Yale

You gotta feel for these guys. Just when theyget something going, they lose it.

After suffering a series of close defeats earlyin their schedule last season, the Elis regroupedto beat Princeton twice and post a respectable 6-8league record. Now, though, they've suddenly lostfive of their top players to graduation, and it'sback to the proverbial drawing board for coachDick Kuchen.

Senior guards Josh Jennings and Damon Franklinwill hold down the backcourt amid the departure ofstars Rob Connolly and Dave Brown. As for thefrontcourt, Sean Fitzgerald, Andy Karazim andBernie Colson will be joined by a host of talentedfreshmen.

Will it be enough, though? One gets thesuspicion that just when something good happens toYale...

Columbia

Last year, everyone agreed that the Lions wouldbe good. This year, everyone agrees that they'llbe bad. This is what happens when a team's top sixplayers are all seniors.

The league's preseason media poll this yearplaced Columbia in dead last by a large margin,and for good reason. With the league's leadingscorer, Buck Jenkins, and his mates Tom Casey, ParDowning and Omar Sanders all gone, Coach JackRohan will enter this year with considerably lowerexpectations than he did last season.

Rohan, a highly-respected figure at Columbiawho even teaches some physical education classes,will have to hope for quick maturation by a castof thus far underexposed players, includingseniors Jamal Adams and Steve Marisch up front andsenior J.J. Waterer and junior Ty Buckelew atguard.

But he probably won't get it