Ivy League Playoff Berth On The Line As Brown Travels To Harvard and Dartmouth

Friday, March 6

Cambridge, MA

7:00 pm

Brown University

Harvard University

Photo by: David Silverman Photography

Ivy League Playoff Berth On The Line As Brown Travels To Harvard and Dartmouth

3/4/2020 2:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

MBB Game Notes vs. Harvard and Dartmouth 3 6 20

Providence, R.I. - Just two games remain in the Ivy League regular season with an Ivy Playoff berth on the line for Brown, Penn and Dartmouth. The Bears travel to Harvard on Friday, March 6 at 7:00 pm and to Dartmouth on Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 pm, looking for a sweep of the Crimson and Big Green and get some help along the way to gain a berth in next week's the Ivy League Tournament.

The Bears:  Brown (13-12, 6-6 Ivy) lost games to Princeton (71-49) and Penn (73-68) last week to fall back into a two-way tie for fourth place in the Ivy standings with the Quakers at 6-6. The Bears need to sweep this weekend and get some help to earn an Ivy Playoff berth.

About Harvard and Dartmouth:  Harvard (20-7, 9-3 Ivy) earned a weekend sweep of Columbia and Cornell, beating the Lions, 77-69, and earning a 67-58 win over the Big Red. The Crimson are second in the Ivy League, one game behind Yale. Dartmouth (12-15, 5-7 Ivy) is one of the hottest teams in the Ivy League, winning five of its last six games.  Last week, Dartmouth earned road wins over Cornell, 82-70, and Columbia, 76-57, to stay in Ivy playoff contention.

The Ivy League Standings
                                                           Ivy         Overall
1.                Yale                                10-2      22-6
2.                Harvard                            9-3         20-7
3.                Princeton                          8-4         13-12
4.                Brown                                6-6         13-12
5.                Penn                                   6-6         14-11
6.                Dartmouth       5-7         12-15
7.                Cornell                               3-9         6-19
8.                Columbia                           1-11      6-22

The Brown vs. Harvard Series Record – 182^nd  Meeting:Brown and Harvard have met 181 times, dating back to the 1900-1901 season, with the Crimson holding a 105-76 series lead. Brown earned its second straight win over the Crimson earlier this year, 72-71, behind Tamenang Choh's three-point play with 0.5 seconds remaining. The two teams split games last year with the Crimson winning, 67-47, in the first meeting in Allston, MA and Brown taking an 88-79 victory in Providence.

The Brown vs. Dartmouth Series Record – 158^thMeeting:Brown and Dartmouth will be meeting for the 158^thtime, dating back to 1901-1902, with the Big Green holding an 81-76 series advantage. Brown earned its third straight win over the Big Green, 67-65, earlier this year with Zach Hunsaker and Tamenang Choh scoring 15 points each.  Dartmouth defeated the Bears, 66-63, on 2/17/18 in Hanover. Overall, the Bears have won 15 of the last 21 meetings.

Tamenang Choh – Bears Top Rebounder:The Bears are built around Second Team All-Ivy junior forward Tamenang Choh (Lowell, MA), who led the Ivy League in rebounding last year and is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, third best in the conference.  Choh scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds handed out six assists vs. Penn last week. He scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds at Columbia and scored 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds at Cornell. Choh had a team high eight rebounds and four assists vs. Princeton. He was named the Ivy League Player of the Week after scoring 15 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in a win over Dartmouth and came back with 17 points and six rebounds vs. Harvard, including the game-winning three-point play with 0.5 seconds left for a one-point victory over the Crimson. Choh posted a double-double vs. Columbia with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while blocking four shots. He had 14 points and six rebounds in a win over Cornell. Choh posted a double-double at home against Yale with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Brown's Ivy opener at Yale. Choh tossed in 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out seven assists in Brown's win over Rhode Island. A versatile player who is comfortable handling the ball, Choh posted his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds vs. St. John's, while adding six assists. He grabbed a team high seven rebounds vs. Duke. Choh paced the Bears with 19 points vs. Stony Brook, including a career high three treys, and seven rebounds. He scored a game high 17 points in Brown's win over Merrimack. Choh had 11 points against Navy and put together 13 points and five rebounds vs. UMass Lowell. He scored 19 points against NJIT, pulling down five rebounds. Choh posted three straight double-doubles to open the season.  He netted 11 points and pulled down 14 rebounds vs. Quinnipiac. He had 10 points and 11 rebounds in Brown's win over Canisius, and opened the season in classic Choh fashion against Bryant, scoring 20 points, pulling down 13 rebounds and handing out four assists. He had 12 points and eight rebounds vs. Sacred Heart. Choh started all 32 games last year and led the conference in rebounding with 8.6 per game, including 9.5 rebounds per game in league games.  As a sophomore, Choh ranked 12^th in the Ivy League in scoring (12.5 ppg.), fourth in assists (3.4 apg), sixth in steals (1.3 per game), 10^th in blocked shots (0.8 per game) and 10^th in free throw percentage (.656). He also posted 11 double-doubles and just missed a triple-double against UAB in the first round of the CBI with 10 pts., 11 reb. and eight assists.
Choh's Career Points:931
Choh's Career Rebounds:628

Brandon Anderson – Ivy League's Second Leading Scorer:  Senior guard Brandon Anderson (Mahwah, NJ) is the Ivy League's second leading scorer (17.6 ppg), ranks second in free throw percentage (.809), third in steals (1.4 per game), and is seventh with 3.1 assists per game. He now has 1,367 career points, tied for fifth best in Brown basketball history. Anderson had 12 points vs. Princeton and 14 points vs. Penn last week.  He led the Bears with 20 points at Columbia to complete the season sweep. Anderson scored 23 of his game high 31 points in Brown's win at Penn, while also grabbing a career high nine rebounds. He scored 15 points and handed out three assists in a win over Dartmouth, netted a game high 22 points in Brown's win over Harvard and scored 16 points vs. Princeton. Anderson scored 14 points in Brown's win over Columbia and handed out five assists in the win over Cornell. Anderson scored 20 points and handed out six assists in Brown's home game vs. Yale. He tossed in 18 points in the Bears' win over URI, connecting on 8-of-8 free throws. Anderson paced the Bears with 16 points vs. Duke. He logged 40 minutes against St. John's, netting a game high 25 points. Anderson scored 13 points and matched his career high with seven assists vs. Stony Brook. He had a strong performance vs. Merrimack with 11 points, matching his career highs in assists (7) and rebounds (7). Anderson, who scored 19 points vs. Navy, tossed in 26 points and pulled down a then career high seven rebounds in Brown's win over NJIT. Anderson was named the Ivy League Player of the Week for the second time after scoring 28 points in Brown's win over Quinnipiac on 10-of-20 shooting from the field, while matching his career best with four treys. He exploded for a career high 32 points in Brown's win over Canisius and went over the 1,000 point career mark. Anderson connected on 8-of-16 field goals and connected on four treys (4-of-9) against the Golden Griffins. Anderson opened the season with a splash against Bryant, scoring a game high 23 points, including the game-winning basket with 12 seconds remaining, and making four steals against the Bulldogs.  Last year, Anderson ranked sixth in the Ivy League in free throw percentage (.758) and eighth in the league with 1.3 steals per game.
Brandon Anderson In The Brown Record Book
Career Points:   1,367 (5^th)                      Career Free throws: 422 (5^th)
Career Assists: 292                                Career Steals: 145 (5^th)

Brown Basketball: Top 15 Career Scorers
1.     2,041     Earl Hunt (1999-03)
2.     1,668     Arnie Berman (1969-72)
3.     1,618     Sean McGonagill (2010-14)
4.     1,597     Jason Forte (2001-05)
5.     1,367    Steven Spieth (2013-17)
        1,367   Brandon Anderson (2016-present)
7. 1,361   Peter Sullivan (2007-11)
8.     1,344     Alai Nuualiitia (1999-03)
9.     1,331     Mike Cingiser (1959-62)
10.   1,328     Marcus Thompson (1985-89)
11.   1,319     Joe Tebo (1955-58)
12. 1,306     Damon Huffman (2004-08)
13. 1,294     Rick Lloyd (1988-92)
14.   1,288     Brian Saunders (1974-77)
15. 1,241     Phil Brown (1972-75)
         1,241     Peter Moss (1977-80)

