Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Date in Cornell Basketball History: The New York Times Profiles John Bajusz

Continuing our regular series, A Date in Cornell Basketball History, below an article from the New York Times, published on January 25, 1987 on Cornell's John Bajusz (class of '87).





CORNELL'S BAJUSZ HAS BUSY DOCKET



This semester, the second in which John Bajusz has enrolled in both Cornell's College of Enginering and Johnson Graduate School of Management, he takes seven courses that bring some five hours of classes each weekday. He is also in his fourth season as a starter on the basketball team.

Bajusz's first class begins at 9:30 A.M. and practice is at 3 P.M., leaving 30 minutes during the day for him to relax and take what he calls ''a leisurely lunch.''

After practice, the team always eats dinner together, and Bajusz usually gets back to his room by 8:30 P.M.. Then he starts his schoolwork.

After three hours of work in his room, and providing his half-hour lunch was the only break he took, Bajusz should have about an hour of free time. Hectic Routine

For four years, he has followed a schedule that some might call rather hectic (he cannot see why). But by the time he graduates this May, Bajusz (pronounced BAY-us) will have a degree in operations research/industrial engineering, have gained a full year's worth of credits toward a master's degree in business administration, and scored more points on the basketball court than anyone else in Cornell history.

On Jan. 17 in Providence, R.I., Bajusz broke the school's career scoring record with a 32-point effort in a victory over Brown. After helping Cornell beat Hamilton, 89-86, last Tuesday he had 1,435 points entering last night's game against Columbia. The old mark of 1,411 was set by Ken Bantum in 1985.

''After breaking the freshman scoring record,'' he said, ''I kind of knew this would happen. It's an especially nice way to go out because, although I have no regrets about coming here, I was recruited by better basketball schools and so sometimes I wonder how good I really am. This doesn't really tell me, but It'll certainly make for a good memory.'' Lots of Opportunity

In the end, Bajusz, who grew up in suburban Chicago, chose Cornell because he it offered ''opportunities too rich to refuse.'' And he has taken full advantage of those opportunities.

Not many college seniors in America are being considered for employment by top enginering firms and professional basketball teams simultaneously. But, then again, probably not many of the nation's top collegiate basketball players take courses such as digital system simulation.

''Sometimes I can't figure out how he gets it all done,'' Mike Dement, who is in his first year as head coach of the Big Red, said. ''It shows in practice a little; you can see he's somewhat rundown at times. But I've never seen it in a game - that's why he gets away with it.''

''Sure, I'm busy,'' Bajusz said. ''But I'm doing things I enjoy so it's not that difficult. I'll admit it, every now and then I'll miss a TV show I'd really liked to have watched, and sometimes I don't get as much sleep as I'd like, but I can live with it.''

Other than that it seems that Bajusz handles it all with ease.

''Oh yeah, I forgot about the programming,'' he said, remembering how little he cares for the wave of computer classes he has been required to take lately. ''There have been one or two nights where I just can't finish, and had to hand in incomplete programs the next day.''

But Bajusz has had time to be 3.0 student in the classroom, and an even more impressive athlete on the court. Array of Honors

Bajusz has never missed a game with the Big Red. He was the Ivy League's rookie of the year his first season, all-league his second and third, and will probably be the league's player of the year after this season.

His shooting has been the key. After the Brown game, his season's scoring average was 21.3 points and his career shooting percentage was .551 (1,037 attempts), which is slightly under the Cornell record of .564 set by Jim Maglisceav in 1965 (284 attempts). Last season, he made .899 percent of his foul shots, which ranked seventh in the nation - he has missed only 47 of 319 free throws while at Cornell.

''He's got a pure shot and a quick release. Nobody squares-up to the basket like John,'' Dement said. ''In our shooting drills, he gets bored. It's too simple for him to just make a jumper, so he'll try some off-ballance stuff. It's a little irritating for me, but I can understand.''

Most important to Bajusz right now, is that the Big Red win the Ivy League championship. Cornell has not won the title since 1954 - 10 years before Bajusz was born - and in his first three seasons, the Big Red lost the crown in the final weekend. This season, after a 2-1 start in the Ivies, he believes they will win.

After the season, and after graduation, Bajusz will certainly have plenty of options. He hopes for a shot in the N.B.A., and is also considering basketball in Europe. Then there is also engineering or another year of school to get an M.B.A.

''I haven't really had time to think about it yet,'' he said.

Aside from that, and a couple of computer programs, it seems Bajusz has had time to do just about everything else.



Still Sweet...

Check out the official website for Zastal, a team in Poland's PLK league. The site's main banner features reunited former Cornell teammates, Jeff Foote ('10) and Ryan Wittman ('10). Foote and Wittman, now pro teammates, were leaders on Cornell's Sweet Sixteen and N0. 17 nationally ranked 2010 team.



Foote and Wittman are also featured on Zastal TV in the lower corner of the website.

News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Wednesday...



