January 7, 2010

"Don't look up." The age old sports adage is simple.  Don't think about the significance of the game you're playing.  For Cornell on Wednesday night it meant forget the 50 games in a row that Kansas had won at Phog Allen Field House, forget the NCAA Tournament implications, forget the fact that a win could catapult you into the Top 25 for the first time in school history.  Most of all though, forget the fact that you are playing the top team in the country and actually have the ability to win.  Because a split second of thinking about the magnitude of the moment, or "looking up," is all Kansas would need to turn a great game into game over.

For forty minutes, in one of the toughest games the Jayhawks have played at home in 3 years, Cornell didn't look up.  And with less than a minute to play on the court named for the inventor of the sport himself, the Big Red were part of what Head Coach Steve Donahue aptly called a "great college basketball game."

A story line written for Hollywood seemed to be unfolding in Lawrence, Kansas.  Little-known Cornell had the top team in the nation on the ropes and was on the verge of snapping the longest home winning streak in college basketball.  Ryan Wittman's shot to put the Big Red up 1 with less than thirty seconds to play didn't fall though.  And an off balance trey to tie with 10 ticks left wouldn't drop either.  It took the full 40 minutes for Kansas to remain unbeaten, but in the end the Jayhawks were able to avoid becoming the Ivy's first top ranked victim in league history.

After the loss, Wittman shouldered some of the blame.  "I may have rushed that last shot and we may have been able to get something better later if I had not shot" the senior forward said.

It's tough to blame anyone on the Red for falling short though.  Coming into the contest the knock on Cornell was its defense.  In that respect they answered the call, holding the second highest scoring team in the country more than 16 points below their season average.

Another question mark may have been on the boards.  But facing a center tabbed as a lottery pick in Cole Aldrich, and a pair of potential future NBA forwards in Marcus and Markieff Morris, Jeff Foote and Co. held their own on the glass.

In their first two losses of the season Cornell lost control of the game within the last minutes of the first half.  At Syracuse, a Wes Johnson layup gave the Orange a 6-point halftime lead that they would never relinquish.  Against Seton Hall, a Herb Pope 3-pointer gave the Pirates a 5-point lead at the break that the Red never cut into either.  At Allen Fieldhouse though, Cornell went on a run of its own to close the opening period up 3.

That's not to say Cornell played a flawless game.  Far from it.  The Big Red turned the ball over 16 times, shot below their season averages from the field, beyond the arc and the charity stripe and allowed the First Team Preseason All-America point guard, Sherron Collins, a career best 33 points.

Still, in the course of an upset bid there tends to be a formula: unconscious shooting, limited turnovers and neutralizing the opponents athleticism.  In one of the toughest arenas in college basketball against the best team in country, Cornell threw that recipe out the window, and you have to applaud them for it.

From the opening tip they went right at the Jayhawks.  On the first two offensive possessions for the Big Red, they took it to the teeth of the Kansas defense, shot blocking machine, Cole Aldrich.  Both times Jeff Foote overpowered him and converted.  When Foote had to sit with two fouls, forwards Alex Tyler, Jon Jaques and Mark Coury made hustle plays and defended the Kansas bigs so well that in the nearly ten minutes Foote spent on the bench, Cornell saw no drop off.  Foote left the game with a 3-point lead.  When he returned to start the second half, the Red lead was also at 3.  From the beginning, Cornell set the tone and dictated the pace.  Even without their best shooting performance or an even-keeled ball handling night, for 35 minutes they simply outplayed the top team in the nation.

Undoubtedly, some Cornell fans will gripe about the home court, Big 12, officiating.  To some extent they may have a point.  A Geoff Reeves block from behind on Collins was called a foul with 3 minutes left.  Replays showed no contact.   A Foote block on Aldrich in the first half was clearly all-ball, but the 7 footer was whistled for his second foul.  With under a minute left, Foote made a tough layup over Aldrich.  The bucket counted but he was hit and arguably should have been at the line for a 3 point opportunity.  On the game, Cornell attempted just 14 free throws to Kansas' 36.

Fans can dwell on it and blame the outcome on the officiating but Cornell won't, another reason that you have to be impressed with this Big Red squad.  "I don't necessarily agree with the second foul call, but it happened and you just have to move on" Foote said.  "You have to tip your hat to Kansas.  They found a way to win and that is why they are the number one team in the country."

After the valiant effort, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self had to tip his hat to Cornell too.  Following the game he called the Red the top team Kansas had faced this season.  Better than California.  Better than UCLA.  Better than Michigan.  Better than Temple.  Better than Memphis.

Collins said it felt "like a tournament game."  But even with the crowd, the near David vs. Goliath plot, the star power and the intensity, this loss for Cornell is nothing like a tournament loss.

The Red have to travel to South Dakota and the host Clarkson in the next 5 days.  In less than a week and a half, they open the Ivy campaign, which Donahue repeatedly says is the toughest part of their schedule.

Despite the worthy praise, the votes in the polls and the national publicity that Cornell will get in the coming days, the Big Red still can't afford to "look up," and I don't expect them to.  Following a Christmas break chalk full of ESPN coverage on the heels of its first Big East win in 40 years, Cornell traveled to La Salle shorthanded and beat one of the top teams in the Atlantic 10.  I have no doubt that Coach Donahue will keep his team grounded again.

If he does, Cornell could be looking up at something much more tangible than just some media attention come season's end.  They could be looking up at a Sweet 16 banner in the rafters of Newman Arena.