For the third consecutive year, men’s basketball (22-6, 11-3 Ivy) will fight for a spot in March Madness at the Ivy Madness tournament. Entering the tournament as the No. 3 seed, Cornell will be facing No. 2 Yale (20-9, 11-3 Ivy) in the semifinals. If the Red defeats the Bulldogs, it will play either Princeton or Brown.
Cornell split its season series against Yale, with both games coming down to the wire. In the first contest, Yale senior forward Matt Knowling knocked down a short-range jumper in the final seconds to lead the Elis to a two-point victory. In the most recent contest, senior guard Isaiah Gray hit four clutch free throws to close out the win for the Red. In both games, the respective home team finished on top.
Head coach Brian Earl expects this upcoming bout to be another close game.
“We play in a way where [double-digit] leads or deficits [don’t] mean a lot, especially in the first half. … Our games can get volatile from a points perspective,” Earl said.
The Red is led by senior guard Chris Manon and junior guard Nazir Williams. Manon was a unanimous selection for the First Team All-Ivy, with Williams being selected to the Second Team All-Ivy.
“[Williams] is a high-caliber player… he’s taken a bit of a sacrifice to be the best he can be in [our play style],” Earl said.
Williams is happy to make that sacrifice.
“When you start winning games, it’s easy to sacrifice. … Hopefully, we can culminate that sacrifice with a March Madness berth,” Williams said.
The Red’s success this season has truly been a collective effort, though. Cornell’s depth is showcased by the team’s average of 36.3 bench points per game, the highest mark in the nation. Yale, on the other hand, plays with a three-man bench, relying heavily on its starters.
“When you see the people in front of you doing their job, it’s easier to sit on the bench,” Williams said. “You know you’re going to get your opportunity. You just have to be ready when it comes.”
One key factor to this game will be three-point shooting. Both teams sport an identical 34.9 percent clip from behind the arc, although Cornell has logged over 200 more attempts.
The Red has also been extremely effective in its two-point shooting. The team leads the nation in this category, converting 62.6 percent of its field goal attempts.
“We do have guys that will get to the basket. There’s a little more space for them because we have shooters as well — our big guys can shoot,” Earl said. “With us cutting to the basket, we get high percentage two-point shots.”
Another factor that will come into play is turnovers. Yale ranks 12th in the country, turning the ball over only 9.5 times a game, while the Red averages three more turnovers per game. With Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Bez Mbeng suiting up for the Bulldogs, it will be crucial for the Red to make smart passes and maintain control of the ball.
While this is the fourth time Cornell has played at Ivy Madness since the tournament’s inaugural year in 2017, the Red has yet to advance past the semifinal round. In 2022, despite a heroic comeback effort, Cornell fell short against Princeton, 77-73. Last year, Yale’s second-half surge led them to an 80-60 victory over the Red.
This time around, Cornell is looking to win its match against Yale at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 16, and claim its first Ivy Madness win. If the Red succeeds, it will represent the Ivy League at March Madness. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.