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Scenarios. So many scenarios.

March 5, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Filed under Basketball, Princeton

Here's official word from the Ivy League on the various possibilities that could happen this week(end) in the sprint to the 2009 Ivy League championship. In the unlikely chance of a playoff/playoffs, we now know where it will all take place! - JS

PRINCETON, N.J. — Heading into the final full travel weekend, the Cornell men still sit in the driver's seat, but Princeton, Dartmouth and Yale all have a mathematical chance for a share of the regular season title.

In the event of any two-or-three-way tie at the conclusion of the regular season on Tuesday, the tied teams will be co-champions and a playoff will determine the League's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships (the League has had seven men's playoffs, including one three-team playoff in 2002).

Here are the possible scenarios:

Cornell (9-3 Ivy) can win the Ivy title outright by beating Princeton (7-4) on Saturday night in its final game of the season, or by beating Penn on Friday night if Princeton loses at Columbia that night or to Penn in their regular-season finale on Tuesday, March 10.

Princeton can win the title outright if it sweeps all of its final three games and Cornell loses both of its final two games.

Cornell and Princeton would share the regular season title at 10-4, and meet in a one-game playoff, if:
- Cornell beats Penn on Friday night and loses to Princeton on Saturday, AND
- Princeton wins its final three games, at Columbia on Friday night, at Cornell on Saturday night and at Penn on Tuesday.

Cornell and either Dartmouth (7-5) OR Yale (7-5) would share the regular season title at 9-5, and meet in a one-game playoff, if:
- Cornell loses its final two games, AND
- The winner of Friday night’s Dartmouth-at-Yale game also wins on Saturday night (against Brown and Harvard, respectively), AND
- Princeton loses its games at Columbia on Friday night and Penn on Tuesday night.

Cornell, Princeton and either Dartmouth (7-5) OR Yale (7-5) all would share the regular season title (at 9-5), forcing a two-game playoff, if:
- Cornell loses to both Penn and Princeton this weekend AND
- Princeton beats Cornell on Saturday night, and loses to either Columbia on Friday night or Penn on Tuesday, AND
- Yale OR Dartmouth sweep their respective games this weekend.

The men’s playoff games will take place at Columbia's Levien Gymnasium in New York City.

A one-game playoff would be Saturday, March 14. A three-way, two-game playoff would take place Thursday, March 12 and Saturday, March 14, with the higher seed (best combined record vs. two other teams) receiving the bye to meet the winner of the first playoff game.

For the entire press release, click here.

*Please note that all playoff game dates are tentative and will be confirmed on Monday, March 9, along with game times.

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Stuart Schulman said,

March 5, 2009 @ 6:04 pm

If there is a three way tie, Princeton would be the team with the bye. To get to a playoff, they would have to beat Cornell, which would put them 3-1 no matter whether the 3rd team was Yale or Dartmouth.

If Dartmouth is the 3rd team, Cornell would be 2-2 and Dartmouth 1-3 (Cornell swept Dartmouth)

If Yale is the 3rd team, they would be 2-2 (split with both Cornell and Princeton) and Cornell would be 1-3.

We never thought it was possible that an Ivy winner could end up in Dayton for a play-in. But Princeton would be 15-12 or 15-13 or 16-12. Yale would be 16-14. Dartmouth would be 13-17. If any of those teams go to the NCAAs, I highly recommend the Skyline Chili.

Jon Solomon said,

March 5, 2009 @ 7:10 pm

Here's one I can't seem to get an answer on:

According to the selection procedures list on the NIT web site...

The regular-season champion of any NCAA Division I conference (as determined by the conference's tie-break protocol) not otherwise selected to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship will secure an automatic qualification to the National Invitation Tournament.

Does this mean that the Ivy playoff loser(s) would get an automatic NIT bid?

Additionally, if Yale, Dartmouth or Princeton were to earn a spot in the play-in game, I think would be quite the coup for any of these programs. A nationally televised game in front of a packed house in Dayton would be great publicity.

Win and you have a two hour infomercial for potential recruits.

Brian Martin said,

March 6, 2009 @ 9:50 am

When is the last time this many league teams rooted for Penn to win a league game?

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