Basketball Home Stretch

There are a bunch of threads floating around on basketball, but it seemed sensible to start a new one focusing on the remainder of the schedule, particularly the 3 key games that come next: at Princeton (out of contention), at Penn (one loss), and at Yale (two losses).

Both games this weekend are televised: Friday on ESPNU (and allegedly on All-Access according the the front page of cornellbigred.com); Saturday on YES.

Hopefully the team can dispatch Princeton and ride some momentum into the Palestra where Penn will be playing its third league game in five days. If not, the future is very very bright and lacrosse season is closing in fast.

Of course part of me has this feeling that Cornell will win the next three only to choke against a team like Dartmouth at the end. Kinda like the lax loss to Brown a few years ago.

There are some positive factors this weekend in Cornell's favor:

(1) Princeton is getting more dejected each week as they stand now at 1-6. On the other hand, Cornell should be geting hungrier and more excited.

(2) On Friday night, Cornell plays a very slow, unathletic and poor shooting Princeton team. This is a team Cornell should (and already has) whip badly.

(3) On Friday, Penn plays a very physical Columbia team. Expect the Quakers to have a fight on their hands in the Palestra. Columbia is a legit threat to defeat Penn.

(4) Assuming Cornell takes care of business on Friday, Cornell will enter the Penn game pumped for the opportunity to move into first place with a win over the Quakers. Meanwhile, Penn will be playing their third game in a week-- as the hunted.

(5) Against Penn and Princeton up in Ithaca, the Big Red was essentially a two-man show with Dale and Wittman and no other major scoring threat. In recent games, Alex Tyler, a third frosh, has really stepped up as a major offensive presence while Wittman and Dale continue to have solid games. Moreover, Cornell is also getting quality minutes from Geoff Reeves-- a guy they did not really have during the Ithaca weekend. As such, I think this is now an improved and deeper Big Red squad.

as for the negatives...

we are playing in the Palesta. Bad kharma man. Real bad.

36-25 Red at the Half.

Yale tied with Dartmouth with 3 to go.
Cornell by 9 with 9.
Penn by 10 with 10.

CU 57-50 final over Tigers. LGR!

Quakers beat Columbia 73-54.

Good luck to the Red tomorrow night!

Oh god...say it ain't so..John Sterling announcing!

Jordan 04
Oh god...say it ain't so..John Sterling announcing!

Penn on a 9-0 run. 17-13 Penn.

I also hate John Sterling.

Cornell leading most of the half, but penn goes on a 20-4 run, leads by 10 at halftime.

seth
Cornell leading most of the half, but penn goes on a 20-4 run, leads by 10 at halftime.

Cornell started the 2d half with a 17-6 run and then kind of fell apart and lost by 12.

A lot of missed opportunities, a lot of fouls called on both teams. The game was so physical it was impossible to distinguish what was being whistled from what wasn't. We let this one get away but Penn is probably the better
team.