The best of the rest in Ivy League basketball

Penn and Princeton have had a virtual lock on the Ivy League title for as long as anyone can remember. Since 1962, there have only been three seasons when one of the two 'P's did not finish atop the league. It looks to be much of the same for the 1999-2000 season, although Dartmouth, with four starters returning, and a darkhorse Cornell team, anchored by one of the league's best backcourts, could challenge the perennial favorites for the top spot. With that said, here's a team-by-team rundown of the Ancient Eight, per order of the Ivy League preseason media poll: Last Year: 22-8, 11-3 (2nd) in the Ivy League This Year: Princeton lost two four-year starters, Brian Earl and Gabe Lewullis, to graduation and has already suffered two early-season losses to Syracuse and Missouri. But, as usual, the Tigers remain one of the favorites in the Ivy League. Princeton retains a talented group of players, led by last season's Ivy League Rookie of the Year Chris Young (12.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg). The 6'11'' sophomore, who led the team in scoring in both of Princeton's losses last week, also had 86 assists, 55 blocks and 22 three-point field goals last season. The Tigers might have two straight Ivy Rookies of the Year, as they nabbed California high school star Spencer Gloger. Gloger finally chose Princeton over UCLA in August and started the first two games. Mason Rocca (7.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg) provides support for Young on the front line. Rocca, a 6'9'' senior was deadly for Princeton in its 50-49 win over Penn last February. Look for Rocca to be spelled by 6'7" junior Nate Walton, son of Hall-of-Famer Bill. Junior guard C.J. Chapman (4.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg), a shooter, plays off-guard, while 6'5'' sophomore swingman Eugene Baah (2.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg) is a defensive specialist. Sophomore Ahmed El-Nokali (4.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg) will also get significant minutes. Outlook: If Gloger emerges, Princeton will be in a dogfight for the Ivy title; if not, look for Dartmouth to leapfrog the Tigers. Prediction: 2nd Last Year: 14-12, 10-4 (3rd) in Ivy League This Year: Twelve of 13 letterwinners are returning. And four of five starters are back -- only sophomore Charles Harris (8.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg), who is taking the year off to concentrate on academics, is not returning. First team All-Ivy selection Shaun Gee (17.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg), a 6'7'' forward, is the only senior among the Big Green's starters. Gee saw his scoring average drop last year, but dished out 55 assists to make up for it. Ian McGinnis (8.2 ppg, 12.2 rpg) joins Gee on the front line. An inside force, McGinnis led the nation in rebounding last season. Flinder Boyd and Greg Buth return as backcourt starters. Boyd (7.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg), a 5'11'' sophomore point guard, finished 20th in the nation with 151 assists. Buth (16.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg) beat out Duke's Trajan Langdon for the Ed Steitz Award, given to the nation's best three-point shooter (46.6 percent). Dartmouth's weakness is its bench. Sophomore Vedad Osmanovic (3.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg) is the top option there for the Big Green. Outlook: Another third-place finish this season would be a disappointment for a team poised to break the Penn-Princeton stranglehold at the top of the league. Predicted Finish: 3rd Last Year: 11-15, 6-8 (5th) in the Ivy League This Year: Cornell also returns four of five starters from a year ago and has the talent to pull off an upset against the top two. Prather, the second best Ivy League rookie last year, proved he could match up with the Ivy's best with a 22-point effort against Michael Jordan last February. The 5'9'' sophomore (12.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg) led Cornell with 90 assists and 49 steals. Joining Prather in the backcourt is 6'3'' junior Kevin Cuttica (7.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg), a shooter who also dished out 48 assists. Senior Jim Pieri will add his shooting prowess (48.1 percent from behind the arc) to the bench. Keiran Brown (8.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg), a 6'6'' senior, should replace graduated center Jeffrion Aubry. Brown started eight games at power forward last season. Joining Brown inside will be 6'5'' junior Ray Mercedes (14.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and either senior Derek Kruse (4.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg) or Utah Valley State College transfer Greg Barratt. Outlook: Cornell should have no trouble finishing in the top half of the Ivies, but a run at the top two spots would be a surprise. Predicted Finish: 4th Last Year: 13-13, 7-7 (4th) in Ivy League This Year: Harvard has averaged 14.5 wins a year since 1995 but hasn't broken through for more than 17 in one season during that stretch. Five seniors, including the starting backcourt and both centers, are gone from last year, but with forward Dan Clemente back, the Crimson look to head toward another double-digit-win season. Clemente (14.