, Columbia (Sr., F)
Siyani Chambers, Harvard (Jr., G)
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)

Second Team All-Ivy
Cedric Kuakumensah, Brown (Jr., F)
Grant Mullins, Columbia (Jr., G)
Steve Moundou-Missi, Harvard (Sr., F)
Tony Hicks, Penn (Jr., G)
Hans Brace, Princeton (Jr., F)

Third Team All-Ivy
Rafael Maia, Brown (Sr., F)
Shonn Miller, Cornell (Sr., F)
Connor Boehm, Dartmouth (Jr., F)
Alex Mitola, Dartmouth (Jr., G)
Javier Duren, Yale (Sr., G)

Fourth Team All-Ivy
Leland King, Brown (So., F)
Devin Cherry, Cornell (Sr., G)
Gabas Maldunas, Dartmouth (Sr., F/C)
Spencer Weisz, Princeton (So., F)
Armani Cotton, Yale (Sr., G)

Coach of the Year
Tommy Amaker, Harvard

Player of the Year
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)

Freshman of the Year
Chris Egi, Harvard (Fr., F)

ESPN
Preseason Top 25 Coaches
22. Tommy Amaker, Harvard
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Harvard
2. Yale
3. Columbia
4. Brown
5. Princeton
6. Penn
7. Dartmouth
8. Cornell

Preseason All-Ivy Team
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)
Alex Rosenberg, Columbia (Sr., F)
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)
Siyani Chambers, Harvard (Jr., G)
Maodo Lo, Columbia (Jr., G)

LINDY'S SPORTS ANNUALS
Preseason National Rankings
18. Harvard

Preseason Conference Rankings
14. Ivy League

Predicted Order of Finish
1. Harvard
2. Columbia
3. Yale
4. Princeton
5. Brown
6. Dartmouth
7. Penn
8. Cornell

Preseason All-Ivy Teams
First Team
Siyani Chambers, Harvard (Jr., G)
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)
Steve Moundou-Missi, Harvard (Sr., F)
Alex Rosenberg, Columbia (Sr., F)
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)

Second Team
Maodo Lo, Columbia (Jr., G)
Tony Hicks, Penn (Jr., G)
Javier Duren, Yale (Sr., G)
Hans Brace, Princeton (Jr., F)
Cedric Kuakumensah, Brown (Jr., F)

Player of the Year
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)

Newcomer of the Year
Chris Egi, Harvard (Fr., F)

Best Shooter
Maodo Lo, Columbia (Jr., G)

Best Rebounder
Rafael Maia, Brown (Sr., F)

Best Playmaker
Siyani Chambers, Harvard (Jr., G)

Best Defender
Cedric Kuakumensah, Brown (Jr., F)

Most Versatile
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)

Best NBA Prospect
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)

NBCSPORTS.COM
Preseason Mid-Major Power Rankings
1. Harvard
13. Yale

Preseason Mid-Major All-America Teams
Second Team
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)

Third Team
Siyani Chambers, Harvard (Jr., G)

SPORTING NEWS
Preseason Top 25
24. Harvard

Predicted Order of Finish
1. Harvard
2. Yale
3. Princeton
4. Columbia
5. Brown
6. Penn
7. Dartmouth
8. Cornell

Preseason All-Ivy Team
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)
Siyani Chambers, Harvard (Jr., G)
Justin Sears, Yale (Jr., F)
Shonn Miller, Cornell (Sr., F)
Alex Rosenberg, Columbia (Sr., F)

Top Player
Wesley Saunders, Harvard (Sr., G/F)

Top Newcomer
Darnell Foreman, Penn (Fr., G)

Top Coach
Tommy Amaker, Harvard

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Top Five Sophomores to Watch for a Breakout Season
Leland King, Brown (So., F)

USA TODAY
Preseason USA Today/Coaches' Poll
RV. Harvard (26)

Cornell Gets Commitment from Stone Gettings

Cornell received a commitment from Stone Gettings (Loyola HS) Los Angeles, CA, 6-8, F.

Gettings also had an offer from Coumbia.  A face-up power forward, per MaxPreps, Gettings finished his senior season in a Division I loaded league averaging 15.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, .9 blocks per game.  As a junior, he averaged 4.9 points per game.  He also averaged 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 32% from beyond the 3-point arc and 80% at the FT line.  ESPN describes him as:

Gettings has a strong physique with solid length and good hands. He can step out and knock in the 17-foot jump shot as he fits that pick-and-pop 4-man description to a tee. He is savvy position rebounder as he uses his strength, length, and soft hands to snag rebounds.

ESPN ranked Gettings No. 39 overall in the state of California (and had since dropped him to No. 43) regardless of position and gives him a 66 rating (down from a 68 rating).  See his profiles on ESPN and Verbal Commits.  Gettings is a McDonald's All American Game Nominee.  Below, some video highlights with additional highlights on hudl.

Red-White Game Recap

Red Tops White 51-35 In Men’s Basketball Showcase

Cornell Athletics

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell men's basketball team stood in the corner where the players make their entrance each game cheering for the Big Red volleyball team as it closed out an exciting 3-2 win over Ivy foe Columbia. Then they went out and showed the Newman Arena crowd why everyone should be cheering for them this winter.

In the season's first public showcase, the Red team knocked off the White 51-35 on Saturday afternoon. The fast paced game was made up of a first half of 15 minutes of running clock play. The teams were mixed up in the second half with White leading Red 21-19. The Red team included the squad's expected starters against the White team's reserves.

Two returning seniors who both missed the entirety of the 2013-14 campaign were especially impressive, as Shonn Miller had 18 points, six rebounds and three steals while hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers, and Galal Cancer had 11 points, two rebounds and three steals. Classmate Devin Cherry had eight points, five assists and no turnovers from the point guard position. Also impressing was sophomore Darryl Smith with six points, three assists, two rebounds and a blocked shot. Classmates Robert Hatter and David Onuorah, both returning starters from last season, sat out the game due to injury.

Four freshmen made their Newman Arena debuts, and all made an impact during the game. Jordan Abdur-Ra'oof had six points, three rebounds and a steal, Wil Bathurst notched two points, five rebounds and a steal, Kyle Brown posted three points and Pat Smith notched eight points, two rebounds and a steal.

Cornell opens the 2014-15 campaign at George Mason on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Fairfax, Va.

News and Notes: Red-White Game Saturday Edition

Below, news and notes for Saturday...

• Here are the Rosters for the Red-White Game at 4 p.m. today.
  

Red:

Fleming, Giddens, LaMore, Miller, Mischler, P.Smith, D.Smith.

White:

Abdur-Ra'oof, Bathurst, K.Brown, Bunce, Cancer, Cherry, Fallas, Tomic.

Not Playing: Hatter, Onuorah

• Cornell Athletics announced:

 Men’s Basketball Promotes Jaques, Adds Metzendorf, Dodge To Staff

ITHACA, N.Y. – Second-year assistant coach Jon Jaques '10 has been promoted on head coach Bill Courtney's staff, while David Metzendorf returns and newcomer Brendan Dodge joins the staff for his first season in 2014-15. The staff shifts were necessitated when former assistant coach Mike Blaine recently accepted the head coaching job at Division III Medaille College in Buffalo.

Jaques, a hard working former captain who was a starter on the 2009-10 Big Red squad that won an Ivy League title and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, returns for his second year on the Cornell coaching staff. He will have responsibilities in all aspects of the program, from recruiting to scheduling. Jaques previously spent a year as a graduate manager at Ivy rival Columbia, and a year as an assistant coach at Stevens Institute. He played one season in the Israeli Premier League following graduation. Jaques will be responsible for game and practice planning, alumni relations and other duties.

Metzendorf returns for a second year on Courtney's full-time staff, but his first year as an assistant coach. He spent the 2013-14 season serving as a Special Assistant to the Head Coach here he was in charge of many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, from acting as film coordinator to handling all aspects of team travel. Metzendorf briefly served as assistant coach at Williams College under former Cornell captain Kevin App '07 before returning to East Hill. Metzendorf will be responsible for game and practice planning, recruiting and working with the backcourt.

Dodge slides into Metzendorf's previous role as Special Assistant to the Head Coach. A 2013 graduate of Drexel with a degree in sport management, Dodge served as a student manager for the Dragons for one season. He has also worked as a sales intern with the Philadelphia 76ers. Dodge served as an assistant basketball coach with the AAU Westchester Hawks and as a camp director's assistant for the Hoop Group. He most recently worked for Cambium, LLC, a financial advising firm.

