Friday, February 27
New York, N.Y.
7:00 P.M.
Columbia
vs
Brown
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Lem Photography
Men’s Basketball Hosts Brown Friday, Yale Saturday for Senior Night
2/26/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Brown, Noland, Thompson, and Bedri to be recognized pregame on Saturday
NEW YORK — Columbia men's basketball tips off from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium against Brown on Friday at 7 p.m. before a Senior Night matchup vs. Yale on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Friday's matchup between the Lions (15-10, 4-7) and Bears (9-15, 3-8) can be followed via live stats or watched live on ESPN+. Lance Medow (play-by-play) and Barry Rohrssen (analyst) will have the call. Click here to buy tickets. Friday is also Heroes Night. All active military, veterans, and members of the FDNY and NYPD can receive free tickets via the Heroes Program. The first 500 students will receive a free t-shirt.
Saturday's contest between the Lions and Bulldogs (21-4, 9-2) can be followed via live stats or watched live on SNY or ESPN+. Click here to buy tickets. Saturday is Fan Appreciation Night. The first 300 fans will receive a giveaway item of their choice.
Opening Tip-Off
Columbia has the 10th-best rebounding margin in the country and ranks inside the top 35 nationally in rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per game. Through 11 Ivy League games, Columbia leads the conference in offensive rebounds (130).
The Lions will recognize seniors Avery Brown, Kenny Noland, Blair Thompson, and Zine Eddine Bedri before Saturday's home finale.
Last Time Out
Columbia dropped a heartbreaker, 64-63, to Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.
Down one with 34 seconds to go, Connor Igoe stole the ball from Dartmouth's Jackson Munro, then got an offensive board and went to the line, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. At the 16-second mark, Mason Ritter was fouled after a clutch Kenny Noland steal and knocked down both free throws to take a 63-62 lead.
Dartmouth (11-13, 5-6) advanced the ball and took a timeout with 13.1 seconds to go. Columbia fouled on Dartmouth's final shot, allowing them to convert the game-clinching free throws. Blair Thompson pulled up for the potential game-winning three, but it did not fall. Dartmouth was 12-12 from the free throw line in the second half.
Noland led the way for Columbia with 17 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Thompson scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Igoe posted his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ritter was the fourth Lion in double-figures with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Noticing Noland
Senior guard Kenny Noland is on an offensive tear through 25 games this season, averaging a team-best 16.8 points per game. Noland leads the Lions in assists, field goals made, three-point field goals made, free throws made, and minutes per game. Noland's 420 points this season rank third among Ivy League scorers and his 65 three-pointers are also the second-most in the league.
On Jan. 24 at Dartmouth, Noland posted 28 points and 11 rebounds (both career highs) for his first-career double-double in the 79-69 win. Noland went 11-11 from the free throw line (also a career-high) and tallied four steals, which tied his career-best. The Apex, N.C. native played all 40 minutes.
Noland's 28 points were the most scored by any Ivy League player amongst that week's games and were the most points scored by a Lion on the road since Nov. 13, 2022, at Sacred Heart (Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, 28). His 28 points were also the most points scored by a Lion in a road Ivy League game since Feb. 15, 2020, at Harvard (Mike Smith, 38).
On Jan. 5 at Cornell, Noland notched his 1,000th career point, becoming the 31st Lion in program history to reach that mark and the first since Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa on Feb. 23, 2024. Noland's 116 steals rank sixth all-time in program history.
Noland has trumped his career-high in points three times already this year and has recorded 10 20-point performances. Noland went off for an at-the-time career-best 27 points in a win at Lehigh on Nov. 21, where he went 11-18 from the field. He then matched the 27-point mark on Dec. 28 at North Florida.
At 63-69 (91.3 percent) from the charity stripe, Noland ranks 10th in the country in free throw percentage among qualified players.
Noland has earned three Ivy League Player of the Week honors and was added to the Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List on Dec. 18, which recognizes the top mid-major players in Division I college basketball.
Thompson Accomplishments
Senior forward Blair Thomspon pulled down his 500th career rebound in the Jan. 24 win at Dartmouth, becoming the first Lion to achieve the feat since Mark Cisco in 2012-13.
Thompson joined Gary Raimondo '99CC as the only other Lion to have 500 rebounds and 100 steals in their Columbia careers. The New York, N.Y. native also played in his 100th career game on Jan. 30.
Offensive Fireworks
With Jan. 5's 104-point showing at Cornell, the Lions have scored 100 or more points in three games in a season for the first time since 1976-77.
Columbia recorded 100 or more points in back-to-back games (Dec. 31 vs. PSU Abington and Jan. 5 at Cornell) for the first time since Jan. 1969 (wins over Georgetown and Niagara).
The Lions have had two players with 20 points or more in a game twice this season (Kenny Noland and Blair Thompson on Nov. 26 and Jan. 5), marking the first time that's happened since 2018-2019.
