Ivy League
The Ivy Crown Is Up for Tenure
Robert Hinton gives Harvard a downhill scorer inside a veteran spacing shell; TJ Power gives Penn a 6-foot-9 matchup problem built for another March run. The race turns on which star gets cleaner late-clock help.
The cover line
Princeton's Jackson Hicke and Dalen Davis can turn a three-guard attack into the league's sharpest counterpunch, while Trevor Mullin must guide Yale through a frontcourt and scoring reset after back-to-back regular-season crowns.
Projected champion
Harvard
The team to beat on our official board
Dark horse
Yale
The team most likely to break the bracket
Projected NCAA bids
1
A one-bid league with upset equity at the top, but high-major size remains the March stress test.
Chaos rating
76 / 100
How likely the board is to get weird
The quick read
Conference superlatives
The opening tip
Power Play at the Palestra
A compact 14-game race built on continuity and scouting familiarity: five-out spacing, big playmaking wings and possession defense matter, but the four-team tournament rewards whoever can generate a good late-clock shot after opponents erase the first action.
Last March left the Ivy with two champions and no obvious inheritance plan. Yale won the regular season; Penn seized Ivy Madness by surviving Harvard by two and Yale in overtime, with TJ Power scoring a tournament-record 44 in the final. The Bulldogs now replace the spine of that title team, the Quakers must defend without Ethan Roberts, and Harvard, beaten 62-60 in the semifinal, returns the league's most coherent core. That is the 2026-27 argument: does continuity finally put the Crimson back on top, or did Penn's two-night escape reveal the league's best pressure team? Harvard's case is built on actions, not projection math. In Ivy play Robert Hinton averaged 18.4 points while getting downhill without needing every possession; Tey Barbour supplied 15.0 and made 37.6 percent from three; Thomas Batties II paired 13.8 points, 41.9 percent shooting from deep and 28 blocks. That trio lets Tommy Amaker play five-out without giving away the rim, switch more matchups and keep multiple creators on the floor. The missing piece is Chandler Piggé's connective passing and rebounding. Ben Eisendrath has to turn last year's flashes into reliable organization so Hinton is attacking tilted defenses, not rescuing stagnant clocks. Penn owns the best rebuttal and the best stage. Power led the Quakers in Ivy scoring and rebounding, hit 47.7 percent of his league threes, then authored the tournament's defining performance. AJ Levine is the pressure-release valve: 3.9 conference assists, hard paint touches and enough rebounding to start the break. Michael Zanoni's movement shooting keeps Power from seeing automatic doubles. Fran McCaffery still has to replace Roberts's 16.9 points per game, but Power's pick-and-pop gravity and Levine's downhill game can make this offense more balanced than a simple star carry. In the Palestra's 100th-anniversary season, with Ivy Madness returning to Philadelphia, the defending tournament champion gets a home-court ending waiting at the end of the bracket. But there’s enough lurking behind them to blow up that script. Princeton can surround Malik Abdullahi with Dalen Davis, Jack Stanton and Jackson Hicke, forcing defenses to choose between ball pressure and back cuts; Hicke averaged 15.4 points and shot 39.8 percent from three last season. Yale pivots from veteran size to Trevor Mullin's pick-and-roll command and Riley Fox's bench scoring, asking a young frontcourt to protect a program that has won consecutive regular-season crowns. Brown can turn games into a half-court test behind Jeremiah Jenkins and N'famara Dabo, while Connor Igoe gives Columbia a 6-foot-7 hub after averaging 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a freshman. This race will be decided after first options die. Harvard has the most answers, Penn has the player who just solved March, and Princeton has the shooting to punish either favorite. The regular-season trophy may reward continuity; the Palestra will reward nerve.
The defining storylineCan Harvard turn its best Ivy finish since 2020 and returning All-Ivy core into its first league title since 2019, or will Penn's TJ Power turn the Quakers' tournament breakthrough into sustained control?
Official projection + model comparison
The big board
See how every team stacks up through projected records, finish ranges, and the model’s view of the race.
Ranking machine · comparison at a glance
Editorial board vs. model
Teams are ordered by the official Shooty Hoops editorial rank.
- 1HarvardHarvard pairs the league's deepest proven scoring trio with a defense capable of turning last year's semifinal trip into the regular-season crown.Conf / overall11-3 / 22-8TierFavoriteCeiling / floor1–3Boards agree · #11Official rankHarvardHarvard pairs the league's deepest proven scoring trio with a defense capable of turning last year's semifinal trip into the regular-season crown.Boards agree · #1Conf / overall11-3 / 22-8TierFavoriteRange1–3
- 2PennThe defending Ivy Madness champion returns record-setting centerpiece TJ Power, but its repeat bid depends on rebuilding the creation around him.Conf / overall10-4 / 20-10TierContenderCeiling / floor1–4Boards agree · #22Official rankPennThe defending Ivy Madness champion returns record-setting centerpiece TJ Power, but its repeat bid depends on rebuilding the creation around him.Boards agree · #2Conf / overall10-4 / 20-10TierContenderRange1–4
- 3PrincetonPrinceton returns every point from a nine-win disappointment, making continuity either the engine of a rebound or the end of its excuses.Conf / overall9-5 / 19-11TierContenderCeiling / floor1–51 spot higher than published model · #43Official rankPrincetonPrinceton returns every point from a nine-win disappointment, making continuity either the engine of a rebound or the end of its excuses.1 spot higher than published model · #4Conf / overall9-5 / 19-11TierContenderRange1–5
- 4YaleBack-to-back regular-season champion Yale hands its winning infrastructure to Trevor Mullin, three shooters and Division III All-American Connor May.Conf / overall8-6 / 17-13TierDangerous MiddleCeiling / floor2–72 spots higher than published model · #64Official rankYaleBack-to-back regular-season champion Yale hands its winning infrastructure to Trevor Mullin, three shooters and Division III All-American Connor May.2 spots higher than published model · #6Conf / overall8-6 / 17-13TierDangerous MiddleRange2–7
- 5BrownBrown pairs Jeremiah Jenkins with a 22-point transfer, but Eric Reveno inherits the roster only weeks before installing an entirely new program.Conf / overall7-7 / 16-14TierDangerous MiddleCeiling / floor3–72 spots lower than published model · #35Official rankBrownBrown pairs Jeremiah Jenkins with a 22-point transfer, but Eric Reveno inherits the roster only weeks before installing an entirely new program.2 spots lower than published model · #3Conf / overall7-7 / 16-14TierDangerous MiddleRange3–7
- 6ColumbiaColumbia's elite young frontcourt and seven-player newcomer class must replace three veteran scorers without surrendering Kevin Hovde's rebounding identity.Conf / overall6-8 / 14-16TierDangerous MiddleCeiling / floor4–81 spot lower than published model · #56Official rankColumbiaColumbia's elite young frontcourt and seven-player newcomer class must replace three veteran scorers without surrendering Kevin Hovde's rebounding identity.1 spot lower than published model · #5Conf / overall6-8 / 14-16TierDangerous MiddleRange4–8
- 7CornellCornell's record-setting passing machine survives, and two productive transfers give the rebuilt offense more substance than its empty local stat lines imply.Conf / overall4-10 / 11-19TierLong ShotCeiling / floor5–8Boards agree · #77Official rankCornellCornell's record-setting passing machine survives, and two productive transfers give the rebuilt offense more substance than its empty local stat lines imply.Boards agree · #7Conf / overall4-10 / 11-19TierLong ShotRange5–8
- 8DartmouthBrett MacConnell brings Princeton's blueprint to Hanover, but nearly every proven scoring, rebounding and playmaking job must be reassigned at once.Conf / overall3-11 / 9-21TierLong ShotCeiling / floor6–8Boards agree · #88Official rankDartmouthBrett MacConnell brings Princeton's blueprint to Hanover, but nearly every proven scoring, rebounding and playmaking job must be reassigned at once.Boards agree · #8Conf / overall3-11 / 9-21TierLong ShotRange6–8
The interactive scouting room
Team-by-team preview
Move across the conference one program at a time. Open projected rotations, meet the players, and inspect the identity and postseason case behind every ranking.
2026-27 team preview · official rank 1
Harvard
Conference
11-3
Overall
22-8
Finish window
1–3
Confidence
82%
Official order · choose a team file
Projected rotation · Published roster depth chart
10 of 10 primary spots filled
Five on the floor
The All-Conference court
Explore all three projected teams. Select a player for the spotlight, then choose Open Player Card for their full profile.
The basket is on the upper baseline. Guards are positioned around the lower three-point perimeter, while forwards and centers are positioned in the upper lane and around the rim.
The hardware
The awards race
Browse every projected award race. See the current favorite, the strongest challengers, and the case for each pick.
The projected podium
Player of the Year
Why this pick leads
Power's unmatched combination of scoring, rebounding, shooting and defensive value gives him a narrow edge over Hinton's creation and Batties' two-way efficiency.
How strongly the current projection favors this pick. These are not betting odds.
Beyond the main ballot
The extra pages
Meet the players outside our All-Conference and award picks who could still shape the race, then explore breakout candidates and bold predictions.
Five players who can reorder the league
Race Shapers
These non-ballot players hold specific pressure points in the projected race.
Michael Zanoni
PennG · GrThe spacing hinge
Zanoni Must Replace the Missing Threes
Penn lost major perimeter volume with Ethan Roberts and Cam Thrower. Zanoni's 39.0-percent shooting can keep help defenders away from Power.
71% confident
Ben Eisendrath
HarvardG · JrHarvard's table-setter
Eisendrath Controls the Favorite's Floor
His 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals matter more than his scoring; clean organization lets Harvard's wings attack advantages instead of creating from scratch.
68% confident
Anthony Nimani
CornellG · JrCornell's new accelerator
Nimani Gets the Green Light
Nimani shot 52.0 percent from three in a small reserve sample. A sustainable version of that efficiency would change Cornell's ceiling.
67% confident
Isaiah Langham
BrownG · SoBrown's scoring valve
Langham Has to Stretch the Floor
Langham scored 8.4 per game but made only 18.8 percent from three. Even average shooting would open driving lanes around Dabo.
66% confident
Charlie O'Sullivan
BrownF · SoEfficiency into volume
Charlie O'Sullivan, Brown
O'Sullivan produced 4.6 points in 11.5 minutes with 61.3-percent true shooting. More frontcourt touches should translate.
67% confident
Five credible leaps
Breakout Team
Each pick has a measurable baseline and a clear route to more influence.
Riley Fox
YaleG · JrBigger role, same shot
Riley Fox, Yale
Fox averaged 10.0 points in 18.0 minutes. Starter volume and his 37.2-percent three-point stroke support a major scoring jump.
76% confident
Connor Igoe
ColumbiaF · SoPer-minute production
Connor Igoe, Columbia
Igoe posted 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in under 20 minutes; a featured role can unlock a rare point-forward profile.
74% confident
Landon Clark
PrincetonG · SoMore than a specialist
Landon Clark, Princeton
Clark already supplied 4.0 rebounds and 35.9-percent three-point shooting. Greater on-ball responsibility could expose another layer.
69% confident
Cameron McNamee
DartmouthF · JrA needed connector
McNamee Bridges Dartmouth's Rebuild
His 38.6-percent three-point shooting and defensive versatility can stabilize a lineup replacing four high-usage starters.
64% confident
Ryan Sullivan
HarvardF · SoInterior opportunity
Ryan Sullivan, Harvard
Sullivan blocked 0.6 shots in only 7.4 minutes per game. A steadier reserve role can turn that activity into real defensive value.
65% confident
Calls with consequences
Bold Predictions
Three specific outcomes that would reshape the race.
The drought ends in Cambridge
Harvard Wins the Ivy Outright
The Crimson convert last season’s 10-4 runner-up finish into their first league crown since 2019 because Robert Hinton’s creation, Tey Barbour’s shooting and Thomas Batties II’s stretch-rim protection solve both ends.
Confidence · 68%
The four-seed heist
Brown Makes Ivy Madness
Brown turns a 3-11 league finish into its second Ivy Madness berth. Eric Reveno inherits 81 percent of last year’s scoring, Jeremiah Jenkins and N’famara Dabo supply ball pressure and rim protection, and 22.2-point Bowdoin transfer Ray Cuevas gives the Bears the shotmaker they lacked.
Confidence · 52%
The streak snaps
Yale Misses Ivy Madness for the First Time
Yale has qualified for all eight Ivy Madness tournaments ever played and finished in the league’s top four for 25 straight seasons. That run ends after four starters, including 2026 Player of the Year Nick Townsend and Defensive Player of the Year Casey Simmons, leave a 24-win team and force Trevor Mullin to carry an unproven interior.
Confidence · 44%
Your turn on the record
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Rank the league, draw your tiers, name fifteen All-Conference players, and hand out the hardware. Your draft stays on this device until you choose to publish it. You can return to the same link to edit and resubmit later.
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The crowd's ballot
Community consensus
See where completed fan ballots agree, where opinions split, and how the community compares with Shooty Hoops and your own picks.
Counting the room
Building the current community board…