Ivy League basketball: Power Rankings

4. Princeton 2-6 (Preseason ranking 3)

The only reason why the Tigers are still in the top half was due to their difficult nonconference schedule, including games against BYU, Butler, St. Joe’s, and Miami. Princeton currently has one of the worst scoring offenses in all of division one basketball, primarily due to the predictability of the offense.

Unlike last year, where there were a number of options, this team has only three scorers; Amir Bell, Myles Stephens, and Devin Cannady. The trio combines for 45.0 ppg a game, with Cannady, in particular, having a great start. He’s shooting 53% from deep, by far the best in the league. The problem is that there’s next to no production from anywhere else. The overall competition will be easier next month, but unless other contributors come forward, a bunch more losses will be coming their way.

3. Harvard 4-6 (Preseason ranking 2)

This start is both surprising and expected, considering the overall youth of the team compared to the overall success they had a year ago. The Crimson have gone through a rough stretch, losing six of seven games. Some of those teams include Holy Cross, Manhattan, Northeastern and Cal State Fullerton. With the talent Harvard has, some of them should’ve been wins.

Harvard has started to play well as of late, playing a very competitive game at Kentucky before beating Fordham 47-45 despite going just 2-20 from three-point range. With the top three players being sophomores in Bryce Aiken, Seth Towns, and Chris Lewis, there’s going to be inconsistencies. Hopefully, for Tommy Amaker, it gets shored up before conference play begins.