On Nov. 26, the Lions scored 106 points at Fairfield, marking their first 100-point game against a Division I opponent since Nov. 15, 2010 (108 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore) and their first on the road since Dec. 8, 2009, at Wagner. Columbia shot an impressive 62.5 percent from the field against the Stags—their first road game shooting over 60 percent since Feb. 27, 2016, at Penn.
Columbia averaged 93.8 points over a four-game span from Nov. 21 to Nov. 29. Columbia last averaged 90-plus points over a four-game span during the 1976-77 season.
In the Nov. 29 win over Sarah Lawrence, six Lions reached double-figures in scoring, marking the first time the program had that many players notch 10 or more points in a game since Dec. 4, 2017, vs. Quinnipiac. Columbia also had six score in double-digits in the Dec. 31 win over PSU Abington.
Seven of Columbia's wins have come by 15 or more points. The Lions are averaging 85.1 points per game in wins this season. Five Lions have scored in double-figures four times this season. Columbia's 48 percent shooting mark from the floor ranks 40th in the country.
Breaking The Glass
In addition to ranking 10th in the country in rebounding margin (9.2), the Lions lead Ivy League teams in combined rebounds per game (39.9), defensive rebounds per game (27.2), and offensive rebounds per game (12.7). Columbia has out-rebounded its opponent in all but one of its 15 wins this season.
The Lions have out-rebounded an opponent by more than 20 boards five times this season (plus-23 vs. UMass Lowell on Nov. 13, plus-25 at Lehigh on Nov. 21, plus-38 vs. Sarah Lawrence on Nov. 29, plus-20 vs. UAlbany on Dec. 6, and plus-42 vs. PSU Abington on Dec. 31). The plus-25 margin against the Mountain Hawks is Columbia's largest against a Division I opponent since Nov. 15, 2010, vs. Maryland Eastern Shore, when the Lions were 44-21 on the boards against the Hawks. Columbia notched 49 rebounds at Stony Brook on Dec. 9. Previously, the pair of 48-rebound performances against UMass Lowell and Lehigh were the most boards in a game for Columbia against a Division I foe since Dec. 12, 2022 (at Lafayette). The last time Columbia recorded multiple 40-rebound games in a season against Division I opponents came in 2017-18.
Columbia also had 23 offensive rebounds on Nov. 13, marking the first time the Lions secured over 20 offensive boards since Jan. 16, 2023, vs. Cornell.
Igoe Impresses
First-year forward Connor Igoe has garnered three Ivy League Rookie of the Week nods this season and is averaging eight points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native's .511 field goal percentage ranks 11th in the Ivy League. Igoe's 70 assists are the second-most on the team behind Noland. He has recorded three double-doubles in his rookie season.
How Many Miles Can He Go?
First-year guard Miles Franklin shined in his collegiate debut in the Nov. 7 season opener. The Vienna, Virginia native came off the bench and in 18 minutes of action tallied 13 points on 5-5 shooting from the floor. Franklin knocked down two three-pointers and recorded three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Franklin followed up on Nov. 10 at No. 3 UConn with a 10-point showing (eight in the second half) on 5-8 shooting. His performance included a posterizing dunk over Silas Demary Jr. with 8:42 remaining in the game.
Franklin poured in a career-best 19 points on 6-12 shooting on Dec. 28 at North Florida and has scored double-figures in 12 of his 23 games. His five steals on Nov. 23 vs. Longwood are the most by a Lion since Avery Brown had five on Nov. 15, 2023, against SUNY Delhi.
Franklin recorded his first-career double-double at Penn on Feb. 13. His performance at The Plaestra featured 14 points on 6-14 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Franklin has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week five times this season (Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Dec. 29, Jan. 12, and Feb. 16).
Memorable Win in Ithaca
The Lions' 104-99 win on Jan. 5 was the highest-scoring game in Columbia-Cornell history (242 games).
Columbia scored 100 points on Cornell for just the second time in series history (103 on Jan. 18, 1957).
The last time Columbia scored over 100 points in an Ivy League game was Feb. 6, 1993, vs. Harvard (W, 101-70).
The last time Columbia scored over 100 points in a road Ivy League game was Feb. 19, 1972, at Harvard (L, 102-100).
Kenny Noland became the 31st Lion in program history to reach 1,000 career points when he hit a free throw with 34 seconds remaining in the game.
Series History - Brown
Columbia is 78-77 all-time against the Bears and dropped the Jan. 17 meeting on the road in overtime, 86-80.
Series History - Yale
Columbia is 127-121 all-time against the Bulldogs and looks to snap a six-game losing streak in the series. Yale earned a 91-74 home victory in the teams' previous meeting earlier this season on Jan. 19.
