Remembering Cornell's Incoming Recruiting Class of '94-'95

The 1994-1995 Cornell Basketball media guide cover featured DeShawn Standard ('98). Cover shots for Cornell media guides are typically reserved for veterans. At the time, however, Standard was a just a freshman.

But when he arrived at Cornell, Standard ranked as the No. 100 overall high school prospect in the U.S. in the class of 1994 by Hoop Scoop Magazine, which at the time was the preeminent high school scouting service. Many believed Standard, a 5'11" point guard, would eventually guide Cornell to an Ivy title.

But Standard was not the only blue chip recruit in Cornell's incoming '94-'95 recruiting class . The star studded class also included 6'1" guard, Trent Hickes, the Mr. Basketball winner in Montana, as well as 27-year old, 6'5" center, Eddie Samuel who spent five years in the Air Force before starting his college career at Pensacola Junior College in Florida.

Below is an an archived article covering Cornell's highly regard 1994-1995 recruiting class. Despite all of the hype and hoopla surrounding the highly regarded group, Cornell's class of '98 finished a mere 43-61 overall and 22-34 in Ivy play during their four years in Ithaca.

Cornell Only Has Him For Two More Years
Junior Transfer Eddie Samuel Won't Be Around When the Rest of His Stellar Recruiting Class Hits Its Peak

The Post-Standard
December 6, 1994

Cornell University second-year basketball coach Al Walker calls it the start of a "storybook tale." Problem is, Eddie Samuel probably won't be around for the happy ending.

Samuel is the cornerstone of Walker's first recruiting class, which was rated the best in the Ivy League and among the top 50 in the country by several national publications and scouting services. But Samuel, a transfer from Pensacola Junior College, is a junior who'll probably graduate before his freshmen teammates mature into Ivy League contenders.

"I think it's the beginning of a storybook tale. I really believe that," Walker says. "Eddie will set the table, but it's the freshmen class that's going to achieve down the road."

Walker didn't have much time to recruit after he was named Cornell's coach before the 1993-94 season. But after the Big Red finished 8-18 last season, Walker scoured the country for help.

The result: He signed eight true freshmen and three junior college transfers from 10 different states.

"If a kid lives in Alaska, we'll go find him and recruit him. And if he's in Ithaca, we'll recruit him," Walker says. "We'll go anywhere we can to find the right fit."

In addition to Samuel, Walker's prize catches were point guard DeShawn Standard (Louisville) and swingman Bo Buettenback (Hastings, Neb.). Several scouting services listed Standard as one of the top 100 recruits in the nation, and he's now starting for the Big Red.

"When he (Standard) committed to Cornell, he set the table for people like Eddie to come here," Walker says. "We were able to promise playing time with the next great player in the Ivy League (Standard) getting you the basketball."

Buettenback was the starting quarterback for the Hastings High School football team that won the Nebraska state championship in 1993. He wanted to play basketball, though, and turned down a scholarship from Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne.

"To grow up in Hastings, Neb., and to decide not to take a scholarship to play football for the 'Huskers, he's got to be a kid who understands where he wants to go," Walker says.

Cornell has been to the NCAA Tournament twice, in 1954 and 1988, when Walker was an assistant coach. The Ivy League champion receives an automatic bid to the tournament.

"To get to the dance, to see your name called up on the screen and to know every day you look in the paper for the next three weeks that you're one of the 64 (tournament teams), that's unbelievable," Walker says. "That's what it's all about at our level."