Since Steve Donahue assumed the position of The Robert E. Gallagher '44 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Basketball, the Cornell Big Red have achieved a stellar record of retaining recruited players in the program and ensuring their success on the hardwood and in the classroom.
On the playing court, Cornell's year-by-year results speak for themselves. The Big Red has finished among the Ivy League's top three teams in each of the last five seasons, including consecutive Ivy League Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances during the past two campaigns.
Outside the Ivy League, the Big Red strive to play the best and regularly schedule elite programs and participate in the most prestigious preseason tournaments. During just the last two seasons and the upcoming 2009-2010 season, the Big Red will have faced teams such as Duke, Syracuse, Kansas, Indiana, Minnesota, St. John's, Seton Hall, Alabama, Stanford, Missouri, St. Joseph's, La Salle, and Siena among many other well known opponents.
Below is a glimpse of Cornell's yearly results under Coach Donahue.
On the playing court, Cornell's year-by-year results speak for themselves. The Big Red has finished among the Ivy League's top three teams in each of the last five seasons, including consecutive Ivy League Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances during the past two campaigns.
Outside the Ivy League, the Big Red strive to play the best and regularly schedule elite programs and participate in the most prestigious preseason tournaments. During just the last two seasons and the upcoming 2009-2010 season, the Big Red will have faced teams such as Duke, Syracuse, Kansas, Indiana, Minnesota, St. John's, Seton Hall, Alabama, Stanford, Missouri, St. Joseph's, La Salle, and Siena among many other well known opponents.
Below is a glimpse of Cornell's yearly results under Coach Donahue.
CORNELL'S RESULTS UNDER STEVE DONAHUE
- 00-00- 7-20 overall, 3-11 Ivy League
- 01-02- 5-22 overall, 2-12 Ivy League
- 02-03- 9-18 overall, 4-10 Ivy League
- 03-04- 11-16 overall, 6-8 Ivy League
- 04-05- 13-14 overall, 8-6 Ivy League-2nd place in conference
- 05-06- 13-15 overall, 8-6 Ivy League-3rd place in conference
- 06-07- 16-12 overall, 9-5 Ivy League-3rd place in conference
- 07-08- 22-6 overall, 14-0 IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS/NCAA Tournament
- 08-09- 21-10 overall, 11-3 IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS/NCAA Tournament
Not only is Cornell winning basketball games, but the players are loyal to the program, whether they are All-Ivy League selections or the player with the fewest minutes of playing time.
With the exception of just three players, every member of Cornell 's last three recruiting lasses of 2010, 2011, and 2012 (the current seniors, juniors, and sophomores) stayed with the program and either graduated or are on track to graduate on time. (Note: The exceptions are Collin Robinson, Marc Van Burck and Alex Hill. Robinson transferred to Cornell from the University of Southern California during 2006, sat out the 2006-2007 season at Cornell as a red-shirt, then played one semester during the 2007-2008 season. He ultimately decided to return to USC to complete his education, but never played college basketball again. Van Burck left the basketball pr0gram in his final year of school to focus on academics, while Alex Hill returned back to Canada to play basketball in his hometown of Toronto.)
From recruitment to becoming part of the program, Cornell's players are motivated to work hard academically and to buy into the "Team First Concept" and to sacrifice individual glory for the greater good.
And the philosophy has worked.
“We want talented kids who are really passionate about basketball and [also] are just really great people," Coach Donahue said in an interview appearing in the Cornell Daily Sun on January 24, 2007. "They are unselfish, they think team first, when you get those type of kids … they think about what’s best for the team. What we see are kids that will really buy into our philosophy.”
Cornell Basketball alumni under Coach Donahue have played in the NBA's NBDL ("the D-League"), are playing professionally overseas, pursuing professional careers in business such as in the securities and banking industry and are enrolled in some of the nation's elite law, medical and graduate schools.
(edited 12.11.09)
With the exception of just three players, every member of Cornell 's last three recruiting lasses of 2010, 2011, and 2012 (the current seniors, juniors, and sophomores) stayed with the program and either graduated or are on track to graduate on time. (Note: The exceptions are Collin Robinson, Marc Van Burck and Alex Hill. Robinson transferred to Cornell from the University of Southern California during 2006, sat out the 2006-2007 season at Cornell as a red-shirt, then played one semester during the 2007-2008 season. He ultimately decided to return to USC to complete his education, but never played college basketball again. Van Burck left the basketball pr0gram in his final year of school to focus on academics, while Alex Hill returned back to Canada to play basketball in his hometown of Toronto.)
From recruitment to becoming part of the program, Cornell's players are motivated to work hard academically and to buy into the "Team First Concept" and to sacrifice individual glory for the greater good.
And the philosophy has worked.
“We want talented kids who are really passionate about basketball and [also] are just really great people," Coach Donahue said in an interview appearing in the Cornell Daily Sun on January 24, 2007. "They are unselfish, they think team first, when you get those type of kids … they think about what’s best for the team. What we see are kids that will really buy into our philosophy.”
Cornell Basketball alumni under Coach Donahue have played in the NBA's NBDL ("the D-League"), are playing professionally overseas, pursuing professional careers in business such as in the securities and banking industry and are enrolled in some of the nation's elite law, medical and graduate schools.
(edited 12.11.09)
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