Homecoming: Senior guard Louis Dale (12) will head to his home state of Alabama and take on the Crimson Tide in front of family and friends.By Zack Slabotsky
Cornell Daily Sun
November 13, 2009
The men’s basketball team is headed to Alabama to open the 2009-10 season. High expectations accompany a Red squad that some expect to have a year for the ages in the Ivy League. Although Cornell’s roster is loaded by Ivy League standards, a season-opening matchup against an opponent from the Southeastern Conference will provide an early measuring stick by which to gauge the team.
“When you go through all the teams in the Ivy League and all the teams in the SEC, there’s a drastic difference [in overall talent],” said Cornell head coach Steve Donahue. “We’ve got an experienced group though, and I feel very confident that we’ll be able to play really well against Alabama. That being said, we’re going to have to play really well to beat them.”
Alabama was 17-13 last season, including a 7-9 record in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide is led by junior guard Senario Hillman, and sophomore forward JaMychal Green, who is a potential NBA draft pick.
“Chris has done a great job. I just like having another ball handler out there. It’s like having two point guards,” Donahue said in reference to Wroblewski and Dale. “He’s earned a spot out there and he makes us a better basketball team.”
Reeves and junior transfer Max Groebe will be the primary backups at the perimeter positions. Senior transfer Mark Coury and junior Adam Wire should receive substantial playing time in the frontcourt. Freshman Errick Peck has also earned playing time based on a strong preseason.
The game against Alabama was scheduled in part to reward Louis Dale. Dale, a four-year starter at guard, grew up in Birmingham, Ala. He mentioned that a large contingent of his friends and family will attend the game.
“It’ll be very exciting because I know a lot of people coming to the game,” Dale said. “I appreciate [the opportunity] a lot just because a lot of my friends and family can’t travel all the way to New York to see me play and a lot of our games aren’t televised. It’s a great opportunity for the people I’m close with to have the opportunity see me play.”
Dale’s supporters will get to see the Red challenge a team that has apparent advantages in terms of size and athleticism. The Red will hope to compensate with superior experience and skill.
“I think we’re as good as any team we’re going to play,” Reeves said. “[The key for us] is just going to be coming out ready to go, playing hard, and wanting it more than they do.”
Wroblewski echoed those sentiments.
“We are very talented and very skilled,” he said. “Talent-wise, I would say we might be comparable [with Alabama]. I think we’ve got a great chance to win.”
Donahue explained that Cornell has a chance to win as long as it plays hard and exploits its strengths.
“[Basketball] is such a great team sport that you’re able to overcome some deficiencies that you may have compared to [another team] if you play harder, play tougher, and play more intelligently,” he said.
A win would be nice, the team is just anxious to get the season underway after an offseason full of talk about its potential.
“We’ve had a long preseason,” Wroblewski said. “The common feeling on the team is that we’re kind of tired of just beating ourselves up [in practice] and want to go out there and play somebody else. Who better than an SEC team? We’re all really excited and really pumped for this game. It gives us a great chance to make some noise and make a splash. We’re ready for it.”
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