News and Notes

Below, some news and notes...

• In Ivy League roster report news, Brown sophomore, Stefan Kaluz has left the team.

• Below, some notes from Cornell's weekend action during the Legends Classic.
  

1. While Max Groebe appeared in the subregional opener against Toledo on Firday, Groebe stayed in the team's hotel on Saturday when Cornell faced Vermont. Groebe is reportedly battling flu like symptoms. He did attend the third game on Sunday against Drexel, but did not dress.
   
2. Alex Tyler missed both the Vermont and Drexel games with a hamstring injury which will keep him out (as a precautionary measure) until the Holiday Classic on December 20 in Madison Square Garden. While Tyler could play this week, if pressed, the team does not want to risk further injury and losing him for Ivy League play.
3. Class of '09 alums, Conor Mullen and Khalig Gant both attended Cornell's win over Drexel on Sunday, as did Randy Wittman, father of Cornell's Ryan Wittman. The elder Wittman, currently an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards, hopes to attend roughly five more games this season.
4. Cornell red-shirt transfer, Anthony Gatlin attended all three games in Philadelphia as a spectator.
5. At the conclusion of the Legends Classic, the Gazelle Group held a trophy presentation ceremony and awarded Jon Jacques and Ryan Wittman a place on the All-Tournament teams. Wittman was MVP. Jacques had priceless shock expression on his face when he won the award and nobody in the gym applauded louder than coach Steve Donahue when Jon's name was announced.
   

• Folowing Cornell's win over Drexel on Sunday, Jon Tannenwald, a Penn alum and blogger for Philly.com asked Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint how Cornell stacks up against the better Penn teams he's faced. Flint responded, "They're not as athletic as those guys. Penn always had two or three guys who athletically were just - and that's why they dominated. They don't have an Archibong or an Onyekwe, or a Michael Jordan. They're a good team, but athletically, Penn was just a little bit better. What [the Big Red] do, they do well. They run their offense, they shoot the hell out of the ball, they make good passes. They're a good team in that respect."

• RushTheCourt.net notes that Cornell's win over UMass could be a pivotal game come tournament selection time. The site writes, "The Minutemen had a great opportunity to get a leg up on the Ivy League power, but stumbled badly with a 13 point home loss to the Big Red."

• The Cornell Daily Sun ran a late story on Cornell's defeat at Syracuse on November 24.
  

• Cornell's Adam Wire gets mention in his hometown newspaper, The Pilot. The article notes:

Wire Continues to Contribute

Pinecrest graduate Adam Wire is continuing to contribute to what may go down in history as the golden era of men's basketball at Cornell University.

The Big Red is off to a 3-2 start in a season that will be marked by a bid to win its third Ivy League title in a row. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior forward from Southern Pines provides a unique range of skills off the bench that complement a strong offensive team. As a sophomore, he led his team in steals and was third in the league while averaging 14 minutes of action per game.

Wire saw only brief action as the Ithaca, N.Y. college opened the season with a 71-67 victory at Alabama, the program's first win over an SEC team in 37 years. Then in a 74-61 win against Massachusetts, Cornell's first-ever over that school, he scored seven points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out two assists.

The former all-conference player for the Patriots went 5-for-5 from the field and scored 11 points to go with five boards in an 89-79 loss at home against Seton Hall. The Big Red suffered an 88-73 loss at Syracuse on Wednesday before defeating Toledo 78-60 in Philadelphia Friday afternoon.

Below, recent results and upcoming action around the Ivy League. (click here for a composite Ivy League schedule)

Friday, November 13
Yale 86 Sacred Heart 92(Connecticut Six) Box Score - Recap
Brown 68 St. Francis (N.Y.) 64 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 58 Boston College 89 Box Score - Recap
Harvard 87 Holy Cross 77 Box Score - Recap
Penn 55 Penn State 70 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, November 14
Princeton 71 Central Michigan 68 Box Score - Recap
Cornell 71 Alabama 67 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, November 15
Brown 55 Virginia Tech 69 Box Score - Recap
William & Mary 85 Harvard 87 (3OT) Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 44 George Mason 60 Box Score - Recap

Monday, November 16
Yale 63 Hofstra 68 (NIT at Storrs CT) Box Score - Recap
Penn 65 Villanova 103 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, November 17
Yale 65 Colgate 55 (NIT Storrs CT) Box Score - Recap
Columbia53 DePaul 59 [SNY] Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, November 18
Rhode Island 78 Brown 57 Box Score - Recap
Manhattan 54 Princeton 61 Box Score - Recap
Cornell 74 UMass 61 Box Score - Recap

