From the Archives...

The following is an article from March 19, 2008. Above, Cornell's Louis Dale. Dale makes his return home to Alabama on November 14 when the Big Red take on the Crimson Tide.

Dale helps the Big Red change game's culture

Ray Melick
Birmingham News
March 19, 2008

When Cornell University basketball coach Steve Donahue first saw a tape of Altamont guard Louis Dale two years ago, he couldn't believe what he saw.

"I asked my assistants, `What's going on here? What's up with this?'" Donahue recalled. "And they assured me he was for real, and we had a real chance to get him."

When Dale first walked around the Cornell campus, he couldn't believe what he'd walked into.

"I stopped a random person going to class and said, `Do people go to the basketball games here?'" Dale recalled. "And he said, `Are you joking? Nobody goes to basketball because the team isn't any good. Everyone here goes to watch hockey.'"

But partly because Dale fell into Donahue's lap, Cornell plays this week in its first NCAA Tournament in 20 years, and suddenly everyone is going to basketball games at this Ivy League school in Ithaca, N.Y.

Cornell, 22-5, won the Ivy League championship with a 14-0 record, earning a 14th seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Red will play No. 3 seed Stanford in Anaheim at approximately 4 p.m. on Thursday.

The Birmingham native has played a large part in changing the culture of Cornell athletics.

"I don't necessarily know why people passed on Lou out of high school," Donahue said. "But I knew that he was going to be the best point guard in the league as soon as he stepped on campus. I've been coaching in this league for 18 years, so I know talent. And I've coached three guys in this league that went to the NBA from the guard position, and Lou has that kind of ability."

Dale, a sophomore, has started every game but one of his Cornell career. Last week, he was named the Ivy League Player of the Year, after leading the league in assists (5.0 per game) and ranking sixth in scoring (13.5 ppg), He ranked second on the team in rebounding (4.4 per game), first in steals (34), and made .906 percent of his free throws - at one point hitting 52 in a row.

A first-team all-state selection at Altamont School, Dale was coached by two of the best point guards in the history of the state - UAB's Barry Bearden, who is Altamont's head coach, and Alabama's Terry Coner, an Altamont assistant.

"Terry coached him on fundamentals, and I coached him on trusting his teammates and not doing too much," Bearden said.

As a senior, Dale led Altamont to a 28-5 record and the Class 2A regional basketball final. Altamont won the state title in track, with Dale winning the triple jump and placing second in the high jump.

Despite the numbers, at 5 feet 11 inches tall, Dale was considered small for a college point guard, even by Ivy League standards. Bearden put a tape together for Dale, and because Dale was one of the top students at Altamont, his mother, Willette, began sending tapes to schools with high academic reputations.

"Cornell was the first to bite," Bearden said. "So that's where Lou went. Later, other schools started wanting him, but Lou fell in love with Cornell."

Still, hockey is king at Cornell, one of the traditional powers in Division I. Because the seasons overlap, "about the only time people came to watch us play basketball was between periods of a hockey game," Dale said.

That began to change this year. First, Cornell went down to Duke and played the Blue Devils much closer than anyone would have thought possible. The Big Red lost, 81-67, but was down only eight points with two minutes to play.

"That really changed the attitude of this team, to go to Duke and play as well as we did," Donahue said.

Dale, who scored nine points with five assists in the game, remembers the atmosphere.

"We went out to stretch an hour before the game, and already there were more fans in there than were at most of our home games. They were talking trash and stuff like that. It was amazing."

That was Jan. 6. It would be the last game Cornell lost all season.

"When we started winning, word started going around and people started coming to the games," Dale said. "We started selling out." Cornell plays in a 4,400-seat arena.

Not only did people at Cornell start to care, so did people from home.

"Last year, I kind of think people at home didn't know where Cornell was," Dale said. "But then people started keeping up with us. And now that we've made the tournament, I'm hearing from lots of people."

Dale is majoring in policy analysis - "it's like a business major," he said - and is starting to get recognized around the Ivy League campus.

"It's certainly not like being at Alabama or an SEC school," said Cornell director of athletic communications Jeremy Hartigan, who came to Cornell after working with the basketball program at the University of Cincinnati. "Lou probably doesn't get any more accolades than a top engineering student. These students are the next leaders of the country, so the atmosphere is a little different when it comes to sports."

With a trip to the NCAA Tournament, that could be changing, at least temporarily.

Told of Dale's freshman question about who goes to basketball games at Cornell, Donahue laughed.

"I always hope my recruits don't ask that question," he said. "But I don't mind now."

Cody Toppert Cornell Highlights

Below, some video clip footage of Cody Toppert from his Cornell days between 2001-2005. Toppert currently plays for MEG Goettingen in German's premier league, the Budesliga.

A Date in Cornell Basketball History: April 2006

Oh there are so many twists of irony in the tangled Ivy League...

During April 2006, Penn just capped off its second consecutive Ivy League championship. Within the weeks thereafter, the Quakers watched their head coach, Fran Dunphy bolt across town to take the coaching job at the higher profile Temple program. Suddenly, Penn was searching for a new coach.

Cornell head coach, Steve Donahue, a Philadelphia area native, interviewed for the newly vacant position at Penn. But Donahue never became Penn's head coach. Instead, Glen Miller left his coaching post at Brown to take over the Quakers' surging program.

During his first season with Penn in 2006-2007, Miller took a Penn team that Dunphy constructed to its third consecutive Ivy League title. The status quo was maintained, at least for the time being.

But the following two Ivy League seasons would belong to Steve Donahue and Cornell. The Big Red captured the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 Ivy League titles. Below we post an archived report from April 2006.

Report: Big Red's Donahue to interview for Penn job

By Brian Delaney
The Ithaca Journal
April 13, 2006

ITHACA - According to a report Tuesday in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Cornell men's basketball coach Steve Donahue has been told he will be interviewed for the head coaching position at the University of Pennsylvania following the departure of the Quakers' longtime coach, Fran Dunphy, to Temple earlier this week. Donahue was an assistant under Dunphy at Penn for 10 years before leaving to take over Cornell's program in 2000. His career record on East Hill is 58-105 over six seasons.

When reached Wednesday by phone, Donahue declined comment on the Penn situation.

Other coaches who are widely considered to be top candidates for the position include Brown's Glen Miller, current Penn assistant Dave Duke, Lafayette's Fran O'Hanlon and Howard's Gil Jackson.

The Quakers, led by junior Ivy League Player of the Year Ibby Jaaber, won the conference crown for the second straight season. Dunphy leaves his successor four returning starters and a talented recruiting class led by 6-foot-8 power forward Andreas Schreiber from Los Angeles.

Donahue, meanwhile, is expecting his strongest class yet for the upcoming 2006-2007 season. Geoff Reeves and Ryan Wittman, a pair of 6-6 swingmen, are talented enough to contribute immediately. A team source also confirmed late last week that prospect Louis Dale, an athletic point guard and McDonald's All-America nominee from Altamont High School in Alabama, has committed.

A Date in Cornell Basketball History: November 23, 2003

In anticipation of Cornell's season home opener on November 20 against Seton Hall, down below we post some archived news articles from Cornell's November 23, 2003 game in Newman Arena against Georgia Tech.

Red preps for major test
Cornell men open with ACC power Georgia Tech

By LaMond Pope
The Ithaca Journal
November 22, 2003

ITHACA - Since arriving at Cornell in 2000, men's basketball coach Steve Donahue has wanted to play a major basketball power in Newman Arena.

