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Ryan Wittman's Team B-2-X improved to a record of 2-1 with a 134-116 win over the Pat Madison Magic in Howard Pulley Pro City League play last night in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wittman finished with 15 points.NBA Finals 2011 Photos
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Best NBA Playoffs 2011 Photos
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NBA Playoffs 2011 photos
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wittman in Summer League Action
Ryan Wittman's Team B-2-X improved to a record of 2-1 with a 134-116 win over the Pat Madison Magic in Howard Pulley Pro City League play last night in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wittman finished with 15 points.Ivy League Rundown from Jeff Goodman
Brown – The Bears will play in the Hoop Group’s Philly Classic on Nov. 27-28 and also have non-conference games at Providence and Rhode Island and at home against Minnesota. Noel Hollingsworth transferred to MIT.
Columbia – Joe Jones’ team will face DePaul on Nov. 17 in a non-conference matchup.
Cornell – The Big Red will play in the Legends Classic and also in the Holiday Classic in NYC along with Davidson, St. John’s and Hofstra. Non-conference games include on the road against Syracuse, Alabama, Kansas and La Salle with home games against Seton Hall and St. Joe's.
Dartmouth – There was a complete staff turnover as Shay Berry, Dean Christian and Matt Raidbard all resigned. Coach Terry Dunn has hired two assistants – Michael Brown and Mark Groupe.
Harvard – Assistant Will Wade left for VCU and Brian Destefano was promoted to take his spot. Tommy Amaker also brought on Yanni Hufnagel to the staff. The Crimson will play non-conference games at UConn, Boston College and Georgetown and home contests against George Washington and William & Mary.
Penn – Penn will play non-conference games at Duke, Penn State and Villanova and home games against Temple, St. Joe’s, La Salle and Drexel. The Quakers had Harrison Gaines transfer to UC Riverside.
Princeton – The Tigers will play at Cal, the alma mater of Stephen Johnson – the brother of current Tigers coach Sydney Johnson – in late-November. Also, assistant Scott Greenman will assist Bruce Pearl on the Maccabiah Team in Israel in July.
Yale – The Bulldogs will play in the Preseason NIT at the UConn pod and will also be in the inaugural Connecticut 6 Classic and open against Sacred Heart on Nov. 13. James Jones’ team will face Providence in a non-conference contest and also travel to Colorado and Colorado State.
News and Notes: Around the Ivy League
Pictured above, Cornell's Andre Wilkins cuts the net down following the Big Red's 2009 Ivy League Championship clinching win. Below, some news from around the Ivy League...Columbia, Dartmouth and Harvard have all released their 2009-2010 rosters.
Princeton becomes the first Ivy League school to announce its 2009-2010 schedule. The Tigers opted to go with a somewhat soft schedule considering the strong returning nucleus, with the marque Tiger games coming in visits to George Washington, Cal, Rutgers and St. Joseph's. Princeton will also visit mid majors such as Western Michigan, Marist and UNC Greensboro, while hosting Manhattan.
Recruiting News
Pictured above, Cornell's Alex Hill. Below, some Ivy League recruiting news...The Indianapolis Star covers the commitment of Zionsville, Indiana's Chris Welker to West Point. The Army recruit was a Cornell prospect.
IowaPreps.com reports that Des Moines (IA) Roosevelt High School 6'2" guard Dau Jok is hearing from Dartmouth, Princeton, Army, Missouri State, Iowa State, North Dakota, Montana, Fairfield, Western Kentucky and Division II schools such as Mid-American Nazarene, Dallas Baptist, Southwestern, and Briar Cliff.
IowaPreps.com reports that Des Moines (IA) Roosevelt High School 6'2" guard Dau Jok is hearing from Dartmouth, Princeton, Army, Missouri State, Iowa State, North Dakota, Montana, Fairfield, Western Kentucky and Division II schools such as Mid-American Nazarene, Dallas Baptist, Southwestern, and Briar Cliff.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Alumni News: DeLuca Inducted into Hall of Fame in Capital Region
Bob DeLuca ('66), a 1st Team All-Ivy selection in both '64-'65 and '65-'66 was named to the Capital District's Inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Class. He graduated from Schenectady High School (formerly Linton HS) in the Albany region. While at Cornell, he also received honorable mention on the Converse All-America team in 1966. He was also captain of the 1966 Big Red team that went 15-9 and finished second in the Ivy League for the second consecutive season. He was invited to try out with the Baltimore Bullets of the NBA following his senior season. He is a member of Cornell's Hall of Fame.
Recruiting News
In recruiting news, The Pantagraph.com reports that Zeke Upshaw, a 6'5" forward committed to Illinois State over interest from Princeton.Speaking of Princeton, the Tigers have a very solid incoming 2009-2010 recruiting class. Ian Hummer, a 6'6" forward from D.C. has to be among the top 5 preseason candidates in the conference for rookie of the year honors. While not ultra-athletic, Hummer is crafty and works hard inside while also maintaining tremendous perimeter skills. The Tigers also bring onboard 6'8" Will Barrett, a perimeter oriented forward who turned down a scholarship to Michigan to play in Jadwin Gym. Overall, very good class for the Tigers.
Over at Harvard, the Crimson's 2009-2010 roster will feature eleven highly recruited reshmen and sophomores. The bad news is that the Crimson can't truthfully promise playing time to future recruits with so many young players on the roster. The good news is that Harvard's young players are indeed talented and the Crimson have the pieces to become competitive within the league. Harvard's newest recruiting class is led by four high scoring guards--Christian Webster (6'5"), Kyle Casey (6'5"), Dee Giger (6'5"), and Brandyn Curry (6'1"). Curry should inherit the starting point guard role from day 1 and is a rookie of the year candidate. He is a score first point guard who likes to get into the paint. The balance of the class will compete for minutes at the other guard position and at small forward. Giger is a long range spot-up shooter, while Casey and Webster are athletic slashers and will flourish in an up tempo system. This group combined with sophomores 6'3" Max Kenyi and 6'2" point guard Oliver McNally, leaves Harvard's perimeter fully stocked and overloaded for the next three seasons. The Crimson also add highly sought after power forward, 6'8" Jeff Georgatos, who will team up with 6'10" red-shirt freshman Andrew Van Nest, 6'7" sophomores Keith Wright and Peter Boehm to create a youthful yet formidable frontcourt. Van Nest is a skilled, perimeter-oriented big man, while Georgatos is a physical interior player.
