Cornell Basketball Season Highlights

For those who missed it... check out Cornell Basketball's Official 2008-2009 Season Highlights and Recruiting Video Clip.

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Return of the scramble defense?

Coach Larrananga has always been a defensive guru and it has been the epicenter of his success for years. Older Mason basketball fans will remember the scramble defense as it is exciting to watch when executed properly and recently Larranaga has been hinting that is will be used more this season. Basically the scramble defense is an in-your-face type of approach and it emphasizes putting constant pressure on the ball handler. It's a man-to-man defense with trapping principals designed to take your opponents out of their offensive rhythm. As you can imagine it generates many steals and it was Mason's bread and butter in the late 90s. Recent post players Will Thomas, Jai Lewis, and Darryl Monroe weren't quite fitted for this type of defense as their games didn't involve leaving the paint often, so as a result we haven't seen the scramble much in recent seasons. Mason basketball legend George Evans made a killing in the scramble defense as a versatile forward and some might crucify me for this but I believe Ryan Pearson's game draws a slight resemblance. The talent and athletism are there on the roster for next season but experience is an issue and it will take time for the players to gel together when executing the scramble. But in any sense it's obvious Coach L now has the athletes needed to run this type of defense reguarly and irritate opponents all year long in the CAA.

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Recruiting News: Commitment Catch-Up, Seniors Find College Homes

Below is some news from the Ivy League recruiting scene. Our focus is catching up with some recent verbal commitments:

ChicagoHoops.com reports that Steve Walker, a 6'6" bruising forward from Chicago's Simeon Tech is headed to powerhouse Angelina College, a junior college program. Originally verbally committed to Northern Illinois, Walker received recruitment attention from Cornell and other mid majors.

The Times Herald reports that Russell Powell, a 5'9" point guard from Newnan High School in Atlanta committed to Jacksonville University. Powell was recruited by Cornell and received an offer from Harvard among other mid majors.

Luke Scarlata, a 6'8" forward from Berwyn-Cicero, Illinois and Morton High School opted to go the Division III route with Augustana College after receiving interest from Cornell and other Ivies.

MLive.com reports that Anderson, Indiana's Ashaun Tatum, a 6'10" post player who drew widespread Ivy interest, including from Cornell, Columbia and Princeton, opted to take a scholarship to Division II Grand Valley State.

Northstar Basketball reports that 6'1" guard, Jon Lee of the Hun School in Princeton, N.J. took a scholarship from the CAA's Northeastern over interest from Cornell, Penn and Princeton among other Ivies.

Scout.com reports that Greg Wooten, a 6'2" guard from Memphis' Briarcrest Christian High School committed to Samford. He was a Cornell prospect and drew interest from the likes of SMU, UNCG, and East Carolina.

Josh Lenz, a 6'0" guard from Dubuque, Iowa and Hempstead High School pledged to play football at Iowa State. Cornell had interest in him on the hardwood.

New England Recruiting Report notes that Russell Braithwaite, a 6'3" guard from Southborough, Mass. and the St. Mark's School committed Babson over interest from Cornell as well as other Ivies and Patriot League schools.

ArizonaVarsity.com reports that 6'5" wing Blake Davis of St. Mary's High School in Phoenix signed with Weber State after gaining interest from Cornell, Buffalo, and Pepperdine among others.

From the class of 2010, Scout.com is reporting that Ivy League and Patriot League schools are watching the development of Kazembe Abif, a 6'7" forward from Newark, New Jersey's University High School.

Below are some related recruiting links:

• For The Cornell Basketball Blog's list of Cornell Recruiting Targets and Ivy League Recruiting Commitments, click here.

• For The Cornell Basketball Blog's list of Ivy League Recruiting Targets, click here.

• For The Cornell Basketball Blog's "Transfer List"--- a list of Outgoing Transfers for 2008-2009, click here.
  

• For The Cornell Basketball Blog's archived stories on Cornell and Ivy League Recruiting News just click here.