  • On Cornell's 2011-2012 schedule, several websites have already started with daily countdowns of preseason national rankings. Below are the Cornell opponents ranked thus far:

The Sports Bank- Top 111

-Penn State (No. 109)

-Yale (No. 84)

-Maryland (No. 78)



CollegeSportsMadness.com
- Top 144

-Lehigh (No. 134)

-Boston U. (No. 118)

-Maryland (No. 108)

-Bucknell (No. 91)

-Princeton (No. 89)



TheHoopsReport.com- Top 68

-Princeton (No. 59)

-Maryland (No. 58)

-Harvard (No. 41)





Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Recruiting News

In this post, some recruiting updates from around the Ivy League.





For a list of recruits committed to attending Ivy League schools, including detailed profiles of the committed Cornell recruits, and a listing of Cornell's prospective recruiting targets, click here. For a separate general list of Ivy League prospective recruiting targets, click here. Please note that we update these lists regularly.



Class of 2012 Recruiting News



Per UGaSports.com, Mike Hall (Norcross HS) Norcross, GA, 6-10, C, has narrowed his list down to Charlotte, Cornell, George Mason, Harvard, Northwestern, Penn, and Virginia Tech. Hall has scheduled three visits, George Mason (September 1), Penn (September 16), and Harvard (September 23).



According to Recruit Recon and Scout.com, Jerome Hairston (Christ School) Arden, NC, 6-3, G, has offers from Colorado, James Madison, Liberty, and UNC Asheville. He is also hearing from Yale.



Matt Johnson (Life Center) Burlington, NJ, 5-10, G, has Penn, Iona, Rider, St. Peter's, and St. Francis (PA) per Recruit Recon.



Dorian Albritton (Davidson Day) Charlotte, NC, 6-4, G, reportedly has interest from Cornell with offers from NJIT, VMI and New Hampshire. Others said to be calling: Yale, Wofford, Quinnipiac, Mercer, Davidson, Boston U. per Rivals.com.



Phillip Lawrence (Mount St. Joseph HS) Baltimore, MD, 6-7, F, has offers from Marist and Radford and is hearing from Coppin State, Iona, Loyola, Rider, St. Bonaventure and a host of Ivy League schools according to the Baltimore Sun. “I’ve visited Penn. I really like Penn,” Lawrence said. “Basically it’s Penn, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth [and] Yale. All those [schools] have been in contact.”



Jordan Lauf (Napoleon HS) Napolean, OH 6-4, G, has offers so far from Toledo and Albany. He is also being recruited by Davidson, Dayton, Richmond, Valparaiso, William & Mary, Yale, and most of the Mid-American Conference according to Rivals.com.



Xavier Talton (Sterling HS) Sterling, CO, 6-0, G, told Scout.com, "I'm hearing from Wyoming, Colgate, Colorado, Yale, SMU and Mercer. Wyoming and Mercer have offered."



Steven Soukup (Danville HS) Danville, IA, 6-1, G, updated IowaPreps.com on his recruitment. "It has been Iowa, Iowa State, UNI, Butler and Indiana State have contacted our high school coach, Albany, IUPUI, South Dakota, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Cornell, Milwaukee, Lehigh, and Bucknell [as well]." Wisconsin-Milwaukee became the first school to offer Soukup in July.



Carlos Taylor (Boys Latin HS) Philadelphia, PA, 6-1, G, has Cornell, Penn and Boston U. on him according to Recruit Recon.



Kendal Jackson (Bisoho O'Dowd HS) Oakland, CA, 5-7, G, is hearing from Columbia, UCSB, and UC-Davis.



Shakir Brown (Patterson HS) Patterson, MD, 6-5, F, has a long list of schools involved including Cornell, Stanford, DePaul, South Florida, Cleveland State, Robert Morris, Wagner, NJIT, Mt. St. Mary's and Loyola (MD) according to Recruit Recon.



Zach Elcano (Westfield HS) Westfield, VA, 6-10, C, has a list of Cornell, American, Elon, George Mason and Delaware, having received an offer from Delaware, per Recruit Recon.



Class of 2013 Recruiting News



R.J. Curington (Oak Hill Academy) Mouth of Wilson, VA, 6-5, G, said his only planned future unofficial visit is to Harvard on September 15-17. "They're having a bunch of guys out there, and they wanted to me to come out and see the facilities and everything," Curington told Peegs.com. He previously visited Indiana and Northwestern (referring to the latter visit as a "10" on a scale of 1-10) and is expected to visit Butler, Wake Forest and Purdue in the coming months. The junior noted for Peegs.com that he does not yet have any scholarship offers.



Montana Mayfield (Roman Catholic HS) Philadelphia, PA, 6-0, G, is hearing from Princeton, Lehigh, Lafayette, Harvard and Bucknell according to Hoop Group.



Wesley Brown (Pflugerville HS) Pflugerville, TX, 6-5, F is hearing from Yale and Columbia per TexasHoops.com



Rivals.com notes that Alex Foster (De La Salle HS) Chicago, IL, 6-7, F is hearing from Harvard and holds offers from DePaul, Illinois and Northwestern already.