The Big Red will have its first public showcase when it competes in the annual Red-White intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. at Newman Arena.

•  Cornell Athletics announced:

Men’s Hoops Picked Eighth In Ivy; Red-White Game Saturday

ITHACA, N.Y. – Fifth-year head coach Bill Courtney understands preseason polls don't have any impact on how this upcoming season will play out. Now all the Big Red men's basketball team has to do is change people's minds on the court.

Observers looked at least year's 2-26 record (1-13 Ivy) and the transfer of Cornell's leading returning scorer and may have assumed more trouble was ahead. But inside and around the program, significant optimism about the 2014-15 squad exists.

Fans will get their first chance to make their own decisions about the Big Red this Saturday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. when the program holds its annual Red-White Scrimmage in Newman Arena. Details of the scrimmage will be announced later this week.

Cornell was picked to finish eighth in Ivy League Preseason Media Poll announced this morning by the league office prior to its media teleconference with the circuit's eight head coaches.

"If we're the eighth best team in this league, this league is as good as any in the country," Courtney said.

After three weeks of practice, Courtney has had a chance to look at a nearly healthy roster for the first time in his five seasons and likes what he sees.

The senior tandem of Shonn Miller (11.5 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 1.9 spg., 1.9 blpg. In 2012-13) and Galal Cancer (5.7 ppg., 2.5 rpg., 2.7 apg., 1.0 spg. In 2012-13) return after missing the entire 2013-14 campaign. Miller was a first-team all-league pick as a sophomore and is, by any measure, one of the nation's top defenders. Cancer was the team's starting point guard two years ago before stepping away from the court for a year. Together, their reemergence has the Big Red looking for a dramatic turnaround.

All-Ivy candidate Devin Cherry (12.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.5 apg.) returns at guard, as do sophomore guards Robert Hatter (9.0 ppg., 2.1 apg.) and Darryl Smith (5.0 ppg., 2.3 rpg.) . Together, the second-year duo combined to win three Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. Sophomore big man David Onuorah showed flashes of being an impact player as a rookie (3.1 ppg., 3.8 rpg., 1.0 bpg.), while senior big men Deion Giddens (3.8 ppg., 3.1 rpg., 0.7 bpg.), Dave LaMore (1.7 ppg., 1.6 rpg.) and Ned Tomic (3.5 ppg., 1.9 rpg.) will provide leadership on and off the floor.

Cornell opens a challenging schedule when it visits George Mason on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in Fairfax, Va

---

2014-15 IVY LEAGUE MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLLPREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
First-Place Votes in Parentheses

Rank	School	Points
1.	Harvard (17)	136
2.	Yale	108
3.	Columbia	94
4.	Princeton	88
5.	Brown	75
6.	Dartmouth	47
7.	Penn	39
8.	Cornell	25

 

• The official release on the Media Poll from the Ivy League can be accessed here and listen to the Media Teleconference with the Coaches.

• Ivy Hoops Online was not impressed with Bill Courtney's comments during the Media Teleconference and writes:

BILL COURTNEY – CORNELL
“It’s funny because I was just on ESPN.com this morning looking at the Ivy League media predictions for this year and saw that we were picked eighth. Sorting through a lot of magazines and publications, we’re picked near the bottom of the league, if not last. When you finish last in the league and lose your leading scorer, I guess that’s par for the course.”
Exactly. You’re last until you’re not, so Cornell is still the Ivy cellar-dweller.
“We have two seniors coming back that didn’t play last year who were all-league. We have a great mix of young guys to go with those guys, we’ve been healthy, knock on wood.”
YES BY ALL MEANS KNOCK ON WOOD, ALL THE COOL IVY COACHES ARE DOING IT
“Shonn Miller’s back at 100 percent, he’s playing terrific basketball … Obviously I’m biased, but I’ve gone on record saying that he’s a heck of a basketball player and going to make a big difference.”
Yeah, because heaven forbid he get injured again to trigger another 26-loss season.
“Robert Hatter is back this year but he did suffer a knee injury last week in practice.”
NOOOOOOO!
“We thought it could be major but it turns out it’s not bad so he should be back in practice next week. He’s had a terrific offseason where he’s really improved. He’s back at 100 percent also.”
Phew! Good for Cornell, since Hatter was a refreshing spark plug as a two-time Ivy Rookie of the Week for an offense that looked absolutely flummoxed all season long.
“Deion Giddens who tore his ACL in January, is actually back practicing and is also at 100 percent. We have people on the other side of coming back from injuries instead of going out with injuries.”
College basketball is a cyclical thing, and Courtney wants you to believe that Cornell is on the upswing.
“Somebody said to me in the summertime, that’s why God put eyes in the front of your head, so you can look forward. We’re not looking back. We had a rough end of the season two years ago with injuries that decimated us, losing four or five starters. Then we lost our top three guys before the year last year… we knew that was key and then we lost our leading scorer in the offseason.”
He’s got a point. Cornell is not likely to have such rotten luck with injuries again. We’ll delve more into Cornell’s backlog of injuries in our player-by-player roster profile and season preview, but for now, just feel the good vibes Courtney is sending out:
“As we move forward as a program, we feel like our best days are ahead of us. We feel like we are going to be really good this year. We feel like the guys we got coming in next year are really going to help us. We feel like we’ve got things on the right track.”   
All the feels, Cornell. All the feels. At least until you suffer through a fifth straight losing season.

