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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Stats Watch: Assist Leaders

2:15 PM

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Above, Cornell's Louis Dale drives around a pick set by Jeff Foote on Penn's Zach Rosen last season. Rosen and Dale finished 1st and 5th respectively in the Ivy League a year ago in assists.

Below we post the Ivy League's team and individual leaders in assists for the '08-'09 season. Players listed in italics are returning. Four Cornell players finished among the league's top 15 in helpers while the Big Red led the league in team assists.

ASSISTS		G	No.	Avg/G
1.	Cornell	14	221	15.8
2.	Penn	14	187	13.4
3.	Brown	14	169	12.1
4.	Harvard	14	168	12.0
5.	Yale	14	166	11.9
6.	Princeton	14	158	11.3
7.	Columbia	14	152	10.9
8.	Dartmouth	14	123	8.8

ASSISTS		GP	No.	Avg/G
1.	Rosen, Zack-PENN	14	71	5.1
2.	Skrelja, Chris-BRWN	14	53	3.8
3.	Schroeder, Marcus-PRIN	14	52	3.7
	Housman, Drew-HARV	14	52	3.7
5.	Dale, Louis-COR	14	50	3.6
6.	Lin, Jeremy-HARV	14	47	3.4
7.	Andrews, Chris-YALE	14	40	2.9
8.	Wroblewski, Chris-COR	14	38	2.7
9.	Wittman, Ryan-COR	14	36	2.6
10.	Pinick, Travis-YALE	14	35	2.5
11.	Foley, Patrick-COL	12	26	2.2
12.	Buczak, Pawel-PRIN	14	29	2.1
13.	Foote, Jeff-COR	14	27	1.9
14.	Braswell, Porter-YALE	13	25	1.9
15.	Mullery, Matt-BRWN	14	26	1.9
	Belcore, Rob-PENN	14	26	1.9
	Agho, Noruwa-COL	14	26	1.9

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Roster Report: Dartmouth Updates Roster

11:08 AM

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In roster report news, Dartmouth has finally updated its roster by adding the names of its freshmen recruits. Only Harvard and Princeton remain of the Ivy teams that have yet to update their rosters for '09-'10.

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

BROWN
Noel Hollingsworth
Morgan Kelly
Colin Aldridge

COLUMBIA
none

CORNELL
Marc Van Burck

DARTMOUTH
Brandon Ware

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

PENN
Tommy McMahon
Harrison Gaines
Remy Cofield
Garvin Hunt

PRINCETON
Unknown- 2009-2010 roster not yet available

YALE
none

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Patriots get commitment from 6'9" Jonathan Arledge

10:28 AM

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The announcement comes via Capitol Hoops, and it's a quite a pick-up for the Patriots. Jonathan Arledge (profile) is a 6'9" 220lb forward who Mason apparently was on to early then blew up on the scene, showing just how well they continue to recruit.

The Washington Post adds this:

"KIMA forward Jonathan Arledge, scheduled to visit Georgetown next weekend, went ahead and committed to George Mason, a huge get for the Patriots, who have been after Arledge for some time.
"He took two unofficials [to Georgetown] and he liked it but he just really liked George Mason," KIMA Coach Levet Brown said. "He felt he fit there and they've been recruiting him since he was a junior.

"He got tired of the whole process and he loved George Mason on the visit. He was supposed to visit Georgetown on October 2 and they claimed they were going to offer, but he got tired of it. That's it for him."

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Collegehoops.net previews Mason at #66 in their top 144 team countdown

6:49 AM

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Collegehoops.net is in the middle of their top 144 teams for 2009-10 countdown and have tabbed Mason at #66 in the country (#2 in the CAA). Like other previews they note the teams youth and inexperience but seem to like to potential for growth during the season that turns into dividends late. I agree with this assessment but I just don't know how long this growth could take. On paper the talent is near tops in the CAA but how Larranaga uses that talent I think will have a great impact on this year's squad. For instance, we know freshmen Johnny Williams and Sherrod Wright can score but can they defend at this level? How much did Kevin Foster improve from his season as a redshirt? Is Cam Long running the point full time or will Andre Cornelius handle most of those duties? Who can will fill in at the guard spots left vacant by John Vaughan and Dre Smith? Those questions could be answered earlier than we think. I believe the main difference between this year's squad and last year's will be the depth. The team won't be leaning on the starters too heavily as the quality on the bench could be the teams strongest asset.

