News and Notes: Cornell RPI Reaches No. 23

Cornell could pick up "Signature Wins" during the Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden between December 20-21. Cornell plays St. John's or Hofstra in game 2 and will play Davidson in game 1.

• Cornell recruit Jake Matthews scored a team-high 19 points, including 14 in the first quarter, in Greensburg Salem's 70-62 win against Franklin Regional in the Hempfield tournament. Matthews is a 6'2" guard from Pittsburgh.


• After knocking off Boston College this weekend and playing UConn close, it would not be surprising to see Harvard join Cornell in the Mid Major Top 25 on Monday. The Crimson might even get some votes in either the A.P. or Coaches' polls. However, despite Harvard's recent surge of success, we have yet to find a single journalist out there who is willing to call Harvard the new favorite in the Ivy League. The reality is that despite Harvard's success, Cornell has been more impressive with the Big Red playing seven of nine games away from home, including capturing true road wins at Alabama, UMass and Drexel, along with a home win over a St. Joseph's team that beat Boston College. Harvard has yet to beat anyone outside of the cozy comfines of the eastern part of Massachusets.

• Hoopville writes, "Once league play comes, Harvard projects to be the best team to challenge two-time defending champion Cornell for the league title. The race for second projected to be wide open before the season, and right now the only team besides Cornell and Harvard with a .500 record or better is Columbia at 4-4."

• Today, Alabama hosts No. 5 Purdue. The Ft. Wayne (IN) News Sentinel notes with respect to the Tide that "has enough size and athleticism for two teams, although that wasn’t enough in losses to Cornell and Florida State."

• The Cornell Basketball team continues to involves itself in community services during the Thanksgiving and Winter Holiday Season.

• Ever wanted to hear Ivy League Basketball in a Rap/Hip Hop song? Now you can courtesy Tennessee reserve forward Renaldo Woolridge. And if you ask us, it is pretty good and should be considered by Cornell Athletics for warm-ups at Newman Arena. Check out the song by clicking the link.
  

News and Notes: Big Red Move Up tp No. 24 in the RPI

Below, some news and notes...

• There is an ESPN article discussing potential changes to the NCAA Tournament. Doubtful that the expansion helps the Ivy League.

• Following Syracuse's win over Florida last night, a battle of two Top 15 teams, the Associated Press noted, "The 12-point margin of victory was the smallest for the Orange this season. The previous low was an 88-73 win over Cornell." The win by Syracuse vaulted the Orange into the No. 9 position in the RPI, while also carrying Cornell along from No. 26 to No. 24.

• Speaking of the RPI... which is arguably the single most important factor in NCAA Tournament selection and seeding, Cornell is hunting to pick up "Signature Wins" that will impress the tournament selection committees during March. The Big Red certainly has some very big games coming up on its schedule in terms of gaining valuable RPI points. (If you do not understand the RPI, we suggest you checkout the site CollegeRPI.com for an explanation of the formula.) Generally speaking, the RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a measure of strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. It does not consider the margin of victory, but only whether or not a team won and where the game was played (home/away/neutral court). The formula is 25% team winning percentage (WP), 50% opponents' average winning percentage (OWP), and 25% opponents' opponents' average winning percentage (OOWP). Here is a look at some of the teams Cornell will face between December 20 and January 8.
  

5. St. John's ***

36. Kansas
57. Hofstra ***
77. La Salle
117. South Dakota
161. Davidson ***

***Cornell plays St. John's or Hofstra in game 2 in Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival and will play Davidson in game 1.

• Storming the Floor notes that Penn is one of thirteen remaining winless teams in the country. Penn's futility should end on Saturday with a game at Monmouth. Penn's coaching staff say they are "staying the course." Didn't the Titanic stay the course? We think maybe it is time to shake up the Penn lineup.
  

• The New Haven Register writes, "The success of the top dogs of the Ivy League cannot be lost on the Yale men’s basketball team. Harvard defeated Boston College on Wednesday, three days after taking nationally ranked UConn to the wire. And league favorite Cornell is off to a 7-2 start playing against some of the nation’s top teams."

