Ivy League Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2018-19

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 12: The Princeton Tigers hoist the championship trophy after the win against the Yale Bulldogs in the Ivy League tournament final at The Palestra on March 12, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Princeton won 71-59. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 27: Steven Spieth #3 of the Brown Bears drives ahead of Khalil Davis #11 of the Austin Peay Governors during the 2014 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 27, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Austin Peay won 79-58. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

5. Brown Bears

2017-18 season record: 11-16 (4-10)

One of the more intriguing teams to watch this season in the Ivy will be Brown, who has a high scoring backcourt in Brandon Anderson and Desmond Cambridge, who each averaged 17.3 ppg, while combined to also average 7.2 rpg and 5.1 apg.

The supporting cast that’s returning isn’t too bad either, with players such as Zach Hunsaker (9.7 ppg), Obi Okolie and Tamenang Choh providing solid depth for the Bears. Only Jason Massey isn’t back from the main rotation from last season’s team, with the underclassmen all becoming more experienced as compared to the year prior.

Although Brown finished 4-10 last season in the Ivy, they were more than just competitive all throughout. Eight out of the 10 losses were in single-digits and two of the four wins came in overtime. Some of those losses could’ve been blamed on the youth, which can’t be an excuse this time around.

While there is definitely potential with Brown, there are still causes for concern. On the defensive end, the team was just as bad as Cornell in all categories. One reason for that is the lack of height and size for the program, with only one player listed over 6’6. Opposing teams use that to their advantage on the boards, which ultimately moves the needle in their favor. Unless those issues are taken care of, it’s hard to project Brown in the top half of the league.