Hallice Cooke (St. Anthony's HS) Jersey City, NJ, 6-3, G, is hearing from Yale and boasts offers from Iona, La Salle, Rice, Richmond, Rutgers, San Francisco, Seton Hall, South Florida, St. Joseph's, VCU and Wagner according to Rivals.com



Saaqdiq Muhammad (Johnson HS) Savannah, GA, 6-6, F, has a 3.75 GPA and is hearing from Penn while already holding an offer from Savannah State according to Rivals.com. Mercer, Tulane, VCU, Georgia Southern, Chattanooga, Alabama State and Georgia State are among others involved.



Connor Payne (Briarcrest Christian HS) Memphis, TN, 6-1, G is hearing from Yale and Columbia per Rivals.com.



Greg Dotson (Germantown Academy) Germantown, PA, 6-4, has a list of Harvard, Brown, Yale, Albany and Towson per Recruit Recon.

Louis Dale ('10) Ready to Go for Year Two in Germany

Louis Dale ('10) is beginning to become a marketing fixture for his German premier league club, Goettingen. The photo immediately above is now the main background image for the club's official twitter feed. Below, dale poses with the club's management and his new 2011-2012 jersey. Also a brief interview with Dale is posted below from the club's You Tube Channel.









News and Notes: Tuesday Edition

Below, some news and notes for Tuesday...

  • It could be a really long year for former Cornell coaches, Steve Donahue, Nat Graham, Woody Kampann and Izzi Metz. Donahue is now the head coach at Boston College and assisted by Graham, Kampmann and Metz. The Dagger of YahooSports.com picked Boston College to finish dead last in the ACC.
  • Below, a final look at Cornell's 2010-2011 season results. Cornell won 6 of its last 9 games, finishing the season 10-18 (6-8 Ivy League).

  1. 11.12.10 at University of Albany 65-61 W / Box Score - Recap
  2. 11.14.10 at Seton Hall University SNY TV 68-92 L / Box Score - Recaps

  3. 11.17.10 University of Delaware 75-61 W /Box Score - Recap

  4. 11.19.10 St. Bonaventure University 54-56 L /Box Score - Recap

  5. 11.22.10 at Lehigh University 57-60 L / Box Score - Recap

  6. 11.27.10 at Boston University 61-66 L /Box Score - Recap
  7. 11.30.10 at Syracuse University BigEastNetworkTV L 58-78/ Box Score - Recap
  8. 12.04.10 at University of Minnesota Big 10TV L 66-71 / Box Score - Recap

  9. 12.18.10 at Binghamton University L 68-69 / Box Score - Recap

  10. 12.20.10 Bucknell University L 64-75 / Box Score - Recap

  11. 12.29.10 (vs. New Hamphire L 66-68 @VCU Tournament)!! Box Score - Recap
  12. 12.30.10 (Wofford W 86-80 @ VCU Tournament)!! /Box Score - Recap

  13. 1.03.11 University of Buffalo L 66-78 / Box Score - Recap
  14. 1.08.11 Stony Brook University W 60-52 / Box Score - Recap
  15. 1.15.11 at Columbia University* L 75-79 / Box Score - Recap
  16. 1.22.11 Columbia University* L 66-70 TimeWarnerCableSportsTV / Box Score - Recap
  17. 1.28.11 at Dartmouth College* L 57-64 / Box Score - Recap

  18. 1.29.11 at Harvard University* L 57-78 / Box Score - Recap
  19. 2.04.11 at Yale University* L 70-71 / Box Score - Recap
  20. 2.05.11 at Brown University* W 91-79 / Box Score - Recap
  21. 2.11.11 University of Pennsylvania* W 82-71 (OT)/ Box Score - Recap

  22. 2.12.11 Princeton University* L 55-57 / Box Score - Recap
  23. 2.18.11 Harvard University* L 60-73 / Box Score - Recap
  24. 2.19.11 Dartmouth College* W 96-76 / Box Score - Recap
  25. 2.25.11 at Princeton University* Verizon Fios1 TV L 66-84 / Box Score - Recap
  26. 2.26.11 at University of Pennsylvania* W 74-72 / Box Score - Recap
  27. 3.04.11 Brown University* W 75-66 / Box Score - Recap
  28. 3.05.11 Yale University* W 68-55 / Box Score - Recap
  29. !!=Denotes VCU Tournament (with Virginia Commonwealth, Wofford, and New Hampshire)

    *=Denotes Ivy League game

    Big10TV=Denotes Big Ten Network

    TV NOTE: All home games broadcast via Cornell's Redcast

    George Mason will host a closed scrimmage against Marquette November 5

    Looks like the Patriots have another scrimmaging partner this year, per the Journal Sentinel:
    "The Marquette Golden Eagles have already landed a replacement for the closed workout/scrimmage that they lost recently when USC backed out.