But he wanted to make sure a number of things were in place.

"I wanted to bring a marquee team in here and my vision was when we were good enough to challenge for a league title, and that's where we are at," Donahue said Tuesday. "We got it worked out (and) they were kind enough to come."

They are the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

The Big Red will host ACC power Georgia Tech in its season opener at 3 p.m. Sunday at Newman Arena.

The Yellow Jackets are the first ACC team to play in Ithaca since North Carolina came to town on Jan. 3, 1991, to provide a homecoming for Binghamton native King Rice. The Tar Heels won that contest, 109-66.

"It's a big thing for the community, the school and for us," senior co-captain Ka'Ron Barnes said. "If we come and play our best game, we'll have a chance at a victory. I expect a lot of people to be here."

Officials are anticipating a large crowd at Newman Arena, which can seat close to 4,500 people. It's a scene Donahue has long envisioned.

"I wanted it to be the first game and I wanted (to play) while our students were in session," Donahue said. "I wanted it on the weekend, I wanted it nationally televised (the game will be broadcast on College Sports Television). Everything has fallen into place. I want our students to feel the excitement of what college basketball can be. I think you're going to have a fun, exciting college basketball environment at Newman Arena. That's what I wanted to start our season."

The game came together when Donahue approached Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt. The two have ties that stretch back to recruiting battles when Donahue was an assistant at Penn and Hewitt was an assistant at Villanova.

After meeting the last two seasons in Atlanta, the game moved north. Hewitt said his team will get a lot out of the trip.

"When they approached us, I thought it was a good situation," Hewitt said in a phone conversation Friday. "I have a lot of respect for him as a coach. They have a veteran team with all five starters back. And they play a similar style to (fellow ACC school) North Carolina State, so it will be good for our team to see that early."

Hewitt also has ties to Upstate New York. A 1985 graduate of St. John Fisher, Hewitt coached Siena for three seasons before becoming head coach at Georgia Tech in 2000.

Last year, he guided the Yellow Jackets to a 16-15 record and an NIT berth.

The Yellow Jackets lost Chris Bosh, who left school early and was selected this past summer by the Toronto Raptors as the fourth pick in the NBA Draft, but do return their four other starters, led by guards B.J. Elder and Marvin Lewis.

Elder scored 17 points in the team's opener, a 79-45 win against Louisiana-Lafayette on Tuesday. Lewis was the leading scorer in the Yellow Jackets' second victory, scoring 23 points Thursday against Hofstra. The two wins have placed the Yellow Jackets in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT, where they will face top-ranked Connecticut on Wednesday.

Georgia Tech's early success can be traced to its defense. The team is allowing 55 points per game.

"We need to break their pressure," Cornell center Eric Taylor said. "Coach Hewitt has always liked to press and I think we have some talented guards who can break the pressure. Another key is rebounding. They have five athletes, they are more athletic than us, so we are going to have to box out. We have to control the boards."

The Yellow Jackets won the battle of the boards - and just about every other battle - en route to an 81-55 win against Cornell in last year's game at Alexander Coliseum in Atlanta.

Taylor and Barnes were bright spots in that contest. Taylor scored 19 points and Barnes 15 in the loss.

"Ka'Ron Barnes and Eric Taylor are outstanding players. I was hoping that one of the two would have graduated by now," Hewitt said. "I know Eric's grandfather from when I was at Siena. He wanted me to recruit him, and now I wish I had recruited him for Siena. They are good team."

Donahue also realizes how talented Georgia Tech is, but says his team won't be intimidated.

"They will press and push the ball. That's the things we've been doing all preseason," Donahue said. "They will shoot the 3 and up-tempo the game, and I'm not exactly looking to slow the ball down. I'm looking to make good transition, work on our transition defense and play them.

"We know exactly who they are. We've played them the last two years. The players want to prove they are a good basketball team. They are looking forward to playing a good game against Tech. They are hoping that people realize that this isn't just an exhibition to show you what Tech is like, this is to show that we can beat a team like Tech."

Red plays host to first ACC team since 1991

By Per Ostman
Cornell Daily Sun
November 21, 2003

The East Hill is buzzing with anticipation. Sunday marks the beginning of the 2003-04 Cornell men's basketball season, as the Red faces the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech in Newman Arena. It will be the first time since 1990-91, when the North Carolina Tar Heels graced the campus, that an ACC team has visited Cornell.

"It's a huge game, for the team and for the whole school," said senior co-captain Ka'Ron Barnes. "The ACC is such a high-level league."

The Red has played the Ramblin' Wreck each of the past two seasons, losing both times. Last January in Atlanta, the Red managed only 55 points against the Tech press. However, this year's team is unfazed by its major-conference foe.

"We're not intimidated," said junior two-guard Cody Toppert. "Not intimidated at all."

"We look at them like they're just another team," added Barnes. "I feel like we have real good chance to beat them."

The Red has reason to be confident. Cornell returns all five of its starters from a season ago, including Toppert and Barnes, a consensus Preseason First Team All-Ivy selection. Also back is junior co-captain Eric Taylor, who leads all Ivy returners in rebounding. Reigning rookie of the year Lenny Collins and a finally healthy Gabe Stephenson round out the starting lineup.

The Red will need to call upon its veteran experience to combat the press-style employed by the Yellow Jackets. Barnes and Toppert will have to make quick decisions and avoid pressured turnovers as they bring the ball up the court.

"We've worked a lot in practice on breaking down their press," said Toppert.

"I've played against pressure my whole life," said Barnes. "I'm not worried."

Georgia Tech travels to Ithaca, N.Y., in the midst of the Preseason NIT, having beaten Louisiana-Lafayette on Tuesday and Hofstra Thursday. Tech will play in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden later next week.

The Yellow Jackets are led by junior guard B.J. Elder, who led Georgia Tech in scoring with 17 points on Tuesday. Also returning from last year's squad are juniors Isma'il Muhammad and Luke Schenscher, a 7-foot-1 center who could give Cornell problems down low.

The Red has spent lots of time in the film room scouting the tendencies of its ACC opponent.

"We're as prepared as possible for this game," said Toppert. "We know what we've got to exploit -- B.J. Elder doesn't create off the dribble well, Marvin Lewis doesn't attack the glass. Things like this. Knowing their styles will help us play our game."

The Red is expecting a large turnout at its season opener and doesn't expect to disappoint the crowd.

"In previous years, the fans were used to us losing," said Barnes. "We're going to be successful this year, and it's great that everyone is hyped up to see us play.

"We want a big crowd. Any team that's good, they have that. We need that."

"We're going to be ready to go," said Toppert. "Bring the enthusiasm."

Jackets sting Big Red

By LaMond Pope
Ithaca Journal
November 24, 2003

Coach Steve Donahue has long dreamed of a scene like Sunday at Newman Arena.

His Big Red was in a fight with ACC power Georgia Tech, trailing by one point with 13 minutes remaining in a nationally televised game.

There was a sellout crowd listed at 4,762, including a raucous student section that cheered every Cornell basket and jeered the Yellow Jackets and any call that went against the Big Red.

But Georgia Tech spoiled Cornell's perfect ending, scoring 11 consecutive points during four-minute span midway through the second half en route to a 90-69 victory against the Big Red.

B.J. Elder scored seven of his 15 points during the stretch. He also finished with 10 rebounds to hand Cornell a loss in its season opener.

