Men’s Hoops Picked Eighth In Ivy; Red-White Game Saturday

ITHACA, N.Y. – Fifth-year head coach Bill Courtney understands preseason polls don't have any impact on how this upcoming season will play out. Now all the Big Red men's basketball team has to do is change people's minds on the court.

Observers looked at least year's 2-26 record (1-13 Ivy) and the transfer of Cornell's leading returning scorer and may have assumed more trouble was ahead. But inside and around the program, significant optimism about the 2014-15 squad exists.

Fans will get their first chance to make their own decisions about the Big Red this Saturday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. when the program holds its annual Red-White Scrimmage in Newman Arena. Details of the scrimmage will be announced later this week.

Cornell was picked to finish eighth in Ivy League Preseason Media Poll announced this morning by the league office prior to its media teleconference with the circuit's eight head coaches.

"If we're the eighth best team in this league, this league is as good as any in the country," Courtney said.

After three weeks of practice, Courtney has had a chance to look at a nearly healthy roster for the first time in his five seasons and likes what he sees.

The senior tandem of Shonn Miller (11.5 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 1.9 spg., 1.9 blpg. In 2012-13) and Galal Cancer (5.7 ppg., 2.5 rpg., 2.7 apg., 1.0 spg. In 2012-13) return after missing the entire 2013-14 campaign. Miller was a first-team all-league pick as a sophomore and is, by any measure, one of the nation's top defenders. Cancer was the team's starting point guard two years ago before stepping away from the court for a year. Together, their reemergence has the Big Red looking for a dramatic turnaround.

All-Ivy candidate Devin Cherry (12.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.5 apg.) returns at guard, as do sophomore guards Robert Hatter (9.0 ppg., 2.1 apg.) and Darryl Smith (5.0 ppg., 2.3 rpg.) . Together, the second-year duo combined to win three Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. Sophomore big man David Onuorah showed flashes of being an impact player as a rookie (3.1 ppg., 3.8 rpg., 1.0 bpg.), while senior big men Deion Giddens (3.8 ppg., 3.1 rpg., 0.7 bpg.), Dave LaMore (1.7 ppg., 1.6 rpg.) and Ned Tomic (3.5 ppg., 1.9 rpg.) will provide leadership on and off the floor.

Cornell opens a challenging schedule when it visits George Mason on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in Fairfax, Va

2014-15 IVY LEAGUE MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
First-Place Votes in Parentheses