    MU will now practice at George Mason on Nov. 5."
    Mason used to have an annual closed door scrimmage against Georgetown but most recently they had one with Richmond.  Marquette coming to Fairfax will be a great early test for this revamped George Mason squad and hopefully Jeff Goodman or someone will provide some details again this year. You won't hear much from it because only athletic department staff are allowed to watch the scrimmage and stats are not supposed to be kept. 

    Per NCAA rules Division I teams get any combination of two preseason contests, either closed scrimmages or public exhibitions.  Some schools, like Mason, have a combination of the two while most bigger programs go with two public exhibitions in their home arena.

    Washington Post writer Steven Goff explains how the arrangement came about:
    "Sat. closed scrimmage with Marquette came about when Southern Cal withdrew from game with Big East team. GMU will go to Milwaukee next Oct"

    Monday, August 29, 2011

    Cressler Picks Cornell

    Cornell received a commitment on August 29 from Nolan Cressler (Plum HS) Plum, PA, 6-4, G.

    The Cornell Basketball Blog spoke with his high high school coach Ron Richards about Cressler.

    Cressler, a 185 pound senior in the class of 2012 also had offers from Yale, St. Francis (Pa.), Boston University and Holy Cross and varying levels of involvement and interest from Penn, Princeton, Fairfield, William & Mary, Davidson, Kent State, Lafayette, Army, Navy, North Florida, Niagara and Robert Morris. He has a 3.7 GPA.

    Richards told The Cornell Basketball Blog that as a sophomore, Cressler was only 6'1" and roughly 160 lbs. In just over a year, he grew 3 inches and added close to 30 pounds. "He's really pushing 6'5" at this point and still growing. I expect him to get bigger before he graduates," said Richards.

    After attending Cornell's Elite Prospect Camp during June, Cressler visited Holy Cross and Boston U. on August 17, a pair of schools which had made offers. In fact, Holy Cross had just offered the week before. Following his visits, Cressler made his decision that he wanted to pull the trigger and commit to Cornell.

    Richards told The Cornell Basketball Blog, "Nolan really narrowed his choices to Cornell, Yale, Holy Cross and Boston University by late August. Other schools started to come in late, but Nolan was focused on the four he visited. He really wanted a high level of academics." Penn and Princeton were noted as two schools that started to make late pushes for Cressler.

    Richards stressed, "Cornell's coaching staff simply outworked the other schools recruiting him. They were at every single one of Nolan's AAU games all summer. They didn't miss a single game." Richards noted that Cressler formed a very special connection with Cornell assistant coach Marlon Sears as well as head coach Bill Courtney.

    A big time scorer, Cressler averaged 25.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2 assists per game last season, scoring 46 on one outting. The Pittsburgh Basketball Report ranks him as the #6 overall prospect in the region and the #2 point guard. He is also ranked among the top 5 players in the WPIAL by D-Up Hoops. As a junior Cressler was selected by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette to its Fabulous 5 team of the best 5 players in the area.

    In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette during January 2011, Richards mentioned a wide array of qualities that makes Cressler such an elite scorer. "He's no one-trick pony," Richards said. "He's tough to defend because he's such a complete offensive player at a young age. He can take you off the dribble and finish, he has a nice mid-range game, and he can shoot the 3. Plus he has the size to post up. He's a tough matchup."

    Richards made very similar comments when he spoke with The Cornell Basketball Blog. "He is absolutely not one dimensional. He's a scorer. He's good off the dribble, in traffic and from the perimeter. He's not a guy that is going to take the ball 94 feet for you, but he knows how to read screens, use picks, plays within the offense and finds his shots. He is just very efficient, he doesn't need many shots to score and he doesn't force things. He's also great at getting himself to the free throw line [when his shot isn't falling] and that is something we are continuing to work on with him." Richards noted that he also watched Cressler play this summer on the AAU circuit.

    Richards repeated comments to The Cornell Basketball Blog that he made to the Pittsburgh area media when he described Cressler as unselfish, a tireless worker, and a"gym rat."

    "He's a good defender, but that is certainly one of the areas that we are working with him most to improve. We are asking him not only to score, but to not take any possessions off on the defensive end." Richards stressed, "Because Nolan has such great size, he is going to create match up problems on the Division I level on both ends."

    A member of the AAU team, the Ohio Basketball Club, Cressler told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on August 18, 2011, "Last year, I was just starting to become kind of a combo guard. Before that, I was kind of just a shooter, and now a lot of people even consider me a point guard, so I think I took my athleticism that I gained and my ballhandling skills that I've been working on, and I really think I became a combo guard, a point guard and a two-guard."

    The Pittsburgh Post Tribune noted on August 18, 2011, "Cressler's game has undergone a metamorphosis and is blossoming into one of the better all-around collection of skills one will see in the WPIAL this season."