Friday, November 20
Brown 76 St. John's 79 Box Score - Recap
Longwood 61 Columbia 72 Box Score - Recap
Seton Hall 89 Cornell 79 Box Score - Recap
Bryant 51 Harvard 77 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, November 21
Army 56 Princeton 52 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 60 Furman 83 Box Score - Recap
Delaware 97 Penn 94 2OT Box Score - Recap
Quinnipiac 71 Yale 64 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, November 22
Maine 62 Brown 75 Box Score - Recap

Monday, November 23
Harvard 53 Army 56 Box Score - Recap
Charlotte 88. Yale 74 NIT Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, November 24
Princeton 50 George Washington 65 Box Score - Recap
Cornell 73 Syracuse 88 Box Score - Recap
Loyola (Md.) 58 Dartmouth 41 Box Score - Recap
Bucknell 59 Columbia 73 Box Score - Recap
Drexel 58 Penn 49 Box Score - Recap
Elon 65 Yale 69 NIT Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, November 25
Brown 70 Bryant 68 Box Score - Recap
New Hampshire 60 Harvard 78 Box Score - Recap

Friday, November 27
Cornell 78. Toledo 60 (Legends Classic at Philadelphia, Pa.) Box Score - Recap
Brown 69 Univ. of the Sciences 48 (Philadelphia Hoops Classic) Box Score
Columbia 60 Syracuse 85 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, November 28
Cornell 67 Vermont 59 (Legends Classic at Philadelphia, Pa.) Box Score - Recap
Brown 79 Siena 99 (Philadelphia Hoops Classic) Box Score - Recap
Yale 48 Army 64 Box Score - Recap
Hartford 56 Dartmouth 68 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, November 29
Cornell 61 Drexel 54 (Legends Classic at Philadelphia, Pa.) Box Score - Recap
Harvard 78 Boston U. 70 Box Score - Recap
Princeton 60 California 81 [CSN California] Box Score - Recap

Monday, November 30
Columbia at Sacred Heart, 7 pm

Tuesday, December 1
Vermont at Dartmouth, 7 pm

Wednesday, December 2
Holy Cross at Brown, 7 pm
Cornell at Bucknell, 7 pm
Yale at Hartford, 7 pm
Rice at Harvard, 8 pm

Thursday, December 3
Lehigh at Columbia, 7 pm
Princeton at Rutgers, 7:30 pm

Friday, December 4
Penn at Navy, 7 pm [CBS College Sports]

Saturday, December 5
Columbia at Stony Brook, 2 pm
Brown at Minnesota, 3:30 pm

Sunday, December 6
Harvard vs. UConn, 1 pm
Lafayette at Princeton, 5 pm
Cornell vs. St. Joseph's (PA), 2 pm

News and Notes

Below, some news and notes...

• From Mike Miller of NBCSports.com in his list of "5 things to watch" this week:

Seton Hall beat St. Peter’s by a bucket. Two days later – and with Jeremy Hazell solving his scoring issues – the Pirates walloped Monmouth. So what’s in store for them Friday at Cornell? The Big Red opened their season with a win at Alabama and are seeking their third straight Ivy League title this year.

• The Columbia Spectator notes that the Lions' season opening opponent, DePaul of the Big East, ranked 75 spots below Cornell in the RPI last season. The game will be televised tonight on SNY. Columbia Athletics celebrated Basketball Mania last Thursday and reports that 1,300 students attended the event.

• In a blowout loss to Villanova last night, Penn's Tyler Bernardini suffered an injury to high right foot and will undergo an MRI today.
  

• As we previously reported, in Ivy League roster report news, Harvard's Peter Boehm and Peter Swiatek have left the Harvard basketball team. Both players were sophomores and neither were expected to earn substantial minutes this season due to a freshman class that was recruited to take over their positions. The transaction drops Harvard's roster to 16 players for this season and 15 for 2010-2011, but with no seniors on the roster next year, the Crimson still face substantial overcrowding in the younger classes.

• An A.P. story notes that the Indiana Hoosiers have won two games in a row for the first time since knocking off Chaminade and Cornell a year ago.
  

• Several local Alabama media sources make reference to Cornell's victory over Alabama as the Crimson Tide prepare themselves for their second game, a meeting with the preseason favorite in the SWAC, Jackson State.

• Dothan Eagle
• BamaMag.com
• Clarion Ledger
• Montgomery Advertiser
• Mobile Press Register
• Tide Sports (Tuscaloosa News)
  

• Below, a look at the Ivy League schedule...
  

