Ivy League Sports

By Jeremy Hartigan, Cornell University

It’s been a slow build for head coach Steve Donahue, but now the Cornell men’s basketball program is on a solid foundation.

During the 2004-05 season, an experienced Big Red team exceeded every expectation but its own. A second-place Ivy League finish and the most wins by a Big Red team in eight years helped earn Donahue the Ancient Eight’s Coach of the Year honors from CollegeInsider.com.

Despite these successes, the graduation losses of 1,000-point scorers Cody Toppert and Eric Taylor have made some observers count out Cornell for 2005-06. While the names may have changed, a talented and deep roster point to the fact that the Big Red should again contend for the Ivy League championship.

Lenny Collins enters his senior season ready to take the leadership reigns so ably filled by Taylor, the program’s first-ever three-year captain. A first-team All-Ivy pick a season ago the former conference Rookie of the Year, Collins headlines a team with a good mix of experience and youthful exuberance.

Classmates and fellow tri-captains David Lisle and Ryan Rourke will also play an important role on a team that will feature six newcomers, including several who will be expected to contribute right away.

As usual, a schedule built with national powers and old rivals will help the Big Red prepare for Ancient Eight competition. A contest against Washington, a No. 1 seed in last year’s NCAA tournament, and a possible matchup against Syracuse in the second round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic will highlight the schedule. Games against defending Patriot League champion Bucknell, as well as Penn State and Long Beach State, will also help Cornell tune up for its Ivy League slate.

Cornell’s frontcourt appears to be its strength as seniors Collins and Rourke lead the returners.

Both are expected to be All-Ivy candidates and leaders for an otherwise young team.

Collins has earned the respect of the League’s head coaches, earning first-team All-Ivy accolades a season ago after pacing the squad in scoring (13.3 ppg) and assists (2.4 apg), while also recording 4.9 rebounds per contest. The versatile 6-foot-6 small forward also set career highs in shooting percentage (45 percent), 3-point field goal percentage (41 percent) and free-throw percentage (84 percent).

One of the league’s elite defenders, he enters his final season ranked seventh all-time at Cornell in steals (117). Collins also excelled in the classroom, earning first-team Academic All-District honors from ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA.

Rourke had to make an adjustment to the Division I game in his first season at Cornell in 2004-05. He closed out the year in impressive fashion, flashing the skills that make him a candidate to earn All-League honors as a senior. The team’s second-leading scorer last year in Ivy League play (9.8 ppg), Rourke averaged 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in the final nine games a year ago.

The starter at center will be up in the air for the first time in four seasons as Taylor graduated last spring as a 1,000-point scorer and the top rebounder at Cornell in more than 40 years. Junior Andrew Naeve will battle junior college transfer Jason Hartford for minutes in the post.

Naeve brings tremendous energy to the floor and has shown constant improvement throughout his career. He averaged 3.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 13.4 minutes per game a season ago off the bench and raised those numbers to 5.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in the final 10 contests of the year.

Hartford is a skilled newcomer who starred at Chemeketa Community College a season ago, averaging 15.5 points and 7.2 rebounds and shooting 68 percent from the field. The former high school state player of the year in Oregon, Hartford has the size (6-9, 230) and strength to be able to be a tremendous presence on both ends of the floor.

Another first-year player who could make an immediate impact is junior Ugo Ihekweazu, who becomes eligible after sitting out the 2004-05 season. An undersized power forward at just 6-5, the former track star and transfer from Wofford makes up for his lack of size with strength and athleticism.

Junior Jason Mitchell also looks to play an increased role off the bench after seeing time in 20 games as a reserve last season, and freshman Brian Kreefer has tremendous high school credentials as a first-team all-state selection at Ohio’s East Liverpool High School.

With Toppert, a four-year starter, having graduated, the Cornell backcourt will take a much different look this season, but will be even deeper than it was a season ago from top to bottom. Lisle, junior Graham Dow and sophomore Khaliq Gant form a talented and experienced nucleus to build around in the backcourt.

Lisle gives Donahue defense, toughness and constant effort. As a key reserve and spot starter each of the last three seasons, Lisle has provided consistent play and has improved each season. As a junior, Lisle saw action in 25 games and averaged 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds per contest, including season highs of 11 points and eight rebounds against Harvard.

Dow emerged as a premier point guard once Ivy League play started, averaging 6.1 points, 4.0 assists and 2.7 steals in conference action, while shooting 50 percent from the floor. He missed the final five games of the season with an injury that has since healed.

Gant showed flashes of becoming a solid Ivy League guard as a freshman and looks to build on that after putting in some hard work in the offseason. Gant is an outstanding shooter from beyond the arc, draining 42 percent of his efforts and connecting on 44 percent of his shots overall.

Junior Kevin App returns as one of the team’s hardest working players. App is a cerebral player with outstanding 3-point range and good leadership skills.

Several newcomers are eyeing immediate playing time as well and will push the returners for spots in the rotation, and freshmen Jason Battle, Adam Gore and Conor Mullen each have a tremendous opportunity to see significant time.