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Cornell Recruit McMillan to Compete in Shootout at the AAAC

Cornell recruit, Peter McMillan of the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts was selected to participate in the Three Point Shootout Contest at the Academic All-American Classic (AAAC) this weekend. McMillan will also suit up for the East All Stars in the East-West Game.

Ten of the AAAC's forty All-Stars were selected for the Shootout, while six All-Stars will compete in the dunk competition.

Below is information about the AAAC:

Feinberg Academic All-American Basketball Classic

When: Saturday, May 9, 2009
4 p.m. - Media Check-in
6 p.m. - David Ellis Chrysler 3pt Shooting Competition
- West vs. East All-Star Game

8 p.m. - MBT Slam Dunk Competition
- North vs. South All-Star Game

Where: Citizen's Bank Arena
4000 E. Ontario Center Parkway
Ontario, CA 91764

Who: The AAAC All-Star games are sponsored by Jeff Feinberg, David Ellis Chrysler, Reebok, MBT, CJL, Basketball Training Institute, American Roundball Corporation, aloft, Ed Hardy Clothing, Bruise MD, Nothing But Net Basketball Magazine, Shooting Touch, Royalty Productions, Klaus and Jami Heidegger, and Double Pump.

Why: Founder, Robert Icart created the AAAC to feature the finest high school boy's basketball players in the country who have also excelled in the classroom. AAAC participants that were chosen were among high school seniors or post grad students who have committed to attend a four-year institution in the Fall of 2009. North, South, East, and West colleges these student-athletes have committed to have divided the All-Star games. General Admission tickets are $10 per person now available on Ticketmaster. www.aaa-classic.com

Also connect with AAAC:
www.myspace.com/aaa_classic
Facebook search: "Academic All-American Classic"
www.youtube.com/aaa_classic
www.twitter.com/aaa_classic
www.juicecaster.com/aaa_classic

REGIONAL ROSTER

WEST ALL-STARS

Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. High School (Hometown Location) College
Andrew Bock PG 6-1 165 Eisenhower High School (Rialto, CA) Creighton
Anthony Stover C 6-10 227 Windward (Los Angeles, CA) UCLA
Bak Bak PF 6-10 210 Village Christian (Northridge, CA) California
Brendan Lane PF 6-9 205 Rocklin High School (Rocklin, CA) UCLA
Jared Cunningham PG 6-3 170 San Leandro High School (San Leandro, CA) Oregon State
Jordan Finn SF 6-4 165 Etiwanda High School (Etiwanda, CA) Air Force
Keegan Hornbuckle W 6-7 195 Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, CA) Colorado
Kelly Olynyk G/F 6-10 208 South Kamloops Secondary (Kamloops, B.C.) Gonzaga
Reeves Nelson F 6-8 230 Modesto Christian High School (Modesto, CA) UCLA
Tyler Honeycutt W 6-9 180 Sylmar High School (Sylmar, CA) UCLA

Head Coach: Jamal Adams - Loyola High School

EAST ALL-STARS

Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. High School (Hometown Location) College
Darius Morris PG 6-3 175 Windward High School (Carson, CA) Michigan
DaShonte Riley C 6-11 234 Detroit Country Day (Detroit, MI) Syracuse
David Wear C 6-10 230 Mater Dei High School (Huntington Beach, CA) North Carolina
Ian Hummer SF 6-7 205 Gonzaga College High School (Vienna, VA) Princeton
Leslie McDonald SG 6-5 200 Briarcrest High School (Memphis, TN) North Carolina
Malcolm Washington PG 5-11 175 Windward High School (Los Angeles, CA) Penn
Mike Marra SG 6-5 200 Northfield Mt. Hermon (Smithfield, RI) Louisville
Peter McMilllan PF 6-7 220 Northfield Mt. Hermon (Los Angeles, CA) Cornell
Ryan Peters G/F 6-4 195 Northfield Mt. Hermon (Saugus, CA) Lehigh Univ.
Travis Wear F 6-10 232 Mater Dei High School (Huntington Beach, CA) North Carolina

