Men’s basketball readies for weekend matchups

January was a harsh month for the Light Blue. But it’s over.

Now that it is, the Lions are looking to build on the momentum of their first Ivy League win and string together several more. All of that starts this weekend, when Brown and Yale come to town for Columbia’s first weekend of Ancient Eight matchups in the all-important month of February.

On Saturday, Jan. 30, the Light Blue regained momentum by putting together a complete performance to down Dartmouth. The win came at just the right time for the Lions.

In a conference without a tournament, every game is important, but this weekend may be a particularly critical one for the hosts. Columbia is tied with Brown in the league standings and one game behind Yale. All three figure to finish very close to one another at the end of the year, meaning Friday’s and Saturday’s results may resonate for the rest of the season.

Columbia’s first two Ivy opponents, Cornell and Harvard, have gone a collective 7-1 in league play, with the only loss dealt by the Big Red to the Crimson last weekend. The 3-5 Ivy record that Brown and Yale will bring to Morningside Heights this weekend could make Columbia’s next two games vital to the Lions’ hopes of rebounding from a 1-3 league start.

It all began last Saturday night.

In that contest, it was hugely important for head coach Joe Jones’ squad to find its rhythm as a team, particularly on the offensive end. Just as vital was the resurgence of the Light Blue’s leading scorer, Noruwa Agho. Facing stifling defenses and increased attention from opposing teams, Agho—who was averaging over 17 points per game going into the Ivy season—was held to an average of nine points per game in his first three conference outings.

Against Dartmouth, the 6-foot-3 sophomore guard found his rhythm early and turned in a big-time performance for Columbia, connecting from long range and finding lanes to attack the basket aggressively. When the night was over, Agho had scored 25 points and collected nine rebounds, both team highs.

As Agho struggled, so did the team. It is no coincidence that his breakout performance and Columbia’s return to the win column came in the same game.

“It was huge,” Jones said of Agho’s play on Saturday. “For him and for us, it was big for him to be able to play [that] many minutes, back to back nights, and also get nine rebounds.”

Despite the fact that he is unquestionably the team’s leading scorer, Agho’s success may have been the result, rather than the cause, of Columbia’s strong play against Dartmouth.

Last Saturday, the Light Blue demonstrated an ability to move the ball effectively and consistently, ending with 11 assists, its highest total in Ancient Eight play. Instead of having to take contested shots out of rhythm, Agho and his teammates were able to get their points within the offense.

A large part of that success has to be attributed to the fact that Columbia was no longer matched up against Cornell and Harvard, the two best teams on its schedule outside of Big East superpower Syracuse.

Jones is uninterested in explaining away his team’s lack of scoring and nagging turnover issues to the Light Blue’s opponents.

“We’re just being careless,” Jones said. “It’s my job to make sure we’re sharp out there, and that we’re focused. We just have not done a good job of taking care of the basketball.”

At the same time, the quality of Harvard and especially Cornell cannot be denied. And so, with a league win under their belts and those two foes out of the way, the Lions are in a position to make a run in league play.

It won’t be easy, though, with Brown and Yale coming to town. Each has a star capable of punishing opponents. On Friday, Columbia will need to account for the Bears’ dominant big man and the key to their whole offense, Matt Mullery.

“Mullery is terrific,” Jones said. “He’s big, he’s strong, he’s smart. He’s a major concern because their offense just runs through him. They throw the ball to him every possession.”

Jones emphasized that his team cannot hone in just on Brown’s threat in the post.

“What makes it hard is that now they’ve got four guys around him who can shoot … so we have to be very sound defensively,” Jones said. “We have to take care of their inside game, but we also have to make sure we take care of their 3-point shooters.”

It won’t get any easier for the Lions the next day. On Saturday, they will have to have an answer for Yale’s Alex Zampier, one of the league’s most heralded perimeter players. Zampier, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with an average of 17.8 points per game, has attracted the attention of many around the Ivy League, including Jones.

Zampier “is just terrific—he’s a terrific player. He’s one of the best guards in the league. He’s a major concern,” Jones said, though he added that Yale’s size will make sure Columbia’s big men are tested in both games this weekend.

But don’t expect to see the Light Blue employ any outlandish defensive schemes against either Zampier or Mullery. Columbia has a number of players likely to see action against the opposing post players. Seven-footer Zack Crimmins is starting to see big chunks of playing time, so expect to see him start off with the daunting duty of guarding Brown’s star.

Freshman center Mark Cisco and transfer Max Craig will look to help Crimmins, and defensive specialist Asenso Ampim could play a significant role if he’s ruled eligible to play after sitting out several games with an injury.

Tri-captain Kevin Bulger, a linchpin for the Lions on the defensive end of the floor, will likely key in on Zampier with help from Agho and tri-captain Niko Scott.

Another ongoing concern for Columbia will be replacing the play of Patrick Foley, the team’s point guard and tri-captain. In his first game back after recovering from a high ankle sprain, Foley suffered a slight labral tear in his right shoulder. Although not good, the news means that the team’s floor general may return sooner than expected.

In the meantime, Bulger started for Foley on Saturday, and he looks to do the same again this weekend. Freshman Brian Barbour will provide relief for Bulger, who will get help bringing the ball up against pressure from Scott and even the 6-foot-8 Brian Grimes, a power forward for the Lions.

In light of Foley’s injury and the team’s recent struggles, this weekend will be defined by how well the Lions come together as a team and harness the momentum they gathered last Saturday. If Columbia can do this, a 3-3 record would put the team back in the thick of things in an Ivy League that is enjoying a level of respect not seen in years.