Get schooled.
Now that the Ivy League has clinched the season series with the Patriot League, it’s time for a slight step up in class to the ACC. Columbia dropped its opener to Duke, so the all the Ivies need to do is sweep tonight’s pair of contests at ACC venues to take the head-to-head season series with the top conference in the nation. Then again, a more reasonable goal might be a win in the final game against the Patriot League.
Following two days off for the New Year’s holiday, Ivy teams take the court tonight for the first time this calendar year. The Ivy League has rallied to take a 9-8 lead in head-to-head games against the Patriot League, and can take the season series with a sweep of tonight’s early interleague games. For the night owls, Brown will look to keep playing well when it takes on a very beatable foe out on the West Coast.
Exams are quickly approaching at most Ivy schools, so this weekend marks the last time until final weekend of the calendar year that sees more than three league teams in action. It’s hard to remember the last time Ivies were favored over Big East and Atlantic 10 opponents, but that’s the case this weekend.
Following a rough post-Thanksgiving weekend that carried over into some disappointing results earlier this week, this weekend’s games will give Ivy League teams a number of chances to make statements, achieve seasons firsts, and — in some instances — atone for earlier mistakes.
Please, before you write that alarmist column bemoaning the coming apocalypse that is Ivy League men’s basketball, please pause, take a deep breath, step away from the ledge, and do some research. Sure, Dartmouth losing 83-32 at Allen Fieldhouse isn’t exactly the kind of publicity you’d want if you were Jeff Orleans or Josie Harper. But as far as extracting any deep meaning from that game, it’s tough to take away much more than the fact that the Big Green’s second team can’t hang with the fifth-ranked team in the country on that team’s home court. Not exactly earth-shattering stuff.