With another week of Ivy action underway, Ancient Eight competition is heating up. This past weekend saw four teams topple higher-ranked Ivy squads. Here's how Ivy League men's basketball is shaping up.
1. Yale (16-4, 4-0 Ivy)
Last week's rank: 1
The Bulldogs are still the top dogs in the Ivy League. Yale rolled Columbia and Cornell by a combined margin of 46 points. Junior guard Azar Swain and junior forward Paul Atkinson each averaged above 19 points per game for the Elis, who only trailed for 69 seconds combined in both games. Yale has yet to face a top-four Ivy squad, but their dominance in and out of conference thus far cements them as the League's top team.
2. Princeton (9-8, 4-0 Ivy)
Last week's rank: 3
It's hard to think of a team in recent memory with as big of a turnaround as Princeton. The Tigers were 1-7 just under two months ago, with losses to Monmouth and Lafayette. This past weekend, the Tigers routed Dartmouth before edging Harvard with last-second free throws from senior center Richmond Aririguzoh. Princeton has the strongest resume against Ivy competition thus far, and their momentum will be crucial heading into March.
3. Penn (10-7, 2-2 Ivy)
Last week's rank: 4
Heading into this past weekend on a three-game losing streak, the Quakers were desperate for a win. Thanks to a strong defensive performance, the Red and Blue finished out the weekend undefeated with close wins over Harvard and Dartmouth. Penn's performance puts the team back on the map, showing the rest of the League that the Quakers can compete with anybody.
4. Harvard (13-6, 2-2 Ivy)
Last week's rank: 2
The Crimson are missing senior guard Bryce Aiken, who hasn't played since December. In his absence, Harvard scraped by non-conference opponents before edging Dartmouth in back-to-back nights. This last weekend, though, the Crimson ran out of gas, dropping two conference games to Penn and Princeton. Harvard particularly struggled to maintain momentum in both games, and they'll need to do better in crunch time if they want to make a run in March.
5. Brown (9-8, 2-2 Ivy)
Last week's rank: 8
Brown is the biggest mover in this week's rankings. The Bears topped Cornell and Columbia despite poor performances from senior guard Brandon Anderson, who shot 4-of-27 over the weekend. Brown maintained a lead for most of both games, and the Bears will hope to continue their hot streak when they host Dartmouth and Harvard this weekend.
6. Columbia (6-14, 1-3 Ivy)
Last week's rank: 5
The Lions haven't been hitting their groove as of late, having dropped their last three games. Columbia played Brown close in a 72-66 loss, which gives them a slight edge over Cornell, against whom they split games. Columbia also boasts one of the top scorers in the Ivy League in senior guard Mike Smith, and they could get junior guard Gabe Stefanini back from injury before the season ends.
7. Cornell (4-13, 1-3 Ivy)
Last week's rank: 6
Two double-digit losses against Brown and Yale hurt the Big Red's chances of making the Ivy tournament, as Cornell now sits in seventh place in the Ancient Eight. They played Yale close in the first half, and they have a chance to rebound this weekend with home matchups against Princeton and Penn.
8. Dartmouth (7-12, 0-4 Ivy)
Last week's rank: 7
The Big Green are now the Ivy League's last winless team. Dartmouth was dominated by Princeton and struggled mightily on offense against Penn. They averaged 45 points per game as a team over the weekend, and things don't get any easier this week when the Big Green will travel on the road to face Brown and Yale.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate