Ryan Wittman to A.P. All American Team

Cornell's Ryan Wittman has been named an Honorable Mention Associated Press All American.

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Alumni News: Hartford Back in the U.S. for the Summer

Below, some brief updates on Cornell alums playing professionally. Above, a 1904 Cornell basketball program.

Jason Hartford ('08) appeared in seven games for Casino Figueira Ginasio during March where he averaged 16.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Hartford is playing this summer, during the Euro offseason, once again with the Yamhill Flyers of the International Basketball League.

Cody Toppert ('05) is getting more playing time in Germany's First Division with BC Scholz Recycling Weissenhorn. He is averaging 18.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game after only averaging 3.5 minutes per game in the country premier league, The Budeslagia with his former team, MEG Goettingen.

Jeff Aubry ('99) is contributing 8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for the Aericibo Capitanes of the Puerto Rico Basketball League.

Both Toppert and Aubry are veterans of the NBA's D-League.

John McCord ('97) is averaging 9.5 points and 6.6 rebouns for Limoges CSP Elite in the French Pro B League.

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WBNG on Donahue in the Coaching Market

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Recruiting News

Below, some recruiting news from around the Ivy League.

NEHoops reports that Naofall Falohan (Wilbraham & Monson Academy) Wilbraham, MA 6-10 is currently being looked at by Davidson, Penn, Brown. He recently reopened his recuitment after backing of a commitment to Marist.

From the class of 2011, Brandon Voss (North Scott) Elridge, IA 5-10 told IowaPreps.com he is hearing from Columbia, Yale, Valpo, Detroit.

Bo Barnes (Westwnd Prep) Scottsdale, AZ 6-4 told ArizonaPreps.com that he has offers from Hawaii, American, La Salle, St. Bonaventure, Oral Roberts, Central Connecticut, Rider, East Carolina, Albany, Evansville, Quinnipiac. Barnes also has drawn interest from Cornell, Southern California, Providence, Iowa State, Miami, George Washington, and Nebraska.

Chicagohoops.com reports that class of 2011's Hayden Hoerdemann (Bloomington Catholic) Bloomington, IL 6-2 has a scholarship offer from Western Michigan, and interest from Harvard, Princeton, Penn, Davidson, VCU, Northwestern, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Holy Cross, SIU, Butler, Wichita State, Missouri State, Oakland, Evansville, Lehigh, Northeastern, William and Mary, Lafayette, and Army.

ESPNInsiders lists a few new class of 2011 Ivy prospects.

Galal Cancer (Christian Bros. Academy) Albany, NY 6-2 is considering Cornell and Lafayette.

Pat Ackerman (Worcester Academy) Worcester, MA 6-11 is considering Princeton, Yale, Lafayette and Bucknell.

Andrej Pajovic (Wilbraham & Monson Academy), Willbraham, MA 6-2 is hearing from Yale, Holy Cross, Northeaster, Rhode Island and George Mason.

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Bryon Allen says he's coming to George Mason

Last week I talked about the possibly of a former West Virginia commit and Oak Hill academy point guard Bryon Allen coming to George Mason. Allen announced today from St. Thomas More in Connecticut that he plans on committing to the Patriots in April when the signing period begins. He was also considering Siena, but as you know their head coach Fran McCaffery just fled to Iowa for a big payday. Allen is a local DC area kid who started out at Dematha in Maryland and then transferred to the national powerhouse Oak Hill academy. Once at Oak Hill he was able to make solid contributions on roster stacked with talent. He often went against teammate Brandon Jennings in practice who is currently playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. This the point where all the BCS school were all over him and he eventually accepted an offer from Bob Huggins and West Virginia.  Right before his senior year however the Mountaineers had to pull the scholarship offer to Allen because Joe Mazzulla was granted a medical redshirt and would be returning for the 2010-2011 season. This prompted him to take his game elsewhere to somewhere that he could prep his point guard skills and stand out more in a starring role. In an interview with Zagsblog.com he stated that he chose St. Thomas More because the league they played in used a shot clock and that would help him prepare more as a point guard for college basketball.

Let's break down what kind of impact this will have on the Patriots next season:

They lost a forward and now picked up another guard? Some of you might be scratching your head saying how can this team pick up another guard after losing forward Kevin Foster. The abrupt loss of Foster didn't leave the staff with many options if they wanted to fill the scholarship for next season. Most of the forwards they were looking at along with Jonathan Arledge were already committed to other schools. The Patriots were lucky in how this situation unfolded and obviously went after the best player available to them. A player who looks to be one of the most highly rated prospects ever brought in by this staff.  It also doesn't hurt that they have a roster full of shooting guards and no real point guard.  You can argue Cam Long and Andre Cornelius had their moments running the point last season but I don't think the coaching staff has faith in either one of them running the point next season if they bringing in a guy like Allen who can step in right away and play.

