Observations from Ivy Madness

Princeton enjoyed the largest contingent of fans at Lavietes Pavilion throughout Ivy Madness. (photo by Erica Denhoff)

From the notebook of IHO writer Richard Kent on the scene at Ivy Madness: 

  • Some schedule talk at Lavietes Pavilion: Yale to a tournament in Hawaii in November and a probable game at Colorado
  • Jalen Gabbidon may play another year and it looks like a Big 12 or ACC team
  • Brown coach Mike Martin was in attendance with his daughters for the Princeton-Cornell semifinal game
  • Jaylan Gainey is one of the most coveted transfer portal entrants – Michigan, Oklahoma and Rutgers are all interested in Gainey
  • Yale President Peter Salovey was at both Yale men’s games, as animated as anyone in the crowd
  • Harvard AD Erin McDermott, a former deputy athletic director at Princeton under Gary Walters, was in attendance, but no sign of Harvard coach Tommy Amaker
  • Lots of speculation among media that the Ivy League Tournament might someday end up at a neutral facility, but no confirmation
  • Former Princeton and NBA great Brian Taylor was at the event on Saturday to accept his Legend of Ivy Basketball award and was with his sons, one of whom is on the St. John’s coaching staff and the other coaching in the NBA
  • Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker won a Legend of Ivy Basketball award on Saturday – Baker played on the 1977-78 Harvard squad
  • The Princeton men’s coaching staff was in attendance to cheer on the Princeton women against Harvard on Friday night
  • Princeton had the largest contingent of fans for the entirety of Ivy Madness
  • Penn players did not stand on the court during the national anthem before the Saturday tilt against Yale – team members have been sitting for the anthem as a form of protest
  • Yale’s Azar Swain of Brockton, Mass. had the largest player fan contingent, some of whom were sporting his image and number on their gear … Swain was a former basketball and football great at the Rivers School in Weston, Mass.
  • Anyone who might doubt the closeness between Princeton coach Mitch Henderson and Cornell coach Brian Earl, former Princeton teammates, only needed to see how choked up Henderson was at the postgame press conference when talking about the job that Earl did this season
  • Princeton is set to host Ivy Madness in 2023 at Jadwin Gym – many media members felt that Yale and Penn will be co-favorites to win the 2023 men’s basketball title