Donahue knew if Cornell wanted to post an upset against the Yellow Jackets (3-0), it would need to rebound well and avoid turnovers.

Cornell accomplished the first, holding its own on the glass while getting outrebounded 44-37 (Gabe Stephenson had 10 rebounds for the Big Red). But the team struggled at times with Georgia Tech's press and turned the ball over 21 times.

"In the first half we were down four, but I thought we outplayed them except for some unbelievable mental lapses on some turnovers," Donahue said. "They stretch it to 11 (in the second half) and instead of playing sound basketball, we try to make it up in one possession. We didn't play the way we need to play to beat Georgia Tech.

"My feeling was we got more careless and tried to make up a deficit, even a four-point deficit, with over-penetration. We tried to do too much off the dribble and tried to make plays that weren't there. We also had a couple of easy layups that went in-and-out and that was critical because now they are going in transition and Georgia Tech is very good in transition."

Five Yellow Jackets, including Elder, scored in double figures. Jarrett Jack had 21 points while Marvin Lewis finished with 18. Seven-foot-one center Luke Schenscher added 15 and Isma'il Muhammad scored 12 points, four of which came on consecutive dunks during the 11-0 run.

"We prevented them from (scoring transition baskets) in the first half of the game, but for four possessions they came down and scored," said junior guard Cody Toppert, "and we didn't necessarily take bad shots, we just missed shots and we weren't able to get back and set up with our defense and they were able to come down (and score)."

Cornell found their shots more difficult to come by in the second half.

After shooting 48.4 percent from the field in the first half, including 7-for-13 (53.8 percent) from 3-point territory, Cornell shot 30.3 percent in the second half and was just 1-for-12 from beyond the acr.

"I thought in the first half, we had three or four scouting report mistakes, and they took advantage of that," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said. "The second half, we did a much better job of recognizing where Toppert was and made (senior guard Ka'Ron) Barnes work for everything."

"Steve's team played great. They shot extremely well in the first half. They executed very well, got their shots and knocked them down. In the second half we paid a little more attention to their shooters, particularly Toppert."

Toppert scored all but two of his 16 points in the first half.

Barnes (21 points), Eric Taylor (14) and Stephenson (10) also reached double figures for Cornell.

Cornell managed to get its biggest lead of the game midway through the first half, going on an 8-0 run to take a 21-13 edge, fueled by a Barnes 3-pointer and four points from Taylor.

The Yellow Jackets used an 11-2 run to regain the lead, including seven straight when Barnes was briefly off the floor for a rest. The teams traded the lead 10 times in the first half and were tied on four other occasions.

Cornell's final lead of the game came with 7:24 remaining in the first half when Barnes made a layup to put the Big Red ahead 27-26.

"We have guys that can run the floor," Donahue said. "David (Lisle) and Cody got out on the break. I can't think of too many bad decisions in transition. Unfortunately, we've got to stop them, and we didn't stop them."

Georgia Tech took a four-point lead into halftime, and extended it to seven four minutes into the second half.

Cornell chipped away at the deficit with a tipped basket by Taylor and then free throws by sophomore Lenny Collins (one), Stephenson (two) and Taylor (one) to get within 55-54 with 13:14 remaining in the game.

With the crowd in a frenzy, Elder nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing to give the Yellow Jackets some breathing room.

The next time down the floor, Elder missed a jumper, but Muhammad was there for a dunk on the rebound. Elder then threw an ally-oop pass to Muhammad to push the lead to eight and finished the run with back-to-back baskets.

"B.J. is our best player and what he did in the second half is what I expect," Hewitt said. "If he gets looks, I keep saying he's the biggest secret in college basketball in the country."

Cornell never recovered.

While the game will go down as a loss, it will also could go down as building block for the program. The announced attendance was the second-largest ever at Newman Arena for a basketball game, only exceeded by a crowd of more than 5,000 which showed up the last time an ACC school - North Carolina - came to Ithaca in 1991.

Large crowd a good thing

By Chris Fever
The Ithaca Journal
November 24, 2003

Cornell men's basketball has long run a distant second on the East Hill winter sports pecking order.

Hockey rules the day, and for good reason. It tends to win conference championships and occasionally flirts with winning a national title. The atmosphere at Lynah Rink is not to be missed.

Cornell basketball, on the other hand, rarely wins, and its crowds are often so small they can be counted during player introductions. Newman Arena and Cameron Indoor Stadium are never confused with one another.

Sunday, Cornell took a big step in bringing its basketball program back to life when it hosted Georgia Tech of the Atlantic Coast Conference. In front of a nearly packed house and a small national television audience (the game was shown on CSTV, but not available on local cable), the Big Red gave the Yellow Jackets a big-time scare, and gave the fans a big-time thrill.

Although Cornell lost 90-69, it more than held up its own end. The Big Red trailed by just 55-54 with 13 minutes left, but the athletic ability and depth of the Yellow Jackets - a team that has already played twice on ESPN this season and will play No. 1 UConn in the Preseason NIT semifinals in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday - eventually took over.

Far more surprising than Cornell's performance, but equally good to see, was the crowd, which was rowdy throughout and more importantly, existed.

The attendance was listed at 4,762, the second-largest basketball crowd ever at Newman for a Cornell basketball game (North Carolina drew approximately 5,000 fans in 1991).

Sunday's attendance was inflated somewhat (there were closer to 3,600 in attendance than 4,762), but the crowd was a stark contrast to previous years, even when Penn and Princeton come to town.

"The student body was tremendous, standing the whole game," said Cornell fourth-year coach Steve Donahue. "That is a real testament to their support of us. The guys appreciated that."

Getting a crowd at Newman Arena, a festive honest-to-goodness college basketball atmosphere, has been one of Donahue's main goals since he took over the program just prior to the start of the 2000-01 season.

But Donahue knows that it was no use crying about a lack of fan support if he didn't put a good product on the floor.

The Big Red has had just one winning season (1997-98) in the past decade. And while Cornell is usually competitive in its home games, the consistent losing makes it hard to draw good crowds consistently, especially in a town and at a school not famous for supporting any team sport other then men's hockey.

This year, by all appearances, the Big Red has a good product on the floor, and is considered one of the favorites for the Ivy League title.

Senior guard Ka-Ron Barnes should challenge for Ivy Player of the Year, and is the league's returning leading scorer, averaging 14 points per game last season. Barnes was a menace to the Yellow Jackets for much of Sunday's contest, finishing with 21 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Only his six turnovers was a negative.

"The atmosphere was terrific," Barnes said. "The support was great.

"When you go everywhere else, they have that kind of support and to have that here, it is good for us."

Joining Barnes in the backcourt is junior guard Cody Toppert, who had 14 first-half points against Georgia Tech, and finished with 16. And should never be left alone from 3-point range.

Juniors Gabe Stephenson and Eric Taylor know how to bang inside. Stephenson had a double-double against the Yellow Jackets (10 points, 10 rebounds), while Taylor is the leading returning rebounder in the Ivy League, and finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds on Sunday.

Rounding out the starting five is forward Lenny Collins, who was the Ivy League Freshman of the Year last year.

"This is a very good team," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt. "I expect them to be in the Ivy League race all season."

One possible weakness for the Big Red is its bench, or lack of it. Sunday, the Yellow Jackets wore down the Big Red, as all five Cornell starters logged at least 31 minutes. A pair of them cramped up near the end.

