Men's hoops in three-horse race

Men's basketball in the Ivy League has been characterized over the past 30 years by the two-team rivalry of Princeton and Penn. Some expect a two-horse race this year, but this time not between the Tigers and Quakers, but Penn and Yale.

With Princeton losing all-Ivy seniors Mike Bechtold '02 and Ahmed El-Nokali '02 to graduation, many expect the Tigers to fall behind their fellow tri-champs.

The Quakers are at the top of most people's preseason standings. Penn has all the tools to be celebrating an Ivy championship when they come to Jadwin Gym for the last game of the season in March. Coach Fran Dunphy has assembled a team that, after having a solid season last year, has no noticeable losses coming into this year.

Penn's front-court is the best in the league. It returns Ivy League player of the year and honorable mention all-America Ugonna Onyekwe who, if he has the year he can, should be about the thirtieth pick in the next NBA draft.

He and fellow front-court bruiser Koko Archibong were the league's leading pair at 31.7 points per game.

The Quakers' back-court is hardly any worse. It returns a trio of players who average 42 per cent from behind the arc, including first team all-Ivy Andrew Toole at the point.

Its bench is impressive, boasting at forward who many consider to be this year's top recruit, Friedrich Ebede.

On paper, the Quakers have the starters, the bench, the experience, and the coach to win this thing. They had the same last year, too, though, but a collapse early in the season very nearly could have cost them the title.

If Princeton falters like some expect, Yale will be the team to challenge the Quakers. Many voters even pick the Elis over the Quakers for pre-season favorites. That's a stretch, but Yale will be a very impressive team this year.

Last year, they made it to the second round of the NIT before Cookeville's Tennessee Tech blew them away. Like Penn, they lose nobody important from last year.

The ambitious James Jones is the coach. In two seasons, he took the team from the middle of the pack and made the huge jump up to the level of the P's. Most impressively, he is putting the team in position to stay there, winning at least a couple recruiting wars with Princeton and Penn.

At point guard, Yale will probably start returning rookie-of-the-year Alex Gamboa – at 45 per cent from behind the arc, he is probably the best shooter on the team. The shooting guard will likely be fellow sophomore Edwin Draughan who loves to do what his position says. Last year, he had the Iverson syndrome of taking a lot of shots and not making many, but making enough to lead the team in scoring.

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The front-court is probably third best in the league behind Penn and Princeton, but was enough to bang up the Tigers last year. This year should be different, and with Logan, Gloger, Wysocki, and Wallace, the Tigers should be able to hang-tough.

If any team makes the jump to pull in line with the three aforementioned teams, Brown will likely be that team. They are led by potential Ivy Player of the year Earl Hunt at small forward. Last year, he came in at 19.7 ppg and first team all-Ivy.

Harvard is the last team with an impressive player, but that is about all they have. Patrick Harvey, another returning first team all-Ivy, is their shooting guard, and he averaged 43 per cent from the field last year. After him, though, it likely will not be pretty for the Crimson, who have one of the weakest frontcourts and probably the weakest bench in the big eight.

When space is running out in an article, the last three teams in a preview usually do not get much space. This time, they deserve what they are getting.

Cornell, Columbia and Dartmouth are going to be near the cellar this year – it is doubtful that any of them will finish with the league powers.

Last year, Dartmouth was carried to a tied for seventh place finish on the shoulders of Flinder Boyd. He is no longer there to help the Hanoverites at least tie for last place, so the squad will likely flounder at the bottom for the second year in a row.

Cornell gave the Tigers a run for their money last year in Ithaca, but ranked near the bottom in just about every category – including cellar claims at field goal and three point percentage.

Columbia's athletic program is starting to get heat from the alumni for its inability to compete on the hardwood and gridiron. Its football team is in the cellar, and the basketball team will be around there as well. Last year, the Lions had the worst marks for points scored and also turnover margin.