What kind of game does Allen have? At 6'3" 215 pounds Bryon Allen is a strong, physical guard who attacks the lane often. He is an excellent passer who also has a smart understanding of the game making him an all-around better player. His hard-nosed play has made him an excellent rebounder for a guard and solid on the ball defender as some scouting websites have mentioned. Here is a quote from ESPN/Scouts Inc. back in the winter of 2008:

"Allen is an extremely strong and physical guard that repeatedly attacks defenders off the dribble. He is a good athlete that can finish above the rim in transition. Allen is a good ball handler and passer as well. He can penetrate draw and kick but his main objective is score at the rim, where he can finish through contact with ease."

Some of you think he sounds like Sherrod Wright coming out of high school but let's not forget Wright didn't run the point in high school and didn't regularly play against the talent that Allen has seen in his high school career.  Also, Wright wasn't a stunning defensive prospect in any scouting report and as you can see from this past season it took him a little to get used to Coach L's system. As Wright is a big offensive threat Allen is more of a polished player and is much stronger and more prepared for college level in my opinion.  Well shall see though.



Will Allen come in and start right away? I think he will have his chance to earn a starting role right from the start because I don't see how he would have committed to playing for Mason if the staff didn't ensure him of this.  With the kind of talent he went against playing at Oak Hill and his senior year of polishing his skills in the New England prep leagues Allen could vary well earn a starting role early in the season.  It's been rare to see a freshmen start from the early goings under Larranaga and how this kid plays defense will be a huge factor in determining that. The question remains who is going to get less minutes on the current rotation if Allen ends up getting a lot of playing time. Isaiah Tate's days in the starting lineup could be numbered which would be a move no one would argue with.  I don't see how a lineup of Cam Long, Andre Cornelius, and Bryon Allen would work and let's not forget Sherrod Wright proved he deserves a bigger role next season. A realistic scenario at some point in the season as I see it would have Allen at the point along with Cam Long at the two and Cornelius coming off the bench. Sherrod Wright and Luke Hancock are possible starters for that third guard/small forward role along with Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison in the front court.

What role do you think he will have next season?

UPDATE: Some quotes from Zagsblog today:

“I felt it was the best program for me,” Allen said. “I felt real comfortable there.”

"Allen said he hopes to come in and battle for time at point guard."

“Coach [Jim Larranaga] said it’s up to me. I have to give it my all and show my leadership and skills and show what I can do,” he said.

Quotes from Scout.com:

"I visited George Mason two weeks ago,” Allen told Scout.com. “I was supposed to visit SMU this past weekend and I decided I was comfortable with my decision and I chose George Mason."

"The thing about George Mason was playing with Isaiah Tate, Rashad Whack and some of the guys I played against in high school … I enjoyed the team. It’s one big family and we can do damage."

"They see me being a point guard. I think I’m ready for that. This whole year I played point guard at St. Thomas More and that was the first time I played the whole year there. I think I did pretty good at it."

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News and Notes: "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" Edition

Below, some news and notes....

• Today we start off with a coaching carasoul theme as the New York Post reports that Seton Hall hired Iona's Kevin Willard after "Cornell coach Steve Donahue didn't blow away the brass during an interview with the Pirates yesterday morning."
  
  
• The Albany Times Union and the Troy Record speculate that Cornell's Donahue could be a target of Siena's coaching seach. ESPN Rumor Central further reports that "Donahue has expressed a strong interest in the job, and would be a slam-dunk hire for the small private school in upstate New York."

• Meanwhile, Tommy Amaker told the Harvard Crimson student newpaper that he is "happy" at Harvard, but other sources have reported that Amaker has in fact spoken with several schools about other coaching positions and is interested in some of the opportunities available. As The Daily Pennsylvanian points out, Amaker's statements to the Harvard Crimson may not be entirely credible as other coaches have made similar smokescreen comments to the press.

• Adam Zagoria of SNY reports that St. John's will require its new coach to have New Yorkers among the assistant coaching staff. The New York Daily News also reports that "Sources told the Daily News that representatives for [Cornell's Steve] Donahue have reached out to express his interest in the St. John's position since the Big Red got bounced in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night." The Daily News also reports that Amaker could be interviewed for the position.
  

• Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports lists the recent Division I coaching changes.

• We are hearing that Cornell will make a strong push to keep Donahue with fundraising efforts underway. WBNG (CBS Binghamton) has the story on Donahue.
  

• Dave Solomon of the New Haven Register writes, "It was tremendous fun watching Cornell make its run to the Sweet 16, but how can anyone living in the shadow of Yale not ask or wonder when we might expect the Bulldogs to give us an NCAA thrill? We’re into the third generation since Yale last qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1962, and while Yale has had competitive seasons along the way, at some point, you have to actually get there, don’t you?"

• The Daily Kansan writes, "we should respect the 2010 tournament run of Cornell. Although we don’t know half of the team by name and will never see them on the cover of any basketball previews, I hold them in a higher value because not only did they have a great run but they are true student athletes."

• Among Andy Katz's memories of the 2010 NCAA Tournament are, "Cornell blasting past Temple and Wisconsin and into the Sweet 16 for the first time in Big Red history."

• The Cornell Daily Sun published its recap of Cornell's exit from the Sweet Sixteen last Thursday:
  

SYRACUSE, N.Y. –– Cornell’s historic 2009-10 cam­paign began with the Red’s first win over a Southeastern Conference team in 37 years. It would end in the Sweet 16, at the hands of the top-ranked SEC team in the country.