But three of Cornell's first four off the bench are freshmen and Donahue did not want to expose them too much in the first games of their college careers.

"We don't go that deep, yet," Donahue said. "I like my freshmen. It is just a hard game for them to get their first college (experience)."

Still, with the proper blend of experience and newcomers, Cornell's season looks promising.

Now, if only Sunday's crowd could prove to be the rule, and not the exception.

"It felt real nice to get in the flow and compete against a team in an atmosphere like that," Stephenson said. "I just hope that we get atmospherer like that the rest of the season. We have a lot of big games left. We have a lot of wins left to get. So it would be nice to see everybody back out again."

Cornell drops opener to Georgia Tech

Matt James
Cornell Daily Sun
November 24, 2003

The student body turned out en masse for the men's basketball team Sunday, and the Red gave them a good fight. A crowd of 4,762 filled the seats of Newman Arena from tip-off to the last minute to support the team in its home opener against Georgia Tech.

Head coach Steve Donahue was grateful for the cheering section.

"The student body was tremendous," he said. "I appreciate it; our guys appreciate it."

Senior captain Ka'Ron Barnes agreed.

"The atmosphere was terrific. I think it was good for the school overall and the program," he concluded.

Unfortunately for the Red, though, the team couldn't convert the support into a win, falling to the Yellow Jackets, 90-69.

But much of the game was closer than the score would suggest. Cornell came into the second half down 42-38 and worked its way back to a one-point deficit with a 13:16 left in the game. Just when the Red looked like it might take the lead, though, Tech launched a 14-2 run over four minutes to take back the momentum and put the game out of reach.

"A lot of it had to do with Georgia Tech's athleticism," said Donahue.

Tech took over with two fast-break dunks and a stretch of dominating defense that saw it clamping down on the Red's outside shooting and gobbling up as many rebounds as it could.

With a deeper line-up, Tech wore the Red down in the second half to take the advantage. The Yellow Jackets sealed the deal with an aggressive defense, holding Cornell to 30.3 percent shooting in the final period, with the Red shooting only 1-for-12 from 3-point land.

"I thought in the second half we paid a little more attention to their shooters," said Tech head coach Paul Hewitt.

"That's one of the things we pride ourselves in," said Yellow Jackets guard Jarrett Jack, "the defensive pressure."

The Yellow Jackets benefited from the athletic play of junior All-ACC guard B. J. Taylor on both ends of the floor in the second stanza, when he contributed six rebounds and 12 points. Jack led the Yellow Jackets with 21 points and eight assists.

Turnovers killed the Red, as it gave up 21 in the game. Donahue cited that as the team's greatest problem.

"We got real careless," he said.

That led to easy points for Tech and missed opportunities for the Red.

The second half score obscured a well played first by Cornell. In the first, the team played sharp, aggressive basketball, moving the ball around well and converting on its defensive rebounds.

In the initial period the team shot 53.8 percent on 3-point attempts -- including junior Cody Toppert shooting 4-7 from downtown -- moved the ball around well, and ran the fast break with success.

"In my opinion, we outplayed them in the first half," said Donahue.

The coach cited the team's defense and at times its rebounding as positives for the Red.

"When we rebound the ball we're pretty good," Donahue noted, saying that area will likely be key to the Red's success this season.

For the evening, Barnes led the way for Cornell with 21 points and six assists. Junior forward Gabe Stephenson made his return from injury with 10 rebounds, including six offensive boards -- half the team's total.

"It felt really good," he said about seeing his first extended time in more than a year. "It felt real nice to get into the flow."

Hewitt praised the Red's effort overall.

"This is a good team," he said. "They're going to be in the Ivy League race."

And to be sure, both the team and the school would be happy about that. It would undoubtedly lead to more crowds like the one the team saw yesterday, which would only make the Cornell harder to beat.

"I just hope we get atmosphere like that for the rest of the season," said Stephenson.

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."

Remembering When They Were Just High School Seniors...

Above, Cornell's Ryan Wittman (left) is defended by Pete Reynolds (right) during Cornell's 2005 Red-White Game. At the time, Wittman and Reynolds were both freshmen. This Friday, Wittman, Reynolds and the rest of the class of '10 begins their senior season. Below, we take a little stroll into the past as we post some archived news articles chronicling the recruitment, commitments, and high school accomplishments of Cornell's current seniors, the class of 2010.

MN Shooter Gets Mid Major Interest

CollegeBasketballNews.com
July 21, 2005

Ryan Wittman, a 6-foot-4 guard from Eden Prairie (MN) High, is getting looks from many mid major and Ivy League programs. The son of former former Indiana and NBA guard Randy Wittman, Ryan led Eden Prairie to 20-7 mark as a junior, losing to eventual state champion Minnetonka (MN) Hopkins in the Section 2, Class AAAA finals. His father Randy, who was recently named as an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic, said that his son is hearing most from Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Marshall, Eastern Kentucky and Furman.

Wittman is expected to play with Minnesota Select in Las Vegas in the Main Event July 22-26 and the Las Vegas Classic July 27-31, after suffering a deep thigh bruise at the Hoosier Shootout. Wittman is an excellent student, who scored a 30 on his ACT.

MN Shooter Gets First Offer

CollegeBasketballNews.com
July 21, 2005

Ryan Wittman, a 6-foot-4 guard from Eden Prairie (MN) High, received his first scholarship offer from Eastern Kentucky. The son of former former Indiana and NBA guard Randy Wittman, Ryan led Eden Prairie to 20-7 mark as a junior, losing to eventual state champion Minnetonka (MN) Hopkins in the Section 2, Class AAAA finals. His father Randy, who was recently named as an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic, said that his son is hearing most from Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Marshall, Eastern Kentucky and Furman.

Wittman asveraged 13.0 points per game in six contests for Minnesota Select in Las Vegas in the Main Event, leading the team to a 5-1 mark. They will play in the Las Vegas Classic July 27-31. Wittman had been hampered after suffering a deep thigh bruise at the Hoosier Shootout and Kentucky Hoopfest. Wittman is an excellent student, who scored a 30 on his ACT.

Ryan Wittman Commits to Cornell

MinnesotaPreps.com
November 12, 2005

Ryan Wittman, a 6-6 forward from Eden Prairie, has committed to Cornell University to play basketball after his senior year with the Eagles.

Wittman lead his team to the section final last year where the Eagles lost a 3 point game to eventual state champion, Hopkins. Eden Prairie is being tabbed as one of the favorites to win the Lake Conference this season even though they will be lacking the big man in the middle.

Wittman played for Minnesota Select last summer and lead that team in scoring despite missing 8 games with a severe thigh injury. Ryan had interests from Eastern Kentucky, Marshall, Richmond, Valapariso, among others, but was very impressed with the campus, coaches and the educational opportunities that Cornell had to offer.

His father, Randy Wittman, a former All-American at Indiana, is currently serving as an assistant coach with Orlando Magic.

Top senior basketball players to be honored Mr. Basketball Award

Pioneer Press
April 30, 2006

It's no slam dunk who will win the Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards this year. The honor, given to Minnesota's top senior basketball players, will be announced during a ceremony today at the Minneapolis Marriott West in St. Louis Park.

