2008 Ivy League Hoops Preview

The determined style of the Big Red’s top three players, junior small forward Ryan Wittman and guards Louis Dale and Adam Gore, sets the tone for the team. After the trio was disappointed by the Big Red’s blowout loss against Stanford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, each will light a fire under the defending Ivy League champions. Dale (13.7 ppg, 4.9 apg) runs the show at the point and last season became only the second sophomore to be named Ivy League Player of the Year. The 6'6" Wittman (15.1 ppg), who is one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters, joined Dale on the all-league first team, while Gore (10.2 ppg) and 7'0" center Jeff Foote (7.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) made the all-league second team. Coach Steve Donahue has even more experience in starting center/forward Alex Tyler and junior guard Geoff Reeves.

2. Penn (13–18, 8–6)

The Quakers don’t have their usual stars, but the perennial league power may have more overall depth than any other team. The concern is that the strength of the team is in the younger classes, similar to what Cornell had going into last season. Coach Glen Miller’s top three returning starters are sophomores — shooting guard Tyler Bernardini (12.9 ppg), the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year, forward Jack Eggleston and point guard Harrison Gaines. The five-member freshman class is the league’s best, led by point guard Zack Rosen and forward Mike Howlett. Shooting guard Darren Smith, a starter in 2006-07, and forward Tommy McMahon return after missing last season with injuries. 

3. Harvard (8–22, 3–11)

Talk about whetting the appetite. In coach Tommy Amaker’s first season the Crimson beat Michigan, his former school, and had their first weekend sweep of Penn and Princeton since 1986-87. Now the Crimson are hungry for a move into the top half of the league. They have a strong backcourt with junior Jeremy Lin (12.6 ppg, league-high 58 steals), and seniors Andrew Pusar and Drew Housman, who must shake off a subpar season. The only Ivy team to return all five starters, the Crimson also boast Pat Magnarelli (10.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and forward Evan Harris (10.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg). Sixth man Dan McGeary leads a deep bench that includes sophomore forward Kyle Fitzgerald, junior guard Darryl Finkton and touted freshmen guards Max Kenyi and Oliver McNally.

4. Brown (19–10, 11–3)

A trip to Belgium and France in August gave the Bears a jumpstart to the Jesse Agel era. Agel served for two seasons under Craig Robinson, who left for Oregon State in the offseason. The new coach will run a hybrid of the Princeton offense with lots of motion and spacing. That should help the strong frontcourt of 6'6" senior Chris Skrelja (8.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.1 apg), one of the league’s more well-rounded players, and forwards Matt Mullery, Peter Sullivan, Scott Friske, Chris Taylor and Noel Hollingsworth. Sophomore point guard Adrian Williams will run the offense.

5. Yale (13–15, 7–7)

The Bulldogs were a bit of a disappointment last season after being picked second in the league’s preseason poll. With four starters gone, you might think things are headed in the wrong direction. You might be wrong. Yale has finished at least .500 in the league for eight straight seasons under James Jones, and the veteran coach figures to find a way to keep this team competitive. Much depends on sophomore point guard Porter Braswell replacing three-year starter Eric Flato and shooting guard Alex Zampier raising his play. Senior power forward Ross Morin (10.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and small forward Travis Pinick, a fierce rebounder, both made the all-league second team, while center Paul Nelson rounds out the starting unit. The bench has question marks, although 6'10" freshman center Greg Mangano will help, and point guard Chris Andrews provides senior leadership.

6. Princeton (6–23, 3–11)

Second-year coach Sydney Johnson hopes the way he utilized many players during the Tigers’ worst season will pay off with a turnaround. Potential success starts in the middle with junior center Zach Finley (10.2 ppg), who is inconsistent but capable of big games. Fellow juniors Lincoln Gunn and Marcus Schroeder, a pair of guards, also need to be steadier for a program that was 0–16 away from Jadwin Gym. Senior guard Jason Briggs, junior swingman Nick Lake and sophomore forward Kareem Maddox figure to turn strong late-season play into key roles. Johnson’s first recruiting class is five-deep and led by swingman Patrick Saunders and point guard Max Huc.

7. Columbia (14–15, 7–7)

The best way to replace a standout senior class is with a strong six-member freshman class. Point guard Chris Crockett, off guard Noruwa Agho and forwards Issa Mase and Blaise Staab are all part of the influential new group. Still, coach Joe Jones will rely on returning players, including junior shooting guard Niko Scott (7.7 ppg), the only returning starter. Scott and junior point guard Patrick Foley, perhaps the team’s best player (who played only nine games because of a shoulder injury), could be double-figure scorers. Senior K.J. Matsui comes off the bench as the best 3-point shooter in program history.

8. Dartmouth (10–18, 3–11)

No player does more for his team than small forward Alex Barnett, who averaged 15.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last season while also playing some of the league’s best defense (33 steals, 33 blocked shots). What the Big Green need is for Barnett’s teammates to step up and provide some help. Coach Terry Dunn has interchangeable parts and a good-sized frontcourt, including 6'9" Elgin Fitzgerald, 6'9" Kurt Graeber, 7'0" John Marciano and 6'8" Jarrett Mathis, who has battled knee problems. The backcourt lost No. 2 scorer DeVon Mosley, who left the program, so sophomore Ronnie Dixon will be given a chance to step in.