Friday, November 13
Yale 86 Sacred Heart 92(Connecticut Six) Box Score - Recap
Brown 68 St. Francis (N.Y.) 64 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 58 Boston College 89 Box Score - Recap
Harvard 87 Holy Cross 77 Box Score - Recap
Penn 55 Penn State 70 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, November 14
Princeton 71 Central Michigan 68 Box Score - Recap
Cornell 71 Alabama 67 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, November 15
Brown 55 Virginia Tech 69 Box Score - Recap
William & Mary 85 Harvard 87 (3OT) Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 44 George Mason 60 Box Score - Recap

Monday, November 16
Yale 63 Hofstra 68 (NIT at Storrs CT) Box Score - Recap
Penn 65 Villanova 103 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, November 17
Yale vs. Colgate, 4:30 (NIT Storrs CT)
Columbia at DePaul, 9 pm [SNY]

Wednesday, November 18
Rhode Island at Brown, 7 pm
Manhattan at Princeton, 7 pm
Cornell at UMass, 7:30 pm [online video from UMass available]

Friday, November 20
Brown at St. John's, 7 pm
Longwood at Columbia, 7 pm
Seton Hall at Cornell, 7 pm [SNY/Time Warner Cable Sports]
Bryant at Harvard, 7 pm

• The following is a video we did not find until after Saturday's game. It is a preview of Cornell's meeting with Alabama from BamaOnline.com. Cornell's ultimately prevailed, 71-67.

News and Notes

Above, Cornell's Mark Coury scrambles for a loose ball during Cornell's 71-67 victory at Alabama. The Kentucky transfer lived up to expectations, contributing 18 minutes of hard nosed defense along with 6 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal on a 2/2 performance from the floor. Below, Cornell and Ivy League Basketball news and notes.

• In Ivy League roster report news, Harvard's Peter Boehm and Peter Swiatek have left the Harvard basketball team. Both players were sophomores and neither were expected to earn substantial minutes this season due to a freshman class that was recruited to take over their positions. The transaction drops Harvard's roster to 16 players for this season and 15 for 2010-2011, but with no seniors on the roster next year, the Crimson still face substantial overcrowding in the younger classes.
  

• Denzel Washington flew to Penn State to watch the Penn Quakers take on the Nitany Lions. His son, Malcom, was just added the official Penn roster this week but he did not get into the game.
  

• Ivy League Weekend Results (Home Team Listed Second)

Friday, November 13
Yale 86 Sacred Heart 92(Connecticut Six) Box Score - Recap
Brown 68 St. Francis (N.Y.) 64 Box Score - Recap
Dartmouth 58 Boston College 89 Box Score - Recap
Harvard 87 Holy Cross 77 Box Score - Recap
Penn 55 Penn State 70 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, November 14
Princeton 71 Central Michigan 68 Box Score - Recap
Cornell 71 Alabama 67 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, November 15
Brown at Virginia Tech, 4 pm
William & Mary at Harvard, 2 pm
Dartmouth at George Mason, 4 pm

Monday, November 16
Yale vs. Hofstra, 6:30 pm (NIT at Storrs CT)
Penn at Villanova, 7 pm

Tuesday, November 17
Yale vs. UConn/Colgate, 4:30/7 pm (NIT Storrs CT_
Columbia at DePaul, 9 pm [SNY]

Wednesday, November 18
Rhode Island at Brown, 7 pm
Manhattan at Princeton, 7 pm
Cornell at UMass, 7:30 pm [online video from UMass available]

Friday, November 20
Brown at St. John's, 7 pm
Longwood at Columbia, 7 pm
Seton Hall at Cornell, 7 pm [SNY/Time Warner Cable Sports]
Bryant at Harvard, 7 pm

In the news media...

• FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman writes on Twitter, "Cornell with the not-really-of-an-upset against Alabama. Crimson Tide new coach Anthony Grant needs to upgrade talent in Tuscaloosa." Although, we note that Alabama's 6'8" JaMychal Green played for the USA National U18 Team in Argentina at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championships, played in the 2008 McDonald's All-American Game with the nation's top 25 players and was named the 2008 "Mr. Basketball" in the State of Alabama. Green was ranked the No. 21 prospect in the nation by Rivals.com. Meanwhile, 6'6" freshman Tony Mitchell was ranked the No. 37 prospect in the nation according to USA Today for the class of 2009. Perhaps Alabama needs to upgrade its talent to win an SEC title, but this program has talent light years ahead of an Ivy League team.

• The Providence Journal notes that Providence "improved to 2-0 with its win over Bucknell, but now faces an impressive Mercer team on Sunday. Then comes a trip to Alabama to face a Crimson Tide team that was upset by Cornell on Saturday in its season-opener."

• The New Britain Herald writes, "Sure, the Big Red drew more spectators than Ithaca, [College for basketball) pa]ticularly in recent years with Cornell grabbing back-to-back NCAA tournament berths. But Cornell’s biggest draw always has been — and one could argue always will be — its hockey team. Now if you’re looking for a truly memorable hockey experience, make your way to Lynah Rink some time."

Roster Report:: Alex Hill Leaves Cornell

It was a proud moment for Alex Hill (far left) during November 2007 when he formally announced his Division I commitment to Cornell with his Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute teammates Keaton Cole (center, Western Carolina signee) and Tyler Murray (right, Wagner signee).

