Ivy League Hoops
goober
Posts: 74
Reg: 11-22-05
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12-08-05 01:31 AM - Post#11509
Just some perspective for Cornell fans… Last year Cornell opened the season 3-5, just as it has this year. However,
last season Cornell’s three early wins came against lowly Ithaca College, Lafayette and St. Bonaventure. Those wins were struggles. None were by more than 5 points. Meanwhile, the losses were to Marist, Northeastern, Colgate, Quinnipiac and Bucknell. Thereafter, Cornell moved into Ivy League play and finished the year in second place.
In comparison, all three of this year’s wins (St. Francis-Pa, Colgate, Lehigh) were against D-I competition. The two Patriots are expected to finish 3rd and 4th in their league. Also, two of the victories were commanding double figure wins. The losses this year were at the hands of at Syracuse, at Penn State, at Hartford, at Lafayette, and Quinnipiac. Although, those last three losses were without the services of a healthy Jason Hartford.
Do not underestimate what the loss of Jason Hartford means to this club. When you talk about Jason Hartford, you are talking about a guy who in five games gave Cornell 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists each night (on 24 minutes) while shooting 54% from the floor and 44% on his three point attempts. Hartford is a key player (and the Cornell's best kept secret) and without him, Cornell's loses its only interior presence on the offensive end.
He's been sidelined since Monday November 29 and the plan was to have him sit for about 3-4 weeks. There is a possibility he is ready for Bucknell on December 17. A better shot for Army on December 20 and a more likely return for LBSU on December 30.
Even without Hartford, there is still no real excuse for this team's recent play. But the wheels have not fallen of the Big Red. They will get some nice tests against the Bucknell Bison and the Washington Huskies in prep
for Ivy play. I still think Cornell has a credible shot at winning the League.
Confidence is definitely lacking for these guys. A win at Bucknell could be a huge ego boost. As Steve D said it.... these guys need some swagger.
All of the teams in the League look vulnerable.
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Chuck
Masters Student
Posts: 995
Reg: 11-21-04
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Maybe the wheels have fallen off...
12-17-05 05:45 PM - Post#11510
In response to Ivy League Hoops
Bucknell leading Cornell by 29 with :58 left in the first half. Bucknell has a very nice team...but, this is almost a Princetonlike effort by the not so Big Red.
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TomPittsburgh
maximus
Posts: 538
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
Reg: 11-28-04
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Re: Maybe the wheels have fallen off...
12-17-05 07:00 PM - Post#11511
In response to Chuck
well Cornell got 39 points -- better than 21..but still a 44 point loss! What has happened to the Ivy League this year?
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Silver Maple
Postdoc
Posts: 3777
Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
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Re: Maybe the wheels have fallen off...
12-17-05 07:09 PM - Post#11512
In response to TomPittsburgh
I think the Ivies are about where they always are. Unable to compete with the upper echelon of Division 1. The real question is: what has happened to Bucknell? The answer is: what would happen to most Ivy teams if they were willing to award athletic scholarships (not that I'm saying they should, mind you, and let's not start that argument again).
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charcoal
Junior
Posts: 243
Loc: Dallas
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Maybe the wheels have fallen off...
12-17-05 07:16 PM - Post#11513
In response to Silver Maple
yes, feels almost like PU-Monmouth; on other hand, Bucknell seems headed to top 20 and mid-seed for NCAA's and not a 1-6 team without its best player...still, these kinds of losses for any of our schools hurt, and show how far there is to go to get beyond the Sacred Heart/St. Francis/Stony Brook level of the league's wins..... when we are playing against one another only we can fool ourselves, but losses like this and Tigers' woes reflect overall weakness of league
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