From East Coast to West Coast "The Career of Coach AJ Akpan"-CH2K8

[Deuce2223]

COACH AKPAN FINALIZES ROSTER

8 players and 4 starters will return from a 18 win season in which the Big Red won a post season tournament game for the first time since their Sweet 16 run in 2010 inlcuding JR SG N. Cressler(75) who led the team with 14.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.3 SPG well shooting 40% from 3pt, as well as Ivy League FOY D. "Big O" Onuorah (61)-11.7 PPG 7.6 RPG 1.6 SPG).

Joining the returning 8, will be former 1st Team All-Conference S. Miller (71) and the Big Red's only incoming FR P. Louh (67)

Miller will start at SF, but should he struggle he could move to PF, with Louh taking over, and SR D. Giddens (56) who started 29/30 games last year scoring 9.9 PPG well grabbing 4.3 RPG.

SR PG Cherry (65) returns after starting 30/30 games last season averaging 5.1 PPG , 3.7 APG, 2.1 SPG well shooting 37% from 3pt.


SO PG/SG Robert "The Mad" Hatter (67) returns as the 6th man. Hatter started 6 of the 30 games last season scoring 8.6 PPG well shooting 38% from 3pt.

SO PG/SG D. Smith (63) will be other top guard off the bench after playing in all 30 games averaging 5.1 PPG and dishing out 2.0 APG.

SR PF/C D. Lamore (58) returns as the #9, but after some solid play in the last few games of the season last year, expect him to get more minutes in the post as he is a much better FT shooter then "Big O" late in the game. (Last season he averaged 5.9 PPG 2.3 RPG and shot 74% from FT)

SO SF/PF N. Tomic (56) will return as the 10th man. He averaged 4.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG last season playing in all 30 games and like Lamore is a solid FT shooter (77%).

[Ragnar53]

I finally caught up. Good luck in Year 2

[Deuce2223]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ragnar53

I finally caught up. Good luck in Year 2

Thanks. I am actually like 10 games in, so well your caught up I am not. So far I am petty excited about Year 2, both with how the team is playing and with now recruiting is going. Now the only problem might be trying to decided on whether I stay or go after the end of the season. It's always so tempting to leave a small school for a mid-major program, but then it's always tough to leave players behind you have grown to enjoy playing with as well.

[Deuce2223]

CORNELL'S 2014-2015 SCHEDULE

The Big Red Bears, will open the season in the Bronx taking on the Fordham Rams (76) before traveling to to Syracuse where Cornell will take part in the NIT Tip-Off playing in the A Bracket with a opening game against Big East opponent (DePaul-79). Second Round action will be against either Wagner (78) or Richmond (79).

The Semi Finals and Final Round of the NIT-Tip Off take place the following week as the Winner of Bracket A faces Bracket D and then the following day the winner will take on the Overall winner of Bracket B and D.

Bracket B (Ohio State/Loyola IL, and Bethune-Cookman/Loyola MD)

Bracket C (Texas A&M/SD State and McNeese St vs South Miss)

Bracket D (Washington State/Chicago State, Winthrop/Wyoming)

Between the 2 Rounds of Tourney action, Cornell will host a pair of home games at Newman Arena vs Stony Brook (75) and Mount St Mary's (71)

So depending on how the tourney goes, Cornell could play 4 games the Week of Nov- 17th-23rd (Week before In-Season Recruiting starts) as they finish off the week with a Saturday game vs Canisius (71)

With In-Season Recruiting early recruiting opening up, Cornell plays just 1 game that week at home vs St Francis of NY (68) giving the Big Red 4 winable home games in the early part of the season.

Cornell will kickoff the Month of December and the last week of In-Season Recruiting with 2 roads games against Big East opponents, first going to St Johns (83) in Queens and then taking on Hoyas of Georgetown (85) in Washington DC.

Cornell's then finishes off a 3 game stretch with the Big East as they take on Rutgers (84) in New Jersey.

Cornell will then finish off the Non-Conference schedule with 4 more home games facing Marist (81), Iona (80) on New Years Eve, Colgate (69 ) and Niagara (77)

Coach Akpan

Quote:

"I really like our non-conference schedule, I think that we can win at least 5 of our 8 home games, and if we can manage at least 2 wins in the tourney and 1 upset over 1 of the 3 Big East opponents then we would end up with 8-9 wins going into conference play"

Speaking of conference play, Cornell will open up Ivy League play playing back to back games againstHarvard (80) who is the favorite to win this year.

I will have more about the Ivy League in a Conference Preview.

[Deuce2223]

BIG RED FALL IN SEASON OPENER

Cornell opened the season in the Bronx vs the Fordham Rams and fell behind early as they trailed by double digits at the half (47-31). The Big Red would battle back behind 22 pts from D. "Big O" Onuorah, but in the end they just couldn't overcome the lead as they finish just 5/15 from downtown. FINAL SCORE FORDHAM-79 CORNELL-68

N. Cressler was 3/5 from 3pt and scored 12 pts , but the rest of the team shot 2/10.

CORNELL WINS FIRST 2 GAMES O THE NIT-TIP OFF

SO D. "Big O" Onuorah scored a career high 22 pts in the 1st half as Cornell took a (42-36) lead in the 1st half in the opening game vs DePaul. "Big O" would continue his career night as the Big Red score 62 of their 95 pts in the paint as "Big O" goes for 36 and 6 in the huge upset win. FINAL SCORE CORNELL-95 DEPAUL-76

Cressler added 13 pts hitting 3/7 from 3pt. D. Lamore scored 12 pts backing up "Big O" at Center, well R. "The Mad" Hatter added 9 pts hitting 3/4 from 3pt

GAME 2

The Big Red took on the Wagner Seahawks in Round 2 after Wager defeated Richmond (78-70).