Alex Hill, a 6'4" sophomore from Toronto, Canada has left the Cornell basketball team in the hope of transferring to another school.

Hill appeared in 12 games as a freshman for Cornell with an average of 3.8 minutes and 2.7 points per game. While Hill played limited minutes, he was quite effective while on the floor, averaging 45% beyond the arc and 48% on FGs.

Although it was unlikely Hill would play more minutes this season, we projected that he would contribute as a junior during the 2010-2011 season, albeit in a likely reserve role as the team's 8th or 9th man.

In terms of transfer destinations, reportedly Hill is considering several colleges in Canada and a decision could be announced within the next week.

Despite the loss, Cornell has the best attrition rate in Ivy League basketball. Hill is the first Big Red player to leave the Cornell basketball program since 2007. Prior to 2007, Cornell had not lost a player since 2005.

The Cornell Basketball Blog wishes Alex the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Alex Hill (far right).

The 2009-2010 Cornell Big Red

(Click the picture for a larger image. Click here for the team roster.)

Ivy League Gets Bigger and Stronger

The Ivy League's strength is rarely its low post players. A year ago during the 2008-2009 season, Cornell's 7'0" center, Jeff Foote was relatively unchallenged in the paint with few opposing post players able to match up to his size and skill. The two-time All-Ivy League selection and reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, however, will meet a host of new challenges this season as several Ivy teams have upgraded their low post play. Below is a discussion of some of the Ivy League's top post players.

Standing 7'0" and 275 lbs, Columbia's Max Craig, a junior, is now the Ivy League's biggest of the big men. A newly eligible transfer from Loyola Marymount, Craig is athletic for his size, and could emerge as one of the Ivy's elite post players. A key for the Canadian import will be remaining healthy.

Andreas Schreiber, a 6'9" 245 junior at Penn sat out the 2008-2009 season with a shoulder injury. Capable of pulling his defender away from the basket or banging inside, Schreiber is one of the Ivy's most underrated players. He will present a new defensive challenge for Ivy opponents as the Quaker recover their inside presence.

The Ivy League's version of Elton Brand, Harvard's Keith Wright, listed at 6'8" 240 lbs. uses his body extremely effectively in the paint despite giving up 1-2 inches on some of his opponents. He missed four games last season due to mono and spent much of the season fatigued. Despite his nagging illness, he averaged 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. When fully healthy, he could emerge as All-Ivy League talent.

After appearing in just 15 games as a sophomore and averaging just 1.1 points per game, Princeton's Pawel Buczak, exploded into an All-Ivy post as a junior, upping his production to 7.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. At 6'11" and 220 lbs., Buczak's best days are still ahead of him.

The Red Hot Coaching Seat

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports published an article today detailing coaches on the "hot seat" in college basketball. The article prompted us to think about Ivy coaches on the hot seat heading into the 2009-2010 season.

While we are not entirely comfortable posting on this topic, after all, it is never pleasant discussing a person losing his or her job, the subject is very relevant and a part of college basketball's reality. Here is our take on the job security (or lack thereof) for the Ivy's eight head coaches:

Your Job is Safe

Steve Donahue (Cornell)-Two straight Ivy titles and Cornell is ready to name some buildings after him, or at least a class in the American Studies Department, perhaps Studies in Steve Donahue 204.

Sydney Johnson (Princeton)-Not only is he relatively new to the job and a Princeton legend, but he has the Tigers heading in the right direction. His job is as secure as the Eggo Waffle roof on Jadwin Gym.

Jesse Agel (Brown)-He's only entering his second season as the program's head coach. He gets time to build his team.

This Chair is Getting Warm

Tommy Amaker (Harvard)-Alright, so he is only entering his third season and he did guide the Crimson to bragging rights wins over Michigan and Boston College. But Harvard has received a whole lot of national negative publicity and was investigated by the Ivy League Office due to his recruiting tactics. Additionally, the Crimson have yet to finish in the Ivy League's upper half despite the recent downfall of traditional powers-- Penn and Princeton. He needs to show some substantial improvement this season in the conference.

Joe Jones (Columbia)-There may not be a nicer guy out there. He also has good kids that represent the conference well as student-athletes. But c'mon man, the Lions have been mediocre forever. He was hired during the '03-'04 season and has yet to take any of his teams to the postseason. The seat is getting warmer.

James Jones (Yale)-Talk about riding the coat tail of one season. Yale's three-way share of the conference title during 2001-2002, which earned the 'dogs an NIT bid, is a distant memory. Since that time, Yale and Jones have not taken the next step and earned an NCAA bid. Sure, Yale has been an upper division team for the last several years, but the Yalies want a little bit of what Cornell has achieved.

On the Hot Seat

Terry Dunn (Dartmouth)-Lately the Big Green have been synonymous with "RPI in the 300s" and there is little sign of change. Then there was the mysterious overhaul in Dunn's coaching staff during the summer. This team appears more misguided than the Washington Redskins. Alex Barnett may have saved his job a year ago.