The boys finalists: Braham's Isaiah Dahlman, Duluth East's Cory Johnson, DeLaSalle's Cameron Rundles, St. Thomas Academy's Bryce Webster and Eden Prairie's Ryan Wittman. The girls finalists: Hermantown's Anna Bjorlin, Holy Angels' Jessie Miller, Breck's Kelly Jo Mullaney, Hopkins' Jillian Schurle and Bloomington Kennedy's Jenna Smith.

FINALISTS

Isaiah Dahlman, Braham:Led Braham to three consecutive Class AA championships. Michigan State recruit averaged 33.6 points a gameas a senior. Finished high school career as Minnesota's all-time leading scorer with 3,366 points.

Cory Johnson, Duluth East: Averaged 27 points a game. Iowa State recruit finished career with 2,930 points, fourth in state history.

Cameron Rundles, DeLaSalle: Montana recruit averaged 15 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Finished with more than 1,500 points.

Bryce Webster, St. Thomas Academy: The 6-foot-9 Gophers recruit made 68 percent of his field-goal attempts this season and 69 percent of his free throws while averaging 21 points. lso pulled down 12 rebounds a game.

Ryan Wittman, Eden Prairie: Cornell recruit averaged 20.3 points. Made 50 percent of his three-point attempts (61 of 122) and 84.1 percent of his free throws (111 of 132).

Blair basketball star Reynolds picks Cornell

Washington County Pilot Tribune & Enterprise
October 28, 2005

Pete Reynolds, one of the top Class B basketball players in the state, said last Wednesday that he has orally committed to Cornell University.

Reynolds, who will study civil engineering at the prestigious Ivy League institution, will also become the first Blair graduate to play college basketball at a Division I school.

“Playing basketball at college will be an added bonus,” Reynolds said. “The atmosphere, the quality of the schooling, and Cornell’s reputation are what convinced me to go there.”

The 6-foot-8 senior post player chose Cornell over several local and out of state schools offering scholarships.

That list included the University of Buffalo, North Dakota and Wayne State.

“I looked at some in- state schools,” Reynolds said, “but, ultimately, I feel like I’ve found a place that fits me well.”

Reynolds, a four-year letter winner and three-year starter, averaged almost 15 points and eight rebounds last season for the Bears.

The All-Eastern Midlands Conference selection assisted the 2004 Blair basketball team to the Class B state tournament.

He has played the past four years for the High Five AAU team where he competed in an average of 10 national tourneys a year.

“That was the most important part of the recruiting process for me,” Reynolds said. “All the coaches that I’ve talked to saw me play in the summer. My AAU team gave me a lot of exposure.”

Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, is rated as the 11th best University in the world, according to The Economist magazine. It is also rated as one of the Top 5 Engineering schools in the United States.

After scoring a 29 on his ACT’s, Reynolds said he was highly recruited by some of the top research institutions in the country, including the University of Chicago, the University of Washington at St. Louis and Case Western Reserve.

“I am only going to play basketball for four more years,” Reynolds said. “I wanted to make sure I went to a very good school with a great reputation."

Bright future beckons Tyler

The Herald-Mail
January 31, 2006

The foundation was laid as a youth growing up in the north end of Hagerstown.

The walls were built during his early prep years at Clear Spring High School.

As the walls were completed with a transfer, the roof has been applied with his final two years at Mercersburg Academy.

Alex Tyler turns 18 on Tuesday with a bright future staring him in the eyes. Following graduation, he'll have a busy summer preparing for the next step in his journey when he becomes at freshman at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

"(Cornell) fits me well, I think," Tyler said. "I always had hoped to be able to go to college and Ivy League schools are the best. There's better basketball than the Ivy, but this is what I want to do."

Usually, whatever Tyler has wanted to achieve, he has.

As a junior at Clear Spring in the 2003-04 season, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Tyler averaged 22 points per game. His growth at a young age gave him fits with aching knees, but he had the desire to further develop his potential.

He hit the weight room and transferred to Mercersburg Academy, where he repeated his junior year scholastically.

"I was playing AAU ball in a league Buck Hoffmaster was running," said Tyler. "He knew Coach (Mark) Cubit and eventually we talked about Mercersburg. I knew I could only move forward playing against tougher competition.

"I really didn't even make the decision to go to Mercersburg until late spring," said Tyler. "I hated to leave Clear Spring. ... I loved the school. But I was going to get an education for down the road. My family supported me and came up with ideas to finance and it was a good package."

In addition to his academic growth, Tyler sprouted another two inches and put on 20 pounds from increased workouts. Despite the nagging knee problems, Tyler averaged a double-double last year at Mercersburg.

This season, he's averaging 15.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game as the Blue Storm ride the wave of their No. 1 ranking locally with an 18-0 record.

"Alex is a great player in the sense that he makes everyone else better with his passing," said coach Mark Cubit. "His footwork has improved and that has improved his rebounding and shotblocking. He is near a guarantee close to the basket as you can ask at this level. He can run, shoot, pass and rebound and his defensive mindset is growing all the time."

Getting the choice of a college out of the way might have helped Tyler's performance this season.

"I visited, worked out and really liked what I saw of the campus," said Tyler. "When I made the decision, I think it let me go out and have some fun this year."

Mercersburg Academy does not release its students' GPAs, but Tyler's acceptance at Cornell certainly indicates he's not your average high school student. in fact, he skipped the second grade to move forward in studies.

Since Tyler has not graduated high school, he is not considered a postgraduate at Mercersburg. He is getting a taste of what dorm life will be like, though.

"As a senior, you live on campus, and Josh (Davis, a teammate) and I room together," said Tyler. "We're in the freshman wing and we make sure they are in their study hall, in their rooms at night and make bed checks."

Tyler plans to study applied economics management at Cornell with an emphasis on business.

"I won't be slacking," he said. "But I think I can go in and help as a freshman and get playing time."

"Alex is a fine young man from a great family," said Mark Cubit. "He has a strong foundation that is reflected in his humble nature."

Altamont basketball star headed to Cornell

Birmingham News
June 18, 2006

With averages of 16 points, six rebounds and five assists per game, senior guard Louis Dale was bound to play college basketball. With a grade-point average of 3.8 at a school like Altamont, Dale was bound to land at a top notch academic school as well.

His work on the court caught the eye of Cornell University basketball coach Steve Donahue. His work in the classroom got him into the school.

Dale is a prime example of the 2,443 junior and senior student-athletes from across the state who earned a spot on The Birmingham News' 2006 All State Academic Team honoring excellence in both athletics and academics. Dale, who also competed in the AHSAA state track championships, is one of 885 athletes on The News' team who played at least two sports while in high school.

''I decided on an Ivy League school early,'' said Dale, who reports to Cornell next week. He plans to take a couple of courses in summer school to get a jump on the fall. ''It's a great opportunity to get to play in the NCAA tourney and with the type of team (Cornell) has, it fits perfectly. And after you graduate (from college), it opens up the job market.''

By his own admission, and with Altamont boys basketball coach Barry Bearden confirming, Dale is a gym rat. Call his cell phone and you'll hear a message proclaiming he's either asleep, eating or playing basketball. But that's not all he does. '

'It's not too difficult to get good grades if you have good time management, prepare for tests and do homework,'' said Dale, whose father Louis delivers auto parts and whose mother, Willette, is a nurse at the Veterans Administration hospital in Birmingham.

''The work comes easy if you work hard at it.'' At some high schools, a 3.8 GPA wouldn't get you a sniff at an Ivy school and wouldn't put you among the tops in your class. ''We have low grades. We don't give high grades here,'' said Altamont Headmaster Thomas Wheelock. ''We don't keep a class rank. When you have 50 kids, that's meaningless in a class that small. Cornell understood that. (Dale) is a very solid student.''

