Engles Previews Season on Ivy League Teleconference; Men's Basketball Picked Fifth in Ivy League Preseason Poll
10/19/2016 1:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Ivy League unveiled the 2016-17 men's basketball preseason poll Wednesday morning. Columbia was selected fifth, while Princeton was tabbed as the early favorite.
2016-17 IVY LEAGUE MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
First-Place Votes in Parentheses
|
Rank |
School |
Points |
|
1. |
Princeton (12) |
130 |
|
2. |
Harvard (5) |
123 |
|
3 |
Yale |
101 |
|
4. |
Penn |
72 |
|
5. |
Columbia |
61 |
|
6. |
Dartmouth |
48 |
|
7. |
Cornell |
42 |
|
8. |
Brown |
35 |
The Ivy League also conducted a teleconference with all eight head coaches, including new Lions' head man Jim Engles. Here's what he had to say on the conference call.
TEAM OUTLOOK
“The adjustment's been going very well for us right now. Everybody's been great with what we've been trying to do here as a staff. The players have been terrific in practice.”
“A couple of things I've noticed is we are very big team. I see the size (we have) so it gives me an opportunity to look at some different things that we might be able to do as a program. The guys have been great with practice.”
“We have a very good senior class that I think is looking forward to the season, especially with the Ivy League tournament. They've been doing a tremendous job with what we've been asking them to do. I think with the schedule we've been able to put together, it's a challenging schedule, with the Ivy League (after) and once we get into the league it will prepare us for what we're trying to accomplish there.”
ON COMING BACK TO COLUMBIA
“(Columbia's) such a special place. When I left, it really opened a lot of opportunities for me professionally and personally. It was always special to me when we won a big game (at NJIT) or when we played local games and have Columbia alumni show up or email me and say, 'hey, we're proud of what you've been able to do there.' So there's always a connection… I knew this was a place that felt like home. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to come back and lead this program.”
ON THE RECENT SUCCESS OF OTHER COLUMBIA PROGRAMS
“I think it's pretty obvious when you look at some of the success the teams just from last season had.”
“When I was away, it was always fun to watch the teams and see the progress they were making. I think with some of the coaching hires, Al Bagnoli and Megan Griffith and myself, there's a newness, but there's still a lot of people here from when I was an assistant. So it's been great to see some familiar faces and see the success that they've had.”
“I think all the programs have been taking some really big steps and I'm hoping to continue the success Kyle (Smith) had when he was here as head coach.”
THE IMPROVEMENT OF IVY LEAGUE BASKETBALL
“It's definitely improved dramatically. You just look at how the Ivy League is rated. Now, the teams that win the Ivy League have a legitimate chance to win games in the NCAA Tournament. From top to bottom, the parity is definitely improved.”
ON THE IVY LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
“It's an unbelievable opportunity. When I was an assistant here, I think it was the one piece the student-athletes were missing from a basketball standpoint. I felt like you missed that little piece of March Madness.”
“As a head coach, for seven of the eight years at NJIT we didn't have a road to get to the NCAA Tournament, so last year was our first chance to compete in a conference tournament. It's exciting for me personally, because I haven't had a chance to experience it much as a head coach.”
“I can sense the excitement from the kids too, because if you lose a couple of games, there was the reality of you're not really playing for a championship. And I think especially now that every kid wants to play for something. I think it's just going to make the quality of play even better.”
Season tickets for the 2016-17 campaign are on sale now! To purchase, visit GoColumbiaLions.com/tickets, call 888-LIONS-11 or visit the Athletics Ticket Office in the Dodge Fitness Center from Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Discounts available for Columbia faculty and staff.