Glen Miller (Penn)-Turmoil in West Philadelphia ya think? There was a website called, "Fire Glen Miller," the fans in the Palestra were booing Miller at home games, several players quit the program and at least one player bad mouthed Miller in the media, and the Quakers suffered their first losing league record in more than a decade. Penn alumni expect excellence from their program and they have not received it from the current coaching staff. Unless the Quakers show substantial improvement this season, it may become time for another coaching change at Penn.

Kevin App ('07) Hired as New Cornell Assistant Basketball Coach

Cornell hired former Big Red player, Kevin App ('07) as its new 3rd assistant coach, replacing Zach Spiker who left Cornell to become the new head coach at Army during October.

App's hiring by Cornell was a "no brainer" choice.

App walked onto the Cornell University men's basketball team as a guard candidate during the 2003-2004 season. His character and work ethic earned him a permanent position on the team and he ultimately graduated from the program as a four-year letter winner and a senior tri-captain. At the time, Cornell's current seniors in the class of '10 were freshmen on App's senior year team.

At the 2006-2007 Cornell Basketball Awards Banquet, App earned the team's Rebounder's Club Award, given to the player who best exemplifies hard work and leadership in the program.

After graduating from Cornell in 2007 with a B.S. in civil engineering, App worked for a year as a professional engineer. During 2008, he accepted a position as an assistant coach at Williams College where he worked the 2008-2009 season under Williams' new head coach, Mike Maker, a former longtime Division I assistant coach.

During App's lone season with Williams, the Ephs finished 17-9.

App arrives at Cornell with a passsion for Cornell University and its basketball program. He has attended numerous Cornell games since his graduation and returned to Ithaca to watch Cornell capture its 2007-2008 Ivy League Championship.

Below is the official press release from Cornell:

App Named Assistant Basketball Coach

CornellBigRed.com

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Former Big Red men's basketball captain Kevin App '07 has been named assistant men's basketball coach for the upcoming 2009-10 season. App replaces Zach Spiker, who was named the head coach at the United States Military Academy. Assistant coaches Nat Graham and Woody Kampmann were also promoted and will assume the top two assistant coaching roles under Steve Donahue, the Robert J. Gallagher '44 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Basketball.

"As a player, Kevin served a large role in helping turn this program around thanks to his attitude, energy and attention to detail," Donahue said. "As a coach, Kevin brings the same things to the table. His mental toughness, combined with the experience he had at Williams under head coach Mike Maker, make him someone I feel comfortable with bringing in so close to the season. He will have to hit the ground running, but I have high expectations for him. His knowledge of Cornell will be a major plus in recruiting and understanding the demands on our student-athletes, both on and off the court."

App spent the 2008-09 campaign as an assistant coach at Williams College, helping the Ephs to a 17-9 overall record and the program's first Little Three title since 1996. He assisted in the development of Blake Schultz, a third-team D3hoops.com All-Northeast pick.

As a player, App was a four-year letter winner for the Big Red basketball team, earning the Rebounder's Club Award's Club Award in a vote of his teammates to recognize his hard work and leadership over his four seasons, and served as team tri-captain that same year. Originally a walk-on, he saw action in 45 career games with one start. He scored 29 points, dished off 10 assists, grabbed 10 rebounds and made five steals while hitting on 8-of-21 3-pointers. App earned the Rebounder. App scored a career-high 12 points with three rebounds against Ithaca College as a senior, hitting 3-of-4 3-pointers, and saw a career-high 20 minutes of action vs. VMI, dishing out five assists with two steals in the victory.

App has worked numerous basketball camps and clincs, including being involved in the Cornell summer basketball camps and also staffed the West Virginia camp.

After graduating from Cornell in 2007 with a degree in civil engineering, the native of Silver Spring, Md., worked for Clark Construction Company, LLC, in Bethesda, Md. He served one year as an office engineer before jumping into the coaching ranks.

Graham enters his fifth season on the sidelines for the Big Red, while Kampmann is in his third year. Both have played instrumental roles in Cornell winning consecutive Ivy league titles, a first in program history.

Cornell opens the 2009-10 season at Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 14 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Game time has yet to be announced.

Comparing Some of Cornell's Stars to the NBA Stars

Below, we draw brief comparisons between the skill sets of several current Cornell basketball players with current NBA veterans. Please note, we are not suggesting these Cornell players belong in the NBA or that even have NBA potential. Instead, we are just judging their playing styles against some of the NBA's current stars.

As always, feel free to leave comments to this post.