Other newcomers in the league to keep an eye include Columbia's Max Craig, an athletic and mobile 260 lb. 7-footer. Craig is a legitimate All-Ivy League prospect and brings two years of experience to New York after transferring from Loyola-Marymount. He will be a one-man wrecking crew in the paint. The Lions also add 6'7" transfer, Brian Grimes via La Salle. The question for Grimes is his health following an ACL tear from a year ago. When healthy, he is an inside and outside threat. Freshmen Jon Daniels (6'7") and Brian Barbour (6'3") could also push for playing time. Both had scholarship opportunities outside the Ivy League.
Yale recruited a pair of point guards, both with mid to long-term All-Ivy potential. Mike Grace, a slashing 6-footer from North Carolina and Austin Morgan, a 5'10" playmaker from California could find immediate playing time for the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, Yale was unsuccessful recruiting replacements for its departing All-Ivy forwards, Ross Morin and Travis Pinick.
Brown's class is anchored by Andrew McCarthy, a physical 6'7" power forward who is well-prepared for Division I basketball after prepping last season at Northfield Mt. Hermon School in Massachusetts. He could be a starter from the first game. The balance of class should all find immediate playing time in a shallow returning rotation. Tucker Halpern (6'7") and Matt Sullivan (6'4") can both shoot the ball from long range.
Penn's class is not jaw dropping by Quaker standards, but Penn has added some key pieces. in its rebuilding project. The group is led by 6'2" sharpshooter Carson Sullivan from North Carolina. While not an explosive athlete, Sullivan can bury the long ball. Meanwhile, 6'6" long range shooter, Sean Mullan from Australia will attempt to adjust to a much higher level of competition in the U.S. Additionally, 6'7" Northfield Mt. Hermon product, Brian Fitzpatrick should push or minutes in the often-injured Penn frontcourt as a true power forward. Malcom Washington, a 5'10" point guard is known as a solid defender with good ball handling skills, but is still developing an offensive game.
Dartmouth's recruits all bring some upside, but this group not have as much of an immediate impact as recruits at other schools. Mbiyimoh Ghogomu, a 6'5" wing from Texas is strong and athletic and could help in the frontcourt, while 6'9" Josef Brown is a developing post with shot blocking and rebounding skills. Garrett Brown, a 6'2" guard from Texas could fill a combo guard role.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
More Highlights from the 2009 NCAA Tournament
Some highlights just don't need translation. A couple of videos which just made their way onto YouTube from Cornell's 2009 NCAA Tournament game against Missouri.
Recruiting News
Doing what they do best. Pictured above, Cornell's newest transfers in action. Left, 6'9" Mark Coury, a transfer from Kentucky, battles in the paint for a loose ball. Middle, Max Groebe, a 6'4" guard from UMass, pulls up for a jumper from beyond the arc. Right, Anthony Gatlin, a slender 6'8" guard/forward controls the point for Centenary College. Below, some recruiting news in the Ivy League...Boston.com published a brief story on a pair of class of 2009 commitments headed to Brown.
Meanwhile, Scout.com announced that Ge-Lawn Guyn out of Kentucky committed to the University of Charlotte. Guyn was reportedly on Dartmouth's wish list.
Meanwhile, Scout.com announced that Ge-Lawn Guyn out of Kentucky committed to the University of Charlotte. Guyn was reportedly on Dartmouth's wish list.
Below are some related recruiting links:
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Recruiting News
Above, Cornell's Chris Wroblewski is the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Cornell rookies have won the award four of the last seven seasons, including three of the last four. Below, some recruiting news from around the Ivy League...
ScoutingIndiana.com reports that Zionsville High School's (Indiana) Chris Welker, a 6'6" forward, committed to Army this week. Welker was reportedly receiving recruitment attention from Cornell.
ScoutingIndiana.com also reports that 5'10" Jarrett Hamilton, a member of the class of 2009 from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis committed to DePaul University. Hamilton started for the Irish alongside incoming Cornell recruit, 6'6" Errick Peck and Purdue recruit, 6'5" Kelsey Barlow. It is not known whether Hamilton is a walk-on at DePaul or whether he was awarded a scholarship.
Illinois Prep Bulls Eye reports that 6'9" Matt Haas from Naperville North High School in Naperville, IL, is receiving interest from Columbia.
ScoutingIndiana.com reports that Zionsville High School's (Indiana) Chris Welker, a 6'6" forward, committed to Army this week. Welker was reportedly receiving recruitment attention from Cornell.
ScoutingIndiana.com also reports that 5'10" Jarrett Hamilton, a member of the class of 2009 from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis committed to DePaul University. Hamilton started for the Irish alongside incoming Cornell recruit, 6'6" Errick Peck and Purdue recruit, 6'5" Kelsey Barlow. It is not known whether Hamilton is a walk-on at DePaul or whether he was awarded a scholarship.
Illinois Prep Bulls Eye reports that 6'9" Matt Haas from Naperville North High School in Naperville, IL, is receiving interest from Columbia.
Offseason Recap
When you stop and think about it, Cornell Basketball received a lot of good news during the offseason in recruiting and scheduling. Here is brief a recap of the news headlines for the Big Red since April:- Cornell adds a talented eight person recruiting class, including five freshman and three transfers from Division I programs. Errick Peck, an athletic 6'6" freshman from Indianapolis earned MVP honors of the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series. Peck led his team in scoring in all four of the Indiana All-Star team's games and received the MVP honors over players headed to Kentucky, Purdue, Indiana, NC State, Louisville and Georgetown, among other high profile programs. Mark Coury, a hard-nosed 6'9" transfer from Kentucky started 31 games for the Wildcats before joining Cornell. Max Groebe, a 6'4" sharpshooter comes to the Big Red from UMass. Anthony Gatlin, a surprise late transfer to the team, started 18 games during his career for Centenary College. Gatlin is 6'8" but has guard-like skills and can be compared in playing style to Gonzaga's Austin Daye.
- Cornell builds an exciting schedule highlighted by home games in Ithaca against Seton Hall of the Big East Conference and St. Joseph's of the Atlantic 10. Cornell also gets the chance to play a double-header at the Holiday Festival in Madison Square Garden (with Davidson, St. John's and Hofstra also participating) and it is anticipated that they will visit Kansas, Syracuse, Alabama, and La Salle. Additionally, Cornell heads to UMass as part of the Legends Classic.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Recruiting News: Aussie to Penn [updated 4:42 pm]
Pictured above, Cornell's Jeff Foote is in his final year of eligibility during 2009-2010. Foote is a two-time Second Team All Ivy League selection and is the reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. Below, some recruiting news...The Saipan Tribune confirms that Australian, 6'6" wing, Sean Mullan will attend Penn and play for the Quakers. The article notes, "[Penn] dominated Ivy League basketball from 2005 to 2007 but have since given up the trophy to Cornell University."
