Key losses Shaun Etheridge; Omari Ware.

KEY RETURNEES Jason Forte; Earl Hunt; Alai Nuualiitia; Jamie Kilburn; Patrick Powers.

AT A GLANCE

A year ago at this time, it was Brown, not Yale, that was expected to contend with Penn and Princeton for the Ivy title. Last year the media projected the Bears to finish second and, despite having the most prolific scorer in the league in Hunt, they barely managed to come in fourth. The reason? Defense, or lack thereof. Brown’s was the second-worst unit in the league ... Forte’s quick progression at point guard was a pleasant surprise for Brown a year ago. In some games, he was a steadier scoring option than even Hunt. He averaged 11.3 ppg on the season. ... Nuualiitia is one of the finer inside players in the league and, at 6.0 rpg, one of the best at crashing the boards.

CORNELL

Coach Steve Donahue (12-42, 2 seasons)

Last SEASON 5-22 (2-12, 7th place)

Key additions Lenny Collins, Casey Gibbons.

Key losses Wallace Prather.

KEY RETURNEES Ka’Ron Barnes; Cody Toppert; Chris Vandenberg; Steve Cobb; Eric Taylor; Jacquez Vigneault.

AT A GLANCE

The Big Red ranked near the bottom of every major statistical category in the Ivy League last year, but still managed to pull off an upset of Harvard in Ithaca in one of the year’s ugliest affairs ... Cornell’s 2001-02 season was over almost as soon as it started, as Vandenberg sustained a season-ending knee injury three games into the schedule. The 6’10 center is back now and between his size and his athleticism, he will be a force for the Big Red in the middle ... With Prather departed, Toppert is Cornell’s leading returning scorer. He pitched in 10.3 ppg last season as a freshman ... Cobb and A.J. Castro battled over point guard duties last season and will likely continue to both see action this season.

COLUMBIA

Coach Armond Hill (70-116, 7 seasons)

Last SEASON 10-16 (4-10, 6th place)