A Done Deal: Penn

If ever a headline can be written before the story occurs, this is it.

"PENN WINS 1993-94 IVY LEAGUE TITLE."

That's right. The fat lady's sung on this one. It's over. The lights are out. "The refrigerator door," as old-time Lakers announcer Chick Hearn was apt to say, "is shut."

With its entire rotation returning from a squad that went 22-5 last year and swept through the Ivy League undefeated, Penn looks like a lock for its second consecutive conference championship.

Perennial contender Princeton could mount a challenge for the title, but even the strong Tiger squad will be hard-pressed to keep pace with the Quakers.

After the top two favorites? A pack of teams will likely end up jockeying for position in this wide-open, rough-and-tumble Ivy League race.

Following, in order, are the Crimson staff's official picks for the 1993-94 Ivy League men's basketball race.

Pennsylvania

Just how loaded is this team? Well, consider that its best player last season, League MVP Jerome Allen, was only the third leading scorer on the squad. And his backcourt mate, All-Ivy first teamer Matt Maloney, was the top three-point shooter in the Ancient Eight.

The junior duo, clearly the best backcourt in the league, complements a front line full of athletic, experienced performers. All-Ivy second teamer Barry Pierce, a forward who was "surely first-team quality" according to one preseason magazine, works alongside center Eric Moore, forwards Shawn Trice, Tim Krug and Andy Barrata.

Depth and talent are not this team's problems. In fact, winning its first-round NCAA game will probably be the first big challenge of its season. Anything less than 14-0 in league playwould be, in the words of one writer at Penn'sstudent daily, "a huge disappointment."

Princeton

In previous years, writers would have taken onelook at this squad and chalked up another IvyLeague title for Princeton. The Tigers, after all,formed a virtual dynasty during the 1980s.

Princeton Coach Pete Carril's troops slipped toa shocking fourth-place league finish last yearand even lost to lowly Brown near the end of theseason. Hypotheses abound as to why. The 1991-92League Rookie of the Year Rick Hielscher, a 6'9"center, suffered a poor sophomore year. The Tigerslacked experience. They went only 4-3 at homeafter having won 50 of 56 over the previous fiveseasons.

But the biggest problem, according to storiedcoach Carril, lay in Princeton's traditionalstrong point: defense. As Carril noted afterPrinceton narrowly beat Harvard last year inBriggs Cage, "We just can't guard anyone."

This year, it should be a different story. Withsix players who have started at least one gamecoming back, Carril possesses a solid nucleus.Hielscher, senior co-captains Chris Mooney andMike Brennan, and guard Chris Yetman will likelymake the biggest contributions. Unfortunately forPrinceton fans, it won't be enough.

Brown

After Penn and Princeton, the rest of theleague race becomes murky. Many of the preseasonmagazines tabbed Cornell to finish third, but theleague's preseason media poll picked Brown by anarrow margin. The vote here goes to the Bears.

Coach Frank "Happy" Dobbs is in his third year,and after two tough seasons, he and his team areready to repay old debts. "Our toughest opponentis ourselves," Dobbs said. "This is a talentedteam who will be competitive in every game."

Brown will rely heavily on its backcourt, whichfeatures flashy sophomore Eric Blackiston anddependable junior Alan Cole. They and sophomoresSteve Silas and Brian Lloyd provide the meat to awide-open offensive attack.

Offense won't be the Bears' problem. If Dobbsis to win, though, he will need to find a reliablefrontline. Juniors Joel Koplik and Darrin Bradleyand sophomore James Joseph provide some muscle,but don't be surprised if freshmen Chris Thanos orChris White step into the lineup right away.

Cornell

Although Coach Jan van Breda Kolff and lastseason's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, forwardPax Whitehead, left for Vanderbilt, Cornell willreturn three starters from a squad that surgedlate to finish third in the league last year.

The strength of the team lies in forwards ZekeMarshall and Justin Treadwell, the league's thirdleading rebounder. Freshman Jeremy Flagel, a 6'7"forward who played on the Washington state highschool championship team, could help add to theteam's imposing frontline immediately.

The biggest challenge for Cornell will be toreplace its starting backcourt, which consisted ofspeedy defensive whiz Mike Parker and the league'sfifth-leading scorer, Jeff Gaca. Freshman JohnMichael Roberts, who averaged 20 points per gameat Andover, may be the answer.

Dartmouth

Change is the watchword in Hanover this year.Senior guard Dave Frame, junior forward JamieHalligan and sophomore forward Jacob Capps willanchor the Big Green, but almost nothing elseabout the lineup is settled.

With center Crawford Palmer, the Duke transfer,having played out his one-year wonder tour of theIvy League, Dartmouth once again has a hole in themiddle. Freshmen big men Chris Butler and BiranGilpin could provide help, but Coach Dave Faucherremains cautious.

The dimunitive Faucher has been quoted in onepreseason magazine as saying, "There's an oldsaying that experience is what you get when youdon't get what you want. The veterans all knowthat playing time is not guaranteed." Ouch.

Harvard

But improving.

Yale

You gotta feel for these guys. Just when theyget something going, they lose it.

After suffering a series of close defeats earlyin their schedule last season, the Elis regroupedto beat Princeton twice and post a respectable 6-8league record. Now, though, they've suddenly lostfive of their top players to graduation, and it'sback to the proverbial drawing board for coachDick Kuchen.

Senior guards Josh Jennings and Damon Franklinwill hold down the backcourt amid the departure ofstars Rob Connolly and Dave Brown. As for thefrontcourt, Sean Fitzgerald, Andy Karazim andBernie Colson will be joined by a host of talentedfreshmen.