While the talent level remains questionable, you certainly have to at least credit Penn's coaching staff with creating an interesting recruiting class for the team media guide. In addition to Mullan, Penn's class includes Malcolm Washington, the son of Academy Award winning actor, Denzel Washington, as well as Zach Gordon, a transfer from Division III Yeshiva University.
According to Five Boro Sports, Brown could potentially land a walk-on to its roster, a 5'8" guard from New York.
As for Cornell's recruiting, the low post is definitely an area of focus for the class of 2010. with the expected graduation of senior frontcourt players, Foote, Alex Tyler, Pete Reynolds, Jon Jaques, Marc Van Burck, and Andre Wilkins. And as usual, Cornell's recruiting presence is very strong in the upper midwest.
Out in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Cornell is giving hard looks at a couple of bigs in the paint Jake Kreuser is 6'11" and 220 from Mendota Heights and Sibley High School. He has scholarship offers to Santa Clara, Wisconsin-Green Bay and North Dakota State while also taking in interest from the Big Red. Meanwhile, 6'9" Trevor Gruis holds an offer from South Dakota State. Then there is Ryyan Duxbury, a 6-8 banger from Stillwater.
But the Big Red may be most interested in Dave Dudzinski, a 6'9" 230 lb. post from Kaneland, Illinois. Several scouting sites have reported that Cornell has extended an offer. Cornell has also reportedly offered Griffin McKenzie, a 6'9" 210 lb. forward from Cincinnati Moeller High School. Princeton, Loyola-Chicago and Western Michigan are Cornell's primary competitors for Dudzinski, while Miami (Ohio), Ohio U., Ball State, Wright State, and Harvard are also after McKenzie.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
FoxSports Mentions Ivy Schedules...
Today, Jeff Goodman of FoxSports mentions Cornell's participation in the ECAC Holiday Festival in Madison Square Garden. Goodman also notes that Yale will participate in the Preseason NIT. Cornell was a participant last season in the NIT, finishing win a record of 3 wins and 1 loss against the field. Goodman notes:The [Hofstra] Pride will play in the Preseason NIT in a pod at UConn along with Yale and Colgate – and will also play in the Holiday Festival at MSG along with Davidson, St. John’s and Cornell.
Cornell Prospect Camp Starts Tomorrow
(photo Cornell Daily Sun)The Cornell men’s basketball program and Head Coach Steve Donahue are offering The Cornell Basketball Prospect Camp from June 26-28 on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York. This camp is intended for high school students in grades 9-12 and is recommended for players who are serious about potentially playing collegiate basketball at Cornell or at other institutions.
The Cornell Basketball Prospect Camp will provide basketball instruction by Cornell coaches and serves as an opportunity for high school prospects to gain invaluable exposure to the Cornell coaching staff.
Check the Cornell Basketball Prospect Camp website for more information.
News and Notes: Around the Ivy League
The Daily Pennsylvanian published a pair of articles today concerning Quakers basketball. One article details the involvement of several Penn players in Philadephia summer leagues. The other article concerns the decision of Harrison Gaines to transfer from Penn to Cal-Riverside. Gaines (defending Cornell's Louis Dale in the photo above) told the Daily Pennsylvanian last March, "I felt like Glen Miller wasn't the coach for me. That was basically what it came down to."Wednesday, June 24, 2009
News and Notes: Around the Ivy League (and some Recruiting News)
Some news from around the Ivy League...Yale Athletics reports that the Bulldogs' Ross Morin signed a contract to play professionally in Switzerland.
Dartmouth recently announced the overhaul of its assistant coaching staff with two new hires.
In recruiting news, William & Mary snagged another Cornell prospect this week. The Herald Times reports that Bloomington North's Julian Boatner, a 6'1" guard, selected William & Mary as his college choice. Cornell showed some interest in Boatner earlier in the spring. Last week, Fred Heldring, a 6'10" post player from New Trier High School in Illinois selected W&M over an offer from Cornell.
Cornell Basketball in the News
If you listen to the Big Red basketball games online via Redcast or in the Ithaca area on ESPN radio, you know his voice. Matt Grassie, Cornell basketball's commentator on Redcast and ESPN Radio 1160 is providing analysis of the NBA draft for Comcast Philadelphia. Pictured above, left to right, Brian Delaney (Ithaca Journal), Barry Leonard (ESPN Radio play-by-play) and Grassie.Schedule Update
Here is yet another glimpse of the 31 projected games on the Big Red's 2009-2010 schedule. All games are tentative until formally announced by Cornell Athletics.- November 18, 2008-@ UMass, (Legends Classic-Field includes UMass, Cornell, Toldeo, Rutgers, Vermont, Drexel, Florida, Michigan State, Valparaiso plus three additional teams)
- TBA Opponent (Legends Classic)
- TBA Opponent (Legends Classic)
- TBA Opponent (Legends Classic)
- November 20, 2009- vs. Seton Hall
- December 20, 2009-vs. Davidson (@ Madison Square Garden ECAC Holiday Festival)
- December 21, 2009 vs. Hofstra or St. John's (@ Madison Square Garden ECAC Holiday Festival)
- January 5, 2010-@ Kansas
- vs. St. Joseph's (Home)
- @South Dakota
- @Alabama
- @La Salle
- @Boston University
- vs. Bryant (Home)
- @Syracuse
- Local New York State rival TBA
- Local New York State rival TBA
- 14 Ivy League Games
- Kansas is likely the preseason #1 team in the nation.
- Cornell will host Seton Hall (Big East) and St. Joseph's (A-10) in Ithaca this season. Cornell visits Seton Hall during 2010-2011.
- Cornell Head Coach Steve Donahue annually attempts to schedule road games in the home states of each of his players. For example, the Kansas game is a return home for Geoff Reeves (Burlington, Kansas). Reeves will go head-to-head with former Burlington High School (Kansas) teammate, Tyrel Reed, a guard with the Jayhawks.
- The Alabama game is a return home for Louis Dale (Birmingham, Alabama).
- The South Dakota game is a "return home" for Pete Reynolds. He is from Blair, Nebraska, roughly a 2 hour drive away.