    "I talked to a Division I coach from one of the schools that has offered Nolan and his comments have been right along with what most coaches are saying," said Steve Brodzinski, founder and president of Pittsburgh Basketball Report. "They really like his steadiness and basketball IQ, along with his shooting range. He is a very smart player who can control an offense, as well as play and defend multiple positions." Brodzinski also told NBE Basketball Report, "Cressler is another impressive combo guard with size at 6’4″. Playing for Plum HS, he can really score the ball from the outside, and is able to break down defenders and get to the hoop. He has a nice build and solid athleticism."

    Below, a news article published by Bill Beckner Jr. of the Valley News Dispatch and PittsburghLive.com:

    Plum star picks Cornell

    Plum's Nolan Cressler managed to get out of Ocean City, Md., just before Hurricane Irene made its splashdown.

    One might think a summer vacation would be a good time for a Division I basketball prospect to weigh the pros and cons of interested schools.

    Thing is, Cressler didn't think much about his future in college hoops during the break.

    "Actually, that was the farthest thing from my mind," he said. "I tried not to think about it much. I had just visited four schools in three days, and my head was spinning with information. I was confused."

    Cressler saved the final mulling-over of his five Division I opportunities for when he arrived home, and on Monday, the senior made a verbal commitment to Cornell University.

    "It's the best fit for me for basketball and academics," Cressler said. "Cornell just felt the most comfortable, and they have a financial package set up so I won't have to pay hardly anything.

    "It's been a dream of mine to play Division I basketball for as long as I can remember."

    Ivy League schools don't offer athletic scholarships, but Cressler, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound combo guard, has been promised a spot on the team, as well as the financial aid.

    Cressler carries a 3.7 grade-point average. Transcripts are one of the first things Ivy League schools take into consideration with recruits.

    Cressler also had scholarship offers from Boston University, Holy Cross and St. Francis (Pa.).

    Yale, another Ivy League school, also said it would take his talents. Cressler said Yale was in the running until the end.

    Plum coach Ron Richards believed Cressler would be a Division I player several years ago.

    "A lot of people use the term 'gym rat' to describe kids, but he truly is one," Richards said. "He's done all the

    things you have to do to have the (college) options and opportunities that he had."

    Cornell wants Cressler as a dual-threat guard.

    "They want someone who is going to be able to handle the ball and score," Cressler said. "That's a role I want to play."

    Cressler, who spent most of his summer playing for the Ohio Basketball Club 17-under AAU team, will be the top returning scorer in Class AAAA next season. He averaged 25.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and two assists per game as a junior. He has 946 career points.

    He will sign with Cornell in November, during the NCAA's early signing period.

    Below, a news article published by Mike White in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's sports blog announcing Cressler's commitment to Cornell:

    Cressler chooses Cornell

    Cornell or Yale? The way Nolan Cressler saw it, how could he go wrong at either Ivy League school?

    But he felt Cornell was right.

    Cressler, a guard at Plum and one of the top seniors in WPIAL basketball, made a verbal commitment tonight to Cornell. Yale was his other top choice. Ivy League schools don't give athletic scholarships, but Cressler had been recruited hard by both Cornell and Yale and had been accepted to both schools.

    Cressler (6 feet 4, 190 pounds) also had scholarship offers from Boston University, Holy Cross and St. Francis, Pa. He told Plum coach Ron Richards Sunday of his Cornell choice. Cressler called Cornell's coaches tonight.

    "It was just a perfect fit for me and I think everything just felt really comfortable there," said Cressler, a 3.7 student who visited both Cornell and Yale twice.

    Cressler will sign a letter of intent with Cornell in November during the NCAA's week-long early signing period. He was the sixth-leading scorer in the WPIAL last season at 25.5 points a game. He had 46 in one game.

    "Why did I choose now? Because it's the ideal situation," Cressler said. "I commit before school starts or before our season starts and I don't have to worry about anything, or talking to college coaches. Probably 25 percent of my summer was spent talking to coaches.

    "A lot of people said, 'Don't you want to wait and see if you get anything bigger?' A lot of people thought Boston or Holy Cross was a bigger and better situation. But the RPI of the Ivy League is better than the MAC or the Patriot League. The Ivy League is a pretty high level."

    Although Cornell was only 10-18 last season, the Big Red had some top teams in recent years. Cornell won three consecutive Ivy League championships from 2008-10, made the NCAA Tournament every year and made the Sweet 16 in 2010 after knocking off Temple and Wisconsin in the first two rounds of March Madness.

    I think it's a terrific fit for Cressler. This is not a knock against him, but he is not a Big East Conference type player. However, he most certainly can succeed at the mid-major level. He has excellent size for a guard and can score in a variety of ways. He can really shoot it, but is athletic enough to sometimes get to the basket. He might not be a slasher and driver at Cornell because it isn't easy to play that style at the Division I level. But Cressler is still versatile. You want evidence? He said he was recruited as a combo guard. He will need to get stronger, but that can come. How well he can defend might be the biggest factor in his playing time at Cornell.

    Cressler will be one of two WPIAL players on Cornell's roster next year. Jake Matthews, a Greensburg Salem graduate, will be a sophomore guard. Matthews started 11 games last season at Cornell, but averaged only 1.4 points.

