That means it's time for TigerBlog's annual Feb. 2 rant.
There are supposedly only two possible outcomes for when Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his slumber: either an early spring or six more weeks of winter. This is dependent on whether or not said groundhog sees his shadow.
TB's problem with this is that six weeks from now is March 16. Spring doesn't begin until five days later. Presumably an early spring would mean warmer weather would arrive before spring actually does, and both outcomes are saying the same thing.
It should say "eight more weeks of winter." Where does TB go to have this addressed?
By the way, an early spring in 2026 would be the next day where the low temperature doesn't mean single digits and the high temperature starts with something other than a 1 or 2.
Also by the way, the movie "Groundhog Day?" It's one of TB's favorites.
The movie accomplished something that's hard to do. Before it came out, Groundhog Day was just holiday. Since then, it's become synonymous with something that repeats itself again and again.
In honor of that impact, TB will repeat two things he's mentioned before, by two of his favorite basketball coaches ever.
The first is from Donnie Marsh, who was the head coach at the College of New Jersey back in TB's newspaper days and who has gone on to coach all over the college basketball map. He always said that it's very hard to win the game after a big win.
The second is from John Thompson III, who needs to introduction to you if you're reading this. He always said the goal is to be in first place when the weekend ends.
Both of those mantras came to be in Ivy League women's basketball this weekend. Columbia defeated Princeton Friday night in Jadwin Gym, ending the Tigers' 15-game winning streak and tying for first place.
What happened 24 hours later? Columbia lost in Philadelphia at Penn. Donnie Marsh once again is proven correct.
And so the weekend is now over. And who is in first place?
Princeton, by itself, after bouncing back to beat Cornell Saturday night.
Had Columbia defeated Penn, there would have been two effects. First, the Lions would be tied with Princeton. Second, the four teams for the Ivy tournament would almost certainly have been decided.
Princeton is 6-1, followed by 5-2 Columbia and 5-2 Harvard. Brown is next at 4-3, followed by Penn and Cornell at 3-4 each.
After a weekend of old-fashioned back-to-back games, this coming weekend will have only a single game for each team — against its traditional travel partner. For Princeton that means a Friday night home game against Penn (tip at 7).
For the men, there is a corollary to what John Thompson said. In the modern world of Ivy basketball, you want to be in the top four when the weekend ends.
Once again, the Princeton men have achieved that. The Tigers, who lost at Cornell and won at Columbia, are tied for third with Dartmouth at 4-3, behind Yale and Harvard, who are both at 5-2 after the Crimson won in New Haven Saturday night.
Every win this season matters, and the entire league race gets flipped around with each outcome. Behind those four would be three teams at 3-4 (Columbia, Cornell, Penn). Brown is two games back at 1-6, but the Bears have rallied from 1-6 to reach the Ivy tournament before.
It's not easy to bounce back from a Friday night loss at either New York school on a back-to-back. The ride between Cornell and Columbia is the furthest in the league among travel partners, and you're rolling in pretty late while sitting on a loss on the bus the whole time.
Princeton shot 40 percent from the field Friday night in Ithaca and then 57 percent Saturday night in New York City. There were four Tigers in double figures against the Lions, including Jack Stanton, who had 21 on 6 for 8 three-point shooting.
Like the women, the men also have only one game this weekend, also against travel partners. For Princeton, that means a date Saturday at 2 in the Palestra against Penn.
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