Ivy League Basketball: 2017-18 stars on each team in the conference

Princeton Tigers – Devin Cannady and Myles Stephens

The Tigers utterly dominated the entire league, going undefeated through both the regular season and the inaugural conference tournament last season. What separated Princeton from the other schools was the depth they displayed. Their bench could have outplayed some starting lineups in this league.

The conference Player of the Year also resided with the Tigers. Spencer Weisz was the fourth leading scorer on the team, yet still won the MVP of the league. His all-around playmaking abilities each and every night made him an easy choice for the honors. However, Weisz, along with leading scorer Steven Cook, have now graduated, leaving two young guards in charge.

Juniors Devin Cannady and Myles Stephens were major assets last season, combining for 26 points and eight rebounds per game between the two of them. Their progression as sophomores has assured the Tigers of relevancy for years to come.

The offense for Princeton was relatively average, only fifth in scoring in the conference. Where they separated themselves from the rest was their shut down defense, ranked tops in the conference by a mile. The defense of Cannady and Stephens was paramount in shutting down opposing guards, allowing guys like Cook and Weisz to excel on the offensive end.

Princeton did lose several key pieces from last season, and another undefeated season is all but out of the question. With a bunch of young stars in the league coming back and several teams improving, the reigning champs vulnerability will be tested for sure, which makes the continued development of the junior guards all the more important.

How well they produce will determine the fate of the Tigers in 2017-18.