Cornell hopes to exceed expectations -- including Obama's
By Anne Ju
JACKSONVLLE, Fla. -- Seasoned March Madness bracketeers say it's wise to pick at least one 12 seed advancing over a 5 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Will it be Cornell who nabs that coveted spot?
This much is clear: After twice getting bounced in first-round tournament play, Cornell is ready to live up to the expectations of many -- including the president of the United States.
Yes, it was "pretty cool" learning that President Barack Obama picked Cornell to advance over Temple University on March 19, said senior center Jeff Foote during the official pre-game day press conference. It's exciting, he said, to see Cornell becoming a "basketball school," not just a hockey and lacrosse school according to tradition.
But the national attention has done nothing to take away from the team's focus during practices, said senior forward Jon Jaques.
"We know we are a talented team, and at the same time, we have a lot to prove," he said.
The 12th-seeded Big Red, three-time Ivy League champions, will take on fifth-seeded Temple at 12:30 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The day before game day, the team held an open practice at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, and a few participated in a live televised press conference to talk about how they plan to upset the favored Temple Owls.
The challenge that lies ahead is a formidable one. Temple, who many analysts feel was underseeded in the tournament this year, is No. 4 in the country guarding the three-pointer. Cornell heavily utilizes its excellent perimeter shooting to rack up points. Both teams know that.
Temple senior guard Ryan Brooks noted that Cornell has several players on the floor who shoot in the mid-40 percent range for three pointers.
"I don't know if we've faced another team like that," Brooks said. "They are in a class of their own shooting the three."
Cornell coach Steve Donahue, who worked under Temple coach Fran Dunphy at the University of Pennsylvania, also recognized the challenge of playing his old mentor's team.
"They're not going to turn it over. They're not going to be out of position. They're going to make you shoot challenge jump shots, and if you make them, I think you've got a good chance of beating them," Donahue said.
Amid the media spotlight and serious game faces, the players still managed to keep things light. Asked who might be the team's smartest player, senior forward Ryan Wittman answered, "Besides myself," maybe freshman forward Eitan Chemerinski -- and had anyone seen the video of Chemerinski solving the Rubik's Cube in two and a half minutes?
And finally, answering an innocent question about how the team manages to balance basketball with academics, Foote rambled about enjoying the police escort upon arrival and how he was looking forward to the game. Nervous confusion ensued. Had he misheard the question?
Donahue explained later that Foote had lost a shooting bet to some teammates. His penance was to answer a question "wrong" at the press conference.
"They think that's funny in the Ivy League," Donahue said. "And quite honestly that's about as bad as it gets, so I can live with a couple of goofy things like that. But don't misread that they don't have a great amount of excitement and respect for what's going on in this tournament."
Get Cornell news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe