Big Red enjoy family time, media time, a few laughs before facing Wisconsin
By Anne Ju
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Winning a game in the NCAA tournament had been a goal from the start for the Cornell men's basketball team -- but a stopping point? Think again.
"Definitely getting that one win was incredible for us and our league," said senior forward Alex Tyler, addressing the media March 20. "But we know we have a job to do when we're here, and we're not satisfied with just one win."
So the 12th-seeded Big Red were, well, almost all business March 20, the day before they play fourth-seeded University of Wisconsin in second-round tournament play in Jacksonville. If they advance, they will have a homecoming of sorts in the East Regional Sweet 16 round, which will take place at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. The game will tip off at 2:50 p.m. EDT on CBS.
On their second media day, the team had a closed practice at the arena before taking questions and opening their locker room.
They have never played Wisconsin, which comes into the tournament leading the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.7) and limiting foes to 42 percent shooting. Coach Steve Donahue knows a "daunting task" lies ahead against veteran coach Bo Ryan. Players fielded typical questions about what they expect when they take the floor against the Badgers (also informally known as the Big Red).
No Cornell press time would be complete without a few snickers -- elicited first by senior forward Jon Jaques' straight-faced explanation of the term "Hatorade," which has become something of a joke in the Cornell locker room. Hatorade, which according to Jaques can be either drank or absorbed, is consumed by "people who don't respect your program."
There will always be haters, but they seem to be diminishing. After Cornell beat Temple March 19, ESPN's "SportsCenter" took notice of senior forward Ryan Wittman catching fire from three-point range and senior guard Louis Dale following suit. Cornell was "POISON IVY" against Temple according to the New York Post (and many others), which featured Cornell on its March 20 back cover.
Media attention aside, the team balanced smart preparation for Wisconsin with a little down time. Following their victory against Temple, they were free until 8 p.m., and many players spent that time with family who had traveled to Jacksonville.
On Saturday following public appearances, they watched game film with their coaches before a team dinner. Players also hung out in their hotel rooms and caught some televised NCAA tournament games (after all, they're players, but they're basketball fans too, said sophomore guard Chris Wroblewski).
Homework might normally have been part of the off-court activity for the Ivy Leaguers, but with spring break just getting started, it wasn't much of an issue.
The trip wasn't completely devoid of academics. While his classmates were taking a prelim on derivatives, senior forward Mark Coury was on the charter flight to Jacksonville with his teammates. With his professor's support, he opted to take the exam in Jacksonville the night after arriving, proctored by an assistant coach.
"It was either that or put all the weighting on my final," Coury said.
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