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg), a 6'7'' junior, was the Ivy Rookie of the Year two years ago but was hobbled by an ankle injury last winter. Clemente had surgery in March and has since returned to full strength. He should be on the fringe of the All-Ivy team. Harvard's other returning starter is 6'2'' sophomore guard Andrew Gellert (4.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg). Gellert started just six games but had 33 steals and 50 assists. Also in the backcourt is senior 6'2" Damian Long (4.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg). The Crimson are looking for help in the frontcourt, as their most experienced player is 6'8'' Tim Coleman (2.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg). Three newcomers should see immediate action: 6'5'' swingman Bryan Parker, a transfer from Cuesta (Calif.) College; 6'3'' freshman point guard Elliott Prasse-Freeman; and 6'4'' shooter Brady Merchant. Outlook: If Harvard's young replacements can't complement Clemente, the Crimson could fall near the bottom of the league. Harvard has never won an Ivy League title -- don't expect this to be the year. Predicted Finish: 5th Last Year: 4-22, 2-12 (tied for 7th) in the Ivy League This Year: A young Brown team returns four starters, but the Bears will have difficulty replacing center Kamal Rountree (19 ppg, 6 rpg). The leading candidates to take Rountree's place are 6'9'' sophomore John Verdeaux (0.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg) and 6'9'' junior Tyler Driggers (0.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg). Three sophomores will attempt to take the pressure off the frontline. Shaun Etheridge (8.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg) should start at the four-spot, while 6'4'' Travis Brown (7.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and 6'6'' Josh Meyer (5.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg) compete for the other spot. Brown played at two-guard in '98-99, while Meyer started every game at power forward. The Bears, with 6'0'' point guard Corey Vandiver and 5'11'' off-guard Jihan Bowes-Little, are talented but small in the backcourt. Vandiver had 80 assists last season, while Bowes-Little, a transfer from Portland, will provide spark as a playmaker. In the off-season, Brown coach Frank "Happy" Dobbs resigned and was replaced by Glen Miller -- who led Connecticut College to the Division III Final Four last season. Outlook: With the exception of senior Vandiver, Brown may start an all-sophomore lineup. Look for the Bears to go through growing pains. Predicted Finish: 6th Last Year: 4-22, 2-12 (tied for 7th) in Ivy League This Year: New Yale coach James Jones inherits a team that pulled off the Ivy League upset of the year with a win over Princeton three days after the Tigers shocked Penn at the Palestra. But Jones also inherits a team that followed that 'W' with five straight losses to end the season. Junior center Neil Yanke (9.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg) shined in the victory over Princeton, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Fifth in the Ivies in rebounding and sixth in blocks, the 6'10" Yanke will again guard the middle. Yale's backcourt from last season, 6'2'' sophomore Onaje Woodbine (9.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg) and 5'10'' junior Isiah Cavaco (6.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg), returns. Woodbine provides the shooting spark, while Cavaco (72 assists) plays the bulk of the minutes at point. Freshman Chris Leanza, the Associated Press Co-Player of the Year in Ohio's Division II, may get big minutes in the backcourt. Yale's major weakness is at forward, where the loss of David Tompkins (16.2 ppg, 9.9 rpg) left a gaping hole. Seniors Ted Smith (3.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and John Kinkowski (1.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg) will be given opportunities to earn starting roles, while shooter Brad Reusch (4.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg), a 6'5'' sophomore, will contribute off the bench. Outlook: Yale will once again be among the bottom-dwellers of the league. Predicted Finish: 7th Last Year: 10-16, 5-9 (6th) in the Ivy League This Year: With four of five starters gone and no seniors on the roster, this could be a long winter at Levien Gymnasium. Forwards are the Lions' strong spot. Columbia's top player might be 6'8'' sophomore Mike McBrien (5.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg). McBrien, who was slowed by mononucleosis in '98-99, will be moved from center to power forward. Joining him up front is 6'5'' sophomore swingman Craig Austin (6.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg), the leading returning scorer. In the middle, junior Michael Merley (2.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg) will split time with 6'9'' freshman Chris Wiedeman. Columbia's backcourt is unsettled. Sophomore Victor Munoz (1.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg) is the leading candidate to start at the point, but his turnover-to-assist ratio last season was a horrendous 3-to-1. The only other returnee is 6'1'' sophomore walk-on Derrick Mayo. Treg Duerksen, a 6'4'' transfer from Neosho (Kansas) Community College and an Academic All-American last season, might start right away at two-guard. Outlook: Disappointing enough last year, expectations are even lower for a depleted Columbia team this winter. Predicted Finish: 8th