Joshua Howard Inside:  Senior forward Joshua Howard (Charlotte, NC) scored a season high 15 points vs. St. John's on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, while also pulling down seven rebounds. He netted six points and grabbed three rebounds at home against Yale, and had six points and four rebounds vs. Harvard. Howard scored six points and grabbed five rebounds vs. Cornell. He scored seven points and pulled down four rebounds vs. Duke, and paced the Bears with 11 points vs. Johnson & Wales. Howard netted eight points vs. Merrimack and scored nine points and pulled down seven rebounds vs. UMass Lowell. He had six points and a team high eight reb. vs. Stony Brook. Howard also tossed in nine points and five rebounds vs. Sacred Heart.  He scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in Brown's win over Quinnipiac. Howard scored seven points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field vs. Canisius. Last year, Howard scored in double figures 11 times, including a season high 16 points vs. Cornell, and tossed in 15 points against UAB in the first round of the CBI, hitting 5-of-9 field goals, including 3-of-5 treys. Howard was  Brown's third leading returning scorer with 8.0 points per game last year, despite missing several games due to injury. His dad, Juwan, is the head basketball coach at Michigan.

Hunsaker – Ivy Leader In Free Throw Percentage:Senior captain and guard Zach Hunsaker (North Salt Lake City, UT) leads the  Ivy League and ranks among the nation's leaders in free throw percentage, connecting on 60-of-71 free throws (.845). Hunsaker, who ranks third in the Ivy League with 1.5 steals per game, scored a game high 21 points against Penn at home. He knocked down 17 points at Columbia to complete the season sweep. Hunsaker tossed in 21 points and matched his career high with four steals in Brown's win at Penn and had 12 points vs. Princeton. He scored in double figures in both games of a weekend sweep of Dartmouth and Harvard with 15 points against the Big Green and 12 points vs. the Crimson. Hunsaker exploded for 20 points vs. Cornell on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, 4-of-5 from beyond the 3-point arc, while connecting on 6-of-6 free throws. Hunsaker also added 14 points vs. Columbia. He tossed in eight points at home against Yale. Hunsaker scored a career high 22 points vs. URI, connecting on a career best six 3-point baskets (6-of-8), and was named the College Sports Madness Ivy League Player of the Week. A Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-American selection, Hunsaker was one of only four players to compete in all 32 games in 2018-19. A savvy player with a great feel for the game, Hunsaker is the fourth player in Brown history to be selected a three-year team captain.  Hunsaker netted six points against Duke, and scored 13 points and pulled down six rebounds vs. Merrimack. He had 14 points vs. Navy and added 11 points vs. UMass Lowell. Hunsaker tossed in 13 points vs. NJIT, shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field while making all three of his 3-point attempts. Hunsaker netted 10 points and pulled down four rebounds vs. Sacred Heart. He turned in a clutch performance vs. Quinnipiac, knocking down the game winning trey with 7.2 seconds remaining to break a tied game. He finished with 12 points, seven assists and four steals against the Bobcats. Hunsaker tossed in 15 points and grabbed four rebounds in Brown's win vs. Canisius. He opened the season with six points vs. Bryant. He averaged 6.0 points as a junior after averaging 9.7 ppg his sophomore season.

EJ Perry Joins The Bears: Junior EJ Perry (Andover, MA), who set a single season Ivy League record for total offense in football, joined the Brown team on November 23, wearing number four. He scored his first collegiate point with a free throw against Merrimack, while also grabbing a rebound and making a steal. Perry was a First Team All-Ivy selection in 2019 and a finalist for the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year.

DeWolf Inside:  Junior forward Matt DeWolf (Barrington, RI) has been a strong presence in the Bears' middle. DeWolf scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and handed out four assists vs. Johnson & Wales. He had 10 points vs. Bryant on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.  DeWolf had six points, seven rebounds and two assists vs. Merrimack and scored six points vs. Stony Brook. He scored eight points and grabbed a team high eight rebounds vs. Navy. DeWolf netted six points and grabbed seven rebounds vs. UMass Lowell, and handed out a career high four assists in Brown's win over NJIT. DeWolf had seven points and seven rebounds vs. Canisius and added six points vs. Quinnipiac. He started 24-of-27 games played for the Bears last season before being sidelined due to a late season injury. DeWolf scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in Brown's win over Harvard last year. He pulled down a career high 13 rebounds against Dartmouth as a freshman.
Gainey Ties School Record For Blocked Shots:  Sophomore forward Jaylan Gainey (Greensboro, NC), who has started Brown's last nine games, leads the Ivy League and ranks 31^stnationally in blocked shots (2.1 bpg). His 49 blocked shots are seventh in the Brown record book. He blocked four shots against Princeton and three more vs. Penn last week. Gainey tied the Brown school record with seven blocked shots vs. Merrimack. He is shooting 69-percent from the field (60-of-86) and has pulled down 5.1 rebounds per game. Gainey posted his first career double-double at Columbia with 10 points, while matching his career high with 12 rebound, and came back with 11 points at Cornell. He grabbed 12 rebounds in Brown's win at Penn, scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked three shots vs. Dartmouth, and had four points and five rebounds vs. Harvard.  Gainey scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Brown's win over Cornell and came back with six points, six rebounds and three blocks in a win over Columbia. He opened the Ivy season with a strong performance at Yale, scoring  11 points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking five shots. He scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds against Johnson & Wales. Gainey was a difference maker in Brown's win over URI, opening the second half with eight straight points (3-of-3 shooting) and finishing with seven rebounds. He opened the game vs. Duke with Brown's first six points, all on dunks, and blocked two shots. Gainey blocked a then career high four shots vs. Navy. He had seven points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots vs. UMass Lowell, and had five points and two blocked shots vs. NJIT. Gainey exploded for a career high 14 points vs. Sacred Heart, connecting on 7-of-7 field goals with six dunks and a tip-in, with three blocked shots. Last year, Gainey scored five points and blocked three shots against Loyola Marymount in the second round of the College Basketball Invitational.
Brown Record Book: Season Individual Blocked Shots
1.              93*, Cedric Kuakumensah (2013-2014)
2.              76, Cedric Kuakumensah (2014-2015)
76, Cedric Kuakumensah (2015-2016)
4.              66, Cedric Kuakumensah (2012-2013)
5.              59, Matt Mullery (2008-2009)
6.              52, by Desmond Cambridge (2018-19)
7.              49, Jaylan Gainey (2019-20)
8.              48, Matt Mullery (2009-2010)
9.              42, Jamie Kilburn (2003-2004)
10.            41, Andrew McCarthy (2011-12)

Head Coach Mike Martin:Former Brown basketball standout Mike Martin '04, the 31st head men's basketball coach in the program's 114-year history, has the building blocks in place to develop an Ivy Championship team. He recently earned his 100^thcareer win, reaching the century mark faster than any coach in Brown history. Only Stan Ward (133), who coached the Bears from 1954-1969, has more victories than Martin. Last summer, Martin was a member of the United States' coaching staff with Providence coach Ed Cooley for the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, coaching a group of BIG EAST All-Stars to the bronze medal. He was named the Ivy League Coach of the Year in 2018-19 after posting a school record 20 wins (20-12) and guiding the Bears to their first postseason win ever, 83-78,  over Alabama-Birmingham. His squad ranked 20th out of 353 Division I teams in 3-point defense and featured Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Obi Okolie. Martin took over the reins of the program in 2012-13 and was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award as the nation's outstanding first-year head coach after leading the Bears to a turnaround season with a 13-15 overall record, including a fourth-place finish in the Ivy standings with a 7-7 mark after winning four of its last five games. Martin's 2013-14 team posted a 15-14 overall record and hosted Brown's first-ever postseason game, playing Holy Cross in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament at the Pizzitola Sports Center. In addition, he guided two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Cedric Kuakumensah, the Ivy League's all-time leader in blocked shots. A four-year starter at Brown, Martin was part of the winningest class in Bears' basketball history, posting a 63-45 four-year record from 2000-04. He also helped the Class of 2004 to a school-record 39-17 Ivy League mark during that period -- the best by an Ivy League team, other than Penn and Princeton, since 1970. An Agawam, Mass., native, Martin launched his coaching career at Brown as an assistant coach in 2005-06, and was an assistant coach at Penn from 2006-12.
Brown Career Coaching Wins
1.    Stan Ward (1954-1969)            133
2.    Mike Martin(2012 – present)   105
3.    Mike Cingiser (1981-1991)        94
4.    Glen Miller (1999-2006)            93

Cowan Earns Starting Role:  Freshman guard Perry Cowan (Chicago, IL) has been averaging nearly 19 minutes of playing time in his inaugural season on College Hill and has started eight games. Cowan matched his career high with 11 points, including three treys, in a win over Dartmouth and added five points at Penn. He had nine points at home vs. Yale, hitting 3-of-4 treys. Cowan had eight points at Yale, connecting on 3-of-6 field goals, including two treys. He had 11 points vs. Johnson & Wales, connecting on 4-of-6 field goals, including a career high three treys (3-of-5). He connected on two treys in scoring six points vs. St. John's, and made two steals vs. Duke. Cowan netted eight points vs. Merrimack, while grabbing three rebounds.

