RyanWittman Posts -- FanHouse

Your Cinderella Is Cornell!

Not many schools can say they are "smarter" than Stanford, but the Cornell Big Red probably can. Cornell is the first Ivy League school other than Penn or Princeton to make the NCAA tournament since 1988.

The Ivy League has won just two tournament games in 23 years. Still, the Big Red have been dominant ... going 21-5 and sweeping the conference slate. Their main man is Ryan Wittman ... son of Randy Wittman, the former Indiana Hoosier who is currently the head coach of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.

For you zany people, you just like rooting for the Big Red. That's what is so cool about the Ivy League anyways: the Big Red, Dartmouth Big Green, Harvard Crimson and the Brown Bears. Colors everywhere!

Also, they are a smart bunch ... obviously ... and they are playing another smart bunch. But only the Big Red players can say they are Ivy Leaguers. So, turn in your sheet and tell 'em, "Go Big Red!"

You can learn more about the Big Red here in their FanHouse preview.
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NCAA Previews: Recognize the Ivy League Champion Cornell Big Red

Conference: The Ivy League
Record: 20-5, 12-0 in conference
RPI: 69
How They Got In: Winning the Ivy League regular season title. The league doesn't hold a conference tournament to determine their champion.
Seed/Bracket: #15/South

Mascot: Big Red. No, not the gum ... the color. It comes from an old football song that included the words "the big, red team". Unofficially, they've used a bear as a mascot.

Big Wins: Well, none really. Their best RPI win was over Siena. They have swept the Ivy League, however.

Notable Loss: They gave the Duke Blue Devils all they wanted at Cameron Indoor Stadium, finally losing 81-67. They've also lost at Syracuse and Bucknell.

Player You Should Know: Sophomore swingman Ryan Wittman (pictured) is the Big Red's leading scorer. He's a deadly shooter who is 47% from behind the arc and nearly automatic from the line (90%). He's joined by Louis Dale, who leads the Ivy League in assists, and Jeff Foote, a 7-footer who has improved as the season has gone on. One setback is the departure of Collin Robinson, a USC transfer who was third on the team in scoring. He left the team for undisclosed reasons.

Outlook: This is Cornell's first Ivy title in 20 years and it looks as if they could be the next big thing in the conference. They are a pretty young bunch, talented and deep. And they are the typical Ivy League school who can stick around in games by annoying you and hitting timely shots.