The men’s basketball season is in full swing, with the Red (5-4, 0-0 Ivy) nine games into a 27-game schedule. In its second year with head coach Jon Jaques ’10 leading the program, the team plays “fast with pace and … unselfish,” Jaques told The Sun.
“We want to be true to our identity,” Jaques ’10 said. “Pace, identity are all important but each game has its wrinkles and so we prepare for it.”
Looking at the first third of the Red’s season, The Sun took a look at the men’s basketball standings, gave three key takeaways and looked ahead at Cornell's schedule, which includes Ivy foes and ranked teams.
Nothing But Net
Across its first nine games, the Red has outscored its opponents 821-765, good for a 91.2 point average. The team is led by senior guard Cooper Noard, who ranks No. 25 for the NCAA’s average points per game at 20.6.
“Cooper [Noard] has been a key guy for us for three years now and he’s one guy who has a lot of experience,” Jaques ’10 told The Sun. “He is going to find ways to be effective … he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to do that. He sets the tone for the team.”
Noard is joined in the 100 points club by senior guard Adam Hinton, who has played a crucial role in the Red’s scoring efforts. Hinton recorded a season high of 29 points in the team’s season-opener, a loss to Kent State.
Accuracy has also been a key point to the Red’s offense as eight of the 17 listed players who have scored this season have a field goal percentage above .500. As a team, the Red has maintained an above .500 field goal percentage and is on track to continue its historical high field goal attempts and completions. In 2024, the Red made 886 field goals out of 1,770 taken.
Three-pointers are a driving force for the Red, given that the team has taken 305 shots beyond the arc, good for second in the Ivy League behind Princeton. On average, the Red has taken 14 three-pointers per game while allowing its opponents to try for under nine per game.
Defensive Control
Against Misericordia University, Cornell scored its season high of 114 points in addition to allowing its season low of 70 points. Maintaining control of the first half has been crucial for the Red’s winning record — six times this season, the team has gone into halftime with the lead and four times it has been able to end the game still on top.
On defense, the Red are led by junior forward Kaspar Sepp, who has recorded 43 defensive rebounds this season. At six feet and seven inches, Sepp’s season high of 10 rebounds were crucial to the Red’s win against Army West Point.
Looking Ahead
The Red will begin Ivy play in January, starting with Columbia at 5 p.m. in Newman Arena on Jan. 5, 2026. Before that, Cornell will take on four other teams — including No. 7 Michigan State University at Breslin Center in East Lansing at 7 p.m. on Dec. 29.
“We want to win every game and compete but also we want to be the best version of ourselves for Ivy League play,” Jaques ’10 said.
Next up for the Red, the team will travel to Birmingham, Alabama to take on Samford University at 7 p.m. on Sunday with coverage of the match available on ESPN+.
Zeinab Faraj is a member of the class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is the features editor on the 143rd Editorial Board and was the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. You can reach her at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
