TREY-FECTA: Cornell's performance from beyond the arc was special for many reasons. The 15-of-24 performance set several records and was noteworthy for many reasons.

TOPPERT NAMED IVY LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior guard Cody Toppert was named the Ivy League men's basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 21, the first weekly award for Toppert in his four-year career. The Albuquerque, N.M., native averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 59 percent from the floor and 63 percent from 3-point range in a pair of contests. Toppert scored a game-high 23 points and had a career-high seven assists in the Big Red's scare of No. 7 Syracuse on Dec. 20. He connected on 7-of-10 3-pointers, helping the Big Red establish a school and Carrier Done record with 15 treys in the 82-69 loss. He opened the week with a team-high 13 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals against Patriot League favorite Bucknell. For the week, Toppert hit 10-of-16 treys and became the second player in school history to notch 200 career shots from beyond the arc. For the season, Toppert ranks second on the team in scoring (13.9 ppg.) and has hit 26 3-pointers in nine games. He leads the team in assists (27) and steals (11) and is third in rebounds (3.9 rpg.).

STILL BOMBING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: Senior Cody Toppert ranks second on the school's all-time 3-point field goal list with 202 career makes. He became the second player in school history to record 200 career treys with seven against No. 7 Syracuse. Toppert has come on strong after a slow start, making 21 3-pointers in his last five games after notching just six in his first four contests of the season. Toppert has seven career games with six or more 3-pointers, nearly double that of second-place Brandt Schuckman `96 with four. A season ago Toppert averaged 2.9 3-pointers per game, draining six treys at Lafayette and New Mexico, seven at Brown and a career-high eight at Duquesne.

AIN'T IT GRAND: Senior Cody Toppert scored 15 points in the 83-76 loss to Quinnipiac on Dec. 1, becoming the 19th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. A backdoor layup with exactly 11 minutes remaining proved to be the milestone basket. He has since moved to 15th on the scoring list with 1,059 points. Next to reach that mark could be classmate Eric Taylor, who needs to average 10.0 ppg. in his final 18 games to reach 1,000 for his career.

TOPPING THE CHARTS: Senior Cody Toppert had a career season in 2003-04 and is off to a good start this year, averaging 13.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and a career-best 3.0 assists in his first nine games. Last year Toppert ranked second on the team and seventh in the Ivy League in scoring (14.6 ppg.) and stood among the Ivy League leaders in 3-pointers made per game (2.9). The Albuquerque, N.M., native enters the St. Francis (N.Y.) game with 1,059 points, 15th all-time at Cornell, and with 202 3-pointers, good for second. Toppert has been a consistent producer for the Big Red over his four seasons, averaging 11.8 points and 4.1 rebounds while starting all 90 games on East Hill.

ASSISTING THE OFFENSE: The Big Red assisted on 21 of 25 baskets against No. 7 Syracuse, accentuating the way head coach Steve Donahue's team wants to play offensively. This season, 139 of the team's 217 baskets (64 percent) have been assisted compared to 53 percent a season ago (349 of 659). Cornell was credited with assists on 23 of 30 baskets in the 88-85 loss to Northeastern despite not having a player record more than five assists. In all, eight different players were credited with at least one helper.

FIELD WORK: The Big Red has shot .466 from the floor in the first nine contests of the 2004-05 season, including .545 in the 88-85 loss to Northeastern on Nov. 20 at the Pepsi Marist Classic. In all, the Big Red has hit for 50 percent in four of its nine games. Senior Eric Taylor, who tops the school's all-time field goal percentage list, has made 45-of-74 shots (.604).

LINE IT UP: Cornell hit all 13 free throws in an 88-85 loss to Northeastern on Nov. 20, the fifth time in school history that the Big Red has hit all of its free throws in a game with at least 10 attempts. The squad has hit .748 from the line (92-of-123) in the season's first nine games. Leading the charge is senior Cody Toppert, who has made 15-of-16 (.938) free throw attempts, and junior Ryan Rourke, who is 18-of-21 (.857).

CORNELL'S SPRUNG KHALIQ: Head coach Steve Donahue gave freshman Khaliq Gant his first career start at point guard in the 69-67 win over Ithaca and that has jump-started the squad to three wins in six games. Gant posted a career-high nine points on 4-of-6 shooting while also recording two rebounds and an assist against the Bombers. Gant did not turn the ball over in 34 minutes of court time. Gant has been a consistent contributor in his first seven games, scoring 3.8 ppg. to go along with 2.1 apg., all the while shooting .500 from the floor (13-of-26). He has averaged 4.3 points, 2.7 assists and 1.0 rebounds in his six starts. He is coming off a five-point, six-assist effort without a turnover in 31 minutes against No. 7 Syracuse.