• The Columbia Spectator compares the Lions' performance this season to Cornell, noting, "Big East powerhouse Syracuse has played both Cornell, the defending league champs, and Columbia this year—beating both soundly after each provided stout first-half competition. On Dec. 2, Bucknell took Cornell to overtime in a game the Big Red would win 104-98. Columbia had beaten Bucknell 73-59 in regulation a week earlier on a 30-9 second-half run."

• The Troy (AL.) Messenger writes, "Alabama has wins over Michigan and Baylor. However, the Tide also has a bad loss to Cornell and a loss to an average Florida State team on its 6-2 record."

• Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes, "Ryan Wittman, son of former Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman, is averaging 17 points a game for Cornell and is a leading candidate for Ivy League player of the year."

• Click the link below to keep reading this post.
  

• Below is a look at Cornell's RPI rank (as of today, Friday, December 11) following a 7-2 start for the Big Red. All of Cornell's opponents are also listed (out of 347 total Division I teams). Cornell's results against these opponents are in parentheses.
  

5. St. John's

9. Syracuse (L)
24. Cornell
36. Kansas
42. Harvard
48. Seton Hall (L)
57. Hofstra
74. Alabama (W)
77. La Salle
94. St. Joseph's (W)
105. Vermont (W)
117. South Dakota
126. Princeton
148. UMass (W)
161. Davidson
167. Drexel (W)
189. Columbia
196. Brown
266. Yale
285. Toledo (W)
299. Bucknell (W)
311. Dartmouth
333. Penn
338. Bryant
NR- Clarkson (D-III)
NR- PSU-Erie (D-III)

• Below are links to our game recaps from each of Cornell's games this season. Associated press recaps courtesy of Rivals.com/YahooSports.com are always available by clicking on Cornell's schedule/results on the right column of this blog.

1. at Alabama (W 71-67)
2. at UMass (W 74-61)
   
3. vs. Seton Hall (L 79-89)
   
4. at Syracuse (L 73-88)
   
5. Toledo (Phil.) (W 78-60)
   
6. Vermont (Phil.) (W 67-59)
   
7. at Drexel (W 61-54)
   
8. at Bucknell (W 104-98)
   
9. vs. St. Joseph's (W 78-66)

• Below, check out results and upcoming action around the Ivy League. (click here for a composite Ivy League schedule) (Click here for a TV schedule of Ivy League games).
  

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 79 Siena 99 (Philadelphia Hoops Classic) Box Score - Recap
Yale 48 Army 64 Box Score - Recap
Hartford 56 Dartmouth 68 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 55 Sacred Heart 60 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, December 1
Vermont 63 Dartmouth 58 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, December 2
Holy Cross 85 Brown 79 (OT) Box Score - Recap
Cornell 104 Bucknell 98 (OT) Box Score - Recap
Yale 48 Hartford 46 Box Score - Recap
Rice 64 Harvard 85 Box Score - Recap

Thursday, December 3
Lehigh 75 Columbia 70 Box Score - Recap
Princeton 44 Rutgers 58 Box Score - Recap

Friday, December 4
Penn 67 Navy 73 [CBS College Sports] Box Score - Recap

Saturday, December 5
Columbia 60 Stony Brook 63 Box Score - Recap
Brown 55 Minnesota 91 Box Score - Recap

Sunday, December 6
Harvard 73 UConn 79 [SNY/ESPN Fullcourt] Box Score - Recap
Lafayette 48 Princeton 62 Box Score - Recap
Cornell 78 St. Joseph's (PA) 66 Box Score - Recap

Monday, December 7
Brown 62 Providence 78 Box Score - Recap
Vermont 72 Yale 60 Box Score - Recap

Tuesday, December 8
Columbia 102 Wagner 91 Box Score - Recap
Albany 78 Penn 60 Box Score - Recap

Wednesday, December 9
Harvard 74 Boston College 67 Box Score - Recap
Bryant 54 Yale 69 Box Score - Recap

Saturday, December 12
Columbia at Bryant, 1 pm
Army at Dartmouth, 7 pm
Penn at Monmouth, 7 pm

Sunday, December 13
Princeton at UNC Greensboro, 1 pm
Lyndon State at Dartmouth, 7 pm

