Let the Games Begin

Hi All,

It's been a busy week here with our coaches, athletes and staff getting ready for our first back-to-back Ivy weekend of the season. The players have had a good week in practice and after 10 days without a game, are definitely itching to get on the court. We're hosting Cornell and Columbia this weekend, definitely opening the Ivy slate with a bang - Cornell shared the title with us in 2008 and was the only Ivy team to beat us last year, while Columbia is really surging of late. My game notes, preview and all the live stat, video and radio links can be found here.

It's amazing that we've already played 15 games and that it's all going to come down to the next 13, played over the course of six grueling weeks. As most of you know, the Ivy League has a unique Friday-Saturday schedule, which is really trying for our athletes both physically and mentally - and for coaches too! A minimum of 80 minutes played in 48 hours is unbelievably taxing. The games, especially by the second half on Saturday, aren't always pretty but every single one is a battle and it always comes down to leadership, toughness and an absolute determination to win.

Our team has certainly displayed those three qualities in our last two games, both one-point victories! More impressively, those wins both came by earning improbable defensive stops - steals - when the other team had a very real chance to hold or take a lead. Its amazing when it happens once, let alone twice in three days. The players are showing a real commitment this week in practice and I believe are ready to defend their Ivy title. We are certainly a different team from last year and we obviously miss our two All-Ivy graduated seniors, but the Dartmouth Basketball qualities of rebounding, defense and mental toughness are just as strong.

We are really developing our identity as a defensive team and, more importantly, the players are taking ownership of that. The thing that's great about a good defensive team is that every single player contributes. While everyone might not play on Friday or Saturday night, each has played a critical role through game preparation and scouting all week. Some might think that's cliche, but I believe it's one of the truest things in sport. If your teammates don't push you - be it while pretending to be the opposition's all-conference guard or by playing their hardest every drill - you will never get better. All 13 players on our roster are contributing, particularly to our defensive strength.


We'll put it on the line this weekend, looking to improve on our 1-0 start in Ivy play. Hope to see you at the games, Cornell on Friday and Columbia on Saturday. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. both days!

- Dara