Cornell men’s basketball headed into Tuesday night’s out-of-conference matchup against the No. 18 Baylor Bears with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The Big Red were sitting at 10-2 on the year and playing their best basketball of the season as of late. Heading into its matchup with Baylor, Cornell had won seven of its last eight games.
Although Cornell fell 98-79 at Baylor Tuesday, there is still plenty to be excited about if you’re a Big Red fan. Here are three players to watch heading into conference play:
Nazir Williams
Heading into Cornell’s matchup at Baylor, Nazir Williams was averaging nine points and 2.6 assists per game. His numbers were down a bit from last year when he was a starter, but he was thriving in his new role off the bench.
Moving from a starter to the bench is never easy, and Williams has shown what the next-man-up mentality means. Tuesday night, he dominated from the opening tip. Williams scored 14 points in the first half while shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 3-for-4 from downtown. Williams was scoring tough buckets when the Big Red needed him to and was one of the few bright spots of the offense.
“He’s starter-good, but he helps us a lot coming off the bench with how we play,” Cornell coach Brian Earl said. “He knows, we know that he’s as good as anybody on our team.”
Williams ended up with 17 points and five assists. Cornell looked like a much better team when he was on the floor and he finished the night with a zero plus/minus.
Chris Manon
Chris Manon continues to be a lead guard at Cornell, emerging as a starter after being a hybrid starter last season. This season, Manon is averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
Against Baylor, Manon was one of the better players for either team. Baylor couldn’t stop him when he was attacking the basket, and he got to the rim with ease all night long. Manon is at his best when he is using his size and strength around the bucket, and he uses a variety of moves to get to his spots.
Manon’s size also allows him to guard up on defense, and Earl can use him in a variety of ways defensively. He has the quickness to stay with guards and the strength to battle some in the post.
He can do it all, and fans should be excited about his play heading into conference play.
Keller Boothby
Keller Boothby has been a sniper off the bench for Cornell since arriving on campus in 2020, and he continues to flash his immense value on a nightly basis. Against Baylor on Tuesday, Boothby finished with eight points off the bench on 3-for-4 shooting from the field. Boothby’s lightning-fast release allowed him to hit some tough shots over Baylor defenders, and he is confident from multiple feet behind the arc.
“He is one of the quickest shooters in the country, it goes in a lot,” Earl said. “It’s overlooked a lot of times when a guy can shoot like him how much space it gives to the guys on our team who get to the rim. You don’t get an assist for taking one of the defenders out, but he does that all the time.”
He clearly makes those around him better, as the defense always has to account for him when he is on the floor. Boothby is shooting 44.9% from downtown on the year, and his play off the bench should have Cornell fans pumped up heading into conference play.