Ivy Basketball Preview, 3/2
Heading into the final weekend of the 2006-07 Men's Ivy League hoops season, all roads will once again travel through Philadelphia, as Penn (19-8, 10-1 Ivy) look to clinch their third straight title. The Quakers, who are in search of their fourth automatic NCAA tournament bid in the last five years, take on second-place Yale (13-12, 9-3) and upstart Brown 10-17, 5-7) this weekend at the Palestra. The Brown-Penn match-up can be seen Saturday night at 7 pm on the YES Network.
A Penn weekend sweep would wrap-up the schools 25th Ivy League title, tying them with arch rival Princeton for the most in League history. Princeton and Penn face-off in the League finale Tuesday night at Jadwyn Gym -- an ESPNU televised game.
The Quakers, led by the senior tandem of Ibrahim Jaaber and Mark Zoller, play host to Yale Friday night, as they look to avenge their only League loss of the season, a 77-68 defeat in New Haven on Feb. 3.
With three League losses, the Bulldogs' hopes for a share of the title remain in tact. A Yale win in the Palestra -- which would be their first since 1997 -- along with a win at Princeton, would put the pressure on Penn to win at least one of their final two games. A win Friday night would also give the Bulldogs their first season sweep of Penn since 1966-67.
Yale is led by sharp-shooting junior guard Eric Flato, who enters the weekend set six three-pointers shy of breaking Ed Petersen's single season school record of 72 set in 1991-92. Flato is currently fourth in the League in scoring and assists, and second in three-pointers made.
In the other weekend sets, Columbia (14-12, 5-7) and Cornell (15-11, 8-4) host Dartmouth (9-16, 4-8) and Harvard (11-15, 4-8).
On the women's side, Harvard (12-12, 10-1) remain in the driver's seat for the outright season title with only one League loss coming at the hands of Yale on Jan. 26. They welcome in second-place Cornell (12-13, 8-4) and sixth-place Columbia (8-18, 4-8) to Cambridge this weekend.
Having already clinched at least a share of their tenth League title, the magic number for the Crimson is one, needing just one one to solidify their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2003. They enter the weekend set having won nine in a row, including a sweep of Penn and Princeton last weekend on the road.
Cornell or Dartmouth (13-12, 7-4) would have to win out their remaining schedules and have Harvard lose their last three games to even claim a share of the League title.
In the other weekend match-ups, Brown (5-21, 3-9) and Yale (11-15, 4-8) host Penn (10-14, 5-6) and Princeton (11-14, 5-6).
www.ivyleaguesports.com