Brown the Favorite

For the first time ever, this season's Ivy League champion will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and "March Madness" adds another factor to the always exciting Ivy race.

Two-time defending champion Brown is the strong favorite to threepeat, but a slew of contenders, headed by Harvard, will not make it easy for the Bears.

Brown

Brown (19-7, 13-1 in Ivy play last year) returns three starters, including 1993 Player of the Year Martina Jerant. The 6'5" Jerant averaged 16.6 points per game (second in the league), 8.6 rebounds per game (fifth in the league), and took over games during crunch time and again.

She is supported by a good cast. Second team all-Ivy forward Kathy Hill, a versatile senior who averaged 8.3 points and 8.0 rebounds and led the Ivy league in steals at 3.04 per game. Senior point guard Michelle Pagliaro averaged 9.0 points and 4.0 assists.

Brown is a veteran, balanced club that only lost once in league play last year, in overtime to a fired-up underdog Penn squad. But the Bears are hardly invincible (their last four victories were by less than five points), especially if taken out of their methodical, half-court offense. They will be challenged by a group that features Harvard, Yale, Princeton, andPenn.

Harvard

For Harvard (16-9, 11-3), see team preview.

Yale

Yale (15-11, 8-6) returns four starters,including All-Ivy first-teamer Mary Kalich, ajunior center who averaged 13.7 points and 6.5rebounds. Yale also boasts a very strongbackcourt, with senior Maria Siambekos second onthe team in scoring at 10.8 points per game, andsophomore guard Kathleen Offer, who led the Iviesin assists at 5.6 per game.

Brown barely beat Yale in their two contestslast year, and the Elis are confident that theycan elevate to the next level.

Princeton

Princeton (13-13, 7-7) is an experienced clubthat returns 10 letterwinners. Second team All-Ivyguard Laura Leacy leads the Tigers. She averaged13.7 points, and had 109 assists and 40three-point field goals, both team highs. She isjoined by honorable mention all-Ivy forward TinaSmith, who led the Tigers in rebounding (8.6 acontest), steals (2.19 per game, seventh in theIvies), and was the second most accurate shooterin the league with a .541 average.

Smith and Leacy are the most versatile one-twopunch in the Ivies, but probably will not be ableto make up for the Tigers overall lack of speed.

Pennsylvania

Penn (8-18, 6-8), a young, athletic team on therise, beat both Brown and Harvard last year. Theywill feel the loss of second team all-Ivy forwardNatasha Rezak (13.9 points and a league-leading11.7 rebounds per game), who is spending herjunior year studying in Russia. They still returnfour starters, including senior center KatarinaPoulson (12.3 PPG, 6.8 rag) and senior forwardJulia Gabriel (9.1 PPG, 7.7 rag).

Dartmouth

Coach Chris Wields starts her second year atDartmouth (8-18, 6-8). She led the Big Green from1976-84, and for her second time around she doesnot inherit a winning team.

Dartmouth figures to be strongest in thefrontcourt, where it has top returning scorerLaurie Stucker (9.6 PPG). Last year, the Big Greenwas hurt by injuries. Dartmouth is the league'swild-card, and has the talent to contend.

Cornell

Cornell (10-16, 4-10) won more games last yearthan it has in a decade. Four starters return,including second team all-Ivy junior forward KeriFarley (15.7 PPG). The Big Red plays a physical,aggressive game, and should continue to improve.

Columbia

Columbia rounds out the league. The Lions arecoming off a miserable season (7-19, 1-13), andhave the fewest returning starters (two). Theywill probably be worse than Columbia's footballteam.

A Final Word

The Ivy League is strong from top to bottom.Brown will be challenged by no less than sixteams.

"It is wide-open," says Harvard Coach KathyDelaney-Smith. But the prediction here is thatHarvard will distinguish itself from the pack ofcontenders and be there with Brown at the end.

On March 4, Brown visits Harvard, a game thatcould resemble the classic mid-80's Laker-Celticclashes--one pushing the ball, one slowing itdown; one Showtime, one Slowtime.

And if that isn't enough, the winner of thatgame gets to join March Madness.CrimsonAmanda M. DawsonSophomore point guard and Ivy Rookie of theyear ELIZABETH PROUDFIT will run Coach KathyDelaney Smith's wide-open attack.

Harvard

For Harvard (16-9, 11-3), see team preview.

Yale

Yale (15-11, 8-6) returns four starters,including All-Ivy first-teamer Mary Kalich, ajunior center who averaged 13.7 points and 6.5rebounds. Yale also boasts a very strongbackcourt, with senior Maria Siambekos second onthe team in scoring at 10.8 points per game, andsophomore guard Kathleen Offer, who led the Iviesin assists at 5.6 per game.

Brown barely beat Yale in their two contestslast year, and the Elis are confident that theycan elevate to the next level.

Princeton

Princeton (13-13, 7-7) is an experienced clubthat returns 10 letterwinners. Second team All-Ivyguard Laura Leacy leads the Tigers. She averaged13.7 points, and had 109 assists and 40three-point field goals, both team highs. She isjoined by honorable mention all-Ivy forward TinaSmith, who led the Tigers in rebounding (8.6 acontest), steals (2.19 per game, seventh in theIvies), and was the second most accurate shooterin the league with a .541 average.

Smith and Leacy are the most versatile one-twopunch in the Ivies, but probably will not be ableto make up for the Tigers overall lack of speed.

Pennsylvania

Penn (8-18, 6-8), a young, athletic team on therise, beat both Brown and Harvard last year. Theywill feel the loss of second team all-Ivy forwardNatasha Rezak (13.9 points and a league-leading11.7 rebounds per game), who is spending herjunior year studying in Russia. They still returnfour starters, including senior center KatarinaPoulson (12.3 PPG, 6.8 rag) and senior forwardJulia Gabriel (9.1 PPG, 7.7 rag).

Dartmouth

Coach Chris Wields starts her second year atDartmouth (8-18, 6-8). She led the Big Green from1976-84, and for her second time around she doesnot inherit a winning team.

Dartmouth figures to be strongest in thefrontcourt, where it has top returning scorerLaurie Stucker (9.6 PPG). Last year, the Big Greenwas hurt by injuries. Dartmouth is the league'swild-card, and has the talent to contend.

Cornell

Cornell (10-16, 4-10) won more games last yearthan it has in a decade. Four starters return,including second team all-Ivy junior forward KeriFarley (15.7 PPG). The Big Red plays a physical,aggressive game, and should continue to improve.

Columbia

Columbia rounds out the league. The Lions arecoming off a miserable season (7-19, 1-13), andhave the fewest returning starters (two). Theywill probably be worse than Columbia's footballteam.

A Final Word

The Ivy League is strong from top to bottom.Brown will be challenged by no less than sixteams.

"It is wide-open," says Harvard Coach KathyDelaney-Smith. But the prediction here is thatHarvard will distinguish itself from the pack ofcontenders and be there with Brown at the end.

On March 4, Brown visits Harvard, a game thatcould resemble the classic mid-80's Laker-Celticclashes--one pushing the ball, one slowing itdown; one Showtime, one Slowtime.

And if that isn't enough, the winner of thatgame gets to join March Madness.CrimsonAmanda M. DawsonSophomore point guard and Ivy Rookie of theyear ELIZABETH PROUDFIT will run Coach KathyDelaney Smith's wide-open attack.