• On the preseason poll, the Daily Pennsylvanian writes, "the voters don’t have much confidence in Dartmouth, Penn and Cornell, the squads expected to finish in sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively."  Other articles on the Media Poll are published in the Hartford Courant, Valley News, New Haven Register, Boston Herald and The Trentonian.

• The Troy Record writes, "Syracuse gets crowds approaching 30,000 for even the least-competitive of opponents, the likes of Colgate and Cornell. It doesn’t make sense for the Orange to play anything other than big-gate home games unless it gets a huge guarantee elsewhere or national television exposure."

• Nolan Cressler gets discussed in Anchor of Gold which writes, "Nolan Cressler (6'4", 204 lbs), Junior: Cressler, Cornell's leading scorer in 2013-14, won't play for the Commodores this season as he waits out a year per NCAA transfer rules. He'll play a big role for this team once he's eligible. The sweet-shooting guard made more than 40 percent of his three-point attempts as a freshman and then scored 16.8 points per game last year despite being locked down as his team's only true offensive threat.  Cressler is jumping from a small pond to a big one. He'll have to prove that one of the Ivy League's leading scorers can translate into a significant role in the SEC. He's moving from a two-win team to a potential 20-win team, and while he had strong performances against teams like Syracuse (23 points) and Notre Dame (17 points) he needs to show that he can score efficiently on a consistent basis. It will be interesting to track his progress over the next three years."

• Manny Sahota's season is off to a big start in Canada.

• Vavel.com predicts the Ivy League and writes in part:

The top returning scorer for Cornell is Devin Cherry. Cherry averaged 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. Guard Robert Hatter is a player to watch for the Big Red. He appeared in the first 20 games in 2013-14 as a freshman and averaged 9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Injuries knocked him out of the remaining 8 games, but he should respond well with 20 games he played last year.

Perhaps the biggest return for Cornell is senior forward Shonn Miller. He missed all of 2013-14 will a shoulder injury, but in 2012-13 he put up averages of 11.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. His return will help the Big Red, but how much is another matter.

Predicted Order of Finish

The 2014-15 season for the Ivy League should be an intriguing one. Harvard is the favorite to win, but they are not the overwhelming favorite by any means. Both Columbia and Yale will provide formidable challenges in an attempt to prevent the Crimson from winning a fifth straight Ivy League title. Battling for the fourth spot will come down to Penn, Princeton, Brown, and Dartmouth and all have a solid chance at claiming it. Cornell still appears to be at least one or two seasons from moving out of the Ivy League cellar.

Here are the predicted order of finish for the 2014-15 Ivy League Season:
1. Harvard
2. Columbia
3. Yale
4. Dartmouth
5. Penn
6. Brown
7. Princeton
8. Cornell

Barring the improbable occurrence of two one-loss Ivy League teams, only the regular season winner will earn the Ivy League's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. As usual, the Ivy League winner is not to be trifled with when March Madness rolls around.

News and Notes: Friday Edition (Scrimmages Update)

Below, news and notes...