His hoops aren't too shabby, either. Dale led Altamont to the area title this past season and played in the Southwest Regional final two years in a row. He also helped the Knights reach the Final Four in 2004 for the only time in school history.

''He's a good athlete for our level,'' said Donahue, whose team finished third in the Ivy League at 8-6 (13-15 overall). He can find the open man, he likes to spread the floor and we like to have our point guards create the play and go in and score.''

As much as he'd like to be able to draw from a talent pool like the power conferences have, Donahue knows that the only SEC most of his kids will deal with in life is the Securities and Exchange Commission.

''The Ivy League is not for every kid out there,'' Donahue said. ''You have a small pool you can draw from. They have to have the ability to do the work, the desire to do the work and make the sacrifice to play Division I (basketball) and get an education. That eliminates a lot of people.''

Shrine Bowl could be Burlington star's farewell

Wichita Eagle
July 29, 2006

Geoff Reeves nearly played his final football game four years ago. After spending his freshman season as a junior varsity tailback, Reeves had reservations about continuing the sport. "

Just me being so small, I wasn't having much fun," said Reeves, who graduated from Burlington High in the spring. But a change in position to wide receiver changed his outlook. "Not running up the middle, getting hit every play, that was much better," Reeves said.

He also grew to 6-foot-4, becoming an All-Class 3A receiver by his senior year. Four years later, Reeves might again be facing the end of his football career. After he suits up for the East squad in today's 33rd annual Kansas Shrine Bowl, Reeves will head to college. But unlike many of his Shrine Bowl teammates, Reeves' immediate collegiate career doesn't include football. Reeves signed to play basketball at Cornell, where he will be a swingman.

"I've always considered myself a basketball player," Reeves said. "But I'm honored I was selected (to the Shrine Bowl). I know there's a lot of great players here and not everyone gets this chance."

For three years, Reeves was part of a Burlington basketball team that was one of the top small-class schools in the state. After winning the 3A title his sophomore season with a 26-0 record, Reeves and his teammates lost twice in his career for a mark of 71-2. Averaging 23.6 points, Reeves was chosen third-team All-State after his senior season. Point guard Tyrel Reed, who was a grade behind Reeves, will be of the state's top recruits this season. Having a future Ivy League student on the Shrine Bowl roster has worked out well for Lawrence Free State's Bob Lisher, who is coaching the East squad.

"Mainly we just keep throwing stuff at the kids, until the point where we don't think they can absorb it anymore," said Lisher of the game's playbook. "Geoff -- a Cornell kid -- he's got it down pretty well."

Lisher hopes to utilize Reeves' jumping at the flanker position.

"He gives us that athletic ability at wide receiver," Lisher said. "We can send him to do a jump ball." That's something with which Reeves is familiar. "I think playing 3A, in the Tri-Valley League, we threw a lot of fades," Reeves said. "Against big-school kids, I'm not sure how many times we'll get away with that."

Although Reeves signed to play basketball, he hasn't ruled out playing football again. "Just with basketball and school, I know I'm not going to have time for it," he said. "Maybe after freshman year. "If this is my last football game, I game I'm happy with it. This will be a good ending."

Reeves settled on Cornell late last October, after visiting the school following one of Burlington's football games. "I really had my heart set on the Ivy League," he said. "The academic prestige was very important. That was much more important than basketball. "I know I'm not going to play that forever." Or football, for that matter.

Cornell fills needs for '06-'07 season

The Ithaca Journal
June 21, 2006

ITHACA - Cornell men's basketball coach Steve Donahue addressed his two most pressing needs - at small forward and point guard - with a recruiting class of six freshmen for the upcoming 2006-2007 season. The Big Red, which has beaten every Ivy League opponent over the last two years but the University of Pennsylvania, said goodbye to four-year starter and all-league performer Lenny Collins, and versatile forward Ryan Rourke.

Those two departures leave a gaping vacancy at small forward. But between the top recruiting tandem of Ryan Wittman and Geoff Reeves, along with returning combo guard Jason Battle and 6-foot-7 forward Brian Kreefer, Donahue now has several options to work with.

"I think when you lose two guys like Rourke and Collins, replacing them was obviously a concern," he said. "(Wittman and Reeves) have the ability to come in and help us. They're talented enough to come in our league and be good very quickly."

Wittman, a 6-6 slasher who shot 50 percent from 3-point land as a senior at Eden Prairie High School (Minn.), comes from good basketball stock. Wittman is the son of Randy Wittman, the former Big Ten Player of the Year at Indiana in 1983 and current assistant coach for the Minnesota Timber-wolves. Ryan Wittman was one of five finalists for the Minnesota Mr. Basketball Award.

Reeves, who arrives at East Hill with a reputation as a dangerous outside shooter and a capable scorer, said he chose the Big Red over the likes of Dartmouth and Yale because of the feel he got when he first visited. "I love Coach Donahue and what he's done there," Reeves said. "I loved the campus and the University and it just felt like it was right."

The second most glaring need - point guard - was also addressed. Returning senior Graham Dow had struggled with injuries for most of the last two seasons, and recently had surgery to repair what Dow termed a "sports hernia." In addition, the program received a blow when Khaliq Gant suffered a severe neck injury at practice in late January. Gant's versatility allowed Donahue the luxury of playing him at either guard spot. With that luxury taken away, and with the uncertainty of Dow's status, Donahue went out and signed highly-regarded Louis Dale, Jr., of the Altamont School in Alabama.

Dale, a two-sport star who won the Alabama state triple jump title and finished second in the high jump this spring, should provide a major spark in the "athleticism" department that Cornell sorely lacked last year. And while Dale - who compared his game to NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Paul - decided early on to seriously consider an Ivy League institution, the talented point guard has one goal in mind.

"I think we have a very good chance of making it to the tournament, and I want to help them get there," said Dale, who picked the Big Red over the University of Alabama-Birmingham, a 2006 NCAA tournament team. "I don't think it was that difficult of a choice. I just think it was the best opportunity for me."

The other three newcomers all measure in at around 6-7, but boast different playing styles. Pete Reynolds, a native of Blair, Neb., once blocked a school-record 14 shots in a single game. Alex Tyler, a 240-pound bulldog from Mercersburg Academy in Clear Spring, Md., could develop into a threat on the post. And Jon Jaques, who hails from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, can play both inside and outside.

"I feel good about the fact that five of these kids (except Dale) committed early, and they were five kids we targeted early," Donahue said. "Our (recent success in the Ivy League) has helped us attract kids we could not be in the mix with before. "To add Louis in the end, that was a nice piece of the puzzle that we added."

The biggest hole left to be filled comes at the center position. Both Jason Hartford and Andrew Naeve, returning seniors, stand above 6-9, but their replacements have yet to be signed. "That's our priority for this year," Donahue admitted. The Big Red finished last season in third place in Ivy play with a record of 8-6. They were 13-15 overall. Next season's schedule includes trips to Iowa, Binghamton and Northwestern and home games against 2006 NCAA tournament participants Bucknell and Albany, Donahue said. The Big Red will also renew its neighborhood rivalry with Ithaca College. The two schools didn't meet this past season because of scheduling conflicts.

(edited 10.14.09)

Remembering the Utah Transfers...

