The set-up: It's Ivy League action tonight from Ithaca, N.Y. when Harvard (10-5 / 2-0 Ivy) visits Cornell (5-12 / 1-1 Ivy). Harvard dominated the Ivy League from 2010-11 through 2014-15, winning five Ivy titles with four NCAA appearances while averaging 23.6 wins per season. It was in that 2010-11 season that Bill Courtney took over at Cornell for Steve Donahue. All Donahue had done the previous three seasons was go 72-21 (28-4 in Ivy League play), win three Ivy titles and lead the Big Red to three NCAA touneys, including a Sweet 16 appearance. Courtney's timing was not good and after six seasons (60-113 / 27-57 in Ivy), his contarc was not renewed after last season.

Harvard: The Crimson fell off last year, going just 14-16 (6-8 Ivy) but have rebounded this season. Freshman guard Aiken (13.3) has joined PG Chambers (8.9 & APG) in the backcourt, as Chambers is back after missing all of last season with an ACL injury. The 6-7 Towns (11.7 & 6.) is Harvard's best frontcourt player. Harvard comes in off four straight wins and nine in its last 10.

Cornell: Taking over as head coach is Brian Earl, a former player and assistant coach at Princeton. The Big Red return all five starters from last season's 10-18 (3-11 Ivy) team. Morgan (18.3 & 5.0) and Hatter (12.4) form an excellent backcourt while the 6-9 Getting (12.4 & 5.8) is the team's top frontcourt performer.

The pick: It looks as if Harvard will contend for the Ivy title this year while Cornell will be an also-ran. I noted earlier that Harvard comes in having won nine of 10 but let me add that the tam is 6-0 ATS in that run. Cornell lost its lone home game in league play to Columbia and can't be expected to do any better here against a superior Harvard team. Make Harvard a 10* play.