    "I think I'll be able to play early and maybe even start all four years in the Ivy League," Cressler said. "I think there is an opportunity there for me to have a great career. Plus, the opportunities I'll get after college, I don't know if I could get anywhere else."
    Below, an article by Michael Love of YourPlum.com:

    Cressler gives verbal commitment to play basketball at Cornell

    A school well known for academics and a basketball team that made recent waves on the national level soon will be the home of one of the area's top basketball players.

    After several months of information gathering and discussions with people from family and friends to coaches at different levels, Plum senior Nolan Cressler decided Monday evening to verbally commit to Cornell University.

    Cressler said the decision was "one of the hardest decisions of my life," and it came down in the final days to Cornell and fellow Ivy League member Yale.

    "I went back and forth a couple of times," Cressler said.

    A little more than a week ago, Boston University also was in the mix, Cressler said, and Holy Cross and St. Francis (Pa.) recruited him this summer.

    "Cornell stood out as the place I would fit in the best," Cressler said. "It's really exciting. The Ivy League — it's a no-brainer."

    Cressler said Cornell has a guard-oriented offense, and he will have the chance to get on the court right away as a freshman.

    Cressler said he will make an official visit in a couple of weeks and will make it official during the early signing period in November.

    "It's nice to not have to worry about the recruiting part anymore," Cressler said. "Now, I can focus on getting good grades and helping the team this year."

    Cornell made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2008 to 2010.

    The Big Red danced its way to the Sweet 16 in 2010 after upsetting No. 5-seed Temple, 78-65, and No. 4-seed Wisconsin, 87-69, in the East Regional.

    Cornell's run ended in the regional semifinals with a 62-45 loss to No. 1-seed Kentucky

    Cressler finished among the top scorers in the WPIAL last season at about 27 points per game.

    Plum won two of its final three Section 2-AAAA games and qualified for the WPIAL playoffs.

    The Mustangs defeated Latrobe, 53-51, in a preliminary game before falling to Shaler in the first round.

    Plum was a young team in 2010-11, as only one player was lost to graduation.

    Cressler enters his senior season with 945 career varsity points.

    Above, some twittersphere reaction to Nolan Cressler's commitment to Cornell.

    Doesn't seem like all the George Mason players agreed with Larranaga's coaching style

    Last week ESPN.com ran a feature on next year's George Mason basketball outlook, as part of their summer buzz collection. Another article by Dana O'Neil seems to be high on Paul Hewitt's chances to succeed during this "fresh start".  But the most interesting one from the mix was featured on the Insiders page.  It talks about the different coaching styles between Jim Larranaga and Hewitt and how it can have an impact on next year's team.  Seems Ryan Pearson and some other players weren't too fond of Larranaga's substitution style. Here is the excerpt:
    "GMU will be one of the most experienced teams in the Colonial Athletic Association next season, and the coaching styles of Hewitt and Larranaga are on different ends of the spectrum. For example, the Patriots have rarely depended on their bench; last season, only six players were on the floor for more than 50 percent of Mason's minutes played. According to Ken Pomeroy's metrics, Mason's bench was underused. (It's worth pointing out that so was every bench in the CAA; after Georgia State and William & Mary, the drop-off was pretty severe.) With Hewitt at the helm, Georgia Tech was known for its hockey-style substitution patterns. Besides Glen Rice, Iman Shumpert and Brian Oliver, the rest of the Yellow Jackets saw a fairly even number of minutes, and their bench enjoyed one of the highest percentage of minutes played in the nation. Ask senior Ryan Pearson, though, and the forward suggests that Mason needed a change. 

    "Coach Larranaga had a six- or seven-man rotation, and I didn't think it was good -- but we did win 27 games, so it worked for us," Pearson says. "We have 10 guys who can play, and it'll make guys happier that when they kill in practice, they then actually get to play."
    It's hard to argue with Larranaga's results because fans will remember that the Final Four run was basically the result of a 6-man rotation, much like this past season's 27 win campaign. However it's interesting to see one of the players, especially one that played the most during the year, complaining about it and insinuating that it may have hurt team chemistry.  We could witness the returning players warming up to the new coach right away once the season starts and making the transition a much more smooth process.

    Another point I wanted to share from the article was about next season's back court.  We already know the strength the front court will have with returning senior starters Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson coupled with the addition of the highly touted freshman Erik Copes. The back court has a few more question marks, especially in the starting line-up.  Matt Giles seems to be high on both Sherrod Wright and Bryon Allen making an impact this year:
    "At the moment, it's unclear what the rotation will be, but senior Andre Cornelius probably will start at the point. The potential surprise could be sophomore Bryon Allen, who averaged 5.8 minutes per game last season. "I've been working a lot with Bryon, and he's been doing a good job of working on his shot. With his size, he can play the 1 or the 2, get in the lane and create," Wright says. If Hewitt decides to go with a more guard-heavy lineup, a backcourt of Wright, Allen and Cornelius could cause some interesting matchup problems."
    I have to say the mention of that Wright, Allen, and Cornelius line-up is intriguing.  Wright and Allen probably have the most potential to make big strides next season and fans are going to be eager to see them worked into the rotation often.  

