They may have a losing record coming into Ivy play, but that doesn't mean the Cornell men's basketball team can't be optimistic.
Coming off a second-place finish (8-6) in last year's conference standings -- the program's highest in 17 years -- the Big Red entered the season with hopes of challenging for the Ancient Eight crown.
And for once, it looks as if they may be able to.
For last season's dramatic improvement, the university rewarded head coach Steve Donahue with a multi-year contract extension in the offseason. Donahue, a former Quakers assistant, was also able to land a recruiting class that boasts some impressive credentials, with two first-team all-state players.
Jason Hartford, a true center and junior college transfer, is averaging 9.8 points and five rebounds per game and, along with seniors Lenny Collins and Ryan Rourke, has made Cornell's frontcourt one of the deepest in the Ivy League.
The other big story for this year's squad has been Adam Gore, a freshman guard out of Monrovia, Ind., who is averaging 12.4 points per game and has started all 14 contests.
The new players have more than picked up the production lost from three graduating seniors, including All-Ivy guard Eric Taylor.
The Big Red started off the year hot, thumping St. Francis in the season opener and putting a serious scare into then-No. 16 Syracuse during a 67-62 loss.
But Cornell then dropped eight of its next twelve games and will enter conference play with a mediocre 5-9 mark.
Still, the Big Red opened league play at this time last year with a 5-8 record and still managed a 13-14 overall mark and sole possession of second place in the Ivy League.
That's more than enough reason for some optimism out in Ithaca and some caution for the Quakers.
"I think each year we try to improve our overall depth in our program, and I think we've done it this year," Donahue told the Cornell Daily Sun earlier this year. "We addressed almost every position."
