Cornell @ Dartmouth [Ivy League Best Wager], Possibly More To Come
Dartmouth -1.5 [3.3 units]
The injury bug bit the team hard, however, as the Cornell Red lost many key players — including sophomore forward Shonn Miller, senior guard Johnny Gray and sophomore guard Devin Cherry. “We were playing our best basketball and found a rhythm and rotation, but as you lose guys, things start to become different. It’s easier to make adjustments midway through the year, but harder when you have just two days before a game to make those adjustments. [The impact] of losing starters, your top scorers, defenders and rebounders is immeasurable.”
The last time the Red played Dartmouth, the men routed the Dartmouth Green, 79-56, and started a key three-game win streak for the team. “We played well [against Dartmouth] definitely because of the pressure,” Asafo-Adjei said. “We took them out of everything they wanted to do. I can only remember one possession where they actually ran a play; we sped them up, pressed them and made them turn the ball over.”
According to Courtney, although it will be harder to play the same style as in the previous game, the Red will still attempt to try to add the same amount of pressure.“This week, it’s going to be more difficult [to pressure them] because we don’t have that same speed and athleticism; we’re not that team anymore with the injuries, but we still have to try to do some of those things,” he said. “We need guys to step off the bench because we need a lot of depth … to keep the speed of the game going the way we want it to.” Against Harvard, the Red need to pay particular attention to the Crimson’s two leading scorers, freshman point guard Siyani Chambers and sophomore forward Wesley Saunders. Saunders upped his scoring average from 3.3 last year to 16.6 this year to lead the Ivy League.
“Chambers is a special young player; he’s very quick and most people don’t realize that he is a very good shooter, especially off the dribble, which makes him hard to guard,” Asafo-Adjei said. “I just want to make all his shots tough, keep him in front and not let him get to the basket and create for others because he’s great at getting his teammates open looks. He’s a great all around player so we have to play good team and individual defense to contain him.”
The Red’s injuries could affect the effectiveness of the team’s coverage of Saunders, Courtney said. “[Saunders] had a lot of offers [to USC and Colorado] and was a big time recruit,” he said. “But, did anyone expect him to lead the league in scoring in his second year? Probably not, but we knew he was a great player. He’s a tough matchup because he’s relentless going to the basket and without Miller [One of the missing Cornell key players], somebody has to step up and prevent him from getting to the basket and out of the lane.”
Play the improving Big Green [who just won at Penn & played Princeton close on the road] looking for revenge for 23 point loss at Cornell. Bonus: Dartmouth is also an excellent FT shooting, making 71.6%.
The injury bug bit the team hard, however, as the Cornell Red lost many key players — including sophomore forward Shonn Miller, senior guard Johnny Gray and sophomore guard Devin Cherry. “We were playing our best basketball and found a rhythm and rotation, but as you lose guys, things start to become different. It’s easier to make adjustments midway through the year, but harder when you have just two days before a game to make those adjustments. [The impact] of losing starters, your top scorers, defenders and rebounders is immeasurable.”
The last time the Red played Dartmouth, the men routed the Dartmouth Green, 79-56, and started a key three-game win streak for the team. “We played well [against Dartmouth] definitely because of the pressure,” Asafo-Adjei said. “We took them out of everything they wanted to do. I can only remember one possession where they actually ran a play; we sped them up, pressed them and made them turn the ball over.”
According to Courtney, although it will be harder to play the same style as in the previous game, the Red will still attempt to try to add the same amount of pressure.“This week, it’s going to be more difficult [to pressure them] because we don’t have that same speed and athleticism; we’re not that team anymore with the injuries, but we still have to try to do some of those things,” he said. “We need guys to step off the bench because we need a lot of depth … to keep the speed of the game going the way we want it to.” Against Harvard, the Red need to pay particular attention to the Crimson’s two leading scorers, freshman point guard Siyani Chambers and sophomore forward Wesley Saunders. Saunders upped his scoring average from 3.3 last year to 16.6 this year to lead the Ivy League.
“Chambers is a special young player; he’s very quick and most people don’t realize that he is a very good shooter, especially off the dribble, which makes him hard to guard,” Asafo-Adjei said. “I just want to make all his shots tough, keep him in front and not let him get to the basket and create for others because he’s great at getting his teammates open looks. He’s a great all around player so we have to play good team and individual defense to contain him.”
The Red’s injuries could affect the effectiveness of the team’s coverage of Saunders, Courtney said. “[Saunders] had a lot of offers [to USC and Colorado] and was a big time recruit,” he said. “But, did anyone expect him to lead the league in scoring in his second year? Probably not, but we knew he was a great player. He’s a tough matchup because he’s relentless going to the basket and without Miller [One of the missing Cornell key players], somebody has to step up and prevent him from getting to the basket and out of the lane.”
Play the improving Big Green [who just won at Penn & played Princeton close on the road] looking for revenge for 23 point loss at Cornell. Bonus: Dartmouth is also an excellent FT shooting, making 71.6%.