This was a momentous weekend for Ivy League basketball. First-place Princeton ran its winning streak to 13 games (10 in Ivy competition) in dominant fashion. Penn, meanwhile, snagged the No. 4 slot in the Ivy standings, erasing a Columbia four-game lead over the Red and Blue in the standings in just nine days courtesy of an equally dominant road sweep of Brown and Yale, a watermark back-to-back sequence for a long dormant program.
Princeton takes care of business at Brown, 66-51, stays undefeated in Ivy play
The Tigers dispatched the Brown Bears in Providence last night with a workman-like 66-51 effort to run their Ivy record to 10-0. The most noteworthy factor in this one was the reemergence of Pete Miller as a force at both ends of the court. The 6’10” senior saw his playing time decline precipitously in early February to single-digit minutes. Against the Bears, Miller was in the floor for 29 minutes while contributing 10 points and four rebounds.
Princeton clinches Ivy League Tournament berth with 71-52 win at Yale
The Tigers became the first team to qualify for the Ivy League Tournament by defeating Yale, 71-52, on Friday in New Haven. Princeton’s ninth straight Ivy win (and 12th straight overall) was the first for Tiger skipper Mitch Henderson in John J. Lee Amphitheater.
Ray Curren, writing for NYC Buckets, described the game as a “complete performance” by the visitors and, indeed, it was. Devin Cannady demonstrated why he is one of the deadliest “catch and shoot” guys in the country. He caught fire early and often. His 20 first-half points propelled the Tigers to a most unexpected nine-point cushion at the break, 38-29. For the evening, the Indiana sophomore tied his career high with 29, including a ridiculous 7-for-8 from long range.
Ivy women’s update – Feb. 17, 2017
With three weeks left in the regular season, we’d like to update the readers on the women’s basketball results.
On the Vine – Feb. 16, 2017
On the Vine welcomes two very special guests – Dartmouth Director of Basketball Operations Scott Waterman and Yale Undergraduate Sports Analytics Group President Luke Benz.
Waterman discusses what has fueled Dartmouth’s gradual progress over the course of this season under new head coach David McLaughlin, and Benz highlights the games to watch out for in the race for the Ivy League Tournament No. 4 seed – while both consider the use of analytics in basketball scouting and fandom, respectively.
In addition to Waterman and Benz, hosts Peter Andrews and Mike Tony are joined by IHO writer George Clark.
On the Vine program alert
Dartmouth Director of Basketball Operations Scott Waterman and Yale Undergraduate Sports Analytics Group President Luke Benz are set to join IHO writer George Clark and hosts Peter Andrews and Mike Tony for this week’s podcast episode of On the Vine. Listen live Thursday at 7 p.m. EST and send questions for the panel at Mixlr here.
Second division looking for a second wind
After a crazy first full weekend of conference play, a definite separation has developed between Princeton, Harvard and Yale and the remainder of the league .
1) Princeton 8-0 (wins versus Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn x 2)
T-2) Yale 6-2 (wins versus Columbia, Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown x 2)
T-2) Harvard 6-2 (wins versus Yale, Brown, Penn, Cornell, Dartmouth x 2)
4) Columbia 4-4 (wins versus Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth)
T-5) Brown 2-6 (wins versus Penn, Cornell)
T-5) Penn 2-6 (wins versus Columbia, Cornell)
T-5) Cornell 2-6 (wins versus Columbia, Dartmouth)
T-5) Dartmouth 2-6 (wins versus Brown, Penn)
Looking at the standings, nine wins will give a team an automatic spot in the four-team postseason tournament. At this time, Princeton is one win away, while Yale and Harvard are three away. Barring a complete collapse from any of these teams, three quarters of the tournament are close to being set.
Despite being swept by Penn and Princeton this past weekend, Columbia still has the upper hand for the last spot in the tournament since the Lions have a two-game lead and is the only remaining team that can get to nine victories. If Columbia cannot win at least five of its last six, then things get more complicated.
Makai Mason reportedly to become grad transfer in 2018
Yale point guard Makai Mason will play for the Elis in the 2017-18 season and become a graduate transfer following that season, according to Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports.
Mason was a standout during Yale’s NCAA Tournament run last season but was injured in a scrimmage in November, reportedly needing to undergo surgery to repair his foot.
Mason’s apparent decision to play for the Bulldogs in 2017-18 indicates the junior has remained enrolled at Yale rather than withdrawing from school.
Last season, Mason averaged 16.0 points, 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game and added 31 points in Yale’s NCAA Tournament first-round win over Baylor.
Ivy weekend roundup – Feb. 13, 2017
As IHO writer Rob Browne pointed out to me Sunday night, this was a topsy-turvy weekend for Ivy hoops. Comebacks came and went, winning and losing streaks were snapped and the race for the league tournament No. 4 seed got muddled:
Princeton extends winning streak to 11 games
After a weekend sweep at home against Cornell and Columbia, the Tigers have now played every other team in the league, Penn twice. With a perfect 8-0 record, Princeton is clear of the second-place Harvard Crimson and Yale Bulldogs by two full games and is in control of the No. 1 seed in next month’s Ivy League Tournament. The Tigers are easily within the top 100 teams as ranked by KenPom and Sagarin, while Harvard and Yale are outside. It is doubtful that either team will leapfrog the Tigers, even if one or both of them finish the regular season tied with Princeton. The top seed is crucial for the team that gets it. If it’s Princeton, that means Yale and Harvard will play each other in the tournament.