Hoops Supplement | Ivy teams at a glance

Predicted to finish fifth in the Ancient Eight in the Ivy League Preseason Media Poll, the Quakers will face challenges in every league matchup. Here’s what you need to know about teams across the Ivies entering the season.

Brown Bears
Last Season: 8-23, 2-12 Ivy

Coach: Mike Martin, 1st Season, 0-0, 0-0 Ivy
Ivy League Media Poll predicted finish: 7th
Last Ivy League Title: 1985-86

Brown will win if … preseason All-Ivy pick Sean McGonagill continues to be a strong part of the Bears’ backcourt. The team, now led by former Penn assistant Mike Martin, returns all five starters.

Brown will lose if … junior Tucker Halpern cannot step back into a leading role offensively after missing last season due to illness. The Bears need another offensive threat to go with McGonagill.

Last Year: Feb. 4 — The Quakers went on a 24-8 run to end the first half and went on to win, 65-48. Rob Belcore had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Columbia Lions
Last Season: 15-15, 4-10

Coach: Kyle Smith, 3rd Season, 30-28, 10-18
Ivy League Media Poll predicted finish: 3rd
Last Ivy League Title: 1967-68

Columbia will win if … senior Brian Barbour continues to lead the team on the offensive end with consistent scoring and assists while Meiko Lyles holds steady as the team’s lockdown wing defender.

Columbia will lose if … it continues to struggle closing out games, as six of the Lions’ Ivy losses last season came by five points or less, including both games against Penn.

Last Year: Feb. 18 — The Red and Blue pulled off a thrilling 61-59 overtime victory at the Palestra as Fran Dougherty made a layup with 0.5 seconds left off an alley-oop from Miles Cartwright.

Cornell Big Red
Last Season: 12-16, 7-7

Coach: Bill Courtney, 3rd Season, 22-34, 13-15
Ivy League Media Poll predicted finish: 4th
Last Ivy League Title: 2009-10

Cornell will win if … Galal Cancer can solidify the Cornell backcourt while Errick Peck can return to his 2010-11 level after missing last season due to a knee injury.

Cornell will lose if … Shonn Miller takes a step back with a sophomore slump after taking home Ivy Rookie of the Year honors last season. His presence inside is essential for the Big Red.

Last Year: Feb. 17 — Cornell led, 59-55, with just over four minutes to go before Zack Rosen scored or assisted on 26 straight points down the stretch, as Penn won, 73-66, at the Palestra.

Dartmouth Big Green
Last Season: 5-25, 1-13

Coach: Paul Cormier, 3rd Season, coached 1984-91, 118-122, 62-64
Ivy League Media Poll predicted finish: 8th
Last Ivy League Title: 1958-59

Dartmouth will win if … the youthful and undersized Big Green can exploit their speed, and freshman guard Alex Mitola displays his shooting ability at the collegiate level.
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Dartmouth will lose if_ … the team continues to lack consistent scoring, as the Big Green haven’t had someone average double figures in points since Alex Barnett in 2008-09.

Last Year: Feb. 24 — Rosen won the game for the Quakers as he scored the final 16 Penn points over the last seven minutes, providing the Quakers a 57-54 victory.

Harvard Crimson
Last Season: 26-5, 12-2

Coach: Tommy Amaker, 6th Season, 92-56, 43-27
Ivy League Media Poll predicted finish: 2nd
Last Ivy League Title: 2011-12

Harvard will win if … forward Steve Moundou-Missi can make great strides along with the rest of the sophomore class.

Harvard will lose if … the Crimson cannot find a go-to scorer, as four of their top five scorers from last year are gone or have withdrawn from school.

Last Year: Feb. 25 — Harvard was ahead the majority of the game until a frantic comeback led by Zack Rosen put the Quakers in front. Tyler Bernardini drew a charge in the final seconds to seal the dramatic 55-54 victory.

Princeton Tigers
Last Season: 20-12, 10-4

Coach: Mitch Henderson, 2nd Season, 20-12, 10-4
Ivy League Media Poll predicted finish: 1st
Last Ivy League Title: 2010-11

Princeton will win if … Ian Hummer lives up to his pick as preseason Ivy Player of the Year and the Tigers successfully play to their strength inside the paint, as they return three starting forwards.

Princeton will lose if … junior T.J. Bray and freshman Michael Washington cannot step up and provide Princeton with a much-needed backcourt presence.

Last Year: Mar. 6 — Penn went in needing a win to force a one game Ivy playoff against Harvard, but Princeton dashed the Quakers’ hopes with a 62-52 victory to end the season.

Yale Bulldogs
Last Season: 19-10, 9-5

Coach: James Jones, 14th Season, 176-191, 100-82
Ivy League Media Poll predicted finish: 6th
Last Ivy League Title: 2001-02

Yale will win if … Austin Morgan can move toward a leading role as a senior while the Bulldogs’ other returning starters, Jeremiah Kreisberg and Michael Grace, can become consistent scorers.

Yale will lose if … Kreisberg, sophomore Brandon Sherrod and freshman Justin Sears cannot provide enough rebounding to make up for the losses of Greg Mangano and Reggie Willhite.

Last Year: Mar. 3 — Seniors Zack Rosen and Rob Belcore scored 20 and 11 points, respectively, on Senior Night at the Palestra as Penn blew out the Bulldogs, 68-47.

SEE ALSO

Hoops Supplement | Learning to fly

Hoops Supplement | Scott Pera not a complete stranger

Hoops Supplement | New assistant coach Ira Bowman emerges a leader

Hoops Supplement | Polykoff left alma mater for Penn

Hoops Supplement | Soisson: No top-level opponents? This season, no problem

Hoops Supplement | Penn’s new faces

Hoops Supplement | Big five preview

Hoops Supplement | Where are they now?

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