• Courtesy of ESPN, here is the complete and easy access list of the 16 closed-door scrimmages for the Ancient Eight:

Saturday, Nov. 1
Providence at Harvard
Hartford at Brown
Yale at Stony Brook 
Marist at Cornell
Lehigh at Princeton
Lafayette at Columbia

Dartmouth at Wagner

Sunday, Nov. 2
Loyola (Md.) at Penn

Friday, Nov. 7
La Salle at Princeton

Saturday, Nov. 8
Rhode Island at Harvard
Penn at Bucknell
Columbia at LIU
Cornell at NJIT
Brown vs. Colgate in Albany
Niagara vs. Dartmouth
Boston University at Yale

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, news and notes for Wednesday...

• The Washington Post notes that George Mason was picked 13th out of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 by the media poll and that the Patriots open their season with Cornell on November 14.

• Penn State's media notes state, "The Nittany Lions are slated to take part in the 2014 Charleston Classic, Nov. 20-23 in Charleston, S.C. They will open play in the tourney by taking on Charlotte at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20 on ESPNU and then will face either South Carolina or Cornell on the second day of the three-day event. The remaining teams in the field include Akron, Drexel, Miami (Fla.), and Southern California."

• Cal Athletics profiles by video Dwight Tarwater (Cornell '14) and also writes, "In our continuing series profiling the California men's basketball team's newcomers, CalBears.com's Mallory Majcher sat down with Graduate student Dwight Tarwater to discuss his path to Berkeley. The forward spent the last four seasons as a standout at Cornell, before enrolling in the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health over the summer as he works towards his Masters degree. Tarwater has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining and will look to be an immediate contributor for the Golden Bears in 2014-15. "

• ESPN predicts the Ivy League as follows and writes of Cornell:

...Over in Ithaca, New York, Cornell fans are dreaming wistfully of mediocrity. In 2013-14, the Big Red defeated one Division I opponent in 27 tries. If any player were to lead the program out of its current malaise, it would have been Nolan Cressler, who was by far the best offensive threat Cornell had. But in April, Cressler hopped overboard, announcing that he had secured a transfer to Vanderbilt.

In fairness, a big part of the reason for last season's disastrous campaign was the loss of Shonn Miller to a shoulder injury. Miller, a first team All-Ivy selection after his sophomore season, will return for his senior season to try to patch up some of the holes in this Big Red team.

2014-15 Projected Ivy League Standings

1. Harvard Crimson | 2. Yale Bulldogs | 3. Columbia Lions | 4. Brown Bears | 5. Princeton Tigers | 6. Penn Quakers | 7. Dartmouth Big Green | 8. Cornell Big Red

2014-15 All-Ivy team 

Position	Name	Team	Year
Forward	Justin Sears	Yale	Junior
Forward	Alex Rosenberg	Columbia	Senior
Guard	Siyani Chambers	Harvard	Junior
Guard	Maodo Lo	Columbia	Junior
Guard	Wesley Saunders	Harvard	Senior

• Check out the season prediction from Blue Ribbon Yearbook:

BLUE RIBBON IVY LEAGUE FORECAST
1. Harvard
2. Yale
3. Columbia
4. Princeton
5. Brown
6. Dartmouth
7. Cornell
8. Penn

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
F-Justin Sears, JR, Yale
F-Shonn Miller, SR, Cornell
F-Alex Rosenberg, SR, Columbia
G/F-Wesley Saunders, SR, Harvard
G-Maodo Lo, JR, Columbia

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Sears, JR, Yale

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Amir Bell, FR, Princeton

News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, news and notes for Tuesday...

• Dwight Tarwater (Cornell '14) gets mention in Busting Brackets preview of Cal.

• See the NBC Sports Ivy League preview which writes in part:

The favorite to win the Ivy League, as has been the case for the last three or four years, is Harvard .. Cornell looks like it’s destined for the cellar once again despite getting Shonn Miller back.
PRESEASON IVY LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Justin Sears, Yale
Harvard is the most talented team in the Ivy, and while Siyani Chambers and Wesley Saunders are both deserving of consideration for Preseason Player of the Year, neither does as much for their team as Sears does for Yale. The Elis are built around their ability to attack the glass and control the paint, and Sears (16.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg) is the reason why they’re able to do that. A physical, 6-foot-8 forward, he rebounds, blocks shots and can step out and beat a defender on the perimeter. The rising junior will be the focus of every opponent’s game-plan again this season.
THE REST OF THE PRESEASON ALL-IVY TEAM:

