M. Basketball Ivy League Preview

For the past 11 years, only two teams have ended atop the Ivy League standings at the end of the season: Penn and Princeton.

But for the first time in years, there are some vulnerabilities to exploit in these ironclad programs.

Both the Quakers and the Tigers are facing huge overhauls in their starting lineups, and new Princeton Coach John Thompson III, son of the legendary Georgetown coach, only accentuates the Tigers' uncertainties.

Thus, the traditionally second-tier teams in the league may finally have their chance at the coveted Ivy title.

Outside of the perennial powers, most of the teams will return a vast majority of their starters from last year. Along with Princeton and Penn, Columbia, Brown and Harvard all have a legitimate shot of challenging for the Ivy League title.

The Lions, sharing the third place last season with the Crimson, return all five starters including All-Ivy selection Craig Austin. Brown seeks to make a giant leap behind arguably the two best returning players in the league from last season.

Meanwhile, Dartmouth, Yale and Cornell are expected to remain at the lower end of the spectrum. Of these teams, Dartmouth should remain competitive, with three of its starters and a key academic redshirt returning for the season. The Bulldogs' success depends upon their crop of freshman, while Cornell hopes to rebuild under a new head coach.

The media's preseason poll still places Quakers atop the projected League standings.

1. Pennsylvania

Gone are the puns concerning Michael Jordan, the 6' point guard who dominated the Ivy League wearing the familiar number 23 for Penn (21-8, 14-0 Ivy) last season.

Though cut by the Celtics in his inaugural NBA campaign, Jordan keyed an unstoppable Quaker team which rampaged the Ivy League last season, finishing the season undefeated in the league.

However, in addition to Ivy League Player of the Year Jordan, the Quakers also lose starters Matt Langel and Frank Brown, who combined for 34 points per game last season.

Fortunately, Penn received a huge boost during the off-season, as fifth year senior center Geoff Owens received an extra year of eligibility. Owens' inside presence, having finished last year with 54 blocks, along with the return of Ivy Rookie of the Year Ugonna Onyekwe, should turn the Quakers of last year into a dominating frontcourt team this year.

Sophomore Dave Klatsky, who saw significant playing time behind Jordan last season, should step in to guide the offense. The biggest question mark will be the shooting guard position, where three relatively untested reserves battle for the starting role.

Regardless of these changes, 12-year Coach Fran Dunphy remains confident that the championship banner shall remain at The Palestra and that there will be another March Madness appearance for the Quakers.

2. Princeton

It would be an understatement to say that changes have occurred at perennial powerhouse Princeton (19-11, 11-3).

The hiring of Thompson strikes prominently as the main headline in a tumultuous off-season for the program.

Former Coach Bill Carmody, longtime understudy of Princeton legend Pete Carill, bolted to Northwestern and its alluring Big Ten spotlight. That led to the hiring of former Princeton star Thompson, who graduated in 1988.

The overhaul did not end there however. The wave of departures from Princeton spread onto the court as well, leaving the frontcourt in shambles. In addition to the graduation of team leader Mason Rocca, center Chris Younga--who undoubtedly would have been the best returning player in the Ivy League this season--shocked the team by forgoing his college basketball eligibility. He signed a professional baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a third-round draft pick. The 6'11 center dominated in the Ivy League last season, leading the league in blocks with 90. Young also led the team in scoring and rebounding last season.

Compounding problems for Thompson is the transfer of sophomore guard Spencer Gloger to UCLA. Gloger (11.6 ppg) had started as a freshman last season in the Tigers' backcourt.

Furthermore, forward Ray Robins, also a starter last season, decided to take the year off.

This leaves the new coach with a mountain of problems to overcome, with no returning starters averaging more than eight points per game. C.J. Chapman returns as the only reliable scorer. The 6'1 guard is 11th all-time in three-point shooting for Princeton. Junior Ahmed El-Nokali (6.5 ppg) will remain the starting point guard for the Tigers.

Senior Nate Walton, who saw extensive time off the bench last season, along with sophomore Kris Krug, will likely step into the frontcourt for Princeton. Thompson will undoubtedly look for immediate contribution from his freshmen, especially highly touted guard Ed Persia.

No matter how these newcomers contribute, Princeton will probably fall back into the middle of the pack in the league, and reliving the past glories of the NCAA and NIT Tournaments will be doubtful at best this season.

3. Harvard

Please see team preview, Page C-1.

4. Columbia

Returning all five of its starters from last season, Columbia (13-14, 7-7) seeks to contend for its first Ivy League title since 1968.

Though predicted to finish last by the media last season, the Lions showed promise at the end of last year, winning three out of their last four games to finish the season at .500 in the league.

Junior forward Craig Austin, the first Columbia player named to the All-Ivy team in seven years, will lead a potent Lions attack. As the first sophomore captain since the 1977-78 season, Austin finished the season as the team's leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points per game.

