If the UMass-Boston scrimmage is considered comparable to a game, then why shouldn't it count in the Crimson's record?

Just wondering.

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The Princeton men's basketball team got some good news last week when John Smyth rejoined the Tiger team.

And ironically enough, Harvard might just be an unkowing beneficiary.

Princeton's top player, Smyth cited "personal reasons" when he left the squad for the week that just happened to include Harvard's visit to New Jersey.

With the second team All-Ivy guard noticeably absent, the Crimson had little trouble in a 60-50 upset win two weeks ago.

Two days later, Smyth showed up at practice. That's bound to make Princeton (5-8 overall, 1-1 Ivy) a better team, and that's bound to improve Harvard's Ivy chances.

Because with Smyth, the Tigers are capable of beating almost anyone in the league. Without him, as Harvard found out, they're not.

* * *

Checking the current Ivy League standings provides one of the bigger chuckles of the still young year.

On top are the two teams most figured to be on bottom. At 2-0 is a surprising Yale squad that's recorded Ancient Eight wins over Dartmouth and Brown.

Right on the Bulldog's tail is 1-0 Columbia, which last weekend pulled the biggest shocker of them all.

The Lions knocked off highly touted Cornell by seven points, and what's more, they did it in Ithaca, N.Y.

It marked Cornell's first Ivy defeat at home since 1983 and only its second loss at home in its last 19 games.