Just seven years ago, Utah Valley State College was a two-year junior college program and a feeder of transfers into the Cornell Basketball program. Now UVSC is a full-fledged member of the Great West Conference in Division I.

UVSC produced two former transfers to Cornell during a two-year span in Cornell Coach Steve Donahue's tenure-- Ryan Cheesman ('02) and Greg Barratt ('01). Cheesman played one year with the Big Red during the '00-'01 season. He appeared in 14 games and averaged 1.4 points and .7 rebounds per game.

Barratt, a former member of the University of Utah '98 Final Four team before enrolling at UVSC, as sophomore played his junior and senior seasons for Cornell during the '99-'00 and '00-'01 campaigns. He had a Cornell career average of a steady 8.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Barratt was particularly instrumental in Donahue's first win as a Division I head coach. On November 29, 2000, Barratt recorded 17 points and 13 rebounds against West Point as Cornell earned the 91-81 victory over Army. The Cadets were paced by 20 points from Chris Spatola, who notably is now the son-in-law of Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and functions as the current Director of Basketball Operations for the Blue Devils.

Below we post excerpts from some news articles detailing the intriguing recruitment of Barratt out of UVSC for Cornell's entering '99-'00 recruiting class.

Ex Utah Forward Visits Vanderbilt

The Tennessean
April 18, 1999

New Vanderbilt men's basketball Coach Kevin Stallings is close to landing his second prospect since taking the job earlier this month. Greg Barratt, a 6-foot-9,230-pound forward who played one year at Utah and spent this past season at Utah Valley State Community College, is on the Vanderbilt campus for an official visit. He is expected to return to Utah today and could decide between Vanderbilt and Cornell later this week.

Stallings' first commitment came from Scott County's Rick Jones, who was named Kentucky's Mr. Basketball and signed with the Commodores on Friday. Barratt has two years of eligibility remaining. "He's already been at the next level, it's nothing new for him," Utah Valley State Coach Jeff Reinert said. "He played on a team that went to the Final Four and played in the national championship game against Kentucky two years ago." If Barratt signs with Vanderbilt it will leave the Commodores with just one scholarship to offer for the incoming class. Stallings isn't allowed to comment on prospects before they have signed, and Barratt could not be reached for comment. Barratt averaged 7.1 minutes per game at Utah, but found himself playing behind Ute star Hanno Mottola and decided to transfer to Utah Valley State. Barratt averaged 1.8 points and 1.9 rebounds at Utah.

"It was a good parting. There was nothing bad about it, he just wanted to play more," Reinert said. "He was not going to play much behind Hanno and he felt like it would be better to go to another situation." Barratt found the playing time he wanted at Utah Valley State where he averaged 14.5 points and nearly nine rebounds a game while helping the team to a 24-8 record, which included a 15-1 start and a No. 3 national ranking at one point. Barratt pulled down 18 rebounds in a game against Indian Hills, which won the junior college national championship.

Barratt visited Denver University in the fall, Arizona State early in the spring and UC-Santa Barbara last weekend. "He really likes the academic part and that's the reason he's down to Cornell and Vanderbilt," Reinert said. Barratt turned 22 last month. He spent one season redshirted and has already done a Latter Day Saints foreign mission.

Barratt has been interested in Vanderbilt for nearly a year. The former staff started recruiting him because Gib Arnold, an assistant on Jan van Breda Kolff's staff, was aware of Barratt after spending time on the Utah Valley State staff three years ago. Stallings wasted no time checking video tape of Barratt in action soon after he took over and decided to continue Vanderbilt's pursuit.

Barratt Leaning Towards Vandy

The Tennessean
April 20, 1999

Vanderbilt bounced into the lead yesterday in the race to land Greg Barratt, a basketball transfer from Utah Valley State Community College. Barratt, who also spent a year on the national powerhouse team at the University of Utah, narrowed his choice to Vanderbilt and Cornell last month and says a visit to Vanderbilt's campus over the weekend brought him closer to picking the Commodores. The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Barratt said he will make a decision later this week.

Barratt said he liked Nashville, he liked Vanderbilt's strong academic standards and most of all he liked new Coach Kevin Stallings' plan to work him into the starting lineup very soon. Barratt spent one year redshirted at Utah and the 1998 season as a reserve when the Utes made it to the national championship game, where they lost to Ken tucky. He transferred to Utah Valley State last season and averaged 14 points and almost nine rebounds per game. That leaves Barratt with just two years of eligibility remaining and he said the opportunity to step into a situation where he can play early is very important.

Stallings spelled out a plan where senior Dan Langhi would move to small forward, leaving Barratt with the chance to jump into the starting lineup at power forward. "The plan if I do decide to come there is to move Langhi to the three position and I could step in at the four," Barratt said. "We'd start out there and see how it would go from there in practice and games and everything." The only player Vanderbilt lost from last year's team is Vince Ford, who backed up Langhi at the power forward position. Standing 6-foot-5, however, Ford wasn't tall enough to play that position on a consistent basis and Langhi was unable to move to small forward.

Stallings isn't allowed to comment on prospects before they've signed a letter-of-intent. Barratt spoke with Stallings yesterday by phone after the Cornell coach left. "I told Coach Stallings I wanted to make sure that Vanderbilt's a good fit for me to finish up my career and that I would be happy there," Barratt said. "I asked a few more questions and got some other details I had been wondering about."

Irish Could Determine Chance for Utah Transfer

The Tennessean
April 22, 1999

Vanderbilt is still the likely choice for Greg Barratt, a 6-foot-9 junior college basketball player from Utah, but it may not be the slam dunk deal it appeared to be earlier in the week. Barratt's coach at Utah Valley State Community College, Jeff Reinert, is expected to be hired as an assistant at Notre Dame, where his close friend Matt Doherty is the new head coach. If Reinert ends up there it is likely he will try to bring Barratt along. The Fighting Irish have five scholarships left. And the position where Notre Dame needs the most help is at forward.

Doherty is expected to move quickly to bring Reinert on board. So far Doherty has only hired one assistant -- Greg Wojcik off the Naval Academy staff -- and the two have been handling the heavy recruiting burden alone. Barratt told The Tennessean Monday that he was close to committing to Vanderbilt but still is considering Cornell. That was before the wheels started to turn with Reinert's move toward Notre Dame. Barratt said he would make his mind up by the end of the week.

Utah Standout Opts for Cornell

The Tennessean
April 28, 1999

Vanderbilt got bounced out of the picture yesterday when Greg Barratt decided to finish his college basketball career at Cornell. Barratt told The Tennessean last week that Vanderbilt was his top choice but he needed more time to make a final decision. By the end of the week, however, Barratt was wavering despite a strong push by new Vanderbilt Coach Kevin Stallings and eventually decided to sign with the school that first recruited him.

"Cornell has kind of been there all along and they were really committed to Greg," said Barratt's father, Dale.

"Coach Stallings came in right at the end and wanted Greg and I think if Vanderbilt had been there throughout the whole thing he would have chosen Vanderbilt."

Greg Barratt could not be reached for comment because he has moved out of his apartment in Orem, Utah, and is staying with friends so he can take his final exams at Utah Valley State this week. He plans to move back to his parent's home in Provo, Utah, at the end of the week.