Bears Travel To Spain:Last summer, Brown basketball enjoyed a 10-day training and educational trip to Spain with games against various professional teams throughout the trip, including one game in Madrid and Valencia and two games in Barcelona. The Bears posted a 3-1 record with games against Zentro Basket Madrid, Valencia Basket, Mataro Parc Boet (Barcelona) and FC Barcelona, and toured each of the cities throughout the trip, visiting historical landmarks, including the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona.

Friday Stepping Up:  Freshman guard Dan Friday (Detroit, MI ) has emerged as a strong contributor for the Bears, averaging over 16 minutes per game.  He scored six points at home against Princeton and added four points vs. Penn. Friday had seven points at Princeton, and tossed in six points in a win over Harvard. Friday scored nine points vs. Cornell and came back with nine points vs. Columbia, including a key trey that tied the game, igniting an 11-0 Brown run to take control of the game. He got his first collegiate start vs. UMass Lowell and responded with 13 points and three rebounds. Friday opened the Ivy League season with six points and two rebounds at Yale. He had five rebounds in his collegiate debut vs. Quinnipiac. He tossed in seven points and grabbed two rebounds in Brown's win over URI, and scored 10 points, handed out three assists and blocked three shots vs. Johnson & Wales.

Mitchell for the Defense:Sophomore David Mitchell (Roxbury, MA) has emerged as a major defensive presence on the court for the Bears. Mitchell scored five points and pulled down four rebounds at home against Princeton. He grabbed seven rebounds vs. Harvard and three rebounds vs. Dartmouth in a weekend sweep. Mitchell had five rebounds and three steals vs. Cornell, and grabbed eight rebounds vs. Columbia. He opened the season by scoring a career high 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds vs. Bryant.  Mitchell matched his career high by pulling down nine rebounds at home against Yale. He turned in a yeoman's effort in Brown's win over URI with four points and six rebounds, and turned in a strong performance vs. Johnson & Wales with eight points and six rebounds.  Mitchell scored six points and pulled down three rebounds vs. Duke. He netted five points and grabbed three rebounds in 17 minutes of play vs. St. John's. Mitchell played a key role in Brown's win over NJIT with a career high nine rebounds, while adding four points. He pulled down six rebounds vs. Canisius. A defensive force for the Bears, Mitchell saw more playing time than any freshman on the Brown team last season, averaging 13.0 minutes per game.  Last year, Mitchell tossed in a season high eight points vs. UMass Lowell, and had a then career high eight rebounds vs. Canisius and Penn.

The Ivy League on ESPN:  Video of all home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe and view games by purchasing a monthly package for $4.99 or a yearly package for $49.99. ABC6 Sports anchor Nick Coit will call the play for all Brown home games with Adam Giardino providing the analysis.

Bears On The Air:  Brown's entire schedule, home and away, is being broadcast on WPRV-AM 790 with Scott Cordischi, the voice of Brown basketball and football, calling all the action. Former Brown basketball star Russ Tyler '71(1,133 career points) provides the color analysis. Brown fans can also listen to the broadcast on http://www.790business.com.

Ivy League Men's Basketball Tournament presented by TIAA:  The 2020 Ivy League Men's Basketball Tournament, presented by TIAA, will be held on the campus of Harvard University at the Lavietes Pavilion March 14 and 15. The League's unique tournament format has enhanced the importance of the regular season as seven of the eight squads had an opportunity to earn a berth into the four-team tournament heading into the final week of the regular season.

Ivy League Announces Scheduling Changes:Beginning with the 2020-21 season, the Ivy League men's and women's basketball conference slate will take on a new form and will move from an eight-week to a 10-week schedule.Next season, league play will begin for all 16 teams on Jan. 2, 2021.The Ivy League's signature back-to-back weekends will be featured three times during conference play. The new format continues to prioritize and balance student-athlete time demands. Each team will conclude the regular season with a single-game travel partner contest.