• Siyani Chambers, Harvard: There have been very few Ivy League point guards that are capable of doing what Chambers (11.4 ppg, 4.6 apg) has done in his first two seasons. His influence goes well beyond his stat line.
• Wes Saunders, Harvard: A 6-foot-5 wing, Saunders is the leading scorer (14.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg) and most talented player on the best team in the conference.
• Shonn Miller, Cornell: Miller missed the 2013-2014 season, one in which the Big Red went 2-26. But he’s a beast that will put up numbers (11.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.9 spg, 1.9 bpg in ’12-’13).
• Alex Rosenberg, Columbia: A 6-foot-7 forward, Rosenberg is the leading scorer (16.0 ppg, 43.2% 3PT) for a Columbia team that has an outside chance of winning the league.

PREDICTED FINISH
1. Harvard
2. Yale
3. Columbia
4. Princeton
5. Penn
6. Brown
7. Dartmouth
8. Cornell

News and Notes: Thursday Edition

Below, news and notes for Thursday...

• Cornell's annual Red-White Game will be October 25, 2014 at 4 pm in Newman Arena.  Admission is free to the public.

• Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) enrolled as a first year student at the University of Miami School of Law.  Foote is also serving as a Graduate Student Assistant Coach for the Hurricanes basketball team under Jim Larranaga.

• The Buffalo News reports on Mike Blaine's new head coaching position. 

• BT Powerhouse calls the 2008-2009 Indiana Hoosiers one of the worst Big Ten teams since 2000 and notes the Hoosiers defeated Cornell that season.

News and Notes: Monday Edition

Below, news and notes for Monday...

• Assistant Coach, Jon Jaques (Cornell '10) posted some images from Cornell's first practice of the season.

• On Twitter and Instagram, Dwight Tarwater (Cornell '14) poses in his new Cal uniform.

• Cornell assistant coach Mike Blaine is leaving the program for a head coaching position at Medaille.  See the release below.

BUFFALO, NY – Medaille College Athletic Director, Amy M. DeKay, introduced Mike Blaine today as the next head coach of the Men's Basketball program.

"Mike Blaine comes to Medaille with significant coaching experience at quality institutions of higher education," DeKay said. "His playing experience at John Hopkins combined with his coaching experiences at Cornell, UMES, Hampden-Sydney and Radford makes him an ideal candidate at this point in the history of the Medaille program. He has extensive athletic administrative experience from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as well. He enters Medaille as the Mavericks came off a conference playoff appearance last year and past NCAA tournament appearances. His experience and coaching combined with the team's talent will continue to make them a force in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference."

Blaine comes to Medaille College with over ten years of experience working for NCAA basketball programs.  Most recently he was an assistant coach on the Cornell University staff.  While at Cornell, Blaine played a large role in player skill development and was able to help in the growth of several All-Ivy League honorees.  Blaine was able to develop Eitan Chemerinski, who played sparingly his first two years in the program, graduated as the school's career field goal percentage leader, while (2011-12)  Ivy League Rookie of the Year Shonn Miller earned first-team all-conference accolades in (2012-13) as one of the league's top defensive players. He also worked with young big man David Onuorah, whose (28) blocked shots, ranks second all-time at Cornell as a freshman.

"Mike is more than ready to lead the program at Medaille College" said Bill Courtney, Cornell's Head Basketball coach. "His enthusiasm and positive energy will be infectious with his players and throughout the Medaille community. He is an excellent teacher and a terrific role model."

Prior to working at Cornell, Blaine spent the previous two seasons assisting the turnaround of the Maryland-Eastern Shore program. UMES won (11) games and went (8-8) in the MEAC conference to finish fifth in 2010-11, nearly tripling the program's win total from the season before Blaine arrived. Junior Hillary Haley led the team in scoring (12.4 ppg) and was named to the all-tournament team in the backcourt. Blaine's responsibilities included working with the backcourt players, as well as scouting and recruiting.

Prior to Blaine's stint at UMES, he spent one season at both Radford (2006-07) and Hampden-Sydney College (2007-08). He also worked as a Director of Basketball Operations at Army (2004-06) and James Madison (2003-04), leading the administrative efforts, as well as film exchange, academic progress of the players and team travel.

