PRINCETON, N.J. – Last year’s reigning champions Yale and Princeton were picked to finish first and second, respectively, in the 2023-24 Ivy League Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll. The Bulldogs and Tigers each finished last season with a league mark of 10-4. The poll was voted on by 16 media members that cover the league.
 
Yale, which returns two all-Ivy honorees from last seasons in forward Matt Knowling and guard Bez Mbeng, collected 14 first-place votes and 124 overall points. Knowling was 10th in Division I men’s basketball in field goal percentage at 62.5 percent. Mbeng was also voted the defensive player of the year, after totaling 24 steals in league play.
 
Princeton, which won Ivy Madness and advanced to the Sweet 16 last March, was second with 110 points and a pair of first place votes. The Tigers return Second Team All-Ivy guard Matt Allocco, who averaged 10.7 points per game. Ivy League Rookie of the Year Caden Pierce leads a cast of young returning talent for the Tigers.
 
After advancing to Ivy Madness the past two seasons, Cornell was picked third in the poll with 80 points. The Big Red have finished in the top 20 nationally in scoring offense each of the last two seasons.
 
Closely behind Cornell was Brown with 77 points. The Bears bring back Kino Lilly Jr., a First Team All-Ivy selection from last season after averaging 16.9 points.
 
Penn (68) edged out Harvard (66) by two points to take fifth place in the poll. Dartmouth (28) and Columbia (23) rounded out the poll.
 
The Ivy League season tips off with all eight schools playing on Monday, Nov. 6. League play is set to commence on Saturday, Jan. 6.
 
Ivy Madness is set for March 15-17 at Levien Gymnasium in New York. The men’s semifinals will be played on March 16 and the final will follow on March 17.
 
2023-24 Ivy League Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Yale – 124 (14)
2. Princeton – 110 (2)
3. Cornell – 80
4. Brown – 77 
5. Penn – 68
6. Harvard – 66
7. Dartmouth – 28
8. Columbia – 23