Up Next
Columbia closes out the regular season next Friday at Harvard. Tip-off from Lavietes Pavilion is set for 7 p.m.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X and Instagram, search Columbia men's basketball on Facebook, or follow on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Friday's matchup between the Lions (15-10, 4-7) and Bears (9-15, 3-8) can be followed via live stats or watched live on ESPN+. Lance Medow (play-by-play) and Barry Rohrssen (analyst) will have the call. Click here to buy tickets. Friday is also Heroes Night. All active military, veterans, and members of the FDNY and NYPD can receive free tickets via the Heroes Program. The first 500 students will receive a free t-shirt.
Saturday's contest between the Lions and Bulldogs (21-4, 9-2) can be followed via live stats or watched live on SNY or ESPN+. Click here to buy tickets. Saturday is Fan Appreciation Night. The first 300 fans will receive a giveaway item of their choice.
Opening Tip-Off
Columbia has the 10th-best rebounding margin in the country and ranks inside the top 35 nationally in rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per game. Through 11 Ivy League games, Columbia leads the conference in offensive rebounds (130).
The Lions will recognize seniors Avery Brown, Kenny Noland, Blair Thompson, and Zine Eddine Bedri before Saturday's home finale.
Last Time Out
Columbia dropped a heartbreaker, 64-63, to Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon from Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium.
Down one with 34 seconds to go, Connor Igoe stole the ball from Dartmouth's Jackson Munro, then got an offensive board and went to the line, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. At the 16-second mark, Mason Ritter was fouled after a clutch Kenny Noland steal and knocked down both free throws to take a 63-62 lead.
Dartmouth (11-13, 5-6) advanced the ball and took a timeout with 13.1 seconds to go. Columbia fouled on Dartmouth's final shot, allowing them to convert the game-clinching free throws. Blair Thompson pulled up for the potential game-winning three, but it did not fall. Dartmouth was 12-12 from the free throw line in the second half.
Noland led the way for Columbia with 17 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Thompson scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Igoe posted his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ritter was the fourth Lion in double-figures with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Noticing Noland
Senior guard Kenny Noland is on an offensive tear through 25 games this season, averaging a team-best 16.8 points per game. Noland leads the Lions in assists, field goals made, three-point field goals made, free throws made, and minutes per game. Noland's 420 points this season rank third among Ivy League scorers and his 65 three-pointers are also the second-most in the league.
On Jan. 24 at Dartmouth, Noland posted 28 points and 11 rebounds (both career highs) for his first-career double-double in the 79-69 win. Noland went 11-11 from the free throw line (also a career-high) and tallied four steals, which tied his career-best. The Apex, N.C. native played all 40 minutes.
Noland's 28 points were the most scored by any Ivy League player amongst that week's games and were the most points scored by a Lion on the road since Nov. 13, 2022, at Sacred Heart (Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, 28). His 28 points were also the most points scored by a Lion in a road Ivy League game since Feb. 15, 2020, at Harvard (Mike Smith, 38).
On Jan. 5 at Cornell, Noland notched his 1,000th career point, becoming the 31st Lion in program history to reach that mark and the first since Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa on Feb. 23, 2024. Noland's 116 steals rank sixth all-time in program history.
Noland has trumped his career-high in points three times already this year and has recorded 10 20-point performances. Noland went off for an at-the-time career-best 27 points in a win at Lehigh on Nov. 21, where he went 11-18 from the field. He then matched the 27-point mark on Dec. 28 at North Florida.
At 63-69 (91.3 percent) from the charity stripe, Noland ranks 10th in the country in free throw percentage among qualified players.
Noland has earned three Ivy League Player of the Week honors and was added to the Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List on Dec. 18, which recognizes the top mid-major players in Division I college basketball.
Thompson Accomplishments
Senior forward Blair Thomspon pulled down his 500th career rebound in the Jan. 24 win at Dartmouth, becoming the first Lion to achieve the feat since Mark Cisco in 2012-13.
Thompson joined Gary Raimondo '99CC as the only other Lion to have 500 rebounds and 100 steals in their Columbia careers. The New York, N.Y. native also played in his 100th career game on Jan. 30.
Offensive Fireworks
With Jan. 5's 104-point showing at Cornell, the Lions have scored 100 or more points in three games in a season for the first time since 1976-77.
Columbia recorded 100 or more points in back-to-back games (Dec. 31 vs. PSU Abington and Jan. 5 at Cornell) for the first time since Jan. 1969 (wins over Georgetown and Niagara).
The Lions have had two players with 20 points or more in a game twice this season (Kenny Noland and Blair Thompson on Nov. 26 and Jan. 5), marking the first time that's happened since 2018-2019.
On Nov. 26, the Lions scored 106 points at Fairfield, marking their first 100-point game against a Division I opponent since Nov. 15, 2010 (108 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore) and their first on the road since Dec. 8, 2009, at Wagner. Columbia shot an impressive 62.5 percent from the field against the Stags—their first road game shooting over 60 percent since Feb. 27, 2016, at Penn.
