News and Notes: Around the Ivy League

Above, Tennessee head coach, Bruce Pearl was asked to provide some pre-game analysis of Cornell's 2009 NCAA Tournament game against Missouri. Below, some news and notes around the Ivy League.

• The New Haven Register published a preseason preview of the Yale Bulldogs. The article notes, "things will have to nearly perfect for these Bulldogs to claim a postseason berth. There are no easy stops in the improving Ivy League this year, and Cornell is loaded again." The article also quotes Yale star, Alex Zampier as saying Cornell, "could be one of the best teams in Ivy League history.”
  

• In closed scrimmage action the last two weekends, Cornell dominated Lafayette and Navy. Penn faced Quinnipiac and Coppin State, Harvard played Quinnipiac as well, while Columbia was tested against Rider and Hofstra. NCAA rules preclude the publication of statistics or details from closed scrimmages.
  

• WVBR's Men's Basketball Preview Show with Cornell Captains Jeff Foote, Alex Tyler, Jon Jaques, and Assistant Coach Kevin App is now available as an archived podcast at WVBR.com.

• The UMass Minutemen open their regular-season on Friday, Nov. 13 at UCF in Orlando. Their home opener is set for Nov. 18 as the Minutemen hostCornell in the opening round of the Legends Classic in Amherst at 7:30 p.m. Last night, UMass struggled dispatching Division II Dowling in an exhibition game.

• One of the bright young stars of the Vermont basketball team is out for the season with an ACL tear. Cornell faces the Catamounts in the Legends Classic.

• If our readers are not already aware of the obvious, the Crimson Tide of Alabama sure have a lot of media coverage in their state--- even for basketball. Anyhow, the Birmingham News notes that Alabama's final exhibition game is tonight before the season opener vs. Cornell on Saturday. See also TideSports.com and The Montgomery Advertiser for coverage.
  

• Keon Lawrence, a member of the Seton Hall basketball team, Cornell's November 20 opponent, could have some legal issues after a DWI arrest. Another Seton Hall player, Herb Pope, also has a checkered past with a DWI arrest. Pope was also shot once.
  

• Cornell's November 24 opponent, the Syracuse Orange looked like the No. 25 ranked team in the nation last night, blowing out a solid Albany team.

• The blog, "the 22000" previews the Penn-Penn State season opener for the Quakers.

• Penn Athletics has published its team media guide. Although the guide excludes a pair of freshmen on the team-- Tommy Eggleston and Malcolm Washington.