Wednesday, December 16
Monmouth at Princeton, 7 pm

Thursday, December 17
Dartmouth at Lehigh, 7 pm

Sunday, December 20
Cornell vs. Davidson, Noon [MSG Holiday Festival, Fox Sports Atlantic/MSG]
Dartmouth at New Hampshire, 1 pm
Princeton at Maine, 3 pm

Monday, December 21
Yale at Providence, 7 pm
Cornell vs. St. John's/Hofstra, 7/9 pm [MSG Holiday Festival, Fox Sports Atlantic/MSG]

News and Notes: Signature Win Hunt Moves to Syracuse, New York

Cornell's journey through "Heaven's Eleven" ends tonight-- the time span that The Cornell Basketball Blog is calling the 11 days between 11/14 through 11/24-- wherein the Big Red squared off against four very challenging major conference opponents in Alabama, UMass, Seton Hall and Syracuse. Cornell is on a quest to pick up "Signature Wins" that will impress the tournament selection committees during March. Through Heaven's Eleven, Cornell is 2-1 picking up victories over Alabama (SEC), UMass (A-10) and falling to Seton Hall (Big East). Below, some news and notes for tonight's game.

• Check out The Cornell Basketball Blog's Game Preview Center for information about tonight's battle with the 'Cuse.

• NunesMagician.com writes, "Syracuse Doesn't Want to Fall Into the Corn-hole"

Here is a video preview of the game from Syracuse.com:

• Cornell gets some spotlight in today's Shootaround in the New Jersey Star Ledger:
  

Cornell sharpshooter Ryan Wittman is one of the reasons why the Big Red have big-time NCAA aspirations this season.

The Shootaround, Tuesday Edition: What to watch for in college basketball this week

After watching Seton Hall dismantle his sizzling hot Cornell team, Big Red coach Steve Donahue couldn't help but look at the larger picture.

During his postgame press conference following the Pirates' 89-79 win over Cornell Friday night, coach Bobby Gonzalez said that he felt this was a resume win for Seton Hall.

Think about that: a Big East team beat an Ivy League team and considered it a marquee win.

"I appreciate that," Donahue told The Shootaround. "I think it's a testament to what these guys have built here. I said to (Cornell), 'They're happy as heck that they won this basketball game.' Somehow an upper-eschelon team in the Big East is happy that they beat Cornell. I think it speaks volumes about what these guys have put together at Cornell."

Even though no Ivy League team has won a game in the NCAA Tournament since 1998 — when Princeton beat UNLV — Cornell is trying to change that. Including the way that the Big Red is approaching the bid process.

Since the automatic bid from the Ivy League is earned by winning the regular-season title, Cornell is taking no chances in case something goes wrong in conference play. Seton Hall was just one of a number of big-time matchups that the Big Red have lined up this season. From No. 10 Syracuse Tuesday night to road games against Bucknell, Davidson and LaSalle, as well as a home contest against Saint Joseph's — Cornell is taking an aggressive approach to scheduling. They've already pulled off two non-conference road wins against Alabama and Massachusetts. The Big Red will even travel to No. 1 Kansas on January 6.

And why shouldn't they? They have one of the best pure scorers in the country in Ryan Wittman. This is the same Cornell team that has already won back-to-back Ivy League titles and has been called the best team the league has had in nearly 20 years.

But Donahue isn't content to just accept losses this season. Cornell no doubt enjoys the compliments, but would like them to come after wins, too.

"I was really looking to see, 'Where are we? What's our quality?'" Donahue said. "I'm extremely impressed with what we're doing. How we're going about it. ... I think they realize that what's going to come from these other games is going to make us a better basketball team."

***

3 THINGS I LEARNED FROM LAST WEEK

...3. Syracuse-Cornell might be one of the best early-year games.
Both of these teams can flat-out play. Syracuse looked tremendous last week, first dismantling No. 13 California and then No. 6 North Carolina. Wesley Johnson is a great fit for the Orange on both sides of the ball. He's long (perfect for Boeheim's 2-3 Zone) and he's athletic (perfect for those Scoop Jardine high passes). But Cornell is no slouch, as Ryan Wittman is a player. Trust The Shootaround — he can go toe-to-toe with any shooter/scorer/player in the country. If he's hot, he's the perfect player to destroy that Syracuse zone. Remember, he scored 33 points (27 on 3-pointers) last year in a 10-point loss to the Cuse.

