Ivy League Notebook
As A Whole: According to IvyLeagueSports.com, the Ivy men’s basketball teams are on pace to break a record for collective regular season, non-conference wins. As of Friday, December 28, the league had compiled 43 wins and, if all goes well, is on its way to 59 for the season. That will shatter the mark of 50 set in 1996-97. There are 30 total non-conference games remaining in 2001-02.
In a related side note, fellow Hoopville columnist Lon Samuelson is on pace to break a record for attending the most college games without paying.
Late Bloomers: Unlike most D-I conferences that have either already started or will start conference play on Jan. 3, the Ivy doesn’t really get going till around January 11. The fact that the league is only comprised of eight teams might have something to do with that. Less teams means more time to get all of those Patriot and Northeastern teams on the schedule. As of December 30th, only one Ivy contest had transpired: Harvard-Dartmouth (Dec. 15), with the Crimson coming out the winner. The two teams square off again in a rematch on Jan. 5 in Hanover, NH.
The Hunt For Red-Hot December:
Brown’s Earl Hunt is the Ivy’s leading scorer by a landslide. His 23.6 average far outpaces second-best Ugonna Onyekwe of Penn (19.4). Hunt, the preseason player of the year, is also fourth in the league in rebounding (6.6) and ninth in field goal percentage at just under 48 percent. Hunt is not a one-man show, however. Teammate Alai Nuualiitia has lived up to expectations as one of the league’s best rebounders and shot blockers and has exceeded expectations as one of the league’s best all-around players. As of December 30th, Brown was 5-2, with wins over in-state rivals Rhode Island and Providence.
On January 12, Brown hosts Columbia. No, the game won’t be on ESPN but you’ll see two of the more exciting players in the conference go at it: Earl Hunt and Columbia’s Craig Austin.
Beginning January 2nd, the Bears have consecutive games against Army, Navy, Coast Guard Academy, the Taliban*, the Iraqi Republican Army* and the Michigan Militia*.
(*Writer’s embellishment, in case you haven’t guessed.)
