PRINCETON, N.J. – The push for Providence is on.
The back half of the Ivy League men’s basketball play begins with the first of three consecutive back-to-back weekends. The top four teams will earn a spot to Ivy Madness. The Ivy League men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held at Brown’s Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence from March 14-16. Full information is available at
IvyMadness.com.
Entering the weekend, Yale has a two-game cushion atop the standings ahead of Cornell and Princeton. Dartmouth has a two-game advantage over Brown, Harvard and Penn.
The weekend action concludes with a matchup in front of a national television audience between Princeton and Yale in New Haven. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15
FAST BREAK
- The Ivy League ranks in the top five of several conference stats categories according to KenPom (conference games only): 3-point percentage (1st, 37.4), effective field goal percentage (2nd, 53.4), tempo (3rd, 69.5), 3-point attempts per field goal attempts (3rd, 41.5), turnover percentage (3rd, 15.9), tempo (3rd, 69.5) and efficiency (4th, 109.8).
- Five teams completed non-conference play with winning records: Columbia (11-2), Princeton (11-4), Brown (8-5), Cornell (8-5) and Yale (7-6). The Ivy League enjoyed wins over teams from the ACC, Atlantic 10, Big East and Big Ten.
- According to KenPom rankings, the Ivy League has the second-best continuity average of all 31 Division I conferences. Columbia (6th), Princeton (18th) and Cornell (27th) all rank in the top 30.
- Yale (No. 8) and Princeton (No. 15) are both ranked in the College Insider Men’s Mid-Major Top 25, voted on by coaches.
- A pair of Ivies rank in the top 10 nationally in three-pointers made per game including Brown guard Kino Lilly Jr. (3rd, 3.65) and Yale guard John Poulakidas (6th, 3.47).
- The Ivy League has five current players with over 1,000 career points: Brown senior guard Kino Lilly Jr. (1,781), Columbia senior guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (1,380), Yale senior guard John Poulakidas (1,187), Cornell senior guard Nazir Williams (1,108), Yale senior guard Bez Mbeng (1,046) and Princeton junior guard Xaivian Lee (1,003). Princeton junior forward Caden Pierce (998) is nearing the milestone. Lilly ranks 12th all-time in league history in career points while his 313 career three-pointers ranks 3rd all-time and is the 12th most among active Division I players.
- Four different teams have multiple NCAA tournament wins since 2010: Cornell (2), Harvard (2), Princeton (2) and Yale (2). The Ivy League is one of only 10 current Division-I conferences with four teams with at least two NCAA Tournament wins (excluding First Four games) in that span joining The American, ACC, Atlantic 10, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Missouri Valley, Mountain West and SEC.
- The Ivy League led all eligible mid-major conferences with six players named to the Lou Henson Early Season Watch List. The award is presented annually to the top player in mid-major college basketball.
| LOU HENSON EARLY SEASON WATCH LIST |
| Brown G Kino Lilly Jr. |
| Columbia G Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa |
| Princeton G Xaivian Lee |
| Princeton F Caden Pierce |
| Yale G Bez Mbeng |
| Yale G John Poulakidas |
- Numerous Ivies rank in the top 25 on national statistical categories:
| IVIES IN THE TOP 25 (TEAM) |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio |
Columbia (20th, 1.56)
Cornell (21st, 1.56)
Yale (23rd, 1.55) |
| Assists Per Game |
Cornell (1st, 19.5)
Columbia (11th, 17.8)
Yale (13th, 17.5) |
| Blocks Per Game |
Brown (17th, 5.1) |
| Effective Field Goal Percentage |
Cornell (1st, 59.9)
Yale (25th, 56.1) |
| Fastbreak Points |
Cornell (13th, 15.25) |
| Field Goal Percentage |
Cornell (1st, 51.0)
Yale (7th, 49.6) |
| Fouls Per Game |
Harvard (23rd, 14.5) |
| Rebound Margin |
Yale (7th, 9.5) |
| Rebounds (Defensive) Per Game |
Yale (17th, 28.05)
Dartmouth (20th, 27.95) |
| Rebounds Per Game |
Yale (21st, 39.90) |
| Scoring Margin |
Yale (16th, 13.6) |
| Scoring Offense |
Cornell (5th, 85.5)
Yale (14th, 83.5) |
| 3-Point Attempts Per Game |
Cornell (18th, 28.9)
Princeton (21st, 28.6)
Dartmouth (22nd, 28.6) |
| 3-Point Percentage |
Yale (3rd, 40.2) |
| 3-Pointers Per Game |
Cornell (6th, 10.8)
Princeton (7th, 10.6)
Dartmouth (8th, 10.6) |
| IVIES IN THE TOP 25 (INDIVIDUAL) |
| Assists Per Game |
Bez Mbeng (24th, 5.8) |
| Field Goal Percentage |
Landon Lewis, Brown (19th, 59.3) |
| Free Throw Percentage |
John Poulakidas, Yale (10th, 90.8)
Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, Columba (24th, 89.6) |
| Points Per Game |
John Poulakidas, Yale (10th, 20.5) |
| 3-Point Percentage |
John Poulakidas, Yale (7th, 45.4)
Kino Lilly Jr, Brown (23rd, 42.7) |
| 3-Pointers Per Game |
Kino Lilly Jr., Brown (3rd, 3.65)
John Poulakidas, Yale (6th, 3.47) |
| Triple Doubles |
Xaivian Lee, Princeton (2nd, 1)
Bez Mbeng, Yale (2nd, 1) |