The Ivy League announced its major men’s awards Tuesday, but we know this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Ivy Hoops Online’s 2022-23 All-Ivy Awards, as determined by IHO’s contributors:
Player of the Year
Jordan Dingle, Penn (Jr., G – Valley Stream, N.Y.)
Sure, Dingle was the Ivy League’s leading scorer by nearly five points per game, but it wasn’t just scoring volume that got him there. Dingle finished second in the conference in three-point percentage and drove Penn’s eight-game winning streak in league play through efficient, clutch shooting. And he did more than just score, finishing 10th in the conference in steals and dishing multiple assists in nearly two-thirds of Penn’s games. Dingle was KenPom’s Game MVP for a staggering seven of Penn’s final 10 contests – including Penn’s heartbreaking regular season finale at Princeton, when a second-half Dingle dry spell opened the door for a Tigers comeback. No player is more valuable to their Ivy club than Dingle, who finished fourth nationally in percentage of a team’s shots taken, per KenPom. Dingle was the most consistent game-changer across the Ivy field.
Rookie of the Year
Caden Pierce, Princeton (Fr., G – Glen Ellyn, Ill.)
Our only unanimous individual selection on either the men’s or women’s side, Pierce earned coach Mitch Henderson’s trust from the outset, logging 37 minutes in his first collegiate game and rewarding that trust throughout the season with clutch play – especially rebounding – in big moments. Pierce was Ivy Rookie of the Week four times over the season’s final nine weeks, and the ceiling is high for this rookie.
Defensive Player of the Year
Chris Ledlum, Harvard (Sr., G/F – Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Harvard disappointed this season, hamstrung by pedestrian shooting. But don’t blame Ledlum, who maximized Harvard’s chances to win with efficient shooting, wiping the offensive glass and standout play across the board. Ledlum quietly finished first in the league in rebounding, second in scoring, second in steals and sixth in blocks. Ledlum did it all and should make another team very happy through the transfer portal.
Most Improved Player of the Year
Isaiah Gray, Cornell (Jr., G – Brooklyn, N.Y.)
As a rookie, Gray logged double-digit minutes in just three Ivy contests. As a sophomore, he registered at least 14 minutes in every game he played in, earning that opportunity through efficient offensive production (sixth in the conference in field-goal percentage) and opportunistic defense (at least two steals in half of Cornell’s Ivy games) as a regular starter.
Coach of the Year
James Jones, Yale
Losing leading scorer Matt Knowling to injury for the last three games of the regular season could have dashed Yale’s hopes of a fifth Ivy League title in eight seasons. The Bulldogs pulled the feat off anyway, persevering by outscoring their final three opponents 143-98 in second-half action to go 3-0. Yale’s offensive discipline, poise in big moments and development of key contributors like senior forward EJ Jarvis and sophomore guard John Poulakidas shouldn’t be taken for granted, and neither should Jones’ hand in it all.
Game of the Year
Honorable Mention: Princeton 77, Penn 69 (OT)
All-Ivy First Team
Jordan Dingle, Penn (So,, G – Valley Stream, N.Y.)
Chris Ledlum, Harvard (Sr., G/F – Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Tosan Evbuomwan, Princeton (Sr., F – Newcastle, England)
Last year’s Ivy Player of the Year again was one of the nation’s best point forwards, leading the conference in assists and sixth in fouls drawn per 40 minutes, according to KenPom. Watching Evbuomwan helm Princeton’s offense is a joy to behold unless it’s your team having to contend with his skilled passing, offensive rebounding and judicious shot selection. Princeton won a share of its second straight Ivy title despite finishing next-to-last in three-point shooting in Ivy play, evidence the Tigers made the most of other opportunities that Evbuomwan was primarily responsible for making happen.
Kino Lilly, Jr., Brown (Fr., G – Glenn Dale, Md.)
One of the Ivy’s most dynamic scorers as a rookie last year didn’t disappoint this season, finishing third in the league in scoring and leading it in three-pointers made and minutes played.
Matt Knowling, Yale (Jr., F – Ellington, Conn.)
Knowling rolled his ankle in Yale’s loss at Penn last month but was the star of Yale’s offense all season before that, leading the conference in field-goal percentage and playing a key role in the Bulldogs’ league-best defensive rebounding.
All-Ivy Second Team
Dame Adelekun, Dartmouth (Sr., F – Gastonia, N.C.)
No player could surpass Adelekun at his best this season, whether it was his 41-point, 10-rebound outburst in a win over Columbia or 25-point, 10-for-14 shooting performance in just 30 minutes in a win over Princeton. Adelekun finished first in effective field-goal percentage (which accounts for three-pointers being worth more than two-pointers), first in possible defensive rebounds pulled in and third in shots taken in Ivy play, per KenPom, in addition to ranking first in blocks for the season. Dartmouth will sorely miss Adelekun’s electric paint presence.
Paxson Wojcik, Brown (Sr., G, Charleston, S.C.)
Brown lost three of its last four games to miss out on an Ivy League Tournament berth, something the program still hasn’t managed. But that failure was in spite of standout play from Wojcik, who averaged 21 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals in that stretch. Wojcik was one of the league’s most prolific defensive rebounders and most adept passers, consistently setting up his teammates for success.
EJ Jarvis, Yale (Sr., F – Washington, D.C.)
Jarvis developed from a reserve player last season to one of the most formidable frontcourt contributors in the league as a senior, putting an exclamation point on the season with a 34-point, 10-board performance in a win over Cornell on Feb. 25. Jarvis’ rebounding, particularly on the offensive end, and shot-blocking were essential components of Yale’s Ivy title run, especially when Knowling went down with injury.
Greg Dolan, Cornell (Sr., G – Williamsville, N.Y.)
The most productive member of Cornell’s ensemble offense, Dolan again was an effective offensive conduit in coach Brian Earl’s fast-paced offensive attack, finishing second in the league in assists. Dolan also has been the tone-setter for Cornell’s aggressive defense, boasting the league’s third-highest individual steal total for the league’s most prolific steal-collecting team by far. Dolan’s three-point shooting – second-most efficient in the conference – was key in wins over Brown and Dartmouth critical in Cornell securing a slot in Ivy Madness.
Bez Mbeng, Yale (So., G – Potomac, Md.)
Jones told IHO Mbeng is the best on-ball defender he’s ever coached for a reason. Mbeng’s lockdown defense often doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but his skilled ball distribution (4.3 assists averaged over Yale’s final eight games) and clutch play (27 points on 10-for-12 shooting with an Ivy crown on the line in a win over Brown) does.
Honorable Mention: Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, Columbia (So, G – Santiago, Dominican Republic)