I find the preview to be a little misguided, mostly because the writer seems to think freshman Paris Bennett will be a starter. Even if I overlooked the fact that Coach Larranaga almost never starts true freshman early I wouldn't project Bennett to even get more playing time then Johnny Williams or Sherrod Wright. That is also not taking into account redshirt freshman Kevin Foster, who I could definitely see starting early because of his knowledge of Larranaga's system and his versatility. Coach L has mentioned that Foster can play almost anywhere on the floor but that remains to be seen. I really don't see how Mike Morrison could be left out the starting lineup, especially with how he finished late last season. But Coach L rarely boosts lineups that include three forwards, so a starting lineup including Birdsong, Pearson and Morrison seems unlikely.

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Roster Report: Big Red Have Depth

6:30 AM

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Cornell's Aaron Osgood (No. 4) has showed a lot of potential for the Big Red.

Most fans of Ivy League basketball are familiar with Cornell's star veterans. Players such as Ryan Wittman, Louis Dale, and Jeff Foote get the most playing time and grab all of the media attention and spotlight.

Ancient Eight spectators, however, do not get much of an opportunity to see the skill level and the depth of Cornell's reserves on the scout team. Regardless of what fans around the league know or do not know about the Big Red's younger players, Cornell's coaching staff believes they have a second unit that could play with most Ivy opponents' regular rotations.

Cornell head coach Steve Donahue told the Ithaca Journal last March, "I'd take that group [Cornell's reserves] against anyone [in the league]." Below, we spotlight three of Cornell's reserves who could play big roles for Cornell in the coming seasons.

Aaron Osgood (Jr., 6'9" 230 lbs.)-Osgood could be Cornell's "most complete" frontcourt player. He is also one of the team's most athletic players. During the '08-'09 preseason, he was expected by the program to earn minutes in the regular rotation. However, a slew of injuries kept him off the playing floor for much of the year. When healthy, the junior has range on his jump shot extending beyond the foul line and excels on the defensive end, blocking shots and rebounding. Do not be surprised if he earns minutes this season.

Adam Wire (Jr., 6'6" 220 lbs.)-Wire is one of the most versatile players in the Ivy League. He is strong and physical enough to play power forward, but yet has the ball handling and perimeter skill set to also run the point and break full court pressure. He also possesses great defensive instincts and is one of Cornell's best on the ball defenders. Cornell usually inserts Wire into game situations where the Big Red need a boost of defensive intensity. Last year he appeared in 29 games, averaging 15.1 minutes per contest. During that time, he contributed a well rounded 2.7 points. 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and .9 assists per game. One of the best finishers on the team, Wire had four dunks last season.

Alex Hill (So., 6'5" 190 lbs.)-Like Osgood and Wire, Hill is athletic and can be an explosive scorer. He can run the break and finish in transition with slam dunks or pull up and shoot from long distance in the half court offense. A year ago, Hill knocked down 9/20 from beyond the arc and on the year scored 32 points in just 46 minutes.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

News and Notes: Around the Ivy League, Penn Looks to Build Student Support

2:57 PM

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This week the Fire Glen Miller blog announced its discontinuation after one season and its chief editor has taken on a new role in the Penn Athletics Department in building student support at Penn's home games.

The Fire Glen Miller site was launched during late 2008 and initially labeled itself a "hate blog" of Penn's coaching staff. It later softened its approach and converted into general coverage of Penn basketball.

Although discontinued, the site's creation symbolizes a growing unrest among Penn's basketball supporters following a disastrous 2008-2009 campaign for the Quakers. Penn not only struggled on the playing floor, where the Quakers finished with a losing season (10-18, 6-8 Ivy) and were manhandled by their Ivy competition in the Palestra (1-6 Ivy home record), but Penn also suffered from serious internal turmoil after four players quit the program prematurely and at least one of the players publicly blasted the Penn coaching staff in the Daily Pennsylvanian.

The Cornell Basketball Blog projected a 3rd place finish from the Quakers for 2009-2010, a marked improvement from a year ago. But if Penn does not improve this season-- and it will get a lot of competition from Cornell, Princeton, Harvard and Columbia to finish in the league's top half -- expect the grumbling to get louder in West Philadelphia. And regardless of the Athletics Department's gimmicky promotions, the students will stay far away from the Palestra.

