PROVIDENCE, R.I. – It’s been a while since Dartmouth was really relevant in the Ivy League. While a recent Player of the Year was a member of the Big Green, Alex Barnett did so on a team that tied for fourth place and had an overall 9-19 record, which doesn’t happen often in an eight-team league. Although Dartmouth is off to an 0-3 start in Ivy League play, there is reason to believe that they will be relevant again before long.
Dartmouth gave Harvard a battle for much of the game last month when they visited Cambridge for the league opener. For years while they have struggled, they have been known for giving even the best teams a run for their money in Hanover. Thus far, they are 0-3 in the early going after dropping a 66-59 decision at Brown on Friday night, and it’s a game they could have had. The bottom line isn’t going to show it, but the future is looking bright for this team.
The Big Green had two freshmen and a sophomore in their starting lineup on Friday, and another freshman was among the first players off the bench. It’s not a stretch to say that the three freshmen are among their four or five best players right now, and head coach Paul Cormier is giving them plenty of opportunity early on.
Right behind this group will be more good talent. Next year they will add a solid point guard in Alex Mitola from New Jersey and two from the New England prep ranks: an excellent shooter in Kevin Crescenzi from the Tilton School and a versatile wing in Tommy Carpenter from Northfield Mount Hermon. With that on the way, a fan of the team can be forgiven if they lose sight of what’s in front of the team right now, although the coaching staff isn’t doing that.
“We’ve got to try to win games now as well,” said Cormier, who is in his second stint as head coach at the school. “We’ve got to learn how to win. A game like tonight, where you had the lead going into the second half, and then you made that comeback, it would be nice to make some big plays and big stops down the stretch, which we just did not do.”
Dartmouth led for most of the game after Brown scored the first four points. Brown got close several times, but Dartmouth consistently had answers to push the lead back up. Even when the Bears finally grabbed the lead at 35-33 just three minutes into the second half, Dartmouth scored the next six points and at one point led 48-40. The Big Green had another answer when Brown took a 53-52 lead with 4:07 left, but the next time they lost the lead would be the last time they held it on the night.
Cormier cited shooting as a primary concern for this team, and a look at the box score certainly shows it. They Big Green shot 37 percent from the field, including just 29.2 percent in the second half. They did well to get to the foul line 19 times (making 16), but that couldn’t make up for their struggles to make a basket. They shoot below 40 percent on the season and have shot 44 percent or better just four times this season.
At the top of those struggles on Friday night were top shooter David Rufful (2-11 from the field, including 0-3 from long range) and Gabas Maldunas (3-12). Maldunas did have 11 rebounds and has already become their best player, as he’s a tough matchup with his skill level inside and out. Cormier said Maldunas and classmate Jvonte Brooks, who led the Big Green on Friday with 16 points, were hobbled recently by the flu.
Rufful, Jabari Trotter and Kirk Crecco are the only seniors on this team. With freshmen coming in and getting good minutes and key roles right away, it could threaten the chemistry on some teams. Thus far, Cormier has seen none of that.
“We have good chemistry,” said Cormier. “The older kids have done a lot as far as helping them adjust from high school or prep school into the Ivy League and deal with both playing a Division I schedule and handling the rigors of the Ivy League academically. The upperclassmen have done a wonderful job as far as leadership, and that’s all been a help.”
Cormier said he hopes the upperclassmen get to experience more wins before they are done. They may not be here to see this team become relevant again while the talent that is in Hanover and on the way tries to develop into a contender, but they will have set the stage for it. In a couple of years, Dartmouth may well be a contender in the Ivy League, leaving recent seasons and this season’s 0-3 start in league play as relics of the past.
