General

Thoughts on the creation of an Ivy conference tournament: Yea or nay?

by

It was reported by CBS Sports last week that the Ivy League is close to creating an annual conference tournament that would be in place for the 2016-17 season, which is obviously big news since the Ivy League is the only Division I conference that still doesn’t have a conference tournament. Ivy presidents finally seem poised to go along with coaches’ wishes in setting up such a tournament, as it’s been reported that TV exposure is a motivating factor in securing a league tourney.

Eight of IHO’s writers weighed in on whether they support the creation of an annual conference tournament, and if so, where and when should it be held on a yearly basis, and how many teams should participate. Their in-depth responses after the jump:

Read more

Ivy Wednesday roundup

by

Navy 65, Penn 59

So very close. Sophomore guard Antonio Woods missed three free throws and a long two-point jumper in the final 26 seconds, helping Navy end the game on a 6-0 run after Penn climbed back from a nine-point deficit with 5:07 remaining to force a 59-59 tie at the 1:03 mark. Of course, Woods’ 16 points – 13 in the second stanza – allowed the Quakers to stick around that much in the first place since Penn got little production from its bench (10 points to Navy’s 29), or its defense (two points off turnovers to Navy’s 22). Penn struggled for much of the game with senior center Darien Nelson-Henry in foul trouble, as the Quakers committed 18 turnovers. Now’s a good time to remember that Penn is 4-3 despite ranking last in the conference in three-point shooting even in coach Steve Donahue’s three-heavy system, with a bunch of players that Donahue didn’t recruit suddenly slotted into his system. Check out Steven Tydings” analysis of Navy-Penn, which featured a comeback with a twist.

Read more

Ivy Sunday roundup

by

Holy Cross 50, Harvard 49
It’s weird to see Harvard to lose these low-scoring battles that go down to the wire, which have always seemed to go the Crimson’s way in recent years with guys like Wesley Saunders, Siyani Chambers and Kyle Casey in tow. Harvard’s first-half defense gave up 21 points and has been solid all season, but the Crusaders found their footing as the second half wore on, with junior forward Malachi Alexander posting a game-high 17 points. As our Robert Crawford pointed out on Twitter, Harvard’s offensive turnover percentage is 339th in the country, and its defensive turnover percentage is 302nd. Its offensive free throw percentage is 345th and defensive free throw percentage is 351st, dead last in the nation. This is a team that struggles mightily with turnovers and at the free throw line at both ends of the floor, and it can at least improve in the former category by quickening tempo, relying less on isolation and attacking earlier in the shot clock.

Read more

Ivy Wednesday roundup

by

Penn 80, La Salle 64

Penn came into this Big 5 matchup with a three-game losing streak, having lost its last three games to La Salle by a combined 53 points. The Quakers’ previous three wins had come against weak competition, including two of the worst nine teams in Division I according to KenPom. After La Salle built a 30-20 lead with 2:42 left in the first half, it seemed                 inevitable that the Explorers were ready to roll again as a top 150 team over the young Quakers.

Read more

Ivy Tuesday roundup

by

New Hampshire 88, Brown 77

This could have been a really solid win against a KenPom No. 165 team for Brown, but it didn’t happen because its defense hasn’t gelled around two-time Ivy Defensive Player of the Year Cedric Kuakumensah yet. New Hampshire shot 54 percent from the floor and got to the line 34 times, making more free throws (28) than Brown made field goals (26). Freshman forward Travis Fuller fouled out in just 10 minutes and the Bears racked up 23 fouls on the night. On offense, the Bears play fast and loose, and  tonight, junior guard JR Hobbie stepped up with 12 points on 3-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc in 25 minutes off the bench. But just because Brown has a strong bench full of sharpshooters (now including freshman guard Corey Daugherty) and a defensive anchor doesn’t mean it has ample defensive discipline to make a run at the top half of the Ivy League.

Columbia 70, Wofford 59

This was a weird game for the Lions, and yet it revealed them to have one of the most complete offensive attacks the league has seen in some time. In the first half, senior forward Alex Rosenberg and senior guard Maodo Lo struggled offensively, with junior forward Jeff Coby leading all Lion scorers early into the next stanza – more than Lo and Rosenberg combined at that point. The Lions’ best ball distributor wasn’t Lo but senior guard Isaac Cohen, who notched nine assists. For more on Cohen’s crucial performance, check out Sam Tydings’ story on Columbia’s wonderfully weird win over Wofford.

Ivy Sunday roundup

by

Boston College 69, Harvard 56

Free throws. They’re important. The Crimson attempted 23 and missed 14. Harvard lost by 13. You do the math.

Okay, that’s an overly simplistic numbers comparison, but this can’t keep up. Junior center Zena Edosomwan and sophomore forward Chris Egi combined to shoot 5-for-15 from the charity stripe by themselves. Come on. Harvard’s a defense-oriented team that wants to grind it out with some freshman backcourt threes thrown in. If you’re going to play that way, you better make the most of your foul line trips.

Read more

Ivy Saturday roundup

by

Washington 104, Penn 67

This one was over before it started.  The Huskies raced out to a 16-0 lead and never let up, maintaining a full-court press that Washington coach Lorenzo Romar kept up even when the Huskies built a 42-point lead. The Quakers needed to be lights out from deep and weren’t, hitting just six of 28 three-point attempts. It also seems Penn will be one of many Ivies – Columbia, Princeton and Cornell included – who will struggle defensively this season. Penn got open looks but could not convert, and its interior defense got exposed early and often. Probably won’t be the last time that happens, either.

Read more

A double OT thriller, trouble with triples and an Eli home run: A crazy week already

by

Yale – With Princeton missing Hans Brase for the 2015-16 season due to injury and Columbia’s defense still struggling to make an impact, Yale has to be considered the favorite to win the Ivy League title at this early point. The comfort sophomore guard Makai Mason has displayed in running this offense is perhaps the biggest reason why. Mason posted 21 points and five assists in 36 minutes in Yale’s 99-77 home win over Sacred Heart Monday, a game in which pretty much everything came together for the Elis. Yale notched 16 offensive rebounds, scored 27 second-chance points to Sacred Heart’s 10 and took 17 more shots than SHU as a result. The Bulldogs also enjoyed 24 bench points and shot 52.9 percent (9-for-17) from three.

A lot of Ivies can shoot the ball from deep and have offensive depth. None can hit the boards like the Bulldogs can, especially on the offensive end, and that will pay dividends for them come conference play. Yale proved in its season opener that it can win without reigning Ivy Player of the Year Justin Sears.

Read more

Ivy opening night roundup – A freshman free-for-all

by

Columbia 107, Kean 62

What happened:  This contest between the Lions and Division III Kean was one of several games that kicked off at 11 a.m., thus ushering in the 2015-16 college basketball season. The Light Blue enjoyed the return of senior forward Alex Rosenberg, who brought his physical style of offensive play back instantly after missing last year due to a Jones fracture. Rosenberg posted 10 points and characteristically got to the free throw line early and often (six times, to be exact) before sitting after the Lions clinched the game early. Senior guard Grant Mullins posted 11 points in 16 minutes after missing last season due to injury as well. Freshman guard C.J. Davis impressed later in the game, notching 19 points in 15 minutes.

Read more

Ivy League KenPom rankings released

by

Celebrated weather expert Ken Pomeroy has come out with his 2016 College Basketball Ratings, and he is riding the Princeton bandwagon, reinforcing the idea that the smart money is on Princeton to win the 2015-16 Ivy championship. KenPom’s numbers reflect the notion that Yale’s comparatively weak adjusted offensive efficiency and Columbia’s comparatively weak adjusted defensive efficiency will respectively hold them back from trumping the Tigers this season.

81 – Princeton
115 – Yale
126 – Columbia
169 – Harvard
224 – Penn
229 – Dartmouth
243 – Brown
311 – Cornell

And the final 2015 KenPom College Basketball Ratings:

70 – Yale
73 – Harvard
148 – Princeton
165 – Dartmouth
175 – Columbia
205 – Cornell
261 – Brown
289 – Penn