The game was a battle from tip-off to buzzer. Cornell would lead (43-42) at the half and would stay like that until "Big O" came huge huge hitting the final bucket with 3.2 seconds to play. Wagner had a chance to win the game with a buzzer beating 3pt shot, but the ball would hit iron as Cornell holds on for the 2 pt win. FINAL SCORE CORNELL-90 WAGNER-88

"Big O" was POG as he leads the team with 19 pts. D. Cherry (14, 3/4 3pt), D. Giddens (13) and N. Cressler (12, 2/4 3pt) all score in double digits to lead the starters, well D.Lamore adds 10 pts off the bench.

BIG RED GO .500 AT HOME

VS STONY BROOK


After beating Wagner at in the final seconds, Cornell got a taste of bitter defeat against SB. Trailing (42-29) at the half, the Big Red battled back scoring 43 points in the 2nd half led by N. Cressler's 25 pts on 4/7 from 3pt, but it was his final shot that cost them the game.

Cressler took the ball behind the arc, pump faked his defender in the air and drove past him for what looked like a pretty easy layup, but the ball rimmed in and out as Cornell falls in defeat. FINAL SCORE STONY BROOK-85 CORNELL-84

"Big O" was held to just 8 pts and 6 reb. D. Lamore led the bench with 11 pts, well Shonn Miller had 8 pts 13 reb and 4 blks in his best game of the season.

VS MOUNT ST MARY'S

At first it looked like it could be a repeat of the earlier game action as Cornell trailed (40-28) at the half, but behind a solid press that caused 25 turnovers, the Big Red battled back to score 51 points in the 2nd half, well holding the Mountaineers to just 15 points in their biggest winning margin of the season. FINAL SCORE CORNELL-79 THE MOUNT-55

Cressler led the way with 20 pts (4/7 3pt) and 7 rebs. S. Miller finished just 1 pt shy of a double double with (9/10), but added 3 blks, the Bench scored a combined 33 pts, but was just 2/9 from 3pt.

[Deuce2223]

CORNELL WINS NIT TIP-OFF TOURNEY

SEMI-FINALS VS WINTHROP

The Big Red use a 54 point 1st half and 15 point lead (54-39) to hold off a 2nd half Eagle attack (44-35) to win the Semi Final Round (89-83)

JR SF Shonn Miller scores a season high 29 pts as he goes 10-14 from the field and 8-9 from thes stripe to earn POG honors. He also had 9 rebs and 3 blks. "Big O" adds 9 pts and 10 reb well D. Lamore and N. Tomic each score 11 pts off the bench. N. Cressler also had 16 pts in the win and he dished out a team high 5 assist.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME VS TEXAS A&M

Cornell led by just 4 pts at the half (34-30) despite TAMU shooting 2/12 from 3pt including SR SG J. Green who was 0/5.

TAMU would go to their post game where K. Roberson and A. Space would combine for 30 pts (22 in the 2nd half), but a huge night from N. Cressler would had the Big Red the Tournament crown (Attribute Point) Cressler scored a season/career high 37 pts as he hit 7/11 from 3pt, he also added a team high 6 assists. FINAL SCORE CORNELL-74 TAMU-70

S. Miller added 11 pts and had a team high 4 steals well also blocking 2 shots. D. Lamore added 7 pts and 6 rebs off the bench.

IT WAS A CLOSE RACE FOR TOURNEY MVP, NOT SURE WHO TO GIVE IT TOO. CRESSLER AVERAGED 19 PPG HITTING 14/26 FROM 3PT. "BIG O" AVERAGED 17 PPG

CORNELL WINS 2 AT HOME IMPROVES TO 7-2

VS CANISUS

4 players score in double digits led by D. Lamore's 19 pts off the bench as Cornell picks up the victory at in Game 1 of their 2 Game homestand vs the Griffins. FINAL SCORE CORNELL-86 CANISUS-79

Cherry and Miller each had 13 pts well "Big O" had 12 pts and 6 reb. N. Cressler had 9 pts 6 reb and a team high 7 assists

SO P. Valenti led the way in the loss with 21 pts

VS ST FRANCIS NY

Cornell almost blew a (49-38) 1st half lead, but Nolan Cressler would come up huge hitting his 5th 3pt of the night with less then 4 seconds to play to lead the Big Red to victory. FINAL SCORE CORNELL-87 STFNY-84

Cressler finished 5/7 from downtown to finish with 17 pts 6 reb 5 assist. "Big O" actually led the team in scoring with 18 pts and 7 reb, well D. Lamore added 16 pts off the bench.

UP NEXT CORNELL STARTS IT'S 3 GAME ROAD TRIP AGAINST THE BIG EAST.

[XXstormmXX]

Ah, looks like you faced my hometown team, the Golden Griffins. Looks like Cornell is getting better, slowly but surely. Hopefully my recruit Jay Kilpatrick will end up there sooner or later.

[djp73]

porter needs to be at cornell