Harvard
When Brian Cusworth graduated before last weekend's games against Columbia and Cornell, neither fans nor Ivy experts knew what to expect out of the Crimson. After last weekend's 20-point thrashing at the hands of the Lions and an unexpected one-point victory over Cornell, Harvard still seeks an identity.
Drew Housman had one of his best weekends of the season against the New York schools while Evan Harris contributed big minutes and made crucial shots late against the Big Red. Consistent production out of those two will be key if Harvard is to finish the rest of the Ivy campaign on a positive note.
The Crimson could pull another sweep this weekend on the road against Penn and Princeton, but expect a split with a win in New Jersey and a loss in Philadelphia.
Dartmouth
The surge that Dartmouth found coming into the Ivy campaign has dissipated as the Big Green fell to 2-4 in the Ancient Eight with a home sweep courtesy of the Killer Cs.
Leon Pattman continues to lead the Big Green in scoring, but Dartmouth is still looking for a consistent second scoring option. Alex Barnett has stepped in and filled a significant portion of that puzzle, but when your bench scores a total of two points, the likelihood of picking up a win is minimal.
This weekend does not get any easier as the Big Green face the Killer Ps on the road at the Palestra and Jadwin.
Brown
In last weekend's games against the Killer Ps, the Bears lost as expected against Penn, but came back the next night against Princeton and defeated the Tigers.
Although both Brown and Princeton ran the Princeton-style offense that was predicated on possession control, the Bears exploded for 41 points in the second half against the Tigers, en route to a 15-point blowout. Once again Mark McAndrew led the Bears with 19 points on 5-8 shooting from the field.
This weekend's games against Columbia and Cornell will be difficult, and a split on the road would leave head coach Craig Robinson very pleased with his squad.
Cornell
After taking down Dartmouth easily last Friday, Cornell met an unexpected challenge in a Harvard team that was blown out by 20 at Columbia the night before. The Big Red was stunned by an Evan Harris layup with 0.8 seconds left as Cornell dropped its second Ivy game of the season.
The loss severely hampered the Big Red's chances of contending for an Ivy title as earlier that evening Penn was upset by Yale in New Haven. Still, Cornell offers the best rookie class in the league as Alex Tyler was the third Big Red freshman to take Rookie of the Week honors.
Saturday's contest against the Elis at home will be crucial if Cornell is to fight its way back into the championship race.
Penn
The Quakers' dream of an undefeated Ivy campaign was dashed last Saturday in New Haven when the Elis shocked Penn 77-68. The loss was the third for the Quakers in their last four trips to Yale.
After taking a lead early in the contest, Penn failed to capitalize on the momentum, allowing the Bulldogs to take a seven-point halftime lead. Only two Quakers scored in double figures, Ibrahim Jaaber and Tommy McMahon, a first this Ivy season. Free throw shooting was Penn's downfall, with the Quakers shooting 38 percent from the line against Yale.
Two of the easier Ancient Eight teams-Dartmouth and Harvard-come to the Palestra this weekend, and the Quakers should pick up two wins.
Game of the Week
Without a doubt this weekend's contest in Ithaca will prove crucial as it could eliminate Cornell from title contention or put Penn back in control of its own destiny with a Yale loss.
The Bulldogs' victory over Penn was unexpected, as was Cornell's loss to Harvard in Cambridge. For the Elis to capture another road victory, Eric Flato and Casey Hughes will have to continue their hot shooting and strong pressure defense. For the Big Red to keep itself in championship contention, the team's freshmen, especially Ryan Wittman and Louis Dale, must contribute on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
If both teams get by their Friday contests unscathed, Saturday's matchup looms large in settling the final Ivy standings.
Princeton
The Tigers continued their freefall into the Ivy cellar last weekend being swept on the road by Brown and Yale. This is the first time in the program's history that the Tigers have started 0-4 in the league.
Princeton has struggled finding consistency on the offense end of the floor, taking 25 of 41 shots from beyond the three-point arc. Without a dominant post presence, the Tigers are forced to take shots from beyond the three-point line, despite opponents concentrating their defenses around pressuring Princeton's guards.
With a strong offensive showing, the Tigers could pick up their first Ivy wins this weekend against Harvard and Dartmouth.
Yale
For the first time since the 2001-02 season, the Yale Bulldogs sit atop the Ivy standings with a 5-1 record, aided by their upset over Penn.
The Elis secured the victory over the Quakers with solid offensive performances from Eric Flato, Casey Hughes, Caleb Holmes and Matt Kyle-all of whom scored in double digits. Yale shot nearly 47 percent from the field and 70 percent from the charity stripe, including 14-20 from the free-throw line in the second half.
A sweep this weekend would keep Yale in the thick of the Ivy title race as Penn will most likely sweep the upper New England teams barring any unforeseen circumstances.