• While we do not endorse gambling, one such gambling website, SBR has a good preview analysis of the game and picks the Orange:

Syracuse Orange make green tonight against Cornell Big Red

Jim Boeheim will not allow a letdown tonight for his Orange when Syracuse hosts the Cornell Big Red in a Big East/Ivy League battle at the Carrier Dome.

The 10th-ranked Syracuse Orange look to avoid a big-time letdown when they host Cornell tonight at the Carrier Dome.

The Orange are 4-0 (4-0 ATS) which includes back-to-back wins over a pair of nationally ranked teams, North Carolina and Cal. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said after the victory over the Tar Heels that the Cornell game would be the toughest game of the season.

The Big Red returns all five starters from a squad that went 21-10 last season, winning the Ivy League and advancing to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year.

When these two teams met a year ago Cornell, a 16-point underdog, led by 16 at the half before losing 88-78. The Big Red enters tonight’s game with a 2-1 record that includes wins at Alabama and UMass and a home loss to Seton Hall.

Cornell’s “bread and butter” is its 3-point shooting. Through the first three games the team has hit 13 of 29 (45%) from beyond the arc. They’ll need another big shooting night to challenge the 2-3 zone defense of Syracuse which has been lights out.

In four games the Orange has yet to allow an opponent to shoot better than 40% from the field or 30% from 3-point range. As both North Carolina and Cal will attest, the Syracuse lineup has bought into Jim Boeheim’s defense first philosophy and it’s resulted in the unbeaten start and the two big upset victories.

One of Cornell’s big problems in the early going has been rebounding where they’ve been beaten on average by seven boards per game. Syracuse has a slight advantage on the glass and will have a definite edge tonight against the smaller frontline of the Big Red.

The 'Cuse is shooting nearly 55% per game which is sixth in the nation, and averaging just over 89 PPG, the 12th-best total in the land.

Should the game boil down to free throws, Cornell will have a huge advantage with the Big Red draining 81% of their opportunities from the charity stripe.

This game is full of ifs and buts. If Syracuse continues to score like they’ve done thru the first games and if its defense can contain Cornell’s outside shooting, then the Orange should win it going way. But if Syracuse suffers any sort of letdown they’ll likely win but miss the cover.

I’m banking on Boeheim. I think the veteran coach will have his team ready to play and play hard. Lay the points as the Orange beats the Big Red and make us some green tonight.

Free Pick: Syracuse -14 (-110)

UMass Awaits Cornell

Following Cornell's 71-67 win at Alabama, Cornell's march through "Heaven's Eleven" continues, a time span that The Cornell Basketball Blog is calling the 11 days between 11/14 through 11/24, wherein the Big Red square off against four very challenging opponents in Alabama, UMass, Seton Hall and Syracuse. Cornell is on a quest to pick up "Signature Wins" that will impress the tournament selection committee during March. Above, Cornell's Max Groebe (No. 13), played for UMass before transferring to Cornell during 2008.

Check out The Cornell Basketball Blog's Game Preview Center for all the infortmation you need about Wednesday's game at UMass.

Cornell's Signature Win Hunt Moves to Amherst, Massachusetts...

Following Cornell's 71-67 win at Alabama, Cornell's quest for additional "Signature Wins" continues during "Heaven's Eleven"--what The Cornell Basketball Blog is calling the 11 days between 11/14 through 11/24, wherein the Big Red square off against four challenging opponents--Alabama, UMass, Seton Hall and Syracuse. Check out The Cornell Basketball Blog's Game Preview Center for all the infortmation you need about Wednesday's game at UMass.

Cornell Selected Upset of the Day by RushTheCourt.Net

Above, Ezra Cornell's Basketball team just earned its first "signature win" of the season with a 71-67 victory at Alabama.

