Forte, Wallace early picks for Ivy Player of the Year

Being named the 2003-04 Ivy League Player of the Year was no tiny accomplishment for Brown's Jason Forte.

The Bears guard received the honor after completing the first ever "Tiny" season in the Ivy League. Named after NBA great Nate "Tiny" Archibald, this statistical achievement belongs to a player who leads the league in both points and assists.

After leading Brown to a second-place Ivy League finish last season, Forte will return as a senior looking to improve his team in the standings and capture an Ivy League title. As one of only two returning starters and this year's co-captain, Forte will be the Bears' heart and soul this year as well as their main source of scoring.

If he can repeat last season's performance, Forte will certainly be a contender for this year's Player of the Year honors.

Dartmouth coach Terry Dunn expressed a similar opinion.

"Just based on reputation, I think Forte probably has a good a chance as anybody," he said.

As a point guard with an exceptional knack for putting the ball in the basket, Forte basically has Brown's entire offense in his hands.

But a cloud hangs over Forte's season, after Brown coach Glen Miller announced over the weekend that Forte has been suspended for "behavior detrimental to the team."

While the expectation is that the suspension will last only a couple of weeks, the Bears will need other players to step up and replace their primary offensive weapon.

Princeton, on the other hand, relies on two of the league's top players: seniors Judson Wallace and Will Venable.

Eighty-one percent of the Tigers' scoring came from Wallace and Venable, who both received first-team All-Ivy League honors last season.

The 6-foot-10 Wallace brings something special to the game with his ability to play down low as well as shoot the three.

He finished last season shooting 35 percent from three-point range, as well as combining with Venable to account for 82 percent of the Tigers' rebounding.

Columbia coach Joe Jones believes that Wallace's versatility makes him the favorite for Player of the Year.

"I just think that with his size, his ability to shoot the ball, and [that] he's athletic, I like him," Jones said.

As a part of a Princeton team that returns all five starters from last year, Wallace and Venable should find themselves comfortable with their supporting cast and their ability to perform as well as they did in the past.

As is the case with most pre-season predictions, past season performances have a huge influence. By that standard, the already proven Forte, Wallace and Venable are most likely to emerge as the league's best.

Nevertheless, Cornell coach Steve Donahue sees potential in a group of players on the brink of greatness.

"I think there is a slew of players that could jump into that next level," Donahue said. "I think we have a couple ourselves in Lenny Collins and Eric Taylor."

In addition to Collins and Taylor, Yale senior Edwin Draughan was mentioned as a player on the rise.

Draughan, a talented guard who led the Bulldogs in scoring last season, also has a tremendous amount of experience. He has started every single game since coming to Yale and has the potential to be one of the league's better players.

The challenge for Draughan and the other top contenders will be crossing that line from better to best.

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