GREAT SCOTT: Freshman Will Scott is earning his reputation as a pure shooter in the first third of the 2004-05 campaign. Scott hit on 3-of-4 3-pointers in the Big Red's loss at Syracuse on Dec. 20, giving him 11 treys in just 66 minutes of court action this season. He is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc in 22 attempts and is averaging 4.1 points per game in just 7.3 minutes per game.

STOP THIEF: Junior Lenny Collins has never been arrested, but Big Red opponents should put out an APB on the San Juan Capistrano, Calif., native. Collins is quickly moving up the Big Red's all-time steals chart, currently ranking 10th with 96 pilfers. The 6-6 forward led the Ivy League with his 52 steals a season ago. Collins set a Cornell and Sojka Pavilion record with eight steals in last season's loss at Bucknell. The mark surpassed DeShawn Standard's seven against Lehigh during the 1997-98 campaign. Collins had just missed breaking the mark on two other occasions in 2003-04, collecting six steals in the overtime loss to Colgate and against Harvard, falling just one pilfer shy of the single-game record.

COLLINS BUSTS OUT: Junior Lenny Collins has stepped up his scoring in place of the graduated Ka'Ron Barnes, averaging 16.0 points in his first nine games this season. Collins netted 30 points in the season opener at Marist, falling one point shy of his career high set last year against Harvard. He was 11-of-14 from the floor and also grabbed seven rebounds. Collins added 27 points against Quinnipiac on Dec. 1. The San Juan Capistrano, Calif., native has scored at least 14 points in seven games and has shot 49 percent from the floor (53-of-108) during his scoring spree. Collins ranked second on the team in scoring in Ivy League games (12.4 ppg.) a year ago, shooting 46 percent from the floor and 32 percent from 3-point range.

30x2: Junior Lenny Collins became the first Cornell player to score 30 or more points in a game twice during his career since Bernard Jackson had 30 points against Dartmouth during the 1988-89 campaign and poured in 32 points against U.S. International the following season. Ken Bantum and Mike Davis are the only players to score 30 or more points in a game three times in the last 25 years.

THREE FOR 30: Junior Lenny Collins scored 30-points in the season opener against Marist, but that isn't a big deal among his current teammates. His 31-point effort against Harvard on Feb. 21, 2004, gave the Big Red three different active players who have scored 30 or more points in a game. Senior Cody Toppert notched 31 points at Duquesne on Dec. 31, while Toppert's classmate, Eric Taylor, put 30 points on the board in the 2002-03 season-opening win at Buffalo. Cornell is the only Ivy school to have three active players who have scored 30 or more points in a single game.

RIPPING DOWN THE REBOUNDS: Senior Eric Taylor notched a career-high 16 rebounds in the loss to Northeastern on Nov. 20 at the Pepsi Marist Classic, the most by a Cornell player since Greg Barratt had 16 in a game four seasons ago. So far this season, Taylor is averaging 7.6 rebounds per game and surpassed the 500 career rebound plateau in the opener at Marist. He enters the St. Francis (N.Y.) game with 566, good for 16th all-time at Cornell.

FEASTING FROM THE FIELD: Senior Eric Taylor continues to hit from the field with regularity, connecting on an Ivy League-leading 45-of-74 efforts this season (.608), including setting a school single-game field goal percentage record by hitting all seven shots he took from the floor at Quinnipiac. He also made all six second half shots in the win at St. Bonaventure, finishing 8-of-11 on the day. Taylor feasted on opposing defenses in 2003-04, hitting on 100-of-171 shots, a .585 field goal percentage. That average ranked fourth on the single-season list. Taylor's career field goal percentage of .564 trails only Greg Gilda `88 (.566) for first all-time at Cornell. He shot at least 50 percent in 21 of his 27 games last year and in six of nine contests in 2004-05.

RENAISSANCE MAN: Senior Eric Taylor has displayed the all-around skills that has solidified his standing as one of the Ivy League's top post players. He has averaged 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in nine games this year, including a career-best 16 rebounds against Northeastern as part of his first double-double of the year (also posted 14 points). He now has recorded three double-doubles on the season, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds against Ithaca and 14 points and 11 rebounds at Quinnipiac. He had his first five career double-doubles last year, including in back-to-back Ivy games (16 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots at Brown and 14 points and 12 rebounds at Yale). Of course, lines like those are nothing new to Taylor, who was the only player in the Ivy League to rank among the league's top 15 players in scoring, rebounding and assists in 2002-03.

