Cornell Basketball 2025-26 Thread

[arugula]

Cornell receives a  2026 basketball commitment. Trey Williams, Loyola Academy IL, 6'3 180lbs PG.

We're good at finding guards, not as successful with big men.

I was in the same class as John Bajusz and I recall thinking that he's really good but really good 6'2" guys are easy.  Find a really good 6'8" guy then you have something. 

[scoop85]

Cornell receives a  2026 basketball commitment. Trey Williams, Loyola Academy IL, 6'3 180lbs PG.

We're good at finding guards, not as successful with big men.

Yale has excelled over the past 10 years in bringing in talented big men, which explains their recent success.
I was in the same class as John Bajusz and I recall thinking that he's really good but really good 6'2" guys are easy.  Find a really good 6'8" guy then you have something. 

[David Harding]

There was a seven-year stretch of no games 1994-2000.  https://cornellbigred.com/sports/mens-basketball/opponent-history/syracuse-university/38

[mountainred]

With the season starting this weekend, why not drop a quick summary of the men's team.

I thought Jon Jaques did a really nice job in his first season as coach last year.  Cornell was the clear second best team in the league, unfortunately Yale was even more clearly the best.  Two of the losses to the Elis were close, but they won all three.  Now, Jon has go without his three best players.

But, there is still some talent.  That talent is mainly in the back court.  Senior Cooper Noard toyed with the transfer portal, but returned.  He's a skilled shooter and the computer models have him as the likely leading scorer this season.  Jake Fiegan, who reclassified so this is his last year with Cornell (ugh), would be my pick as the best all around player; he's efficient with the ball and a good defender.  I'm going to be glass half-full and be thankful he didn't enter the portal this past off season.  Junior Jacob Beccles is electric with the ball and more of a true point than the other two guards.  I'm a fan, but the first game notes don't list him as a "potential starter" for whatever that's worth.  Instead it lists senior Adam Hinton.  Adam started to earn more PT last year and was solid, but my money says Jacob gets more minutes over the course of the season.  Sophomores Anthony Nimani and Gioacchino Panzini got the most minutes as frosh last year, and flashed some skill, but did not play enough to really know.  Last year's freshman weren't much of a factor.  Senior Josh Baldwin is a wild card.  I've liked him when he's played, but he cannot stay healthy.  There is also Juco transfer DaMaryon Fishburn.

The issue, as everyone on this board has noted, is the front court.  Gone are Ragland and Okereke.  The games notes list senior DJ Nix and Junior transfer Kaspar Sepp as the starting forwards.  Nix was a highly-regarded recruit who has not developed as I had hoped.  He's athletic, but has struggled with his shot and Jacques barely used him in last year's ILT.  But if he puts it together, he could have a huge year.  Sepp is a transfer from Valpo.  He started two years there, averaging 4 points and 5 rebounds.  The Big Red will be leaning on him to save us on the glass.  Maybe the WSU transfer AJ LeBeau asserts himself, but he was relegated to the deep bench last year. I can see a lot of four and five guard sets in our future, but three years ago did anyone see Okereke exploding?  Put your hand down, you did not.  I have no idea what to expect with the freshman, but none are coming in with Shonn Miller like reviews.

The league is in flux, really good players departed all over the place.  Yale is a heavy favorite, then basically who knows? Cornell was picked third by the official poll; Kenpom says Cornell and Brown tie for third at 7-7; Bart Torvik says third in a tie with Brown and Princeton.  All of them have Harvard second.  As you will hear a ton, the ILT is at Newman so the guys have have to finish 4th.  I don't think Cornell has the firepower to beat Yale over a 14 game stretch.  But they can win two home games.

This weekend is a pair of challenging midwest road games @ Kent St and @Illinois St.  A split would be fantastic.  Then five winnable games to close out November.  We will know a lot more after Thanksgiving.

Sorry for going on so long.  Hope this helps.

[ugarte]

never apologize!

[chimpfood]

Love the preview. Another name I would throw in there is Mateen Rafiq, he was in the rotation before his injury last year.

I agree on Beccles, I think he'll start most games for us. It feels like Hinton will foul out any time he plays more than 15 minutes per game. Plus I think a typical point guard works well with the offense we run, and it feels like similar guys like Naz or Dean Noll in the past have really been the heart of the offense.

If Nix and LaBeau really are starting every game at forward and center it's gonna be a long season. They are fine role players but you can't go anywhere with them getting big minutes every game. I do think that the way we play lets us get away with not having size so I'm curious how small we go at times with absolutely no depth of big men.

If Sepp, Fishburn, and a freshman or two step up it seems like we have a pretty high ceiling, especially if Baldwin can finally contribute as well.

The top of our lineup seems like a very likable team so I'm excited to watch this year, don't get me started on the white boys with mullets on the back of the bench though.

[mountainred]

Good call on Rafiq, I completely forgot about him!  He was the first frosh to play in game 1.  Thought he looked good, but so hard to tell against a D3 opponent.

24/7 lists Nix as the best prospectCornell landed in 20 years.  Better than anyone on the 2010 crew, Matt Morgan, Shonn Miller, anyone.  That should mean something, but if you look at the rest of their top 10, it probably doesn't.  FYI next year recruit Ryan Burbach is 4th on their list.

At worst, the guys will play entertaining, if occasionally frustrating, ball and be around .500.  If Jon hits on a couple of recruits, it could be better.  If he doesn't, next year could be tough.  But I will worry about that later.

[scoop85]

Good call on Rafiq, I completely forgot about him!  He was the first frosh to play in game 1.  Thought he looked good, but so hard to tell against a D3 opponent.

24/7 lists Nix as the best prospectCornell landed in 20 years.  Better than anyone on the 2010 crew, Matt Morgan, Shonn Miller, anyone.  That should mean something, but if you look at the rest of their top 10, it probably doesn't.  FYI next year recruit Ryan Burbach is 4th on their list.

At worst, the guys will play entertaining, if occasionally frustrating, ball and be around .500.  If Jon hits on a couple of recruits, it could be better.  If he doesn't, next year could be tough.  But I will worry about that later.

Burbach is a freshman this year.

[Al DeFlorio]

Red started down 3-12, came back to tie at 55 but late 3-pointer gave Kent State 58-55 lead at the half.

[Mr. Niss]

Adam Hinton, where have you been all my life?

Of course, we come out of the half cold.

[chimpfood]

I'm mad because hockey won so this is a pretty fun one to laugh at. Giving up 110 to Kent state is absurd, but on the bright side we scored over 100. Not a great result but some of the guys looked great tonight and nothing really matters until league play anyway

[chimpfood]

Also no Fiegen?

[rss77]

Fiegen is injured.  Was impressed with 2nd half comeback against a really good Kent State team.  The 3 straight turnovers in the last 2 minutes really hurt.  As per usual wish we had more size.

[Mr. Niss]

Kid from Valpo didn't have a great game, especially down the stretch.  Hope for better.

Kent State shot well from three, which was not supposed to be their thing.  We might have won that game had their shooting been closer to expectations.  The kid Safford who was great is a sixth-year senior.

Meanwhile, Princeton getting destroyed by Akron, picked #1 in that conference (Kent State picked #3).

[Mr. Niss]

can't win games against comparable/better teams, especially on the road, if you can't make free throws