Men's Basketball (2017-2018)

[Swampy]

It's time to start a "Men's Basketball (2017-2018)" thread.

Incoming recruits.

[mountainred]

It's an interesting class.  All of the six could be useful contributors, though the odds are that it won't "click" at the D1 level for at least one. Julian, Kuhn, and Voss could help with rebounding; Boeheim and Knapp look like potential 3pt snipers (though Knapp may need a year to get up to speed the same way Eitan did); and McBride was a combo guard at a high level in high school ball.

The downside is that there is nobody who looks like a potential All-Ivy player, which probably puts our class as no better than 6th in the league along with Brown and Dartmouth.  Here's hoping Coach Earl has found some guys who fit in his system.

[billhoward]

The way the release is written, everybody sounds fabulous. We could start five newcomers and win the Ivy tournament.

[Swampy]

It's an interesting class.  All of the six could be useful contributors, though the odds are that it won't "click" at the D1 level for at least one. Julian, Kuhn, and Voss could help with rebounding; Boeheim and Knapp look like potential 3pt snipers (though Knapp may need a year to get up to speed the same way Eitan did); and McBride was a combo guard at a high level in high school ball.

The downside is that there is nobody who looks like a potential All-Ivy player, which probably puts our class as no better than 6th in the league along with Brown and Dartmouth.  Here's hoping Coach Earl has found some guys who fit in his system.

McBride could be a sleeper. He played very respectably on a top-tier team loaded with talent. His respectable-but-not-breathtaking numbers probably reflect the overall quality of his teammates. Obviously college will be more challenging than high school, but after he acclimates he could surprise.

Also, I'd choose balance over having a single all-star. We'll just have to see how this group stacks up as a group. Did you make a comparison against the recruiting classes of the other five teams, or are you just guessing they've all recruited at least one potential All-Ivy?

[mountainred]

It's an interesting class.  All of the six could be useful contributors, though the odds are that it won't "click" at the D1 level for at least one. Julian, Kuhn, and Voss could help with rebounding; Boeheim and Knapp look like potential 3pt snipers (though Knapp may need a year to get up to speed the same way Eitan did); and McBride was a combo guard at a high level in high school ball.

The downside is that there is nobody who looks like a potential All-Ivy player, which probably puts our class as no better than 6th in the league along with Brown and Dartmouth.  Here's hoping Coach Earl has found some guys who fit in his system.

McBride could be a sleeper. He played very respectably on a top-tier team loaded with talent. His respectable-but-not-breathtaking numbers probably reflect the overall quality of his teammates. Obviously college will be more challenging than high school, but after he acclimates he could surprise.

Also, I'd choose balance over having a single all-star. We'll just have to see how this group stacks up as a group. Did you make a comparison against the recruiting classes of the other five teams, or are you just guessing they've all recruited at least one potential All-Ivy?

I hope you are right on McBride.  He was the 5th option on a team where his teammates are headed to UCLA, Ariz. St., San Diego St., plus maybe the top recruit in the country next year.  I have no doubt he's talented, but is he a stud on a team of max-level studs, or a good player who is picking up stats because he isn't a focus and gets matched up with the other team's worst starter?  Here is the ESPN bottom line:  "McBride is a solid looking prospect and if he continues to work on his all around skill set and savvy, he should be able to play at the next level."  

As far as the the other Ivies, I have a decent idea of who is going where, though I am not claiming to be a scout.  Columbia has the top-ranked recruit in PF/C Jaron Faulds; he is a four star recruit according to ESPN.  Princeton has a pair of ESPN three stars (Sebastian Much and Jerome Desrosiers) and a two star.  Penn has a three star in Jelani Williams and a two star.  Harvard has a three star and a two star, plus a kid from Canada who is said to be very good.  Yale has a two star guard, Dartmouth a pair of two star players, and Brown a two star forward.  In retrospect, I may have oversold the Elis, but James Jones normally gets the max out of his team.

Meanwhile, McBride is Cornell's highest rated recruit where he is one of the four guys ESPN gives one star (not Voss or Julian).  Stars aren't everything (ESPN had Galal Cancer as a two star recruit and Shonn Miller as just a one), but they are an impartial, if subjective, way to measure recruiting classes.  And in hoops, I would rather have one difference-maker, such as Shonn Miller, than four solid players, though Coach Earl may disagree.

[scoop85]

Just saw on Twitter that David Onourah will play next year as a grad student at UConn. Nice opportunity for him to use his athleticism to add defense and rebounding in what I assume will be a reserve role.

