2010 Tourney Preview: (12) Cornell Big Red

Team: Cornell Big Red
Conference: Ivy League

Overall Record: (27-4)
Conference Record: (13-1)
Neutral Court Record: (3-)
Away Record: (13-3)

Here's a look at the Cornell Basketball Roster:

#NAMEPOSITIONHT/WT1Jeff FooteCenter7'0" 2653Chris WroblewskiGuard6'0" 1804Aaron OsgoodForward6'9" 2305Errick PeckForward6'6" 21511Max GroebeGuard6'4" 20012Louis DaleGuard5'11" 18013Andre WilkinsForward6'5" 19815Geoff ReevesGuard6'4" 18020Ryan WittmanForward6'7" 21521Peter McMillanForward6'7" 22022Miles Asafo-AdjeiGuard6'2" 17023Johnathan GrayGuard6'3" 17524Adam WireForward6'5" 22825Jon JaquesForward6'7" 22033Alex TylerForward6'7" 23534Josh FiginiForward6'9" 20040Pete ReynoldsForward6'8" 22042Mark CouryForward6'9" 24055Eltan ChemerinskiForward6'8" 195

The Big Red as a team are much taller than most teams, the average height being around 6'6". This is a team that can threaten you with a lot of depth and the forward and center positions.

Check out some of the highlights of Cornell's 2009-2010 schedule:

Best Win: @ St. John's, 71-66
Worst Loss: @ Pennsylvania, 79-64

The Big Red did not lose many games this season, and the majority of these (4) game against some pretty decent teams. The Big Red gave the #1 Kansas Jayhawks a scare AT Kansas when they lost by just 5 points, which is what makes this team so scary. The loss that sticks out like a sore thumb is the game against Pennsylvania, where they lost by 15.



Cornell's RPI rating is currently 46, and its Strength of Schedule ranking is 205.

Some statistics on the offense of Cornell:

Points For: 75.3
Points Against: 63.2

Field Goal: 48%
3-Point: 43%
Free Throw: 72%

Cornell is a very good shooting team from specifically the three point line, but overall across the field. This is a team that if you allow room to shoot (ex. Richmond), they are going to hurt you by knocking down shots. On top of that, if they're hitting shots, they're scoring more points (exactly where they'd like to be).

Defensively, this is a team that gives up a fair amount of points at 63 per game. As we keep stressing, this is a team that is more likely going to win by scoring more points than preventing more points.

Here's a more specific look at the team's top performers:

PTSREBAST(F) Ryan Wittman17.54.01.9(C) Jeff Foote12.38.22.3(G) Louis Dale11.92.94.8(G) Chris Wroblewski8.92.73.3(F) Jon Jaques6.92.60.8
The leading scorer on this team is Ryan Wittman. He averages nearly 18 points, and shoots the ball extremely well for a player that's 6'7". Temple is going to have a tough time matching up with Wittman, as his size presents a mismatch as well as a number of other problems.

The big man on this team is 7'0" Jeff Foote. The senior center averages 12 points of his own, along with 8 rebounds. The definite height advantage out of any player.

Cornell is a very experienced team, having made the Big Dance the past two seasons (as did Temple). There is nobody that would like to finally get out of the first round more than the Big Red, and that's exactly what this team is set out to do.