To some extent, Cornell's 7"0 265 lb. Jeff Foote resembles the Clippers' 6'11" 230 lb. Marcus Camby. Both players are long and rangy, fairly athletic for their size and do a good job of getting up and down the floor. Both players are also defensive stalwarts, winning the defensive player of the year honors in their respective leagues. They differ in that Camby can excel facing the basket, while Foote draws rave reviews for his vision and passing ability out of the low post.

These next two players can be described by the word, "exciting." Chris Paul, the 6'0" 180 lbs. point guard from the New Orleans Hornets is often a comparison point for Cornell's Louis Dale, a similar sized, 5'11" 180 lbs. Both players are lightning quick and fearless point guards who can stuff a stat sheet with points, assists, rebounds and steals. They are also the engines that drive their teams and have the ability to simply take over games.

Like Wally Szczerbiak, Cornell's Ryan Wittman is a scorer, a 6'7" wing who can bury the long ball from deep space or put the ball on the floor and attack the basket. Another fair comparison is Utah's Kyle Korver.

Perhaps the easiest NBA comparison for us to make. When we think of Cornell's Alex Tyler, we think Sacramento's Jon Brockam. Both physical 6'7" 250 lb. forwards like to throw their body around like a wrecking ball in the paint area. Rebounds, defense and garbage points are how these players earn their peers' respect.

Cornell's Geoff Reeves and Philly's (formerly Toronto's) Jason Kapono are both athletic wing guards with offensive killer instincts. They can run the floor and finish above the rim on the break, shoot lofting floaters in the lane or bury the long ball.

At 6'9" and 215 lbs., Detroit's Tayshaun Prince may be the most versatile player in the NBA. He can play out on the perimeter like a guard or up front as a forward. Cornell's Anthony Gatlin has similar perimeter skills and has the same long and wiry frame. Both players are comfortable handling the ball against defensive pressure.

Chris "The Birdman" Anderson may be one of the least skilled players in the NBA, but the 6'10" 230 lb. Nuggets forward has earned a career in "the big show" with his intensity and work effort. Cornell's Mark Coury is a similar type at 6'9" 240 lbs. Coury is also a physical player who will do the unglamorous dirty work inside the paint. Give him too much space, and like Anderson, Coury will flush down a dunk.

Cornell's Adam Wire is three inches smaller than the Knicks' 6'9" David Lee. But both players share great basketball instincts on the defensive end and a "nose for the basketball." They are also very similar in their ability to finish the transition break with thunderous dunks.

Chicago's Kirk Hinrich is a combo-guard at heart, as is Cornell's Chris Wroblewski. Both players can run the halfcourt offense or play off the ball and come off screens for perimeter jump shots. Although neither play is ultra-athletic, their instincts and work ethic makes them very effective team players.

When you think of Golden State's Stephen Curry, you think of a picture perfect jump shot and a player that knows how to get into open space. Like Curry, Cornell's Max Groebe has stellar shooting mechanics and excels in moving without the ball. Both players are capable of getting into deadly shooting rhythms.

Roster Report

Below are updated projected roster sizes for the Ivy League teams for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons.

• Brown (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 11 players, including 2 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 11 total players including 5 seniors and 2 freshmen)

• Columbia (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 19 players, including 3 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 19 total players including, 4 seniors and 3 freshmen)

• Cornell (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 18 players, including 8 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 14 total players, including 3 seniors and 3 freshmen and 1 transfer)

• Dartmouth (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 12 players, including 1 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 12 total players including 2 seniors and 1 freshmen)
  

• Harvard (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 15 players, including 4 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 16 total players including 0 seniors and 5 freshman)
  

• Penn (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 17 players, including 2 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 22 total players, including, 7 seniors and 7 freshmen).

• Princeton (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 16 players, including 4 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 17 total players including, 3 seniors and 5 freshmen)

• Yale (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 14 players, including 4 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 15 total players including 3 seniors and 5 freshmen.

A listing of recruited players verbally committed to attend Ivy League programs next year may be found by clicking here.

Below is a list of players who were on Ivy League rosters, but recently left their program due to reasons other than exhaustion of NCAA eligibility and/or graduation.

BROWN
Noel Hollingsworth (left during '08-'09)
Morgan Kelly
Colin Aldridge (left during '09-'10)
Sean Kane (left during '09-'10)
Stefan Kaluz (left during '09-'10)
Jean Herbert Harris (left during '09-'10)

COLUMBIA
none

CORNELL
Alex Hill (left during '09-'10)
Marc Van Burck (left during '09-'10)

DARTMOUTH
Garrett Brown (left during '09-'10)
Marlon Sanders (left during '09-'10)
Brandon Ware
Elgin Fitzgerald (left during '09-'10)
Jarrett Mathis (left during '09-'10)

HARVARD
Hugh Martin (left during '09-'10)
Peter Boehm (left during '09-'10)
Peter Swiatek (left during '09-'10)
Eric Groszyk
T.J. Carey
Kyle Fitzgerald
Adam Demuyakor
Ndu Okereke
Darryl Finkton
Cem Dinc
Alex Blankenau

PENN
Tommy McMahon (left during '08-'09)
Harrison Gaines (left during '08-'09)
Remy Cofield (left during '08-'09)
Garvin Hunt (left during '08-'09)
Carson Sullivan (left during '09-'10)
Brian Fitzpatrick (left during '09-'10)

PRINCETON
Zane Ma (left during '09-'10)
Max Huc (left during '09-'10)

YALE
Garrett Fiddler (left during '09-'10)

(updated 4.14.10)

News and Notes: Around the Ivy League

In news and notes around the Ivy League...