[mountainred]

Just saw on Twitter that David Onourah will play next year as a grad student at UConn. Nice opportunity for him to use his athleticism to add defense and rebounding in what I assume will be a reserve role.

Thanks Scoop.  I was hoping -- without good reason -- that he disappeared so he could save a year of eligibility for us.  Can't fault him for having UConn pay for a year of grad school.

[billhoward]

Just saw on Twitter that David Onourah will play next year as a grad student at UConn. Nice opportunity for him to use his athleticism to add defense and rebounding in what I assume will be a reserve role.

Reserves count toward the team GPA as much as the starting five. More, in some ways.

[rss77]

Not sure what UConn sees in Onourah.  He was not a good player at the Ivy League level and really did not evolve as a player during his time at Cornell.  Wish him well though

[mountainred]

Not sure what UConn sees in Onourah.  He was not a good player at the Ivy League level and really did not evolve as a player during his time at Cornell.  Wish him well though

David was always a decent rebounder and shot blocker, even if his offensive game never came around.  UConn graduated all three of their starting front court players and doesn't have a lot of returning players.  I bet David can give the Huskies some solid minutes off the bench, especially while their freshmen learn the game.

[ugarte]

Not sure what UConn sees in Onourah.  He was not a good player at the Ivy League level and really did not evolve as a player during his time at Cornell.  Wish him well though

David was always a decent rebounder and shot blocker, even if his offensive game never came around.  UConn graduated all three of their starting front court players and doesn't have a lot of returning players.  I bet David can give the Huskies some solid minutes off the bench, especially while their freshman learn the game.

A good, smart defensive rotation player for a year is worth a roster spot.

[billhoward]

Cornell opens the season on the road, against Syracuse. Cornell is 0-22 vs. the Orange at the Carrier Dome. Men's Basketball To Open The 2017-18 Season At Syracuse

[mountainred]

Men's Hoops get their first commitment of the new season:  6-9 PF/C Kobe Dickson from Holcomb, Kansas.  Kobe helped lead his team to a KS state title (mid-sized schools) last year, though it looks like he was the "defensive/rebounding forward" while a now-graduated teammate was the scoring forward.  I like recruits who come from winning programs, especially in states that care deeply about basketball.  On the other hand, it looks like Cornell was his only D1 offer, though he had interest from Air Force and D2 power Washburn.  He should help fill a need, but the recruiting arms race in the Ivies is getting tougher (Princeton has a commitment from ESPN's #99 overall recruit, for instance).

[mountainred]

KenPom has published their initial set of ratings.  The model says 12-16, 6-8 which would be good for a tie with Columbia for 5th.  Of course, Cornell has only scheduled 27 games -- KenPom lists a game at Nebraska/Omaha that isn't on the Cornell schedule.

Things can change, but every out of conference game is winnable except for @Syracuse and @Auburn.  Okay, those are "winnable," but very unlikely.

[mountainred]

Men's hoops beat SUNY-Cortland in a full exhibition game yesterday 96-70, which is encouraging considering two regulars (Stone Gettings, Troy Whitehead) didn't play.  No broadcast that I can find, so my thoughts are all from the box score.

Matt Morgan against a D3 defense isn't fair.  Matt had 25 points in 23 minutes (off the bench for some reason) on 75% shooting.  The last Cornellian to average 20 points a game was Ken Bantum in '84-'85.  Morgan could be the next.
Wil Bathurst looks to be the PG.  He played the most minutes and put up a very solid line of 14P-7A-6R, with just two turnovers (plus a steal and a block).  Assuming Stone and Troy aren't seriously hurt, Wil's play could decide if the Big Red gets to .500.
Josh Warren and Steven Julian both started the exhibition; Warren had 10P-5A, Julian 7P-7R.  Julian will likely be the newcomer who makes the biggest impact.
Boeheim and Gordon were the other two starters. Neither had a great game, but both look to start the season in the rotation.  
The remaining freshman all got double digit minutes.  Kuhn had 10 points and a pair of offensive rebounds.  Voss and Knapp hit all their shots.  McBride had a pair assists.  It will be interesting to see if any of the four can force his way into the rotation.

Overall, the Big Red shot well (62% and 50% from 3) and moved the ball well (21 assists on 37 FGs).  Only 4 offensive rebounds against a D3 school is a worry, as were the 12 turnovers compared to just 2 steals.  The season opens for real Friday at Syracuse.  The first home game is Monday night vs. Bingo.