Columbia averaged 93.8 points over a four-game span from Nov. 21 to Nov. 29. Columbia last averaged 90-plus points over a four-game span during the 1976-77 season.
In the Nov. 29 win over Sarah Lawrence, six Lions reached double-figures in scoring, marking the first time the program had that many players notch 10 or more points in a game since Dec. 4, 2017, vs. Quinnipiac. Columbia also had six score in double-digits in the Dec. 31 win over PSU Abington.
Seven of Columbia's wins have come by 15 or more points. The Lions are averaging 85.1 points per game in wins this season. Five Lions have scored in double-figures four times this season. Columbia's 48 percent shooting mark from the floor ranks 40th in the country.
Breaking The Glass
In addition to ranking 10th in the country in rebounding margin (9.2), the Lions lead Ivy League teams in combined rebounds per game (39.9), defensive rebounds per game (27.2), and offensive rebounds per game (12.7). Columbia has out-rebounded its opponent in all but one of its 15 wins this season.
The Lions have out-rebounded an opponent by more than 20 boards five times this season (plus-23 vs. UMass Lowell on Nov. 13, plus-25 at Lehigh on Nov. 21, plus-38 vs. Sarah Lawrence on Nov. 29, plus-20 vs. UAlbany on Dec. 6, and plus-42 vs. PSU Abington on Dec. 31). The plus-25 margin against the Mountain Hawks is Columbia's largest against a Division I opponent since Nov. 15, 2010, vs. Maryland Eastern Shore, when the Lions were 44-21 on the boards against the Hawks. Columbia notched 49 rebounds at Stony Brook on Dec. 9. Previously, the pair of 48-rebound performances against UMass Lowell and Lehigh were the most boards in a game for Columbia against a Division I foe since Dec. 12, 2022 (at Lafayette). The last time Columbia recorded multiple 40-rebound games in a season against Division I opponents came in 2017-18.
Columbia also had 23 offensive rebounds on Nov. 13, marking the first time the Lions secured over 20 offensive boards since Jan. 16, 2023, vs. Cornell.
Igoe Impresses
First-year forward Connor Igoe has garnered three Ivy League Rookie of the Week nods this season and is averaging eight points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native's .511 field goal percentage ranks 11th in the Ivy League. Igoe's 70 assists are the second-most on the team behind Noland. He has recorded three double-doubles in his rookie season.
How Many Miles Can He Go?
First-year guard Miles Franklin shined in his collegiate debut in the Nov. 7 season opener. The Vienna, Virginia native came off the bench and in 18 minutes of action tallied 13 points on 5-5 shooting from the floor. Franklin knocked down two three-pointers and recorded three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Franklin followed up on Nov. 10 at No. 3 UConn with a 10-point showing (eight in the second half) on 5-8 shooting. His performance included a posterizing dunk over Silas Demary Jr. with 8:42 remaining in the game.
Franklin poured in a career-best 19 points on 6-12 shooting on Dec. 28 at North Florida and has scored double-figures in 12 of his 23 games. His five steals on Nov. 23 vs. Longwood are the most by a Lion since Avery Brown had five on Nov. 15, 2023, against SUNY Delhi.
Franklin recorded his first-career double-double at Penn on Feb. 13. His performance at The Plaestra featured 14 points on 6-14 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Franklin has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week five times this season (Nov. 10, Dec. 8, Dec. 29, Jan. 12, and Feb. 16).
Memorable Win in Ithaca
The Lions' 104-99 win on Jan. 5 was the highest-scoring game in Columbia-Cornell history (242 games).
Columbia scored 100 points on Cornell for just the second time in series history (103 on Jan. 18, 1957).
The last time Columbia scored over 100 points in an Ivy League game was Feb. 6, 1993, vs. Harvard (W, 101-70).
The last time Columbia scored over 100 points in a road Ivy League game was Feb. 19, 1972, at Harvard (L, 102-100).
Kenny Noland became the 31st Lion in program history to reach 1,000 career points when he hit a free throw with 34 seconds remaining in the game.
Series History - Brown
Columbia is 78-77 all-time against the Bears and dropped the Jan. 17 meeting on the road in overtime, 86-80.
Series History - Yale
Columbia is 127-121 all-time against the Bulldogs and looks to snap a six-game losing streak in the series. Yale earned a 91-74 home victory in the teams' previous meeting earlier this season on Jan. 19.
Up Next
Columbia closes out the regular season next Friday at Harvard. Tip-off from Lavietes Pavilion is set for 7 p.m.
Follow The Lions
For the latest on Columbia men's basketball, follow @CULionsMBB on X and Instagram, search Columbia men's basketball on Facebook, or follow on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
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