Ivy League Basketball: Top storylines for conference heading into March
From Oni to Cambridge and everywhere in between, here are the who’s who of the Ivy League.
Miye Oni, Yale: Heading in to the 2017-18 season, there was a buzz going around about the lanky 6’6″ California native who called New Haven, Connecticut home. A sleeper NBA prospect last year, Oni shouldered a load he couldn’t quite maintain after teammate Jordan Bruner tore his ACL. With his co-conspirator back in action in 2018-19, Oni has delivered on expectations. Leaning on 18/6/3 and a block to boot per night, the long combo guard is a treat to watch.
Shooting at a .469 clip from the field, he can still be a bit streaky and may lack the killer instinct to assert himself onto the opposition, there is still something left to be desired at times. Yet, it’s clear that the game moves at different pace for Oni than it does the rest of the pack, and his physical frame is far mature than most. Yale’s Junior is a name you have to know about and is one of the most intriguing players in the conference.
AJ Brodeur, Pennsylvania: From day one, AJ Brodeur has been a workhorse for the Penn Quakers. Having averaged no less than 30 minutes per game his entire college career, the Massachusetts native has been a pillar of consistent basketball. Currently averaging career bests in points (16.8), rebounds (8.1) and assists (3.8), the 6’8″ big man is a strong front runner for the Ivy League Player of the Year. AJ hasn’t shied away from big moments as well, as he was the driving force behind Penn’s wins over Miami and Villanova.
Matt Morgan, Cornell: Cornell has more to offer than just top notch paper salesmen in the Scranton, Pennsylvania region. Hello, Matt Morgan. The senior is a dynamic scorer at 23 PPG on .516 FG% and .452 from deep, Morgan fills up the box score quicker than anyone else in the Ivy. Having eclipsed the 30-point marker four times this season, and one 40+ point game, Morgan is tough to stop. Of those five games, Cornell is 4-1. His scoring is super efficient and has only shot sub .400 twice this season. Comparatively speaking, he has shot .600+ from the field five times and .700+ twice. Matt Morgan is a fun basketball player to watch fill it up.
The aforementioned names aren’t the only people to be aware of in the Ivy. I’d be hard pressed if I didn’t show love to Dartmouth’s Chris Knight, who as a Sophomore puts up 15 & 7 per night and has shown he can be a future heavy hitter in the Ivy. Similarly, reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Brown’s Desmond Cambridge, is a high usage/volume player, but has proven to be an athletic conundrum that few teams can match. When he’s on, it’s difficult to game plan against the bouncy Sophomore guard.