Around the Ivies: Men’s Basketball

The rest of the Ivy League has experienced varying degrees of success in the starts to their seasons.

No. 1 Harvard (4-1)

Harvard entered the season looking to build upon its performance last year, one of the best in program history. Led by Jeremy Lin, who now plays for the professional Golden State Warriors, the Crimson finished with a 21-8 overall record last year, going 10-4 in the Ivy League, and a earned berth in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. This season, fourth-year head coach Tommy Amaker is relying on forward Keith Wright, who leads the team in points; guard Oliver McNally; and center Ugo Okam. Harvard’s only loss this season was to George Mason in its opener. The Crimson has won four straight games since, however, including a victory in its last game over Colorado, with Wright earning Ivy League Player of the Week honors. Harvard has tough nonconference games left, with trips to Michigan, Connecticut and Boston College.

No. 2 Brown (3-2)

After posting a subpar 11-20 overall record and a 5-9 Ivy League record last year, Brown is off to a good start this season. Forward Peter Sullivan, who ranks in the top 10 in the conference in both scoring and rebounding, leads the Bears. The backcourt has also been a strength for Brown, as newcomer point guard Sean McGonagill is third in the conference in assists and guard Adrian Williams leads the Ivy League with a .611 three-point percentage. The Bears recorded an impressive win at Fordham in their opener but have games against Providence and Army looming on their schedule.

No. 3 Columbia (3-3)

Columbia is trying to rebound from a disappointing 11-17 overall and 5-9 Ivy League campaign last year. Columbia’s young core this year is lead by guard Noruwa Agho, who leads the Ivy League in scoring, and forward Brian Grimes, who is third in the league in rebounding. The Lions’ real strength is in their backcourt, with guards Brian Barbour, Steve Frankoski and Dyami Starks. Columbia has lost to rising Big East team St. John’s University but has knocked off Colgate and previously undefeated American University. The Lions have weathered their early tough nonconference schedule and look to continue their success with upcoming games at Stony Brook and Wagner.

No. 5 Penn (2-3)

Coming off 6-22 overall and 6-8 Ivy League records last year, Penn has already eclipsed its nonconference win total from last year. The team recently fell to Pittsburgh, ranked No. 3 in the nation, with a tough but expected 82-58 loss. Since a 69-64 win in its opener against Davidson, the team has dropped three of its past four games, including its annual “Battle of 33rd Street” against Drexel. The Quakers also currently have the worst scoring margin of any team in the Ivy League.

No. 6 Yale (2-3)

The bulldogs managed to finish in the top half of the Ivy League last year with a 6-8 conference record, despite their 12-19 overall record. Yale is off to a decent start given its competition this season, sandwiching a 26-point loss to Illinois, ranked No. 20 in the nation, between two encouraging victories against Boston College and Army. The team leads the league in free-throw percentage, and forward Greg Mangano currently leads the league individually in rebounding and ranks fourth in scoring.

No. 7 Cornell (2-4)

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Cornell dominated the Ivy League last year en route to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament, but the losses of forward Ryan Wittman, last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year, and center Jeff Foote have hit the Big Red hard. The team started out strong with victories in two of its first three games but has since fallen in consecutive contests to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh and Boston University. Cornell’s defense has held opponents to an average of just 66 points per game, but the Big Red’s .380 field-goal percentage is lowest in the league.

No. 8 Dartmouth (2-4)

Dartmouth struggled mightily last year, earning just one league victory during its worst campaign since the 2003-04 season. The Big Green have been all over the map this season, and just one of its games has been decided by fewer than double digits. Scoring has been the team’s main problem, as its 61.2 points per game is the lowest figure in the league. The offense did put 80 points on the board against Colgate in its most recent game, though, and will hope to carry that momentum into a showdown against Vermont on Wednesday.