The Ivy League Basketball Tournament is the most unique in the country. Only four of the eight teams qualify for the tournament.
Yale has been the most recent dominant team. The Bulldogs have won two consecutive Ivy League Tournament championships and four of the past five.
While Yale is the top seed and favorite, any of the four teams is capable of winning.
Here is the two-day schedule and television schedule with the games at Cornell in Ithaca, New York.
Saturday, March 14
(4) Cornell (15-12, 8-6) vs (1) Yale (23-5, 11-3), 11 a.m. ET, ESPNU
(3) Penn (16-11, 9-5) vs (2) Harvard (17-11, 10-4), 2 p.m. ET, ESPNNews
Sunday, March 15
Championship, noon ET, ESPN2
Ivy League Basketball Tournament Odds
| Team | BetMGM Odds |
| Yale | -120 |
| Cornell | +320 |
| Harvard | +425 |
| Penn | +650 |
| Odds as of March 12 |
Ivy League Basketball Tournament Predictions
While Yale is the favorite and my choice to emerge as champion, any of the teams could make a case for winning this tournament. As an example of the parity, Cornell recently earned a home 72-69 win over Yale on Feb. 27.
Yale was 4-2 against the other three participants. Harvard is 3-3 vs. the field, having gone 1-1 against each of the other three teams. Penn is 3-3 against the other three teams. Cornell is 2-4, but the wins are over Yale and Harvard.
Cornell presents the most interesting statistical imbalance.
The Big Red lead the Ivy League in scoring (88.9 PPG) but are last in scoring defense, allowing 83.2 points per game. The team with the best balance is Yale. The Bulldogs are second in scoring (81.5) and third in scoring defense (70.2). Harvard is sixth in scoring (70.4) and first in scoring defense (66.9). Penn is fourth in scoring (76.2) and sixth in scoring defense (73.4).
Yale is first in the Ivy League in three-point percentage (.401), but seventh in three-point percentage defense (.344). The only team below the Bulldogs is Cornell at .371. The Big Red are second in three-point shooting (.397). Penn is third in both shooting (.382) and defending at a .318 clip.
Harvard is sixth in shooting (.351) and second in defending (.315).
Free throw shooting is so important in the tournament, and Harvard leads the Ivy League (.798). Yale is second (.760), with Cornell fifth (.743), and Penn seventh (.686).
Yale is entering the tournament having won seven of eight, but two of the victories were in overtime, another was by four points, and a fourth was by six.
Things are really close in the Ivy League. Yale looks to build off the experience of players such as 6-foot-7 senior Nick Townsend, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer (17.0 PPG). He was an integral part of last year’s title team when he averaged 15.6 points, while averaging 6.0 points on the 2024 title team.
Experience will be a key factor. Yale has proven it can win this tournament, but there are three other teams capable of dethroning the Bulldogs if they get some hot shooting this weekend.