- The Legends Classic game at UMass will feature a return back to Amherst for Cornell 's Max Groebe, a former Minuteman before transferring to Cornell in 2008.
- The ECAC Holiday Festival is a reunion of sorts for Cornell head coach, Steve Donahue and Davidson head coach, Bob McKillop. Donahue served as an assistant to McKillop during the 2008 U.S. Men's Basketball U18 Trials. MSG's Holiday Festival also serves as a potential rematch for Cornell and St. John's. The Big Red fell to the Red Storm last season in the opener of the NIT Season Tip-Off, 86-75 after trailing the Big East squad by just 1 point at halftime. Cornell, however, played the Red Storm without All Ivy League point guard, Louis Dale.
- Cornell will play in some of the country's most prestigious arena's this season, including Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas), Madison Square Garden (St. John's), the Carrier Dome (Syracuse), Coleman Coliseum (Alabama), and the Mullins Center (UMass).
As always, just click the "Schedule Update" tag below to view our prior updates.
Mason's non-conference schedule set
This just in from a couple different sources, the following is a list of Mason's 2009-10 non-conference opponents (home games in BOLD):
Friday, November 13 vs. Liberty
Sunday, November 15 vs. Dartmouth
Thursday-Sunday, November 19-22 vs. TBA at ESPN Puerto Rico Tip Off
Saturday, November 28 at Tulane
Wednesday, December 2 at George Washington
Tuesday, December 8 vs. Dayton
Saturday, December 12 vs. Creighton
Tuesday, December 22 vs. VMI
Wednesday, December 30 at Radford
Saturday, February 20 ESPN BracketBuster
I can't say I'm disappointed with it when you consider how many young guys will be getting serious minutes next season. Creighton, Dayton and VMI are quality programs that we will see at that Patriot Center. Add to that the caliber of some of the teams the squad could face in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off (6 BCS schools) and I think we are looking at some really good early season tests.
Your thoughts?
Thanks to everyone that sent this in.
Eitan Chemerinski Receives National Honor
Incoming Cornell freshman, Eitan Chemerinski has been selected as the National Player of the Year by Jewish Hoops America. Below is an excerpt from the press release:Jewish Hoops America has selected Eitan Chemerinski, a 6-foot-9 senior forward for Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD, as the 2009 National Player of the Year.
Chemerinski, who is expected to play for Cornell in the fall, led the Lions to a 22-1 record and the #2 ranking in the final Jewish Hoops America poll.
***
This was the third year that Jewish Hoops America has honored outstanding players and coaches. End-of-year honors were voted upon by 14 coaches from around the country and a representative of Jewish Hoops America. Fifty-two players were nominated by their coaches and received five points for every 1st Team vote; four points for each 2nd-Team vote; three points for each 3rd-Team vote and one point for Honorable Mention.
Chemerinski, named to the 3rd Team All-Jewish Hoops America last year as a junior, was the top vote-getter with 70 points. He averaged 17.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game and was Player of the Year in the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference. He was also named an All-Met Honorable Mention by The Washington Post.
***
Outstanding Student Athlete awards go to: Jeremy Banon (Ramaz), Zack Bruss (Tarbut v'Torah), Eitan Chemerinski (Jewish Day School-MD), Ariel Cooper (Cooper Yeshiva/Memphis,TN), Louis Coplon (Rambam-Baltimore), Ari Esterson (Rambam-Baltimore), Cory Gutovitz (Hyman Brand HA-Kansas), Aaron Jagoda (Yeshiva Atlanta/Atlanta,GA), Avi Katz (Cooper Memphis), Brad Neutel (Tarbut v'Torah), Avi Packer (Maimonides/Brookline,MA), Eli Pottash (Rambam-Baltimore), Andrew Retzer (San Diego Jewish Academy), Benny Silver (Valley Torah/Valley Village,CA), Jeremy Sykes (Rambam-Baltimore), Jonah Weisel (Jewish Day School-MD), Tani Weissman (Rambam-Baltimore) and Josh Wohlfarth (Valley Torah).
***
First Team
Eitan Chemerinski, Sr., Jewish Day School-MD (70 points)
Benjy Ritholtz, Jr., Hebrew Academy Nassau County (HANC) - (68)
Max Feldstein, Jr., Ramaz - (64)
Yoni Eckmann, Sr., Stern Hebrew HS-Philadelphia - (58)
Max Wein, Sr., Solomon Schechter-Westchester - (49)
See the related story at JTA.org.
Recruiting News
Below, a bit of recruiting news from around the Ivy League...Keegan Hyland of South Portland High School in Maine, a 6'3" guard told New England Recruiting Report that he has a college list of Rhode Island, LaSalle, Fordham, Temple, Princeton, Maine, Sacred Heart, William & Mary, Boston University, and Holy Cross. Of this list, Fordham, Princeton, Maine, Sacred Heart, W&M, BU and Holy Cross have all offered. “Princeton is my top Ivy League school,” he told NERR. “I’m not sure if that [going to the Ivy League] is something I want to do, but I’m keeping it in the picture.”
In other news, Aleksandar Nikolic of DuPont Manual High School in Lousiville, a 6'10" center spoke with KentuckyPreps.com at the Derek Smith Shootout this week. Below is the Q&A:
KentuckyPreps.com: What are you working on this summer, as you head into your senior season?
Nikolic: I'm working on my post moves and I want to get stronger. I've been hitting the weight room pretty hard. I'm about 230 pounds right now but I want to be about 240. I also want to expand my game and become more versatile. I've really been working on my jump shot.
KentuckyPreps.com: Are there any colleges recruiting you?
Nikolic: Right now, I'm getting a lot of interest from Winthrop University. A lot of Ivy League schools are looking at me.
KentuckyPreps.com: What Ivy League schools have been in contact?
Nikolic: I went to Princeton's camp and did pretty well. I visited Pennsylvania University. Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard. Also Wright State has shown some interest.
KentuckyPreps.com: Do you have any offers at this point?
Nikolic: No offers yet but I'm expecting some pretty soon.
Schedule Update: Big Red vs. Wildcats in the Garden
Earlier this morning we posted the news of Cornell's participation in the ECAC Holiday Festival in Madison Square Garden. The Big Red open the two-day tournament in New York City on December 20 and face the Davidson Wildcats while St. John's faces Hofstra in the other doubleheader semifinal. Davidson issued a formal press release announcing the event.The Davidson Press Release is as follows:
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Davidson basketball coach Bob McKillop announced today that the Wildcats will play in the 2009 Aeropostale Holiday Festival, the nation’s longest-running holiday tournament, Dec. 20-21, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Cornell, Hofstra and St. John’s join Davidson in the tournament.