    Foote ('10) and Wittman ('10) Media Day in Poland

    Photos of Jeff Foote ('10) and Ryan Wittman ('10) as they are introduced to the media in Poland by the their new professional club, Zastal of the PLK league.









    Washington Post on Tim Higgins' Commitment to Cornell

    From Josh Barr of the Washington Post on Cornell's commitment from Tim Higgins (Paul VI HS) Fairfax, VA, 6-10, C (class of 2013):
    Paul VI C Tim Higgins commits to Cornell

    Tim Higgins has grown two inches and put on 25 pounds in the past year. He is now 6 feet 10 and 205 pounds, continuing to develop as an inside presence at Paul VI Catholic.

    Panthers Coach Glenn Farello believes “the sky is the limit,” for a big player with good hands and a strong basketball intellect, noting the old adage that big men take longer than guards to reach their potential.

    Still, as Higgins toured a handful of colleges last week, he knew he had found the school he wanted to play for and felt no need to wait and see if things changed. So on Sunday afternoon, Higgins committed to play basketball at Cornell after also considering Bucknell and Penn.

    “It’s the perfect fit for me,” Higgins said. “One of my goals for a long time was to go to the Ivy League. My high school coach said, ‘If you’re dating a girl and you find the perfect one, what are going to do? Wait to marry her and find a few other girls?’ ”

    Farello said it is his understanding that it is the earliest commitment ever for a player to an Ivy League school.

    Cornell Coach Bill Courtney, who knows the Washington area well after serving as an assistant at George Mason, Virginia and Virginia Tech, has been recruiting Higgins for more than a year. Higgins attended a camp at Cornell last year and was especially impressed on his visit last week by the Big Red’s plans for him to work with strength coach Jay Andress.

    “I had been to the weight room at the other schools, but I hadn’t met the [strength] coaches,” Higgins said. “They made a good impression on me with the strength coach. The success he’s hand in the past with other players in just tremendous.”

    Higgins was Paul VI’s first post player off the bench last season and with all five starters returning, he will fill the same role this season.

    “He’s got great hands, active around the basket,” Farello said. “He has a good feel for the game and great work ethic. A lot of times with big guys, they take time to develop.”



    News and Notes: Monday Edition

    Above, a pair of Cornell alums, Jeff Foote ('10) and Ryan Wittman ('10) from the Big Red's 2010 No. 17 nationally ranked and Sweet Sixteen team join forces once again, this time as pro teammates in Europe. Below, some news and notes for Monday...







    Jeff Foote ('10) and Ryan Wittman ('10) are introduced in Poland by the their new professional club, Zastal of the PLK league. See Foote and Wittman at their first practice, click here.





    Above, our Cornell basketball themed tweets of the day....

    • Check out Cody Toppert's ('05) YouTube channel to see some of his summer workout regime as he prepares for his upcoming season with Ourense of the LEB Gold Spain 2nd division. Further down below in this post, some additional alumni updates.

    • On Cornell's schedule, a pair of websites have already started with daily countdowns of preseason national rankings. Below are the Cornell opponents ranked thus far:
    CollegeSportsMadness.com- Top 144

    -Lehigh (No. 134)

    -Boston U. (No. 118)

    -Maryland (No. 108)

    -Bucknell (No. 91)

    -Princeton (No. 89)



    TheHoopsReport.com- Top 68

    -Princeton (No. 59)

    -Maryland (No. 58)
    • Below is an updated directory listing of some Twitter feeds associated with the Cornell basketball program. You can also follow The Cornell Basketball Blog on Twitter.
    -Josh Wexler ('88)

    -Steve Cobb ('05)

    -Ryan Rourke ('06)

    -Andrew Naeve ('07)

    -Jason Canady ('08)

    -Khaliq Gant ('09)

    -Conor Mullen ('09)

    -Ryan Wittman ('10)

    -Pete Reynolds ('10)

    -Jon Jaques ('10)

    -Louis Dale ('10)

    -Alex Tyler ('10)

    -Geoff Reeves ('10)

    -Jeff Foote ('10)

    -Andre Wilkins ('10) (inactive)

    -Aaron Osgood ('11)

    -Adam Wire ('11)

    -The Cornell Rebounders Club

    -Max Groebe ()

    -Andrew Ferry ()

    -Peter McMillan ()

    -Errick Peck ()

    -Josh Figini ()

    -Galal Cancer ()

    -Ned Tomic ()

    -Dominick Scelfo ()

    -Jake Mathews ()

    -Dwight Tarwater ()

    -Manny Sahota ()

    -Dave LaMore ()

    -Shonn Miller ()

    -Devin Cherry ()

    -Assistant Coach Mike Blaine ()

    -Assistant Coach Marlon Sears ()

    -Assistant Coach Arlen Galloway ()

