SUPER BOWL 2012

Above, the banner that remains the standard for the Ivy League. Below, some news and notes for Friday...

• Jeff Foote (Cornell '10) did not any floor time last night as his New Orleans Hornets fell to the Washington Wizards in NBA action. The last game of Foote's 10-day contract is Saturday at the New Jersey Nets.
  

• Committed Cornell recruit, Braxston Bunce (Kelowna Secondary School) Kelowna, BC, Canada, 6-11, effectively had his high school career come to an end on Thursday night as his #1 ranked Kelowna Owls were eliminated in the Quaterfinals of the AAA British Columbia (Canada) Provincial Tournament in a 78-76 loss to Vancouver College. Bunce finished the game 3/7 from the floor with 12 points and 18 rebounds. See recaps in The Province, The Vancouver Sun, The Windsor Star, and The Kelowna Capital News. See the Langley Times which notes that Bunce had 24 points and 23 rebounds in a first round win over Point Gray. The full opening round game is archived and available online to view as is the quarterfinal game against Vancouver College. Kelowna returns to the court today for a consolation game against WJ Mouat at 3 pm EST.

• The Pittsburgh Post Gazette notes of committed Cornell recruit, Nolan Cressler (Plum HS) Plum, PA, 6-4, G, "The Roundball Classic at Geneva College's Metheny Fieldhouse in Beaver Falls will take place April 21 and there will be four games, two for the boys and two for the girls. Highlands High School's Micah Mason and Plum's Nolan Cressler, the top two leading scorers in he WPIAL this year during the regular season, are expected to play in this all-star affair -- Mason (29.1 points per game) for the Class AAA all-stars and Cressler (25.7 ppg.) for the Class AAAA team -- but they won't being going head-to-head. In a format change, the boys games will have Class AA vs. Class AAA at 6 p.m. with Class A going against Class AAAA at 8 p.m. Although the rosters have not yet been finalized, it looks as if Lincoln Park's 6-foot-10 Devontae Watson and North Catholic's 6-11 Jon LeGrande will be playing for the Class A team and going against Gateway's 6-10 Barnett Harris and North Hills' 6-8 Steve Hearty."

• The South Bend Tribune profiles committed Cornell recruit, Robert Mischler (Mishawaka HS) Marian, IN, 6-2, G. The Tribune writes:

Mental edge drives Mischler, Marian

There's something to be said for the value of a two-sport athlete.

Development in one sport can be an asset in another.

As quarterback for Marian High School's option-oriented football offense, Robert Mischler was constantly challenged to make split-second decisions. Read. React. Live with the consequences.

"Over the past couple years, Robert has developed as a leader," said Knights football coach Reggie Glon. "He became a coach on the field."

The Marian basketball team is reaping the rewards of that development.

Mischler, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior, is more than just a long-distance shooter in the scope of the Knights' seven-man rotation. His 13.9-point average is critical, but it's what he does when he's not shooting that makes him even more valuable.

He will be a key component for the seventh-ranked Knights (22-3) when they take on No. 4 Norwell (23-2) Saturday in the Class 3-A Huntington North semistate.

"Demetrius (Jackson) is our leader, but Robert's taken on a more vocal role this year," said Marian basketball coach Robb Berger. "Nobody had to tell him to do it. He just took it on himself."

"Last year, I was just a shooter," said Mischler, the fella fans and teammates call "Bobby Buckets." "This year, my rebounding's better; my defense is better; and, I'm still that shooter."

That shooter was frustrated last year after a four-point sectional loss to Culver Military. The Eagles took the momentum from that win all the way to the Class 3-A state championship game.

"It happened to us twice (St. Joseph's won sectional matchups over Marian the last two years on its way to the state finals) in football, too," Mischler said. "I hate the way that feels.

"We weren't ready to win last year. We needed that extra year to help us mature. We've all grown a lot together over the past two years."

"Last year laid the groundwork for what we're going through this year," said Berger. "I don't know if we were ready a year ago. That experience gave us a lesson that helped the growth."

The added maturity helps the Knights play fearlessly. Season on the line. Game in the balance. No problem, hoist the long one.

"Nobody's afraid to shoot the ball," Mischler said. "That goes back to the coaching staff. 'If you're open, take it.' "

A four-year contributor to the Marian program, Mischler has the credentials to take the shot whenever he sees fit. He's one good game -- 24 points -- away from reaching the 1,000-point milestone.

Mischler is shooting 51 percent (125 of 246) from the field and 42 percent (60 of 143) from 3-point -- along with 4.4 rebounds a game.

He's also smart enough to realize the situation.

With a 4.37 GPA (out of 4.0, ranking sixth in his class), Mischler will continue his basketball career next year at Cornell. With a dream to be a doctor, Mischler is looking for an Ivy League combination of athletics and academics.

"(Cornell's) top three shooters graduated this year," Mischler said. "I might get a look."

But, first things first. All Mischler will be looking for Saturday is enough space between him and the defender to get off his next 3-pointer.

"Being part of Marian history means a lot," Mischler said of the school's first semistate appearance. "We'll have time to think about this later. All year we've taken one step at a time. This isn't any different. We won't look beyond what we have to do Saturday."

Focused leaders make a coach's life much easier.

In any sport.