brown

Yale looks to keep rolling against Brown

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We are all aware that a No. 1 seed has never lost to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA men’s tourney. When Yale takes on Brown in New Haven Saturday, it will be a No. 1 vs. a No.8, and I don’t see No. 8 having a decent chance at a win.

The best thing that Brown has going for it is the one game dynamic over the weekend, which will assist its lack of depth. With the transfer of Justin Massey out of the program in December, Brown really is down to two star players, in longtime defensive specialist Cedric Kuakumensah and scorer and ball distributor Tavon Blackmon. That’s not enough weapons to stop Yale, especially on the road, as Brown ranks next to last among all Ivies in scoring defense and rebounding margin, two of Yale’s greatest strengths.

Justin Sears is still the top Ivy player and despite an eye injury, will be back in force on Saturday. Senior guard Nick Victor, the glue of the team, is shooting north of 50 percent from three-point range, Brandon Sherrod is tough on the boards and Makai Mason may be the best guard in the Ivies as only a sophomore. Jack Montague has not been shooting well, but can really light it up when on. Sophomore guard Eric Anderson is showing a lot more than expected off the bench. James Jones is the dean of the Ivy coaches and is as well versed in the league as anyone, coach or commentator.

Look for Yale to win easily at home.

Reading the Ivy tea leaves – Brown roundup

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Ian Halpern, IHO founder and writer:

Most looking forward to: Watching this team when they get out and run. They have a lot of backcourt talent and should be very fun to watch when they push the tempo and the threes are falling.

Expectations: Relying on youth is a dangerous proposition in the Ivy League. The Bears have a few too many newcomers to expect them to compete for a title, but I think Brown will surprise some people and win a few games they aren’t expected to. Ultimately, I expect a mid-conference finish within a game of .500.

Kevin McNamara, Providence Journal sportswriter:

For Brown to contend in the Ivies this season, we’ll have to see the very best of big man Cedric Kuakumensah. Cedric has shown superlative defensive effort for three years but this season Mike Martin needs his center to dominate on both ends of the floor. Kuakumensah is one of four returning starters at Brown and that experience must show through on a consistent basis. Point guard Tavon Blackmon made big gains last season and could emerge as one of the top guards in the Ivy this season.

Join in the fun. What do you expect from the Brown Bears in 2015-16? Kuakumensah-led sleeper contention for the Ivy crown? Another 10-loss conference campaign? Let us know in the comments below.

Brown Season Preview – Get Out and Run

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Coach Mike Martin enters his fourth season at the helm for the Bears, looking to improve on last season’s 4-10 Ivy record. With Martin’s early recruits coming of age and the addition of some under-the-radar talent, there’s reason for optimism in Providence.

First and foremost, this is Cedric Kuakumensah’s team, as the imposing senior center and captain looks to build upon the greatest defensive reputation in the league. Outside of Kuakumensah, the Bears will look to replace the contributions of reliable big man, Rafael Maia, and they’ll look to a young cast to do so. Watch out for Travis Fuller, the 6-9 freshman from Encinitas, Calif.  The early returns are positive on Fuller, as the skilled big man looks to fill Maia’s void in the frontcourt.

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Haiku Corner – Brown season preview edition

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Welcome to Haiku Corner, where we analyze what to look for with each Ivy squad this upcoming season, three lines at a time (with supporting links to boot):

King Kuakumensah

But who else inside now?

Must shore up the paint

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Rhythm from Blackmon

But don’t sleep on Daugherty

Or roster hiccups

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Brothers on the wing

Brothers on the greenery

Brothers in big arms

Former Brown forward Rafael Maia out indefinitely for Pitt

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Rafael Maia led the Ivy League in rebounding and field-goal percentage last season. (brownbears.com)
Rafael Maia led the Ivy League in rebounding and field-goal percentage last season. (brownbears.com)

Brown graduate transfer Rafael Maia will be out two weeks for Pitt with a right thumb injury sustained in a workout session earlier in the week, the school announced Friday.

Maia’s right hand is currently in a soft cast and will be reevaluated in two weeks. Maia averaged 10 points, 8.1 rebounds per game and 52.1 percent shooting from the field during his three-year collegiate career, played entirely at Brown up to this point.

Brown all-time moment No. 1: 1985-86 Ivy champions

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We’re counting down the top 10 moments in each Ivy school’s history as part of our Ivy League at 60 retrospective. We did Brown next because if it’s Brown, grab the crown!

The 1985-86 season marked Brown’s only Ivy championship, which alone would be enough to merit it a No. 1 ranking on this list. But the people involved with that championship make it even more special.

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Brown all-time moment No. 2: Winning at Princeton for the first time

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We’re counting down the top 10 moments in each Ivy school’s history as part of our Ivy League at 60 retrospective. Brown is next because losing records at Jadwin were meant to be broken. 

A lot of Brown supporters fell in love with the program all over again on Valentine”s Day 2003, a day that provided definitive proof that the Bears were back after years of struggling prior to coach Glen Miller taking over four years prior.

That day, Brown won at Princeton for the first time ever in 53 tries.

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Brown all-time moment No. 3: The 1973-74 Bears

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We’re counting down the top 10 moments in each Ivy school’s history as part of our Ivy League at 60 retrospective. Brown is next because Providence > Cleveland.

The Cleveland Browns were at their best when Paul Brown was their coach and Jim Brown was their running back.

Similarly, one of the greatest seasons in the history of the Brown Bears was led by Phil Brown, who captained the 1973-74 Bears.

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Brown all-time moment No. 4: Bears upset Penn in 1982

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We’re counting down the top 10 moments in each Ivy school’s history as part of our Ivy League at 60 retrospective. Brown is next because a championship program has to start somewhere…   

A win isn’t always just a win.

Brown supporters found that out on Jan. 8, 1982, when the Bears upset Penn at Marvel Gym, 76-75.

The two programs couldn’t have been farther apart that day. The Quakers had won four straight Ivy titles under coach Bob Weinhauer and would go onto win a fifth at season’s end. The Bears, meanwhile, were winless at 0-11 and in the middle of a seventh straight losing season, their third season with at least 20 losses in that span.

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Brown all-time moment No. 5: 2003 NIT appearance

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We’re counting down the top 10 moments in each Ivy school’s history as part of our Ivy League at 60 retrospective. Brown is next because people need to know whether there are Bears in Charlottesville or not.

In just its third postseason appearance ever, Brown represented itself quite well against Virginia in Charlottesville in a NIT first-round matchup, the Bears” first ever NIT appearance. Sure, Brown lost, 89-73, but there was so much more accomplished here beyond just a final score.

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