• Penn has a video interview with Glen Miller touching upon the upcoming 2009-2010 Quaker schedule.

• The Daily Pennsylvanian did a live blog of Penn's tradition, the line for student season tickets.

Below are updated projected roster sizes for the Ivy League teams for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons.

• Brown (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 14 players, including 2 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 14 total players including 5 seniors and 2 freshmen)

• Columbia (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 19 players, including 3 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 18 total players including, 4 seniors and 2 freshmen)

• Cornell (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 19 players, including 8 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 14 total players, including 3 seniors and 2 freshmen and 1 transfer)

• Dartmouth (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 15 players, including 3 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 12 total players including 2 seniors and 0 freshmen)
  

• Harvard (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 18 players, including 4 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 15 total players including 0 seniors and 1 freshman)
  

• Penn (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 17 players, including 1 senior) (for '10-'11-- 23 total players, including, 7 seniors and 7 freshmen).

• Princeton (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 16 players, including 4 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 16 total players including, 3 seniors and 4 freshmen)

• Yale (updated roster) (for '09-'10- 14 players, including 4 seniors) (for '10-'11-- 15 total players including 3 seniors and 5 freshmen.

IVY LEAGUE 2010-2011 RECRUITING VERBAL COMMITMENTS

CORNELL

• Jake Matthews G 6-2 Greensburg PA Greensburg Salem HS
  
• Manny Sahota F 6-6 Bramton ONT Canada St. Marguerite d'Youville Secondary
• Anthony Gatlin F 6-8 190 Pearland HS TX/Centenary College (Junior)

Brown

• Sean McGonagil G 6-1 Riverside-Brookfield IL HS
  
• Dockery Walker F 6-7 Westtown PA HS
  

Columbia

• Dyami Starks G 6-2 Duluth East HS MN
  
• Steve Frankoski G 6-2 Hanover NJ St. Benedict's Prep School of Newark
  

Dartmouth

• 
  

Harvard

• Matt Brown G 6-2 Northfield MA Northfield Mount Hermon School
  

Penn

• Miles Cartwright G 6-3 Los Angeles Loyola HS
  
• Dau Jok G 6-2 Des Moines IA Roosevelt HS
  
• Cameron Gunter F 6-8 Ridley PA HS
  
• Casey James G 6-3 Mission Viejo CA Capistrano Valley HS
• Kevin Panzer F 6-8 Mission Viejo CA Capistrano Valley HS
  
• Austin Kelly G 6-2 Hollywood CA Harvard-Westlake HS
  
• Steve Rennard G 6-0 Metuchen NJ St. Joseph's

Princeton

• Ben Hazel G 6-4 Wheaton MD Good Counsel HS
  
• Chris Clement G 6-1 Round Rock TX Stony Point HS
  
• Daniel Edwards C 6-9 Highland Park TX HS
  
• T.J. Bray G 6-3 Waukesha WI Catholic Memorial HS
  

Yale

• Will Bartlett G 6-6 New York NY Collegiate School
  
• Jesse Pritchard G 6-4 180 Ames IA Blair Academy NJ
• Jeremiah Kreisberg F 6-8 Oakland CA Head Royce HS
  
• Greg Kelley F 6-8 Newton MA New North HS
• Isaiah Salafia G 6-3 Crowell CT HS

Below is a list of players who were on Ivy League rosters at the beginning of '08-'09, but left their program at some before the start of the '09-'10 season due to reasons other than exhaustion of NCAA eligibility and/or graduation.

BROWN
Noel Hollingsworth
Morgan Kelly
Colin Aldridge

COLUMBIA
none

CORNELL
Marc Van Burck

DARTMOUTH
Brandon Ware
Elgin Fitzgerald

HARVARD
Eric Groszyk
T.J. Carey
Kyle Fitzgerald
Adam Demuyakor
Ndu Okereke
Darryl Finkton
Cem Dinc
Alex Blankenau

PENN
Tommy McMahon
Harrison Gaines
Remy Cofield
Garvin Hunt

PRINCETON
Zane Ma
Max Huc

YALE
Garrett Fiddler

Recruiting News: Penn '10-'11 Roster at 23 and Quakers Still Looking to Add More Bodies

Above, the Cornell banner hangs from the rafters with the other Ivy League banners in Penn's home arena, the Palestra. Below, some recruiting news from around the Ivy League.

