With the best backcourt in the Ivy, good all-around depth and big-game experience, Penn is a prohibitive favorite to repeat.

2. Princeton

Of course, the Quakers still have to get by Princeton (22-8, 11-3, 2nd). Although the Tigers were shocked late last season at both Yale and Harvard, Princeton bounced back in the NIT by beating Georgetown and North Carolina State before falling to Xavier in the quarterfinals.

Coach Bill Carmody still uses the complex system of his predecessor, Pete Carril. But that system has become much simpler now that Carmody can tell everyone to pass the ball to Chris Young.

The 6'11 Young (12.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg), the 1998-99 Ivy Rookie of the Year in both basketball and baseball, is the most versatile center in the league.

After Mitch Henderson graduated in 1998, Princeton did not have a true point guard last season, and it was often Young who handled the ball at the top of the key.

Young is an accurate perimeter shooter (.393 three-point percentage) like his predecessor Steve Goodrich, who forces opposing centers to come out of the paint on defense. But Young can also run Princeton's traditional backdoor offense, taking the ball with his back to the basket and either hitting a turnaround jumper or feeding a teammate for an easy lay-up.

However, Young will miss the services of two first team All-Ivy selections in 1998, guard Brian Earl and forward Gabe Lewullis, two excellent three-point shooters who have graduated. Carmody is hoping to reload the roster with freshmen forwards Cameron Carr and Spencer Gloger.