In the backcourt, Tyrone Gilliams, Paul McMahonand Jerry Simon are the long-distance threats.Simon is second on the team in scoring with 14.1points per game.
"Jerry Simon's going to have to do a lot ofthings for us to be an effective team," Coach FranDunphy said. "He's going to have to rebound well,he's going to have to score, he's going to have toplay real good defense. He many find himself inany one of three positions."
One of the sleeper teams in the league thisyear is Yale, which finished last year witha 6-8 league record, but only graduated oneplayer, Mike Ryan. And the label doesn't botherCoach Dick Kuchen one bit.
"I think it's kind of interesting in thisleague, the unique thing about this league, isthat anybody, outside of the favorite, can becalled a sleeper," Kuchen says. "You only have tolook at the scores from last year to see howcompetitive the league is."
But there are many good reasons for people togive the Elis such a label and two of the bestreside in Kuchen's backcourt, guards Ed Petersenand Dean Campbell. Petersen, last year's IvyRookie of the Year, leads the team in scoring(14.9 p.p.g.) and assists (3.9 a.p.g.). Campbell'sathleticism gives Yale the flexibility of a quickguard with scoring ability (11.9 p.p.g.) and thepower of a strong forward with rebounding ability(6.0 r.p.g.).
If the Elis struggle this season, it will bebecause of untried forwards. Junior TravisMcCready and sophomores Stu Davies and CaseyCamann have come through so far, combining for 29points and 21 rebounds per game. And freshmanguard David Brown has been a big surprise forKuchen, averaging 7.6 points per game whileconnecting on 12 three-point jumpers in the team'sfirst eight games.
"I'm enthusiastic and they are a fun group ofguys to work with," Kuchen says.
The favorite letters in Ithaca, N.Y., thesedays are B.J., and they don't refer to rock starBilly Joel. Center Bernard Jackson lost 30 poundsduring the course of the non-Ivy schedule lastyear and led a resurgent Cornell team tosix wins in its final eight games, including atwo-game sweep of Penn.
But the Big Red remains far from a strongcontender for the Ivy title. Jackson, senior MonteBoykin, junior Steve Johnson, and sophomores ShawnMaharaj and Rich Medina are a capable group ofplayers with the ability to get hot and beatalmost any team, but without the consistency towin the 10 or so games necessary for the title.
"We have to be concerned that we don't justbecome a Bernard Jackson team," says Coach MikeDement, referring to his team's leading scorer atnearly 16 points per game. "We have to make surethat other people around him are looking to scoreas well."
So far, Maharaj (11.5 p.p.g.) and Johnson (10.3p.p.g.) have helped, but the Big Red is strugglingwith a 3-7 record with wins over unimpressivesquads. Also facing Cornell is the imposingchallenge of playing five of its first six gameson the road.
"We got off to a bad start last year and a lotof it had to do with our schedule," Dement says."We were a young team and we started our firstfive games on the road. It concerns me that fiveof our first six Ivy games are on the road thistime. It's very difficult to get off to a goodstart like that."
Columbia Coach Wally Halas has theunenviable job of trying to turn the Lions programaround. He's been unsuccessful in his first threeyears at the helm, racking up a 16-45 careerrecord.
This year's squad has only managed two wins,but the Lions do have the athletic talent to poseproblems for the top contenders.
Leading scorer Dane Holmes (13.6 p.p.g.) hasreturned from a preseason stress fracture in hisfoot to take charge of the Lions offense, and he'sgotten lots of help from fellow sophomorefrontcourt mates Eric Speaker and Russell Steward.
"Our sophomores came back this year in terrificshape and have all improved their level of play towhere we think they can move to the more elitesection of the league," Halas says.
The J-J backcourt of freshmen Mike Jelinsky andBuck Jenkins have combined for 18 points per game,but behind the front five, a tremendous lack ofdepth should limit the Lions.
With its only three wins this year comingagainst non-powerhouses Bryant, Drexel andTrinity, Brown is not disappointing thosewho've picked the Bruins for the bottom of the Ivystandings.
Sophomore guard Rick Lloyd has done his best,leading the team in scoring with 42 points in hislast two games, but Coach Mike Cingiser's crewcontinues to struggle.
Lloyd leads the team in scoring (12.0 p.p.g.),followed by senior forward Arthur Jackson (10.6p.p.g.) and sophomore center Kirk Lowry (7.3p.p.g.). Sophomore guard Chuck Savage gives theBruins two solid guards, at least according toCingiser, who says, "We are thrilled with what wehave in the backcourt."