Widely-considered the best Ivy League squad since 1979, Cornell fell to No. 1-seeded Kentucky, 62-45, last Thursday night at the Carrier Dome –– ending the Red’s legendary NCAA tournament run.

Undoubtedly energized by the largely pro-Cornell crowd, the 12th-seeded Red jumped out to an early 10-2 lead courtesy of five points from senior guard Louis Dale and senior forward Ryan Wittman’s only 3 of the half. However, Cornell’s players proved no match for the length and athleticism of a Kentucky team that will undoubtedly have several representatives in this summer’s NBA Draft.

Indeed, the Wildcats responded with a 30-6 run of their own, spearheaded by freshman center DeMarcus Cousins’ 4-of-5 shooting. Plagued by Kentucky’s suffocating defense that forced 12 Cornell turnovers in the first 20 minutes alone, the Red started the second half trailing by 16 –– its largest halftime deficit of 2009-10. Cornell’s 16 also marked the least amount of points it had scored in a half all season.

Coming out of the locker room, the Red held the Wildcats to just six points in the first 12 minutes and battled back to within six, 40-34, following a trey from Dale with 5:42 remaining.

“When we got to that point and we cut it to six, I thought we had it. I thought this was our game,” said head coach Steve Donahue in the post-game press conference.

However, the No. 2 team in the country –– led by Cousins and freshman guard Eric Bledsoe’s 8-of-10 performance from the free-throw line –– was able to pile it on down the stretch and quell any chance of a Cornell comeback. At 0:43, Bledsoe found freshman guard John Wall –– projected as this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick –– for the alley-oop to cement their team’s place in the Elite Eight.

For the third game in a row, Dale led the Red with 17 points while also grabbing four rebounds.

“We're just going out there trying to win. At the end of the day, I would be satisfied with zero points and a W,” Dale said.

Sophomore guard Darius Miller managed to effectively limit Wittman’s offensive potency, as Cornell’s leading-scorer was held to just 10 points and 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. That said, Wittman finishes the season having tallied double-figure point totals in 33 of the Red’s 34 contests.

“[Ryan] was 2-for-7. If he's 3-for-7, it's a good night. That's how crazy basketball is. Obviously we rely on making shots. That's how you're going to compete against that kind of athleticism,” Donahue said.

Kentucky held Cornell to both its lowest field-goal percentage (33.3) and points in a game (45) on the season, and also kept the nation’s top 3-point shooting team to just 5-of-21. Even when the Red players were able to shake their defenders and get an open look, the shots just weren’t falling.

“Sometimes you just have games like that where they don't go down. But they've got a lot of length on defense, obviously. Something we had to get a little bit adjusted to. I don't think Temple and Wisconsin quite had the length on the perimeter that they do,” Wittman said.

The also Wildcats notched 15 points off fastbreak opportunities to the Red’s zero, while holding Cornell’s bench scoreless.

On the other end, the Red held the Wildcats to their second-lowest point total in 2009-10 and successfully minimized damage from the perimeter. However, despite connecting on only 2-of-16 from outside, Kentucky still shot 44 percent overall for the game. Both teams shot 61.5 percent from the charity stripe, although the Wildcats had twice as many free-throw opportunities.

So ends the greatest season in the history of Cornell basketball, with the Red finishing 29-5. The 2010 senior class concludes its four-year careers with 88 wins –– the most among a single class in school history and the fourth-highest total in the Ivy League.

“What this group accomplished is almost surreal, what's gone on the last two weeks. I've been in this league for 20 years and I have had three NBA players on one team that didn't accomplish nearly what this team accomplished. I know it sounds corny, but they love each other more than any other team in this tournament, in my opinion. That's why we're good,” Donahue said.

With 35 seconds remaining and the Wildcats matching their largest lead of the game at 17, Donahue brought in his reserves. And as the Red starters took a seat on the bench –– for what would be the last time for four of them in a Cornell uniform –– they did so to a chant that could not have been more appropriate: “Thank you seniors.”

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News and Notes: Seton Hall Job Filled

During the last month, Cornell's head coach, Steve Donahue was widely mentioned as a hiring target of the coaching searches at Fordham, Seton Hall and St. John's.

As of today, two of those positions are filled. Two weeks ago Fordham hired Hofstra coach, Tom Pecora. Several sources today are reporting that Iona coach, Kevin Willard has taken the head coaching position at Seton Hall.

In other coaching transactions today, Siena head coach Fran McCaffrey has accepted the head coaching position at Iowa.

While the vacancies at Siena, Iona and Hofstra could be attractive to Ivy League coaches such as Donahue, sources have reported to The Cornell Basketball Blog that Donahue would be unlikely to consider a position at a mid-major level unless it involved a relocation to the Philadelphia area. Nevertheless, it is still to early too tell where Donahue will be next fall.

See the related reports below:

• New Jersey Star Ledger
• New Jersey Star Ledger
• CentralJersey.com
• NorthJersey.com
• SBNation.com
  

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