Will it be enough, though? One gets thesuspicion that just when something good happens toYale...

Columbia

Last year, everyone agreed that the Lions wouldbe good. This year, everyone agrees that they'llbe bad. This is what happens when a team's top sixplayers are all seniors.

The league's preseason media poll this yearplaced Columbia in dead last by a large margin,and for good reason. With the league's leadingscorer, Buck Jenkins, and his mates Tom Casey, ParDowning and Omar Sanders all gone, Coach JackRohan will enter this year with considerably lowerexpectations than he did last season.

Rohan, a highly-respected figure at Columbiawho even teaches some physical education classes,will have to hope for quick maturation by a castof thus far underexposed players, includingseniors Jamal Adams and Steve Marisch up front andsenior J.J. Waterer and junior Ty Buckelew atguard.

But he probably won't get it

Princeton

In previous years, writers would have taken onelook at this squad and chalked up another IvyLeague title for Princeton. The Tigers, after all,formed a virtual dynasty during the 1980s.

Princeton Coach Pete Carril's troops slipped toa shocking fourth-place league finish last yearand even lost to lowly Brown near the end of theseason. Hypotheses abound as to why. The 1991-92League Rookie of the Year Rick Hielscher, a 6'9"center, suffered a poor sophomore year. The Tigerslacked experience. They went only 4-3 at homeafter having won 50 of 56 over the previous fiveseasons.

But the biggest problem, according to storiedcoach Carril, lay in Princeton's traditionalstrong point: defense. As Carril noted afterPrinceton narrowly beat Harvard last year inBriggs Cage, "We just can't guard anyone."

This year, it should be a different story. Withsix players who have started at least one gamecoming back, Carril possesses a solid nucleus.Hielscher, senior co-captains Chris Mooney andMike Brennan, and guard Chris Yetman will likelymake the biggest contributions. Unfortunately forPrinceton fans, it won't be enough.

Brown

After Penn and Princeton, the rest of theleague race becomes murky. Many of the preseasonmagazines tabbed Cornell to finish third, but theleague's preseason media poll picked Brown by anarrow margin. The vote here goes to the Bears.

Coach Frank "Happy" Dobbs is in his third year,and after two tough seasons, he and his team areready to repay old debts. "Our toughest opponentis ourselves," Dobbs said. "This is a talentedteam who will be competitive in every game."

Brown will rely heavily on its backcourt, whichfeatures flashy sophomore Eric Blackiston anddependable junior Alan Cole. They and sophomoresSteve Silas and Brian Lloyd provide the meat to awide-open offensive attack.

Offense won't be the Bears' problem. If Dobbsis to win, though, he will need to find a reliablefrontline. Juniors Joel Koplik and Darrin Bradleyand sophomore James Joseph provide some muscle,but don't be surprised if freshmen Chris Thanos orChris White step into the lineup right away.

Cornell

Although Coach Jan van Breda Kolff and lastseason's Ivy League Rookie of the Year, forwardPax Whitehead, left for Vanderbilt, Cornell willreturn three starters from a squad that surgedlate to finish third in the league last year.

The strength of the team lies in forwards ZekeMarshall and Justin Treadwell, the league's thirdleading rebounder. Freshman Jeremy Flagel, a 6'7"forward who played on the Washington state highschool championship team, could help add to theteam's imposing frontline immediately.

The biggest challenge for Cornell will be toreplace its starting backcourt, which consisted ofspeedy defensive whiz Mike Parker and the league'sfifth-leading scorer, Jeff Gaca. Freshman JohnMichael Roberts, who averaged 20 points per gameat Andover, may be the answer.

Dartmouth

Change is the watchword in Hanover this year.Senior guard Dave Frame, junior forward JamieHalligan and sophomore forward Jacob Capps willanchor the Big Green, but almost nothing elseabout the lineup is settled.

With center Crawford Palmer, the Duke transfer,having played out his one-year wonder tour of theIvy League, Dartmouth once again has a hole in themiddle. Freshmen big men Chris Butler and BiranGilpin could provide help, but Coach Dave Faucherremains cautious.

The dimunitive Faucher has been quoted in onepreseason magazine as saying, "There's an oldsaying that experience is what you get when youdon't get what you want. The veterans all knowthat playing time is not guaranteed." Ouch.

Harvard

But improving.

Yale

You gotta feel for these guys. Just when theyget something going, they lose it.

After suffering a series of close defeats earlyin their schedule last season, the Elis regroupedto beat Princeton twice and post a respectable 6-8league record. Now, though, they've suddenly lostfive of their top players to graduation, and it'sback to the proverbial drawing board for coachDick Kuchen.

Senior guards Josh Jennings and Damon Franklinwill hold down the backcourt amid the departure ofstars Rob Connolly and Dave Brown. As for thefrontcourt, Sean Fitzgerald, Andy Karazim andBernie Colson will be joined by a host of talentedfreshmen.

Will it be enough, though? One gets thesuspicion that just when something good happens toYale...

Columbia

Last year, everyone agreed that the Lions wouldbe good. This year, everyone agrees that they'llbe bad. This is what happens when a team's top sixplayers are all seniors.

The league's preseason media poll this yearplaced Columbia in dead last by a large margin,and for good reason. With the league's leadingscorer, Buck Jenkins, and his mates Tom Casey, ParDowning and Omar Sanders all gone, Coach JackRohan will enter this year with considerably lowerexpectations than he did last season.

Rohan, a highly-respected figure at Columbiawho even teaches some physical education classes,will have to hope for quick maturation by a castof thus far underexposed players, includingseniors Jamal Adams and Steve Marisch up front andsenior J.J. Waterer and junior Ty Buckelew atguard.

But he probably won't get it