ITHACA, N.Y. -- After capturing its first Ivy League title in 20 years, the Ivy League media picked the Cornell men's basketball team to repeat as Ivy League champions by a unanimous vote when the 2008-09 preseason poll was announced on Tuesday morning by the league office. The Big Red is the first team in the League's storied history not named Penn or Princeton to garner a unanimous first-place selection.

Cornell returns four starters and seven of its top eight scorers from last season's 22-6 squad that ran through an undefeated league campaign (14-0) en route to its third NCAA tournament appearance in program history. Returning are reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Louis Dale, fellow unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection and USBWA and NABC all-district pick Ryan Wittman, and second-team all-league honorees Jeff Foote and Adam Gore. Starting power forward Alex Tyler also returns as one of the team's leading scorers and rebounders.

Head coach Steve Donahue, the 2007-08 USBWA and NABC district coach of the year, will have his hands full in league play in order to repeat, as the top five teams in the poll all pose significant challenges, as do the bottom three teams in the poll who all have the capability to surprise.

Directly behind Cornell is traditional Ivy League power Penn, who received 110 votes as a near-unanimous second-place choice for the 16 voters. Each of the eight schools had two media representatives who cover Ivy League basketball eligible to vote. Yale (80 points) was picked third, followed by a resurgent Harvard squad (77 points) led by coach Tommy Amaker. Brown, last year's runner-up, was close behind the Crimson with 75 points for fifth place. Rounding out the poll was Columbia (45), Dartmouth (33) and Princeton (28).

Cornell opens its 2008-09 season on Friday, Nov. 14, at 8:30 p.m. when it meets South Dakota at Newman Arena.

2008-09 Ivy Men's Baketball Preseason Media Poll
1. Cornell - 128 points (16 first-place votes)
2. Penn - 110
3. Yale - 80
4. Harvard - 77
5. Brown - 75
6. Columbia - 45
7. Dartmouth - 33
8. Princeton - 28