    -Brian Delaney, WPIE/ESPN Radio Ithaca ()

    -Cornell Daily Sun Sports ()

    -Slope Sports ()

    -WVBR Sports ()

    -Former assistant coach, Jay Larranaga ()

    -Former head coach, Steve Donahue ()

    -Former assistant coach, Nat Graham ()

    -Former assistant coach, Woody Kampmann ()

    -Former Assistant Coach Ricky Yahn ()



    • Throughout the year we provide periodic updates on Cornell's alumni playing professionally. Below, some updates:

    -John McCord ('97) (SIG Strasbourg, Pro A France premier league)-2010-2011 season concluded. The 6'6" forward and long time veteran of the European leagues averaged 11.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Strasbourg finished 12-18 and in 12th place in the 16 team league. During his roughly fifteen year pro career, McCord, a former 1st Team All Ivy League selection, has played in France's pro leagues, Venezuela and in the United Kingdom. McCord retired from professional basketball following the 2010-2011 season.


    -Jeff Aubry ('99) (Halcones Rojos, LNBP Mexico premier league/Arecibo Capitanes, BSN Puerto Rico premier league)-2010-2011 season concluded. Aubry and his Arecibo club in the Puerto Rican league clinched the league title. He averaged 4.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Aubry splits his time in both the Mexican and Puerto Rican professional leagues. He played several seasons in the NBA D League in the early part of his career with the Fayetteville Patriots and Florida Flame and earned honorable mention all D-League in 2002. During his more than a decade of pro experience, Aubry has also played professionally in the ABA and abroad in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Poland, Argentina, Uruguay and Peru. Once again Aubry is expected to sign for the 2011-2012 season with Halcones and Arecibo.



    -Cody Toppert ('05) (Forli, LegaDue Italy 2nd Division)-2010-2011 season concluded. Toppert, a 6'4" shooting guard was averaging 9.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game for Forli of Italy's second division, Lega Due, before the franchise terminated his contract during March. Toppert previously played during the 2010-2011 season with the Plymouth Raiders of the British Basketball League where he was averaging 14.2 points per game before moving to Italy. Like Aubry, Toppert is a veteran of the NBA D League, a former Albuquerque Thunderbird. During his pro career, Toppert has also played in the CBA as well as in Portugal, Germany and New Zealand. Toppert is signed for the 2011-2012 season with Ourense of the LEB Gold Spain 2nd division.


    -Jason Hartford ('08) (Ginasio, LPD Portugal premier league)-2010-2011 season concluded. The 6'9" Hartford concluded his season averaging 14.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Ginasio finished the year 10-12 and in 6th place in the 12 team league and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. During his career, Hartford has played professionally in Finland and Africa (Mozambique). Hartford could return in 2011-2012 for his third season with Ginasio.



    -Louis Dale ('10) (Goettingen, Bundesliga Germany premier league)-2010-2011 season concluded. Dale completed the regular season averaging 8.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Goettingen ended up 17-15 on the season and in 7th place out of 18 teams in the Bundesliga. Dale signed a new contract and will return to Goettingen for the 2011-2012 season.



    -Ryan Wittman ('10) (Ft. Wayne Mad Ants, NBA D-League)-2010-2011 season concluded. With the 2010-2011 season finished, Wittman averaged 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game for the Mad Ants of the NBA D-League. Ft. Wayne finished 24-26 on the season and in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. Before moving to the D-League during January, Wittman averaged 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for Forli in Italy's 2nd division, LegaDue, this season. Wittman signed for the 2011-2012 season with Zastal, PLK Poland premier league..



    -Jeff Foote ('10) (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel Loto League premier league/Melilla, LEB Gold Spain 2nd division)- 2010-2011 season concluded. Foote averaged 7.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor. Melilla did not qualify for the playoffs finishing with a 14-20 record and 11th place finish in the 18 team league. Foote is on loan from Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv and signed for the 2011-2012 season with Zastal, PLK Poland premier league.



    -Jon Jaques ('10) (Ashkelon, Israel Loto League premier league)-2010-2011 season concluded. Jaques finished his season averaging 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Ashkelon was 6-21 and ended in 10th place in the 10 team Israeli league. Jaques retired from basketball following the 2011-2012 season.


    -Adam Wire ('11) (Vaerlose, Denmark BBK premier league)-The 2011-2012 season will be his rookie year.



    -Aaron Osgood ('11) (Vaerlose, Denmark BBK premier league)-The 2011-2012 season will be his rookie year.





    Visit The Cornell Basketball Blog's Community Forum and Message Board to interact with other fans of Cornell and Ivy League basketball. Membership is free! You may also follow us on Twitter.



    Blueprint for Success, the yearbook commemorating Cornell's memorable 2009-2010 season is now on sale and available for delivery. Visit the Cornell Athletics website to order your copy today! Or pick up a copy sold in the Cornell Store on campus.



    Fans of the basketball program in the Ithaca area should not miss the opportunity to join the Cornell Rebounders Club.

    Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More

     
    Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Hosted Desktops