RushTheCourt.net selects Cornell's win over Alabama as the "Upset of the Day" for 11.14.09. RushTheCourt writes:

Upset of the Day. Cornell 71, Alabama 67. Another day, another SEC team embarrasses itself at home. Did anyone in Alabama care? Probably not. Don’t get us wrong here – Cornell is a fantastic Ivy League team with all five starters returning and gobs of game experience under their collective belt. And Alabama is dealing with a new coach, a new system and a fanbase that is on its best day mildly interested in basketball, to put it nicely. But an SEC team with two top 25-type players in its lineup should never lose this game at home (sorry, Goodman, but we disagree with you here). This is not to take anything at all away from Cornell, who completely deserved the win today and will assuredly push everyone on its schedule this year, BCS team or not. The Big Red shot 10-18 from three, and when Bama made a run to cut a 15-pt second half lead to two, Ryan Wittman (23/3), Louis Dale (13/4/5 assts) and Jeff Foote (17/7/3 blks) held steady down the stretch. When Anthony Grant gets this thing going later this year, and we honestly believe he will, this win alone will probably be worth an additional seed line for Cornell. Its first win over an SEC school since 1973 (!!) is quite simply a huge boon for this program, and the forty-plus excited comments on Cornell Sports Blog seems to confirm it. Congrats, fellas.

Meanwhile, the HoopsReport.com probably was not surprised. They picked Cornell:

CORNELL (+7.5) at Alabama: This Cornell team has been together for a couple years now. Louis Dale and Ryan Wittman are legit big-time players. Cornell won the Ivy two years in a row and was undefeated in conference play two seasons ago. Alabama will be decent this year but the Tide has a new coach (Anthony Grant) and he has to figure out how to mesh the talent. Cornell will keep this one close and could even win the game on the road.

Signature Win Hunt and Ivy Tip Off...Just 24 Hours Away...

Above, Cornell's Alex Tyler and Anthony Gatlin go head to head during the Red-White scrimmage.

While Cornell kicks off its season on Saturday, five Ivy teams will "get it going" on Friday night.

Among Ivies, only Columbia does not play a game this weekend and out of ten games this weekend involving Ivy teams, only one will be on the home court of an Ivy League school. But even more notable, Dartmouth (at Boston College), Penn (at Penn State), Brown (at Virginia Tech) and Cornell (at Alabama) all present opportunities for Ivies to earn "signature wins" over BCS conference opponents. For Cornell, the trip to Alabama is the start of its Heaven's Eleven--what we at The Cornell Basketball Blog are calling the span of eleven heavenly (or hellish) days, depending on your perspective, between November 14 through November 24, wherein Big Red will square off against four tough opponents in Alabama, UMass, Seton Hall and Syracuse.

Below is another look at the Ivies in action this weekend.

Friday, November 13
Yale vs. Sacred Heart, 5:30 pm (Connecticut Six)
Brown at St. Francis (N.Y.), 7 pm
Dartmouth at Boston College, 7 pm
Harvard at Holy Cross, 7 pm
Penn at Penn State, 7:30 pm

Saturday, November 14
Princeton at Central Michigan, 1 pm
Cornell at Alabama, 1 pm

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

Signature Win Hunt During "Heaven's Eleven"

Below, another installment in our series, the "Signature Win Hunt."

Last February, it was being called “Dream Week” around the NBA and New York’s Madison Square Garden. In a span of five days, the New York Knicks hosted the top three teams in the NBA--Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers and the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics. Although for the star-struck Knicks, it turned out be more of a long nightmare.

Back at Cornell, the Big Red soon kick off their own version of dream week on November 14. Or maybe we call it "Heaven's Eleven."

In the span of eleven heavenly (or hellish) days, between November 14 through November 24, the Big Red will square off against four of the nation's premier basketball programs.

The task ahead for Cornell is daunting.

The journey starts on November 14 when Cornell travels to SEC country and the University of Alabama.

Next stop on Heaven's Eleven is a November 18 visit to UMass' Mullins Center, a tough A-10 opponent.

The third game is a return home for a tilt with Seton Hall of the Big East on November 20 in Ithaca.