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2009-10 Cornell Men's Basketball Information Center

1:45 PM

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Cornell Athletics (CornellBigRed.com) has made available the Cornell Men's Basketball Information Center.

Cornell Athletics released the following:

The Cornell Men's Basketball Information Center gives you a one-click option for all the information you need for the upcoming 2009-10 season. All the information typically found in the media guide is included, including updated bios, program history and information on how to follow Cornell throughout the season is included.

2009-10 Cornell Men's Basketball Information Center

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Steve Donahue (Ursinus ’84)
Record at Cornell: 117-133 (10th season)
Career Record: 117-133 (10th season)

Assistant Coaches:
Zach Spiker (Ithaca '00)
Nat Graham (Penn '97)
Woody Kampmann (Hobart '05)

Cornell Athletics Staff Directory

2009-10 Cornell Men's Basketball Schedule
2009-10 Cornell Men's Basketball Roster
2009-10 Quick Facts I PDF Version
Newman Arena

2009-10 Season Outlook
Men's Basketball Player Bios (click names on roster)
Career Statistics for active 2009-10 players

CornellBigRed.com Men's Basketball Page
Buy tickets online for all home games
Purchase Cornell All-Access Pass for video of all home games and audio of all home and road games
Watch Cornell on YouTube
Follow Cornell on Twitter
Live stats of Big Red home men's basketball games
Receive text updates (standard text-messaging rates apply)
Receive RSS news feeds on your computer
The Ithaca Journal Sports Section
The Cornell Daily Sun Sports Section
WHCU870.com
WVBR.com
Slope Media

Game 1: at Alabama * Nov. 14, 2009 at TBA * Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Game 2: at Massachusetts * Nov. 18, 2009 at TBA * Mullins Center (Amherst, Mass.)
Game 3: Seton Hall * Nov. 20, 2009 at 7 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 4: at Syracuse * Nov. 24, 2009 at 7 p.m. * The Carrier Dome (Syracuse, N.Y.)
Game 5: at Drexel * Nov. 27, 2009 at TBA * Daskalakis Athletic Center (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Game 6: vs. Vermont * Nov. 28, 2009 at TBA * Daskalakis Athletic Center (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Game 7: vs. Toledo * Nov. 29, 2009 at TBA * Daskalakis Athletic Center (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Game 8: at Bucknell * Dec. 2, 2009 at 7 p.m. * Sojka Pavilion (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Game 9: Saint Joseph's * Dec. 6, 2009 at 2 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 10: vs. Davidson * Dec. 20, 2009 at TBA * Madison Square Garden (New York, N.Y.)
Game 11: at St. John's/vs. Hofstra * Dec. 21, 2009 at TBA * Madison Square Garden (New York, N.Y.)
Game 12: at La Salle * Dec. 29, 2009 at TBA * Tom Gola Arena (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Game 13: Penn State-Behrend * Dec. 31, 2009 at 2 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 14: Bryant * Jan. 2, 2010 at 2 p.m.* Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 15: at Kansas * Jan. 6, 2010 at 7 p.m. CT * Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kan.)
Game 16: at South Dakota * Jan. 8, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. CT * Dakota Dome (Vermillion, S.D.)
Game 17: Clarkson * Jan. 11, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 18: Columbia * Jan. 16, 2010 at 4 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 19: at Columbia * Jan. 23, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Levien Gymnasium (New York, N.Y.)
Game 20: Dartmouth * Jan. 29, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 21: Harvard * Jan. 30, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 22: Yale * Feb. 5, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 23: Brown * Feb. 6, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 24: at Penn * Feb. 12, 2010 at 7 p.m. * The Palestra (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Game 25: at Princeton * Feb. 13, 2010 at 6 p.m. * Jadwin Gymnasium (Princeton, N.J.)
Game 26: at Harvard * Feb. 19, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Lavietes Pavilion (Cambridge, Mass.)
Game 27: at Dartmouth * Feb. 20, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Leede Arena (Hanover, N.H.)
Game 28: Princeton * Feb. 26, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 29: Penn * Feb. 27, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Game 30: at Brown * March 5, 2010 at 7 p.m. * The Pizzitola Sports Center (Providence, R.I.)
Game 31: at Yale * March 6, 2010 at 7 p.m. * Payne Whitney Gymnasium (New Haven, Conn.)