ROURKE OPENING EYES: Junior Ryan Rourke has endeared himself to Big Red fans early this season, converting the game-winning three-point play with less than 30 seconds to play in the win at St. Bonaventure, scoring a season-best 15 points in the win over Lafayette and grabbing a career-high nine rebounds and blocking four shots vs. Bucknell. Rourke is averaging 8.3 points and 3.2 rebounds while ranking first on the team in blocked shots (9) and second in free throw percentage (.857, 18-of-21). He had 10 points at Colgate and a 7-for-7 effort from the free-throw line against Ithaca.

CANADY CANS THE 3: Freshman Jason Canady scored a career-high nine points on the strength of 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range against Bucknell, boosting his scoring average nearly a full point per game. He had already show himself to be a playmaker, being credited with a career-high five assists in the 69-67 win over Ithaca College. He also hit the game-sealing free throws with three seconds to play against Lafayette. Canady can also score, netting a season-high five points in the win at St. Bonaventure, connecting on both of his shots from the floor, including his first career 3-pointer. Canady is averaging 2.6 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 10.1 minutes per game.

BLOCKING OUT: Sophomore Andrew Naeve has shown what a summer of hard work can do. Despite playing just 8.7 minutes per game in the first nine contests of the season, Naeve recorded nine blocked shots to go along with 19 points and 20 rebounds, including 13 off the offensive glass. The Miles, Iowa, native came in cold off the bench and rebounded a missed free throw and hit both free throw shots to clinch the 58-54 win at St. Bonaventure on Dec. 4. Naeve has been solid at the free throw line, connecting on 11-of-13 shots from the charity stripe (.846). He made solid contributions as a backup in the post in 2003-04, coming on strong late in the season. Naeve ranked second on the team and ninth in the Ivy League in blocked shots (21). Naeve averaged 1.8 points, 0.8 blocks and 2.7 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game off the bench. He averaged 3.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals in just 15 minutes per game in his final six games of the year.

THE DOW REPORT: Sophomore Graham Dow opened the season as the team's starter at point guard and has provided strong defense in his first nine games, including three starts. He has settled down after rocky start at the point guard position, handing out seven assists without just one turnover in his last four games, including a pair of Big Red wins. Dow is averaging 2.8 points, 1.6 assists and 1.0 rebounds while hitting on 10-of-17 shots from the floor. Included was a career-high 14 point effort against Northeastern in which he matched the school record by hitting on all four 3-pointers he attempted. He was a pleasant surprise as a freshman, earning Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors on Dec. 8 and ranking ninth in the Ivy League in steals. Dow averaged 3.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 14.4 minutes per game off the bench as a freshman.

DOW HITS 1.000: Sophomore Graham Dow tied the school record by hitting on all four 3-point attempts en route to a career-high 14 points against Northeastern. He became the third player with at least four attempts to hit each of his treys in one contest, joining Shawn Maharaj (against both Army in 1990 and Penn in 1992) and Jeff Gaca (against Clarkson in 1992).

IT'S BEEN A LISLE: Junior David Lisle has always been a player whose contributions aren't measured simply by his numbers, but the Wingham, Ont., native has been a versatile force on offense and defense. Lisle averaged 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game as a sophomore and has been a spark while playing every position from point guard to power forward. This season he has seen action in seven contests off the bench, providing a spark defensively and scoring a season-high four points at Colgate. He is averaging 1.0 points and 0.4 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game.

BIG ROAD WIN: Cornell didn't just pick up its first road win of the season in a hostile environment ... it picked up that win in one of the most hostile road arenas in the country. The Big Red's 58-54 win at St. Bonaventure's Reilly Center in front of more than 5,200 fans was even more impressive when you consider that it snapped a six-game losing skid away from Newman Arena in a gym that ESPN analyst Jay Bilas dubbed one of the "five toughest places to play in the country."

DOUBLE DIGITS: Last season, Cornell surpassed 10 wins for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign, when it went 10-17. The Big Red last won 11 games in 1998-99, going 11-16 under head coach Scott Thompson.

TREY BIEN: The Big Red has hit at least one 3-pointer in 431 straight games entering the game against St. Francis (N.Y.). Cornell surpassed the 400-game plateau when the Big Red connected on three treys vs. Ithaca on Dec. 2, 2003. The last time Cornell did not hit a 3-pointer in a game was against Denison in the season opener of the 1988-89 season (0-for-2). Since the 3-point shot came into effect in NCAA play during the 1986-87 season, Cornell has hit at least one shot behind the arc in 482 of 486 games, connecting on 2,646 treys, an average of 5.44 per game. The Big Red has hit a 3-pointer in all 117 games coached by Steve Donahue.