Dale Barratt said that his son, who averaged 14 points and nearly nine rebounds a game last season, believes his opportunity to break into the starting lineup is greater at Cornell than it would have been at Vandy, where four starters are returning. "He feels like he's going to get more playing time there," Dale Barratt said. "... And since he only has two years left in college it was important for him to go to a place where he would get to play."

Barratt, who is 6-9, visited the Vanderbilt campus last week and Stallings told him that if he joined the Commodores he would move into the strong forward position and that Dan Langhi, who started there last season, would move to small forward. Stallings, who has two scholarships left to offer, is expected to continue looking for a big player to step in at the power forward...

Alumni News: Chris Vandenberg ('05)

Sometimes serious injuries prevent high profile basketball recruits from ever making the impact that their college coaches had hoped they would make. Below is a pair of articles on Cornell alum, Chris Vandenberg ('05). Once a highly recruited post player, Vandenberg's chronic injuries kept him off the court for most of his Cornell Basketball career.

Cornell Frosh Brings Work Ethic to Court Chris Vandenberg Hones His Basketball Skills Between Chores on a Canadian Farm

By Pete Thamel
Syracuse Post Standard
November 29, 2001

Somedays, when one of his labs runs late, Cornell center Chris Vandenberg dashes onto the practice floor with a distinct smell trailing him.

No, it isn't body odor from a workout or because he forgot to shower that day.

"Say lab goes until 4:30 and practice starts at 4:30," Vandenberg explains. "You come in a little late and you might smell a little like the barn. My teammates get on me a little bit about that."

"Lab" in the agriculture program at Cornell cancels all stereotypical images of a Bunsen burner and goggles. Vandenberg, a 6-foot-10 freshman, majors in animal science and has already examined a horse heart, liver and kidney in his first semester.

"They bring in one big honking heart," Vandenberg said. "They prepare it and everything for you. It's just right there on a plate for you. You put on your gloves and you dig right in."

When Cornell comes to the Carrier Dome for a 7 p.m. date with the No. 12 Orangemen tonight, Vandenberg will face a big honking challenge against the Orangemen's athletic front line.

A classic late bloomer on the basketball floor, Vandenberg received scholarship offers from Richmond, Utah State and Illinois State.

But Vandenberg, whose teammates call him "Air Canada," grew up on a 200-acre, 100-cow dairy farm in rural Ontario and wanted to study agriculture. So, Vandenberg spurned the higher profile suitors to enroll in Cornell's prestigious agriculture program, where the chickens outnumber the students 5,000 to 3,000.

And on the basketball floor, just like in lab, Vandenberg has dug right in.

He blocked seven shots in Cornell's opener against Canisius and has provided an athletic frontcourt presence for the Big Red (0-3). While Vandenberg is still raw offensively, second-year Big Red head coach Steve Donahue considers him an integral part of his rebuilding effort at Cornell.

"The best thing about Chris is that if he was 6-foot-6, he'd be a good basketball player," Donahue said.

Considering he has only played serious basketball since the end of 11th grade, Vandenberg's progress can be considered nothing downwind of remarkable.

Vandenberg grew up near Harley, Ontario, on his family's dairy farm. Near the feed room, amid the five red barns and between the two looming silos, Vandenberg shot baskets on a cement pad.

At Burford High School, Donahue remembers watching Vandenberg play in a "grammar school gymnasium."

When Richmond head coach John Beilein traveled to watch Vandenberg play, he said there were more players on the floor than there were fans in the gym.

"They didn't even have the bleachers pulled out," Beilein said. "I had to climb up to the top and sit on them."

The rural setting also didn't provide the most telling competition, as both Donahue and Beilein said there wasn't another player on the floor taller than 6-foot aside from Vandenberg.

"I'm not to my peak potential yet," Vandenberg said. "But I've gotten one hundred times better since I've got here."

Cornell senior Wallace Prather said Vandenberg's potential in the Ivy League is unlimited.

"He can be league player of the year by the time he graduates," Prather said. "If not in two years."

Vandenberg is averaging 6.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and three blocks per game for the Big Red so far this year.

He credits much of his improvement since high school to the Cornell coaching staff and his part on the Canadian Junior National Team, which finished sixth at the World University Games this summer in Beijing.

As he matures and his statistics balloon, Vandenberg is expected to elevate the young Big Red, which went 7-20 last season, including 3-11 in the Ivy League.

Already, Donahue said he's giving 130 of a possible 200 game minutes to freshmen and sophomores, which is indicative of the talent leap in the program. Donahue, a former Penn assistant, knows there's a long way to go to catch the Quakers and Princeton at the top of the Ivy.

Donahue has adopted the phrase "Create the Future" for a program whose fate will likely rest in the hands of a kid who's not afraid to work with his.

"The best thing about farm life," said Vandenberg, "is that you learn to work until the job is done."

Every day before school, Vandenberg woke up at 7 a.m. and fed the cows or finished whatever odd chore needed completing. His work ethic meshes perfectly with what needs to be done to turn around a program that has averaged just over 10 wins the past five seasons.

"I'm a hands on guy," Vandenberg said. "I don't like sitting in a classroom pushing a pencil."

Vandenberg's career derailed by injuries

By LaMond Pope
The Ithaca Journal
February 25, 2005

ITHACA -Cornell men's basketball coach Steve Donahue envisioned building his program around Chris Vandenberg.

A 6-foot-10 center from Harley, Ontario, Vandenberg possessed the size, enthusiasm and feel for the game Donahue loved. He displayed those skills in his first collegiate game, blocking seven shots against Canisius on Nov. 16, 2001.

But on the eve of the Big Red's fourth game of the season, Vandenberg dislocated his left kneecap during the final minutes of practice.

His career was never the same.

Vandenberg missed the rest of his freshman season, but returned midway through his sophomore year to play 12 games before shutting it down with another knee injury.

Though he attempted several comebacks during the past two seasons, Vandenberg never played again.

"For this level, he was a big-time athlete," Donahue said. "He played three college games (as a freshman), and you could see it after those. And then the injury happens.

"The pain and agony of trying to come out on the court for four years and never really ever getting it back (must have been) extremely frustrating for him. But he never showed that, never showed the guys. He has always been supportive."

Vandenberg will be honored along with fellow seniors Cody Toppert and Eric Taylor before Saturday's home finale against Princeton.

Vandenberg can't remember how many operations he's had on his left knee (he said it's either five or six). Each time he felt like he was close to making a return, there was another "freak" accident. Still, his attitude never changed.

"My attitude is you can't sit around and mope about it. You have to stay active," Vandenberg said. "If you have to rehab, rehab, and if you can't rehab, then wait. Every time something would happen, but I wouldn't let that faze me. Now, I'm at point, I can't come back. Maybe it wasn't meant to be."

Vandenberg thought of making one final comeback attempt. But following a cartilage transfusion last summer and several discussions with his doctors, his father, Albert, and Donahue, he decided his playing days were over.

His comeback attempts touched all of his teammates.

"There were a number of times he tried to come back from surgeries," senior captain Eric Taylor said. "He never gave up, he always kept hope. That's something I look up to him for."

Vandenberg hasn't ventured too far from the team. This year, he's provided radio commentary for Cornell, and has traveled to most of the games. He's also always around at practice, providing tips to some of the team's younger centers.

His final stat line reads 15 games played, but Donahue said that doesn't begin to describe the mark he left on the team.

"I am so glad he came here and I got the opportunity to coach him," Donahue said. "Even though he hasn't produced like he would have hoped on the court, it has nothing to do with what he brought to the program."