“The last few years, our schedule has put us in a position to receive exposure on a national stage, and the competition has given us the opportunity to become a better program,” said McKillop. “Madison Square Garden is perhaps the greatest stage in the world, and this will provide a significant challenge for us as we continue to work towards being a consistently successful program.”
It will be Davidson’s second trip to The Garden in as many seasons as the Wildcats defeated West Virginia 68-65 in the Jimmy V Classic last season. Prior to that contest, their last appearance there was in 1972, when Davidson played Syracuse in the Postseason NIT.
It will be a homecoming for McKillop, who played high school basketball at Chaminade on Long Island and college basketball at Hofstra. He began is coaching career at Holy Trinity High School and coached at Long Island Lutheran before coming to Davidson in 1989.
The Wildcats own a 6-10 all-time mark against St. John’s with eight of those meetings on the road, and the schools have not met since 1989, when then 17th-ranked St. John’s defeated Davidson 83-65 in McKillop’s first season as the ‘Cats’ head coach. Two contests against the Red Storm have come in postseason play with the Wildcats defeating St. John’s in the 1968 and 1969 NCAA Tournaments.
The ‘Cats own a 2-1 record against Hofstra with the last meeting coming in the 1988-89 season. Davidson and Cornell have never met on the hardwood.
Davidson returns 10 letterwinners and two starters from the 2008-09 team, which posted a 27-8 record and advanced to the NIT second round.
Cornellians in Minnesota Summer Pro League
Below are the rosters for this summer's Howard Pulley Pro City Summer League in Minneapolis-St. Paul.El-Amin Fish House
Khalid El-Amin Connecticut
12 Jamel Staten Northern Illinois/Minnesota Mankato
11 Paul Carter Minnesota
8 Devron Bostick Minnesota
13 Levi Jones South Carolina State/MCTC/Nebraska-Omaha
Dan Coleman Minnesota
Urule Igbabova Valparaiso
Will Graham North Dakota School of Science
Luke Witt St. John's
3 Bruce Price Tennessee State
6 Travis Busch Cal-Poly/Minnesota/Colorado State
7 Kevin Henderson Garden City CC/UTEP
10 Dennis Williamson Sherdian CC/Minnesota Moorhead
Carrington Tankson San Jacinto CC
A&A Millworks
1 Ariel McDonald Minnesota
Quincy Lewis Minnesota
12 Randy Carter Minnesota
Trent Hassell Austin Peay
Reggie Hill Drake
10 Johnny Gilbert Oklahoma
3 Tyrell Sledge Kirkwood CC/Emporia State
2 Al Nolen Minnesota
Colton Iverson Minnesota
7 J'Son Stamper Minnesota
Errol Carlstrom Playaz
2 Mitch Ohnstad Cal Poly/Minnesota
3 Devoe Joseph Minnesota
11 Trevor Mbakwe Marquette/Miami Dade CC/Minnesota
7 Luke Anderson Montana State/MinnesotaMankato
8 Steve Esselink Augustana/Minnesota/Sioux Falls
Trevor Witter Southwest State
9 Isaac Rosefelt Bowling Green/St. Thomas
6 Xavier Reed Cal State Northridge/Minnesota Moorhead
10 Josh Figini Cornell
5 Matt Martin Montana
13 Mike Muscala Bucknell
Sabes/TRP
10 Justin Cobbs Minnesota
12 Damian Johnson Minnesota
Ralph Sampson III Minnesota
9 Rich Melzer Wisconsin River Falls
Darren Kent Kansas State
11 Ken Maxey Drake
4 Jermaine Davis Southeastern CC/Kirkwood CC/ Iowa/Minnesota Mankato
Stavon Williams San Jacinto CC/Utah State
8 Jefferson Mason Northern Colorado/Minnesota Mankato
6 Joe Scott UC-Colorado Springs/St. Thomas
3 Curtis Stanifer Crown College
7 William Leftridge MCTC
Troy E. Hudson Enterprises
3 Troy Hudson Southern Illinois
13 Eric Walker
12 Lorenzo Orr USC
John Thomas Minnesota
10 Coco Cofield North Dakota State
6 Royce White Minnesota
9 Rashad Tucker Kansas State
7 Steve Hart Indiana/Indiana State
Evan Johnson
11 Brandon Smith Minnesota/TCU
5 Marshall Brown Missouri
9 Brandon Harston
B-2-X
2 R.K. Glover
4 Blake Hoffarber Minnesota
10 Zach Puchtel Minnesota
8 Rodney Williams Jr. Minnesota
11 Dominique Dawson Minnesota
5 Cameron Rundles Montana/Wofford
3 Jamar Diggs Wayne State/Wofford
7 Ryan Wittman Cornell
Jeff Foote Cornell
9 Zach Johnson Carleton
Pat Madison Magic
9 David Hanson Cal Poly
Zach Thurow Cal Poly
5 Tommy Sawatzke Carleton
3 Jontae Koonkaew Wisconsin River Falls
2 Chris Aaasland Orange Coast CC/Minnesota Mankato
6 Jeff Mailhot Valparaiso/Cal Riverside/Cal Baptist
Carl Hipp Hamline
1 Jamell Wiley MCTC
Howard Pulley
Louis Cox Minneapolis Henry
Peter Crawford Benidle St. Margaret's
Jacob Thomas Columbia Heights
Chad Calcaterra Cloquet
Marvin Singleton Hopkins
Isaiah Zierdan Benidle St. Margaret's
Siyani Chambers Hopkins
Seantrel Henderson Cretin Derham Hall
Schedule Update: Big Red Basketball to Madison Square Garden
Cornell Basketball is headed to the World's Most Famous Arena this December. The Associated Press confirms that The Big Red will participate in Madison Square Garden's annual ECAC Holiday Festival between December 20-21.The news of the tournament was not expected to be fully released until later this summer after all contracts were signed. Nevertheless, Cornell is headed to MSG.
The Big Red will play in two games with St. John's hosting the event. The other tournament participants include Davidson and Hofstra. MSG Network is expected to provide television coverage. Cornell opens the event against Davidson on December 20.
