Ivy League Preview: The ‘Brainy Baller’ Conference

Photo credit to doublegsportsimages via Flickr

College Basketball

Ivy League Preview: The ‘Brainy Baller’ Conference

Despite only having eight total schools within its conference, the Ivy League always seems to make the most of their national opportunities. Known more for their academics rather than athletics, the Ivy League is always playing for respect when the NCAA Basketball season tips off. They have earned it too, having one representative actually reach the Sweet 16 only eight years ago. These brainiac ballers can certainly hang with the nation’s best programs, as history has proven for this league.

For the men’s conference, Cornell reached the Sweet 16 in 2010. Cornell defeated both Temple and Wisconsin, each by double-digit points before falling to Kentucky. Last year, the Penn Quakers won the Ivy league as a two seed. They were then scheduled to face a one-seeded Kansas team, only down seven points at halftime. Kansas only outscored Penn by nine points in the second half of that game, with the final score not as indicative as for how close the game actually was.

Perhaps what makes the Ivy League even more intriguing (for the men’s) is the diversity in its champion. At least five different schools have won the Ivy League in the past eight years. The women’s conference is a bit more lopsided, as either Princeton or Penn have won the women’s title the past nine seasons. In 2017, the Penn women’s team only lost to fifth-seeded Texas A&M by two points during the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Although intelligent, this league is also scattered with athletes that compete against solid national programs.

Ivy League Winners?

Princeton and Penn are the most dominant teams for both the men and women, historically speaking. Princeton and Penn have each won 24 men’s championships, while the women’s success for those programs as stated above. Despite Dartmouth holding the active streak for years passed without an NCAA Tournament appearance (59 and counting), Dartmouth actually holds the best overall record for Ivy League schools in the NCAA Tournament (10-7).

Cornell’s Matt Morgan originally declared for the NBA Draft, as he was the leading scorer for the Ivy League a year ago. That all changed when Morgan went through the NBA Draft process, realizing he needs to work on his shooting percentage. Morgan now returns for his senior season, giving Cornell a chance to claim the Ivy League crown. Morgan was the only player within the Ivy League to score over 600 total points. The next closest was Columbia’s Mike Smith, who finished with 475.

Columbia is a good team to pick in dethroning Princeton or Penn. Columbia ranked second in the conference last season for 3-point percentage and overall scoring. Harvard is also another good pick to win the Ivy League this season, as they actually won five in a row from 2010-2015. Harvard was also the runner-up in last year’s championship game, falling to Penn. Many feel that Harvard may have actually won that game if it wasn’t played at The Palestra, Penn’s home court and the site of the past two Ivy League Championship games.

Conference Facts

• The Princeton, Columbia and Cornell men’s programs have each been to one Sweet 16.
• The Dartmouth men’s team has reached one Elite Eight.
• Princeton and Penn men’s teams, two of the more successful Ivy League schools, have been to one Final Four each.
• Brown is the only men’s program in the conference to not have an NCAA Tournament win (0-2).
• This will be only the third time ever in which the Ivy League will play a conference tournament for both men and women.

Photo credit doublegsportsimages via Flickr