Last time, I wrote that this Ivy League season was the most boring one of this decade so far. The very next day, Dartmouth gave Notre Dame a close game and Princeton won at USC. So now I’m going to declare it the worst season of all time and watch what happens this week. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Previewing the Openers”
Inside this week: With few games taking place, we’re looking at the big picture: Putting this year’s non-conference slate in historical context; peeking ahead to Ivy League play; and ranking the women’s Ancient Eight. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Rankings Galore”
Inside this week: A cross-town rivalry heats up; two senior scorers reappear off the bench; and although three-pointers are getting old, #omgivydunx never will. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Bears Scare, Dunks Galore”
When Columbia jumped ahead of Navy 31-13 late in the first half, few at Levien Gymnasium felt the lead would be safe. In three of their previous four games (against UConn, Albany and Stony Brook), the Lions blew a double-digit lead in the second half; in the fourth (vs. Quinnipiac), they had a two-possession lead in the final five minutes but lost that as well.
Sure enough, the Midshipmen reeled off a 29-11 run that sandwiched halftime, tying the game early in the second period. Columbia went back ahead by as many as eight points, but a four-minute scoreless streak down the stretch cost the hosts the lead and the game. Continue reading “Navy 73, Columbia 68: Déjà vu for the Lions”
Inside this week: The Ivy League went 0-7 on Saturday, including losses to nationally ranked Kentucky, Miami and TCU. Harvard’s up-and-down season continued, while Columbia took two strong opponents to the wire. And non-conference play is going much better for the Ivy women. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Winless Weekend; Lions Stir”
Inside this week: Highlight-reel dunks, the new-look old-look Bears, and the four-overtime game that broke ESPN. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Recap: Marathons and MTEs”
Half the league picked up their first wins, but 10 days into the season, no team is above .500 in D-I play. Inside this week: Two weird losing streaks continue, scorers keep scoring, and Penn fans demand cheesesteaks. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Series Streaks and Scoring Stars”
This is a pretty depressing week to have an Ivy League Weekly Roundup column. We entered the preseason with hopes of a multi-team title race, star power throughout the conference, and realistic chances for quality wins. But on the first day of basketball, the league lost three potential All-Ivy candidates — one indefinitely, one for the season, and one for good. That set the stage for a weekend in which the Ancient Eight nearly went winless in D-I play, an inauspicious start to the season.
The Ivy League isn’t alone. Friday’s top games nationally were Texas A&M-West Virginia, which had two key players suspended, and Georgia Tech-UCLA, which was overshadowed by alleged NCAA violations, LaVar Ball and Louis Vuitton. The biggest college basketball story throughout the season will be an FBI investigation. Sports are never just about actual sports, but it feels especially so right now. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Roundup: A Nightmare Start”
This is the tightest race at the top that I can remember entering a season. For me, it comes down to a toss-up between three body parts tugging in three different directions: Continue reading “Ivy League Preseason Rankings, Awards Forecasts”
Harvard
Outlook: This year could start a new Harvard dynasty, but the young Crimson still must prove themselves in a competitive Ivy League. Continue reading “34 Teams in 34 Days: Harvard”
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