Madison Square Garden was particularly interested in Cornell as a participant in the event because of the Big Red's consecutive Ivy League championships. MSG was also attracted to Cornell's tremendous alumni base in the New York Metro area which led to a MSG sell out two years ago for a Cornell-Boston University hockey game.
As far as the individual match-ups, Davidson and Cornell are not complete strangers. Last summer, Cornell head coach, Steve Donahue served as an assistant to Davidson head coach, Bob McKillop during the U.S. Men's Basketball U18 Trials. Donahue mentioned to the Cornell Daily Sun last summer, “I think that Davidson-Cornell would be a good match. The two schools have similar academic missions, and that would be a good game. In the right situation [it would be great to play] Davidson..."
As for St. John's, the Big Red fell to the Red Storm last season in the opener of the NIT Season Tip-Off, 86-75 after trailing the Big East squad by just 1 point at halftime. Cornell, however, played the Red Storm without All Ivy League point guard, Louis Dale.
The balance of Cornell's 2009-2010 nonconference schedule is brutally challenging. Cornell will have home games against Seton Hall and St. Joseph's along with road games at Kansas, at Syracuse, at Alabama and at La Salle. Cornell will also visit UMass in the opening round of the Legends Classic.
Below is the A.P. press release:
Davidson to play in Holiday Festival in New York
DAVIDSON, N.C. (AP) — Davidson coach Bob McKillop will make his homecoming next season when the Wildcats play in the Holiday Festival in New York.
McKillop said Tuesday that Davidson will open against Cornell on Dec. 20 at Madison Square Garden, while St. John's faces Hofstra. The winners and losers meet a night later.
McKillop was born in Queens, went to high school on Long Island and played basketball at Hofstra. He later coached high school basketball on Long Island.
This is the second straight year the Wildcats will play at Madison Square Garden — but the first without Stephen Curry. Davidson beat West Virginia 68-65 last season behind Curry's 27 points.
Curry has turned pro. He is expected to be selected early in Thursday's NBA draft.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Schedule Update: Another Legends Classic Update
Jeff Goodman of FoxSports notes today that Valparaiso will join Toledo in the Michigan State region of the Legends Classic. While the assignment of Valpo and Toldeo to East Lansing makes geographical sense, this report is contrary to the news we reported earlier today that Toledo would play in the UMass region with Cornell.MassLive.com, our original source, indicated Toledo would play in Amherst. Still, good news that Valpo is added to the 12 team Classic field. In addition to Michigan State, Valpo, Toledo, UMass and Cornell, the other known Classic participants are Rutgers, Drexel, Vermont, and Florida. Thus far, looks like every game in this tournament will be a tough test for the Big Red.
Wittman Finishes with 12 in Summer League Debut
Last night, Team B-2-X lost 104-91 to A&A Millworks in second game of the first day of the Howard Pulley Pro City League in St. Paul. Cornell's Ryan Wittman had a tough first game for B-2-X, finishing with 12 points on a 5/16 shooting performance. Teammate Blake Hoffarber of the Minnesota Gophers had 17 points on 7/13 shooting for the game.Tonight, Cornell rookie, Josh Figini makes his summer league debut with the Errol Carlstrom Playaz. They face the Madison Magic at 7 pm.
Schedule Update: Improved Legends Classic on the 2009-2010 Schedule
Some contracts still need to be signed before Cornell can finalize and announce the balance of its 2009-2010 schedule. We previously have indicated that anticipated opponents on the schedule include: Syracuse, Kansas, Alabama, Seton Hall, St. Joseph's, La Salle, Boston University, South Dakota, Bryant, and a holiday tournament.Also among the expected games is Cornell's involvement in the Gazelle Group's Legends Classic, an exempt 12-team tournament which will run during November.
During its first three seasons, the Legends Classic struggled to assemble a competitive field of teams. For example, last season the Classic featured five non-Division I programs. This year's field appears to be much stronger.
The information we received indicates that UMass, Rutgers, Florida and Michigan State will each host the Classic's regional rounds with three teams in each of the four regions. After each region completes round robin play, the four host schools automatically advance to Newark, Jersey's Prudential Center for the "semifinal" rounds. The remaining eight schools move on to the "consolation" rounds where they are guaranteed two more games.
As an exempt tournament, Cornell's four games in the Legends Classic count as only one game towards Cornell's 28 game schedule limitation (as imposed by the NCAA and Ivy League). Thus, because of the Legends Classic, Cornell could schedule as many as 31 regular season games this season.
Below is the anticipated Legends Classic field:
Amherst Region
UMass (host)
Cornell
Toledo
Piscataway Region
Rutgers (host)
Drexel
Vermont
Gainseville Region
Florida (host)
Team 2 tba
Team 3 tba
East Lansing Region
Michigan State (host)
Team 2 tba
Team 3 tba
Recruiting News
Pictured above, 6'8" point-forward, Anthony Gatlin is a transfer to Cornell from the Summit League's Cetenary College. Gatlin maintains two years of eligibility commencing 2010-2011 after starting 28 of his 58 games in a Gents uniform. Below, some recruiting news from around the Ivy League.The Cornell Basketball Blog previously reported that Penn offered a roster spot to Evanston's (Illinois) Eric Dortch. According to Wilmette Life, the 6'3" Dortch is also being recruited by Cornell, Columbia and Brown.
The same article also notes what we previously reported that New Trier, Illinois big man, Fred Heldring committed to William & Mary on Friday. He selected W&M over Cornell, Harvard, Davidson and Loyola-Chicago. Sources indicated that his decision came down to W&M and Cornell.
HoopScoop, among other sources, indicates Kevin Noreen, a 6'8" forward from Minneapolis Transition Charter School committed to Boston College. Noreen was a target of Cornell's.
Big Red Brackets
In his June 17, 2009 edition of Bracketology, ESPN's Joe Lunardi projects Cornell as a No. 13 seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Lunardi previously projected Cornell as a No. 12 seed back on April 13, 2009.Monday, June 22, 2009
Alumni News: Aubry and McCord Having Stellar Seasons Overseas
In alumni news, Jeff Aubry (pictured above) (Cornell '99), a 6'11" center for the Arecibo Capitanes in the Puerto Rico basketball league is averaging 10.4 points, 11.2 rebounds (3rd in the league) and 2.1 blocks per game (4th in the league) through 29 games. The Capitanes, the defending league champions currently sit in first place in the league standings.
Through 33 games in the French Pro B League, 6'6" John McCord (Cornell '97, 1st Team All Ivy League '97) is averaging 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game for Antibes.
John McCord, Cornell '97 inbounds the ball for Antibes in French B League action.
McCord, an athletic slasher takes the ball to the basket.
McCord finishes a drive with a slam.Below... an archived article on McCord from 1997:
CORNELL'S MCCORD, A LATE BLOOMING IVY
By Wayne Coffey
New York Daily News
February 28, 1997Steve DeMeo, an assistant coach at Iona, was the head man at Monroe Community College in the Bronx a few years back when a long, lean kid named John Allen McCord walked into the gym one day.
DeMeo's team was never the same, and neither was the young life of McCord, who has emerged as one of the unlikeliest stars of the college basketball season.
"It's an amazing story," DeMeo said.
The 6-6, 215-pound McCord is a high-jumping, late-blooming forward for Cornell, by way of West 183d St. in the Bronx. He turned 24 two days ago. He finishes his one and only Ivy season tonight at Penn, and tomorrow in Princeton, the sole question being:
How good might he be if he'd played at Walton HS? If he'd started in organized ball before age 20?
"I think about it a lot," McCord says. "I wish I had pursued basketball more when I was (younger)."
McCord leads the Ivy League in scoring (18.4 ppg), is second in rebounding (9.2) and fourth in blocks (1.3). He's shooting 59% from the floor. He had 26 points and 11 boards in his Big Red debut. In Cornell's first victory over Penn in six years, McCord put up 23 points and 20 rebounds.
Born in Orangeburg, S.C., McCord is the son of Annie and John McCord. He never met his father, John Allen McCord Sr., who died in a car accident the very day his son was born.
Annie McCord, a home health aide, moved the family to the Bronx. John enrolled at Walton, grew from 5-10 to 6-3 before his sophomore year, and began to develop his slashing, explosive game, albeit on the playgrounds and in summer tournaments. But despite the urging of friends, including Kerry Thompson, point guard at Florida State, he opted not to play on the school team. McCord had gotten a job at Pius XII Youth Center, two blocks from home, and enjoyed working with kids and earning some money.
"By me working there, it showed me the light of what it takes to be responsible," McCord said.
McCord continued at Pius XII for two years after high school before attending Bronx CC, and transferring to Monroe CC, following his friend, Stanley Green, who finally convinced him to play on the team. McCord was an instant sensation at Monroe, becoming a first-team JUCO All-American as a sophomore, leading DeMeo's team to a 28-3 record. By then Cornell assistant Tyrone Pitts had seen him, and loved him. Other suitors included UConn, Alabama, Long Beach State and Iona, but McCord elected to become an Ivy Leaguer.
"He's like a natural, man," Pitts said. "It's almost like you don't even have to show him. He knows how to do it instinctively."
Cornell made him sit out his junior year to aid in his academic adjustment, and though he thought of leaving, McCord stuck it out. His college career, as sparkling as it has been brief, has two games left. John Allen McCord is a candidate for Ivy Player of the Year.
"You don't find kids like him every day," DeMeo said.
Wittman and Figini Summer Ball
Cornell rising senior, Ryan Wittman and incoming freshman, Josh Figini will both spend the summer playing in the Howard Pully Pro City League in Minneapolis. Both are from the Minneapolis area.The 6'9" Figini was assigned to play with the Errol Carlstrom Playaz. The team features Minnesota Gophers Devoe Joseph and Trevor Mbakwe. Also on the Playerz are former Gophers Mitch Ohnstad and Steve Esselink.
Wittman is playing with Team B-2-X which features several outstanding wing forwards. In addition to Wittman, the squad features Minnesota Gopher sharpshooter 6'6" Blake Hoffarber and future Gopher and Minnesota Mr. Basketball 6'4" Rodney Williams. A pair of guards from Wofford College, Cameron Rundles and Jamar Diggs will lead the backcourt. Former Minnesota Gopher, 6'7" banger Zach Puchtel is on the roster, as well future Gopher walk-on Dominique Dawson.
The rest of the league features many other current and former Division I players as well as some players who had brief stints in the NBA.
News and Notes: Around the Ivy League
In Ivy League news, Dartmouth posted its 2009-2010 roster online. The roster reveals that 6'8" forward, Jarrett Mathis has opted to return for a 5th season, while rising senior guard, Robby Pride has apparently left the program.Wagner College posted its 2009-2010 schedule and it includes Ivy League opponents, Brown, Columbia and Princeton.
Finally, in some recruiting news, ChicagoHoops.com reports that Penn concluded its camp this weekend and opted to make an offer to Eric Dortch, a 6'3" forward from Evanston, Illinois.
Cornell Daily Sun Recaps Big Red Recruiting Class
In the news today, the Cornell Daily Sun summarizes Cornell's incoming 2009-2010 recruiting class. Pictured above, incoming fresman, Miles Asafo-Adjei (No. 15).By Zack Slabotsky
Cornell Daily Sun
June 22, 2009
Men’s basketball head coach Steve Donahue added six players to the program for the 2009-10 season, including five incoming freshman and one transfer. The Red appears poised to contend for a third consecutive Ivy League Championship on the strength of its senior class, which features Ryan Wittman, Louis Dale, Geoff Reeves and Alex Tyler, among others. The incoming recruiting class should have one year to learn from the class of 2010 before taking the burden of extending Cornell’s recent stretch of success.
A staple in this year’s recruiting class is size. Five of the team’s six new players are 6-6 or taller. At 6-9, Josh Figini is the tallest of the bunch. The Minnesota native averaged 25 points and 14 rebounds a game to earn third-team all-state honors.
Maryland’s Eitan Chemerinski stands 6-8 and has a game to match his size. In his senior season, Chemerinski averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game, won a conference player of the year award, and was a McDonald's High School All-America nominee.
Forward Errick Peck (6-6) scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds per game as a senior at Indianapolis’ Cathedral High School. Like Chemerinski, Peck was a McDonald's High School All-America nominee.
Miles Asafo-Adjei, from Tennessee, will look to add athleticism to the Red backcourt. The 6-2 guard was a three-sport athlete in high school. 6-7 California-native Peter McMillan will attempt to apply his toughness on the interior for Cornell.