Finally, Heaven's Eleven comes to an end on November 24 when Cornell attempts to end its Carrier Dome losing streak with another Big East contest against Syracuse.

Other tough match-ups await Cornell on the 2009-2010 schedule outside the Heaven's Eleven span, including games against Davidson (and possibly St. John's) in Madison Square Garden, as well as trips to La Salle and Kansas and a home game against St. Joseph's. Yes, we did say Kansas.

But one common theme remains constant throughout the schedule. Cornell is looking to slay some giant programs and pick-up those "signature wins" that the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will remember later in March.

And it all begins with Heaven's Eleven on November 14.

"Signature Wins" Which Got Away...

A continuation of our discussion of Cornell's search for "signature wins" in the nonconference schedule...

The Big Red were unsuccessful in pulling off several victories a year ago against BCS level opponents due to a lack of bench depth. In at least seven games against "high majors" a year ago, Cornell was very much still in the game at halftime, only to see the opponent pull away during the second half. If Cornell hopes to win some key non-league games during 2009-2010, the Big Red will have to play "40 minutes" of basketball and get some production from the bench.

Below is a brief summary of Cornell's results against its top 2008-2009 nonconference opponents:

• St. John's (neutral court in NIT), Red Storm knock off Cornell 86-75, but at halftime, Cornell trailed by just just one point, 42-41. Cornell played the game without All-Ivy League guard, Louis Dale.
  
• at Siena, final score, Saints 74 and Big Red 56, but at half, Siena led by by only four, 30-26. Cornell played the game without All-Ivy League guard, Louis Dale.
• at Indiana, Hoosiers prevail 72-57, but at half, just a 35-29 Indiana lead. Cornell played the game without All-Ivy League guard, Louis Dale.
• at Syracuse, Orange win 88-78, but at half, it was Cornell leading 40-35. Cornell played the game without All-Ivy League guard, Louis Dale.
• at Minnesota, Gophers take the win 71-54, but the Big Red led at halftime, 40-28.
• at St. Joseph's, Cornell falls in close 71-67 decision down in Philly.
• vs. Missouri (NCAA Tournament), Cornell falls 78-59. Cornell trailed 29-25 at half.

Signature Win Hunt...

As we wrote a week ago, despite coming off of two consecutive Ivy League championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, Cornell has not had many high profile "signature" wins out of conference during the Steve Donahue era.

Signature nonconference wins serve multiple purposes for a college basketball program. First, a good non-league win boosts a team's RPI rank and in turn aids in favorable seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Second, a quality win can build team confidence heading into league play. Third, quality wins are used by coaching staffs as marketing points during the recruiting process. Finally, quality wins serve as bragging rights and a source of program pride.

Here is a list of Cornell's best non-league wins since 2000.

• November 22, 2002, Cornell 78 Buffalo 72
• December 4, 2004, Cornell 58 St. Bonaventure 54
• November 10, 2006, Cornell 64 Northwestern 61
• November 25, 2007, Cornell 83 Siena 77
• December 20, 2008, Cornell 79 La Salle 70

Cornell will look to add to this list during the 2009-2010 season with games scheduled against Alabama, UMass, Seton Hall, Syracuse, St. Joseph's, La Salle, Davidson, Kansas and possibly St. John's.

Cornell Seeking "Signature Wins"

Above, Ezra Cornell's basketball team, led by Louis Dale, would love nothing more than to put their signature on a couple of major out of conference wins this season.

On November 14, in Cornell's opener at Alabama, the Big Red is seeking its first win over a BCS conference opponent since knocking off Northwestern on November 11, 2006.

Since beating the Wildcats, the Big Red have not had many quality out of conference wins-- unless you count victories over Siena on November 25, 2007 and La Salle on December 20, 2007. Cornell is looking to change its fortunes this season and hopes to mount some NCAA Tournament worthy signature wins. Opportunities will come against the Crimson Tide, Kansas, Syracuse, Seton Hall, UMass, St. Joseph's, La Salle, Davidson, Vermont, and possibly St. John's.

Speaking of the Alabama game, it is one of only two Cornell games this season that will not be available via either online video or television.