LAST IVY TITLE: Cornell is the last team other than Penn or Princeton to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Big Red went 11-3 in Ivy League play and 17-10 overall during the 1987-88 season, running off 11 straight conference wins at one point during the year. Cornell faced Arizona in the first round of the national tourney, dropping a 90-50 decision.

CAPTAIN NAMED: For the first time in school history, a player will serve as a three-year captain of the Big Red men's basketball team. Senior forward Eric Taylor was bestowed the honor in a vote of his teammates entering the 107th year of basketball at Cornell. Taylor is the leading returning rebounder in the Ancient Eight. He became the first sophomore to serve as captain for the Big Red in 2002-03.

HIGH HOPES: The Big Red's three returning starters and eight letter winners caught the attention of national publications, with a pair of them calling for an upper-division finish for Cornell. The loftiest prediction came from Blue Ribbon Yearbook and CBS Sportsline magazine, both of which picked the Big Red to finish second to Princeton. CBS Sportsline also named Ryan Rourke its preseason Rookie of the Year in the Ivy League.

ON THE TUBE: Cornell will have one game nationally televised, with several others on regional broadcasts. The season opener against Marist was televised in the Poughkeepsie area by Time Warner Cable 6, and the contest against Colgate was broadcast locally on Time Warner Cable 26 in Syracuse. The road contest at Quinnipiac was also broadcast on the New England Sports Network (NESN). This year, the Big Red will play reigning Ivy champ Princeton at home on Friday, Feb. 26 at Newman Arena as part of the YES Network's agreement with the Ivy League. Additionally, the game against Syracuse on the road will also be televised by Syracuse's Time Warner Cable. Last year, the Big Red had three games nationally televised. College Sports Television (CSTV) broadcasted the season-opening home game against Georgia Tech, the first live telecast of a Big Red men's basketball game from Newman Arena since Jan. 28, 2000 against Princeton. The games at Harvard and at home vs. Penn were also broadcast on the YES Network.

WHAT RETURNS IN 2004-05: Cornell returns three starters and eight letter winners from last year's 11-16 team. In all, the Big Red returns 61 percent of its scoring, 71 percent of its rebounding, 74 percent of its blocks, 69 percent of its steals and 62 percent of its assists from the 2003-04 season.

BIG RED PICKED SIXTH BY MEDIA: Cornell was selected to finish sixth in the preseason Ivy League poll conducted by media members covering each of the eight Ivy League institutions. Princeton, which earned the league's automatic bid last year after going 13-1 in league play, was picked to finish first by the panel of league media sources, while Penn and Yale were chosen to finish second and third, respectively. Brown and Columbia settled in at four and five, followed by Cornell at six. Harvard and Dartmouth rounded out the poll.

CORNELL CRUISES IN EXHIBITION: The Cornell men's basketball team had five scorers in double-figures to help it post an 82-58 victory over Waterloo in an exhibition contest at Newman Arena on Nov. 12. Senior Cody Toppert and junior Ryan Rourke each netted 11 points for the Big Red, which opens the 2004-05 campaign on Friday, Nov. 19, against Marist at the Pepsi Marist Classic. The Big Red benefited from a strong shooting night, connecting on nearly 53 percent of its shots from the floor while holding the Warriors to 37-percent shooting. Senior Eric Taylor, junior David Lisle and sophomore Andrew Naeve each recorded 10 points on the night. Taylor tied junior Lenny Collins for the game high in rebounds with six, while Toppert dished out a game-best seven assists. Graham Jarman paced Waterloo, a university located in Toronto, Ont., with a game-high 16 points and Dave Munkley chipped in with 11. Cornell jumped out to an early double-digit lead before the visitors closed the gap to 40-31 at the break. The Big Red pulled away in the second half, using a 7-of-15 performance from behind the arc after halftime.

CORNELL BASKETBALL ON THE RADIO: Follow the men's basketball team at home and on the road as Barry Leonard provides live play-by-play on WTKO 1470 AM. You can also listen to the game live on the internet with the purchase of the Big Red Sports Pass (visit www.CornellBigRed.com for details).

NEXT UP: The Big Red will hit the road to open 2005, facing Army on Sunday, Jan. 2 at 3:15 p.m. at West Point. Cornell has won five straight meeting and eight of the last nine between the two teams, including a 79-66 victory last season at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. The game will begin a four-game road swing for the Big Red.