A 2003 graduate of Johns Hopkins with a degree in political science and sociology, Blaine was a standout for the Blue Jays. He currently ranks among the school's top 20 players in field goal percentage (seventh, .572), blocked shots (13th, 50) and offensive rebounds (17th, 105). He was part of teams that compiled (67) career victories, including a win over Navy that served as Johns Hopkins' first-ever over a Division I opponent. Blaine received the Robert H. Scott Award, given to the senior student-athlete who best demonstrates excellence in athletics, scholarship and extracurricular activities.

• Below, a look at the 2015 Ivy League recruiting commitments:

CLASS OF 2015 IVY LEAGUE COMMITMENTS

Corey Daugherty (Barrington HS) Barrington, RI, 6-1, G, Brown
Obi Okolie (Dennis O'Connor HS) Ajax, Ontario, Canada, 6-5, F, Brown
Travis Fuller (La Costa Canyon HS) San Diego, CA, 6-8, F, Brown
Chris Sullivan (Northfield Mt. Hermon) Wilmette, IL, 6-3, G, Brown
Peter Barba (Western Reserve HS) Cleveland, OH, 6-5, G, Columbia
John Sica (Bethlehem HS) Delmar, NY, 6-7, F, Columbia
Matt Morgan (Cox Mill HS) Concord, NC, 6-2 G, Cornell
Troy Whiteside (Webb School) Knoxville, TN, 6-4, G, Cornell
Joel Davis (Wayne Country Day School) Goldsboro, NC, 6-3, G, Cornell
Donovan Wright (Blair Academy) Blairstown, NJ, 6-6, F, Cornell
Joseph Ritter (Woodrow Wilson HS) Dallas, TX, 6-8, F, Cornell
Michael Stones (Windermere Prep), Orlando, F, 6-1, G, Dartmouth
Quinten Payne (Ball State University) St. Charles, IL, 6-5, G, Dartmouth
Guilien Smith (Catholic Memorial HS), West Roxbury, MA, 6-1, G, Dartmouth
Weisner Perez (Morton HS) Berwyn, IL, 6-6, F, Harvard
Tommy McCarthy (La Costa Canyon HS), Carlsbad, CA, 6-0, G, Harvard
Jake Silpe (Cherry Hill East HS) Cherry Hill, NJ, 6-0, G, Penn
Collin McManus (Northfield Mt. Hermon HS) Northfield, MA, 6-10, C, Penn
Sam Donahue (Northfield Mt. Hermon HS) Northfield, MA, 6-0, G, Penn
Jule Brown (Lower Merion HS) Merion, PA, 6-6, F, Penn
Morris Esformes (Hebrew Academy) Miami, FL, 5-10, G, Penn
Jose Morales (Cardinal Gibbons HS) Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 5-9, G, Princeton
Noah Bramlage (Ottawa-Glandorf HS) Ottawa, OH, 6-7, F, Princeton
Myles Stephens (St. Andrews) Middletown, DE, 6-4, G, Princeton
Devin Cannady (Marian HS), Mishawaka, IN, 6-3, G, Princeton
Blake Reynolds (Jackson HS) Jackson, MO, 6-7, F, Yale
Trey Phills (Charlotte Christian HS) Charlotte, NC, 6-2, G, Yale
Matt Greene (Hotchkiss School) New York, NY, 6-6, F, Yale
Alex Copeland (Harvard-Westlake HS) Hollywood, CA, 6-3, G, Yale
Eli Lininger (South Eugene HS) South Eugene, OR, 6-6, F, Yale

Joe Ritter to Join Cornell's 2015 Recruiting Class

Cornell received a commitment from Joseph Ritter (Woodrow Wilson HS) Dallas, TX, 6-8, F.

Ritter is ranked as the #133 overall prospect in the class of 2015 in Texas by TexasHoops.com which describes him as a, "Tough interior player that will mix it up, rebounds, gets trash, hits 12-footer."  His 2013-2014 high school stats (3.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are on Max Preps.

On the commitment, NY2LA Sports writes:

2015 PF Joseph Ritter of Woodrow Wilson High School found a home in the Northeast last week. The 6-8 240 pound post from Dallas, Texas decided to take his game to Cornell.

Cornell took their Ivy League academic standards and Division 1 needs to comb the state of Texas and struck nicely adding Ritter. Ritter’s 3.5 AP GPA and a 29 ACT score makes for an attractive Ivy League student and when you combine that with a college ready body and a decent ceiling Cornell struck nicely with this talent. Scouting service notes say he’s a skilled low post guy with college ready body that can face up out to 15 feet, knock down free throws, and he has a solid touch with nice upside.

