The Start of the 14-Game Tournament

The best thing about working with a basketball team, in my opinion, is the March Madness. Lucky for those of us that work and play in the Ivy League, every game carries the weight of a March Madness game.

For those that don’t know, the Ivy League doesn’t have a conference tournament and the winner of the regular season gets the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. That being said, every game in the Ivy League is a tournament game.

For the Big Green women’s basketball team, the rivalry with Harvard is just that, a rivalry. Head coaches Chris Wielgus and Kathy Delaney-Smith are the longest tenured coaches in the league and not surprise here, Wielgus has 12 Ivy League Championships and Delaney-Smith has 11. Let’s just say, this is always a GAME from the head coaches right on down to the players.  

Round one of the GAME, took place on Jan. 26 in Cambridge and served as the Ivy League opener for both teams.  It was a grudge match as was expected and the Crimson took the win, 88-66. Due to a new scheduling format, the teams will meet again, just 15 days later on our home turf for round two. While I personally enjoy beginning and ending the season with Harvard, I don’t expect the new scheduling to take anything away from the series, this rivalry will always be a good one!

There will be plenty of good games throughout the Ivy League slate this season. I fully anticipate the league to be a grudge match night in and night out for the next two months and I can’t wait. I can wait for those LONG bus trips to Cornell and Philly but hey you can’t win them all:)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, look out for the youngsters from Hanover, H.H., because when it starts coming together, they are going to take off! You have been warned!

Until next time,

Jess Poole