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By
Jon Teitel
jonteitel@hotmail.com
October, 2004
2004-05
Cornell Basketball Preview
The Veterans: The Big
Red has an experienced group of players with four seniors and three
juniors. The team will also look for a contribution from some
sophomores, including two who are expected to start.
The Youngsters: None
of the four freshmen figure to make an immediate impact. However,
Cornell also brought in two players who transferred from other schools:
one who is eligible this year (Ryan Rourke), and one who is not (Ugo
Ihekweazu).
The Departed: The Big
Red will miss Gabe Stephenson and his rebounding (6.6 RPG), as the big
man transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo during the summer. Although
there was only one senior who graduated, he will be missed more than
anyone. Ka’Ron Barnes was 1st-team All-Ivy last season, and
among the conference leaders in points, assists, and steals.
The Strengths and
weaknesses: Cornell has good size inside, with two players over 6’9”
(Chris Vandenberg and Shawn Oliverson). The defense last year was also
sensational: the team’s 8.7 steals/game set a school record and led the
Ivy League.
The Star: The Big Red
does not have one player who stands out above the rest, but rather a
trio who are all expected to make big contributions. Lenny Collins had
a school-record 8 steals against Bucknell on January 20, and was the
2003 Ivy Rookie of the Year. Eric Taylor led the conference in
rebounding last year with 7.5 RPG, whose numbers should increase with
the transfer of Stephenson. Cody Toppert is the shooting star, as he is
one of the best free throw and three-point shooters in the conference.
The Schedule:
Cornell’s schedule will be quite challenging, as they play four road
games against Tournament teams from last year (Princeton, Lehigh,
Dayton, and Syracuse). The Big Red get an early break with five of its
first six Ivy games in Ithaca, but finish the conference schedule with
six of its final eight games on the road.
The Imports: Cornell
has one player from Yugoslavia (Stevan Marcetic), but their main source
of foreign talent is the Canadian province of Ontario. No less than
three members of the Big Red migrated south to Ithaca from Canada:
Graham Dow, David Lisle, and Chris Vandenberg.
The Coach: Steve
Donahue trained as an assistant under Penn’s Fran Dunphy, so he has
learned a thing or two about navigating a team through an Ivy League
season.
The Prediction:
Cornell got off to a hot start last year, but faded down the stretch.
The core group of skilled and experienced veterans will help the Big Red
compete, but the losses of Barnes and Stephenson will probably be too
large to overcome.
Learn
more about the author Jon Teitel and how to contact him here
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