Head Coach: John Carroll - Northfield Mt. Hermon

NORTH ALL-STARS

Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. High School (Hometown Location) College
Andy Brown SF 6-8 210 Mater Dei High School (Yorba Linda, CA) Stanford
Angus Brandt C/PF 6-10 210 Lake Forest High School (Lake Forest, IL) Oregon State
Andrew McCarthy PF 6-8 200 Northfield Mt. Hermon School (Northfield, MA Brown
Brandyn Curry PG 6-1 175 Hopewell High School (Huntersville, NC) Harvard
C. J. Wilcox SG/SF 6-6 175 Pleasant Grove High School (Pleasant Grove, UT) Washington
Garrick Sherman C 6-10 220 Kenton High School (Kenton, OH) Michigan
Jack Cooley PF/C 6-9 235 Glenbrook South High School (Glenview, IL) Notre Dame
Justin Cobbs PG 6-1 180 Bishop Montgomery High School (Torrance, CA) Minnesota
Matt Vogrich SG 6-4 180 Lake Forest High School (Lake Forest, IL) Michigan
Roger Franklin W/F 6-4 215 Duncanville High School (Grand Prairie, TX) Oklahoma State
Tyler Haws SG/SF 6-5 190 Lone Peak (Alpine, UT) BYU

Head Coach: Steve Turner - Gonzaga High School

SOUTH ALL-STARS

Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. High School (Hometown Location) College
Anthony Marshall SG 6-3 195 Mojave High School (Las Vegas, NV) UNLV
Carlos Lopez C 6-10 210 Findlay Prep (Las Vegas, NV) UNLV
Cory Jefferson PF 6-9 190 Killeen High School (Killeen, TX) Baylor
Donnavan Kirk PF 6-7 210 Detroit Country Day (Detroit, MI) Miami
Glen Rice Jr. SG 6-5 175 Walton High School (Marietta, GA) Georgia Tech
Kyle Hardrick PF/SF 6-9 230 Putnam City High School (Oklahoma City, OK) Univ. of Oklahoma
Michael Dixon PG 6-1 175 Lee Summitt West (Lee Summitt, MO) Missouri
Nick Russell PGT 6-5 195 Arlington Bridge Prep (Duncanville, TX) Kansas State
Nolan Dennis SG/SF 6-5 185 Richland High School (Richland Hills, TX) Baylor
Trent Lockett SG 6-5 210 Hopkins High School (Golden Valley, MN) Arizona State

Head Coach: A.D. Burtschi - Putnam City High School

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Unfinished Business

Heading into the 2008-2009 season, the Cornell Big Red knew it would contend for a second consecutive Ivy League title and NCAA Tournament berth and scheduled itself accordingly.

The goal was simple. Play tough non-league games. Steal some quality wins during November and December and build a resume for seeding purposes in the NCAA Tournament.

The Big Red's 2008-2009 slate included playing St. John's in the Preseason NIT, then taking road trips to Siena, Indiana, Syracuse, Minnesota, and St. Joseph's, while also hosting La Salle.

Unfortunately, the unexpected injury bug hit during the preseason months and Cornell was forced to play the first eight games of the campaign without reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, Louis Dale (hamstring injury), the team's point guard and heart and soul.

Dale's return, however was only after Cornell suffered losses to St. John’s, Siena, Syracuse and Indiana. The Big Red also fell at Minnesota in Dale's first game back on Dec. 6, but he was limited to playing 10 minutes.

While Dale would ultimately return from his hamstring injury, just in time to guide Cornell to its second consecutive Ivy League title, insiders in the program had reported that Dale was never one hundred percent fully recovered during the Ivy season.

The injury is expected however to become fully healed before the 2009-2010 season.