The talented young man is excited about the opportunity to attend Cornell and he also is aware he needs to keep improving. “I feel comfortable about rebounding and defending at the next level but have to get college level strength and conditioning,” he said, adding “I’m excited about the opportunity Cornell presents both academic and basketball wise and I’m looking forward to the challenge and working with the coaches there.”

Joseph took multiple unofficial Ivy League visits because of his value of a high level education, but Cornell had a feel that provided an atmosphere he thought he could be productive in. Joseph spent his summers with Dream Elite basketball during the grassroots travel season.

Below, some highlights.

Updated 10.11.14

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, news and notes...

• Cornell's visit to the Carrier Dome to face Syracuse will be televised on ESPNU.  Also broadcast on the ESPN network family is all three of Cornell's games in the Charleston Classic.

• On the Charleston Classic and Penn State, BT Powerhouse writes, "If the Nits can prevail in the opener, they'll probably face South Carolina (No. 114), which is matched up against a Cornell (No.341) team that seems a lot more than just five years removed from a Sweet 16 appearance."

• Real GM previews the Ivy League and writes, "Brown and Dartmouth bring nearly everyone back and will be better. And even bottom feeder Cornell should benefit from the return of Shonn Miller, who was injured last year. Only Penn seems headed in the wrong direction. Last year's 5-9 Ivy League mark looked like rock-bottom, but based on the improvements elsewhere in the league, Penn could be headed to even fewer conference wins this season. Penn head coach Jerome Allen is firmly on the hot seat." 

• Below and update on 2015 Ivy League recruiting:

CLASS OF 2015 IVY LEAGUE COMMITMENTS

Corey Daugherty (Barrington HS) Barrington, RI, 6-1, G, Brown
Obi Okolie (Dennis O'Connor HS) Ajax, Ontario, Canada, 6-5, F, Brown
Travis Fuller (La Costa Canyon HS) San Diego, CA, 6-8, F, Brown
Chris Sullivan (Northfield Mt. Hermon) Wilmette, IL, 6-3, G, Brown
Peter Barba (Western Reserve HS) Cleveland, OH, 6-5, G, Columbia
John Sica (Bethlehem HS) Delmar, NY, 6-7, F, Columbia
Matt Morgan (Cox Mill HS) Concord, NC, 6-2 G, Cornell
Troy Whiteside (Webb School) Knoxville, TN, 6-4, G, Cornell
Joel Davis (Wayne Country Day School) Goldsboro, NC, 6-3, G, Cornell
Donovan Wright (Blair Academy) Blairstown, NJ, 6-6, F, Cornell
Michael Stones (Windermere Prep), Orlando, F, 6-1, G, Dartmouth
Quinten Payne (Ball State University) St. Charles, IL, 6-5, G, Dartmouth
Guilien Smith (Catholic Memorial HS), West Roxbury, MA, 6-1, G, Dartmouth
Weisner Perez (Morton HS) Berwyn, IL, 6-6, F, Harvard
Jake Silpe (Cherry Hill East HS) Cherry Hill, NJ, 6-0, G, Penn
Collin McManus (Northfield Mt. Hermon HS) Northfield, MA, 6-10, C, Penn
Sam Donahue (Northfield Mt. Hermon HS) Northfield, MA, 6-0, G, Penn
Jule Brown (Lower Merion HS) Merion, PA, 6-6, F, Penn
Morris Esformes (Hebrew Academy) Miami, FL, 5-10, G, Penn
Jose Morales (Cardinal Gibbons HS) Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 5-9, G, Princeton
Noah Bramlage (Ottawa-Glandorf HS) Ottawa, OH, 6-7, F, Princeton
Myles Stephens (St. Andrews) Middletown, DE, 6-4, G, Princeton
Devin Cannady (Marian HS), Mishawaka, IN, 6-3, G, Princeton
Blake Reynolds (Jackson HS) Jackson, MO, 6-7, F, Yale
Trey Phills (Charlotte Christian HS) Charlotte, NC, 6-2, G, Yale
Matt Greene (Hotchkiss School) New York, NY, 6-6, F, Yale
Alex Copeland (Harvard-Westlake HS) Hollywood, CA, 6-3, G, Yale
Eli Lininger (South Eugene HS) South Eugene, OR, 6-6, F, Yale