The Daily Pennsylvanian confirms that Marin Kukoc, son of former Chicago Bull, Toni Kukoc, made a visit to Penn with his father last week. Kukoc is also considering and already visited Cornell. The 6'6" guard/forward played high school basketball with the Big Red's Chris Wroblewski at Highland Park High School in Illinois.

It is rather surprising to The Cornell Basketball Blog that Penn is still recruiting players for the class of 2010. The Quakers already have a talented group of seven committed players for the 2010 class and no matter what semantic labels the Quakers coaching staff place on certain players-- "walk-on," "preferred walk-on," "recruited walk-on," "recruit," "J.V./scout player,"--- The Quakers already project to have a program of 23 players for the 2010-2011 season. If any additional players commit to Penn, such as Kukoc, the Quakers will soon have two dozen players in their program. It is doubtful that there is another program among the 347 Division I teams with more players than Penn.

While Penn may disagree with our view, it seems the Quakers are trying to hide their overloaded roster. For example, the current roster posted on the Penn Athletics website does not list at least two members of the team, including "preferred walk-on" Malcolm Washington. But make no mistake about it, he is on the team, and was even discussed prominently last spring by Coach Glen Miller at Penn's Town Hall Meeting. Specifically, Miller said Washington was a "fireball" who "might surprise us."

Nobody can fault Penn or any Ivy for trying to recruit the best possible players. But to fill a program with two dozen players seems a bit extreme.

On a somewhat related topic, below is a story published this week from Scout.com's Dave Telep on how college coaches deal with their recruiting targets visiting other rival college campuses.

Taking visits is part of the recruiting process. However, for the coaches involved, when their recruit steps onto another campus visits take on new meaning.

Comfortable in that recliner? Enjoying a stress free Saturday of college football watching on the flat screen? Well, just remember, if you’re a college basketball coach the weekends take on a different meaning.

All NCAA programs will host visitors at some point this fall. The ones that aren’t hosting and don’t have prospects on campus aren’t sleeping in, enjoying stress free weekends at the spa. As you’ll find out, even when prospects aren’t on campus a level of anxiety exits. It’s how coaches deal with the non-visit weekends that we’re looking at with this exercise.

We’ve asked two different college coaches to provide insights into their visitation process. Questions range from the anxiety of a weekend visit to the scheduling for the trip.

Here’s an insider’s view of the recruiting process through the eyes of the participants.

#1 What is your anxiety level during the visit and how much do you think about the player and his recruitment while he's on someone else's campus? How many times does the player actually check in with you while on someone else's campus if any?

Coach 1 “Anxiety is High. Every second a kid we want is on another campus, there is always the thought he will commit. I think contacting the kid while on campus is a no-no, unless he is interacting with you first. I have seen that backfire as much as possible; upsets the kid’s camp as well.”

Coach 2 ”I do not have a high anxiety level when a kid is visiting another school. The reason: I have no control over what happens on that visit. Where the sense of urgency comes in is in gathering information. We do not call the kid while he's on another campus. But we'll call everyone else in the kid's camp to find out the latest on the recruiting situation. We pride ourselves on a relentless pursuit of information. If the kid calls us on his visit to another school, we know we're in terrific shape.”

#2 When the player returns from his official visit to another school, what is the typical plan of action? When would you likely contact him and what are some keys you hit on to "deprogram" the recruit?

Coach 1 “What we do is let the kid know as much as possible what tricks will be played and how they are going to pressure him, and get that kid to understand the game. Everyone has a good time on an official."

Coach 2 “Usually a kid gets back from his visit by Sunday afternoon. We may try to call on Sunday night, although kids are typically tired from a long weekend. Either way, we definitely try to be in contact with a kid and his family within 36 hours of his return. For a kid that's a major priority, we'll try to get someone from our staff to his school as soon as possible after the kid's visit, thereby ensuring that we're taking up at least some of his mindspace."

One thing we try not to do is grill kids about visits to other schools. We'd rather gather that information by other means. With the recruit himself, we try to subtly remind him of why our situation is best for him.”

#3 How important is the positioning of the visit? Do you prefer first, middle or last visit and what goes into the decision making process of scheduling a visit?

Coach 1 “Our visit alignment is key. Take the first visit if you want to pressure or he's close to committing. If the kid has a process, go last. But more importantly, after the first one because the chances of a kid taking all, two, three or four visits is slim. Usually if a kid is reaching out you’re in good shape.”

Coach 2 “Positioning of the visit depends completely on a kid's timetable. If we think we can get it done, we'd love to have the first visit. If the recruit is truly committed to taking all his visits, we'd rather go last. If it's unclear, we'll go first. As a rule, we try to get our most critical guys on campus as early as we can.