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

• St. John's (neutral court in NIT), Red Storm knock off Cornell 86-75, but at half, Cornell trailed by just a point, 42-41.
• at Siena, final score, Saints 74 and Big Red 56, but at half, Siena led by just 4, 30-26.
• at Indiana, Hoosiers prevail 72-57, but at half, just a 35-29 Indiana lead.
• at Syracuse, Orange win 88-78, but at half, it was Cornell leading 40-35.
• at Minnesota, Gophers take the win 71-54, but the Big Red led at halftime, 40-28.
• vs. LaSalle, Cornell knocks off the Atlantic 10 team, 79-70. Dale's first "healthy" game.
  
• at St. Joseph's, Cornell falls in close 71-67 decision down in Philly.
• vs. Missouri (NCAA Tournament), Cornell falls 78-59 without injured starter Geoff Reeves. Cornell trailed 29-25 at half.
  

Cornell is one again a preseason Ivy League favorite heading into 2009-2010. And early scheduling reports have the Big Red potentially facing the likes of Syracuse, Kansas, Alabama, Seton Hall, St. Joseph's and La Salle.

Cornell hopes to have a healthy roster during the upcoming season and looks to make some noise during the preseason by pulling off some resume building wins, especially with home games against the likes of Seton Hall and St. Joseph's.

Make no mistake about it. The Big Red are not satisfied by just winning two consecutive Ivy League Championships and making first round appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Cornell believes it has unfinished goals and is setting its sights on advancing deep into the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

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Recruiting News

Pictured, Cornell's Adam Wire (front) and Jason Battle (back) chase down a loose ball during the 2009 NCAA Tournament against Missouri.

In recruiting news around the Ivy League, RedHawksInsider.com reports that Ryan Bass, a 5'11" point guard from Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio, received scholarship offers from James Madison, Wright State, Western Carolina, and Ohio University. The class of 2010 product is also receiving receiving interest from Cornell, Miami-OH, Michigan, IUPUI, Penn St., Morehead St., Fordham, Loyola-Chicago, and Oakland. Previous interest from Kentucky (under former coach Billy Gillespie) and Cincinnati has tailed off according to RedHawksInsider.

Casey Trujeque, a 5'9" class of 2010 point guard from Los Angeles' Price High School, has committed early to Montana State, according to Price head coach Mike Lynch, as told to Scout.com. "He was hearing from Columbia and Harvard -- those were the main two -- before he committed to Montana State," said Lynch. Lynch added that Trujeque is an excellent student, with a 3.9 GPA.

Finally, Scout.com reported what we published a week ago--- Atlanta point guard, Dee Goens is headed to Holy Cross. Sources informed The Cornell Basketball Blog that Goens was a high priority target for Harvard.

Below are some related recruiting links, including our very recently updated Transfer List.

• For The Cornell Basketball Blog's list of Cornell Recruiting Targets and Commitments, click here.

• For The Cornell Basketball Blog's list of Ivy League Recruiting Targets, click here.

• For The Cornell Basketball Blog's "Transfer List"--- a list of Outgoing Transfers for 2008-2009, click here.
  

• For The Cornell Basketball Blog's archived stories on Cornell and Ivy League Recruiting News just click here.

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Roster Report: A Look Into the Big Red's Future...

What will Cornell's basketball roster look like during 2010-2011 the year after players such as Ryan Wittman, Louis Dale and Jeff Foote have graduated?

Below is a sneak preview of the Big Red's line-up two years from now following the expected graduation of nine seniors next May.



Even without knowing Cornell's incoming 2010 recruiting class, it is clear to us that Cornell will have enough talent to yet again compete for an Ivy League Championship.

CORNELL BIG RED: Roster 2010-2011

PROJECTED STARTERS

Center/Forward-Mark Coury 6’9” Sr.

Forward-Errick Peck 6’6” So.

Forward-Adam Wire 6’6” Sr.

Guard-Max Groebe 6’4” Jr.

Guard-Chris Wroblewski 61” Jr.



RESERVES

Guard-Alex Hill 6’4” Jr.

Guard-Miles Asafo-Adjei 6’1” So.

Center/Forward-Aaron Osgood 6’9” Sr.

Forward-Peter McMillan 6’7” So.

Forward-Josh Figini 6’8” So.

Forward-Eitan Chemerinski 6’8” So.

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