The 6'6 Austin will be complemented in the frontcourt by junior swingman Joe Case and junior forward Mike McBrien. Case returns as the top three-point threat in the league while also leading the team in rebounding last season (5.5 rpg). The versatile McBrien, who plays all three frontcourt positions, can also threaten from outside, shooting 52 percent from beyond the arc last season.

Senior guard Trey Duerkson, an aptly-named player who also shot above 40 percent from three-point range last season, will complement the high scoring Columbia frontcourt.

Coach Armond Hill's one question mark will be at the point guard position, as injuries slowed junior Victor Munoz last season, allowing him to start in only 11 games. Fellow junior Derrick Mayo, who replaced Munoz for part of last season, will challenge for the starting position. Also, watch for Maurice Murphy, who could see time immediately in the Lions' backcourt. Newcomer Murphy comes in as one of the top five point guards from Washington.

5. Dartmouth

Though the Big Green returns four starters, Dartmouth (9-18, 5-9) will feel the effects of losing scoring leader Shaun Gee, fourth all-time in school scoring.

To compensate, the Big Green will burden senior guard Greg Buth with the scoring responsibilities. Buth finished third in the league last year in scoring with nearly 17 points per game. Point guard Flinter Boyd, 11th in the nation in assists last season at 6.96 per game, will distribute the ball to Buth.

However, the remaining starters from last season will be mainly role players. Senior center Ian McGinnis and sophomore forward Vedad Osmanovic form a solid frontcourt.

Dartmouth will receive a boost from the return of redshirt sophomore Charles Harris, who started as a freshman before sitting out last season.

Although ranked poorly by the media poll, expect Dartmouth, with its wealth of experience, to play well in the Ivy League.

6. Cornell

The Big Red fell way short of expectations last season. Picked to finish fourth in the Ivy last season, Cornell (10-17, 3-11) was the cellar dwellers throughout the year. New Coach Steve Donahue, a former Penn assistant, hopes to re-energize a deflated team.

A core group of players return from last season, as four of the five starters head back to Ithaca. With a transfer, a freshman and an inexperienced point guard as starters last year, the Big Red never really gelled on offense.

However, with the year of experience playing together, the Cornell starters should show marked improvements.

Senior forward Ray Mercedes, who led the Big Red in scoring for the third straight season (14.8 ppg), will once again figure in the offensive attack. A flexible player, Mercedes can score from the outside and on the low post. Joining Mercedes in the frontcourt, center Greg Barratt brings a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game average.

An experienced backcourt leads the way for the Big Red, as junior point guard Wallace Prather, who showed flashes of brilliance last season, returns for his third season as a starter. Sophomore David Muller and senior David Cuttica, who led Cornell off the bench last season, will complete a veteran backcourt trio.

7. Brown

The Bears' two leading scorers return for their sophomore seasons as Brown (8-19, 4-10) looks to improve dramatically from its lackluster performance last season.

Sophomores Alai Nuualiitia and Earl Hunt headline a promising Bears team that returns four starters from last season for second-year Coach Glenn Miller. Hunt's play should be the key, as the swingman finished the season first in scoring in Ivy League games (18.8 ppg) while registering four double-doubles. Nuualiitia posted the 10th-highest scoring average in the league (13.3 ppg).

Miller will rely upon the return of junior forward Shaun Etheridge, who missed 20 games last season with a foot injury. Etheridge entered last season as the Bears' leading scorer. Also returning for Brown will be junior forward Josh Meyer, who averaged 7.7 points per game.

Junior guard Omari Ware will run the show for the Bears. Considered the best athlete on the team, Ware will pair with junior guard Jesse Wood, who made 51 three-pointers last season.

With its abundance of underclassmen, Brown will undoubtedly challenge for the title next season, if not sooner.

8. Yale

After starting 5-3 in league games last year, a promising season for Yale (7-20, 5-9) fell apart as the Bulldogs lost their last six league games.

The Elis and second-year Coach James Jones hope to build around Neil Yanke, a 6'11 center returning for his senior season. Yanke finished the season second in rebounding in the league (7.8 rpg) and fourth in blocked shots with 43.

Sophomore guard Chris Leanza will balance Yanke in the Bulldogs' inside-outside attack. Leanza led Yale in assists (87), three-pointers (51) and free-throw shooting (78.2 percent) as a freshman, accumulating three Ivy Rookie of the Week honors.

With the departure of All-Ivy guard Onaje Woodbine, senior guard Isaiah Cavaco must stay healthy for the Bulldogs to be competitive. Cavaco played in only five games last season after leading the team two years ago in assists and three-pointers.

Frontcourt questions persist for Yale as sophomore Bill Parkhurst returns as the only forward with playing experience. The Bulldogs will depend upon freshman Paul Vitelli to step up and contribute immediately.