Anthony Gatlin transferred to Cornell after playing two seasons at Centenary College in Louisiana. In 58 career games, including 28 starts, Gatlin, a Texas native, averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
More highlight footage
This time the highlights contain a lot of Mason basketball legend George Evans; the greatest player in school history to date in my opinion.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Recruiting News
Below, a significant dosage of recruiting updates from around the Ivy League...MinnesotaPreps.com reports that Aaron Anderson, a 5'10 point guard from Osseo High School in Minnesota has an offer from the University of North Dakota, while also drawing interest from Penn, Princeton, Bucknell, South Dakota State and Northeastern. He plans on attending Loyola-Chicago's Elite Camp this month.
Joseph Slocum, a 6'3" combo guard from Vallejo High School in California is hearing from Penn, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, Colorado and Portland, according to NorCalPreps.com. His 3.8 GPA and 1560 SAT score make him a prime prospect for schools with demanding admissions standards.
Rivals.com provides news on several Ivy League prospects.
Brown has offered 6'4" T.J. Bray of Waukesha Catholic High School in Wisconsin. Bray also holds an offer from Florida Gulf Coast. Other schools showing interest include Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Northeastern, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Turlock High School in California is home to 6'4" shooting guard Travis Souza. Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Pepperdine, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and Pacific are among his college suitors.
Andre Simon of Menchville High School in Newport News, Virginia is a 6'5" forward hearing from Columbia, Bucknell, Navy, Colgate and William & Mary.
Will Davis, a 6'8" forward from Sacramento High School in Sacramento, California is drawing interest from Columbia, Harvard, Sacramento State, Santa Clara, Pacific, UC Davis, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara among others.
Scout.com reports that Jonathan Rice, a 6'5" wing from Fayetteville Academy in North Carolina is hearing from Dartmouth and Harvard, as well as from Navy, Air Force, American, The Citadel, Western Carolina, UNCG, Drake, Charleston and even Wake Forest.
RecruitRecon.com notes recruiting news on a few Ivy prospects.
Columbia, Davidson, Vanderbilt, Temple, Penn State, FAU, FIU, and Central Florida are among those interested in Jake Wheeler, a 6'7" forward from American Heritage High School in Boca, Florida.
Dartmouth, Boston U., Army, Central Conn., and Niagara are showing attention in Frank Robinson, a 6'3" guard from Mt. Pleasant, Rhode Island.
Harvard, Penn State, Siena, Robert Morris, Rider, Hartford, and Howard have all offered Christian Morris, a 6'7" power forward from Friends Central School in Wynnewood, Pa. Morris is also hearing from nearly a half-dozen Big East schools.
Yale, Harvard, Bucknell, Liberty and Quinnipiac are all interested in Preston Terrell, a 5'10" guard from the Miller School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Chris Santo, a 6'4" guard from Cherry Hill East High School in New Jersey is getting attention from both Penn and Princeton, as well as from Big 5 schools, Temple, St. Joe's and La Salle, as well as Lafayette and Vermont.
Princeton would love to have the services of 6'11"225 lb. post, Josh Henderson of Cave Spring High School in Virginia. He already holds scholarship offers to Davidson, Bucknell, James Madison, Radford, Navy and VCU. Many other programs at various levels are sniffing-- including Virginia Tech, Michigan, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Penn State.
Cornell is showing interest in several new names that we have not yet posted on The Cornell Basketball Blog. These prospects include Rasi Jenkins (6'6" Bishop Loughlin HS, Brooklyn, NY), Christian Pierce (6'3" Western Albemarle High School, Virginia), Ethan Humphries (5'10" James River High School, Virginia), Clarence Turpin (5'9" Roanoke Catholic High School, Virginia) and R.J. Samuels (6'5" Tyler Junior College, Tyler, Texas).
Jenkins is also hearing from Niagara, Quinnipiac, St. Peter's, Old Dominion and Kent State.
Pierce is also hearing from Princeton, Bucknell, NJIT, New Hampshire, ETSU and Elon.
Humphries is also receiving attention from Yale, Bucknell and Radford.
Lehigh and Yale are also interested in Turpin, while Samuels has an impressive list of Wisconsin, Utah, Richmond, James Madison, Drexel, Loyola-Chicago and Army.
Below are some related recruiting links:
ESPN.com Indicates Holy Cross to Begin Interviews
Andy Katz of ESPN.com reports that Holy Cross is expected to interview Notre Dame assistant coach Sean Kearney. According to Katz, Pitt assistant coach Tom Herrion remains in the mix, and at least two or three others will be considered to replace coach Ralph Willard, who left to be an assistant at Louisville under Rick Pitino. While some media sources indicated Cornell Head Coach, Steve Donahue was at the top of Holy Cross' list, Katz did not mention Donahue as a candidate. Saturday, June 20, 2009
Recruiting News (and then some...)
Chris Welker, a 6'6" forward from Zionsville High School in Indiana recently competed with the Indiana Junior All-Stars against Cornell recruit, Errick Peck and the Indiana Senior All-Stars. Welker told the Indianapolis Star this week that he holds an offer from Army while also receiving interest from Navy, Western Michigan, Air Force, Belmont, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Holy Cross and IUPUI.Speaking of Peck, he received MVP honors from the Indianapolis Star for his four game performance with the Indiana All-Stars where he averaged 16.5 points and 10 rebounds per game, while shooting 66% from the floor against the juniors and the Kentucky All Stars.
Unlike traditional All-Star games where the objective is solely entertaining the crowd, this four game series (the Indiana-Kentucky Classic) was played competitively with an emphasis on teamwork. After his performance, a strong case could be made that Peck is the top player from the state.
Peck was regularly considered among the top 20 players in his senior class, but what could have kept him from the Mr. Basketball discussion was a shortage of supporting numbers. After all, Peck's stats at Indianapolis Cathedral High School were not exactly jaw dropping. He averaged a very solid 14.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. But he also was forced to play inside as a center in the post and had to share the ball with teammate and Purdue recruit, Kelsey Barlow, a 6'5" wing.
While Peck may not play wing forward at Cornell, he proved with the Indiana All-Stars that he could play the role of a Charles Barkley-like roaming power forward where he is free to move anywhere on the floor.
Heading into 2009-2010, as a frontcourt unit, Peck, Mark Coury (a 6'9" Kentucky transfer) and 6'6" junior Adam Wire will provide a tremendous boost of energy and aggression off the bench for the Cornell Big Red. Throw-in backcourt snipers Max Groebe (a 6'4" guard and UMass transfer) and reigning Rookie of the Year point guard, Chris Wroblewski and Cornell has a reserve team that is good enough to compete with any opposing Ivy starting five.
This unit could also be Cornell's starting five for 2010-2011.
Below are some related recruiting links:
