Harvard coach Tommy Amaker has owned the Ivy League over the past few years, recruiting at a higher level than the rest of the league and taking advantage on the court with four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
But it will be difficult for the Crimson to win a fifth consecutive title after losing first-team all-league guard Wesley Saunders and starting forward Steve Moudou-Missi to graduation, and standout point guard Siyani Chambers for the season due to a knee injury.
"The league is as wide-open as it's been since I've been back," fifth-year Princeton coach and former player Mitch Henderson said.
The league is balanced, especially at the top with Princeton and Columbia returning just about everyone, and Yale bringing back the Ivy's player of the year in junior forward Justin Sears. Columbia coach Kyle Smith and the Lions bring back Alex Rosenberg, who averaged 16 points per game in 2013-14 before missing all of last season with a foot injury.
Most coaches agree there isn't much difference from the top to the bottom of the league like there has been in the past decade. Dartmouth was set up to challenge, but the Big Green took a hit in the offseason when leading scorer Alex Mitola decided to transfer to George Washington. Brown coach Mike Martin has one of the conference's top big men in Cedric Kuakumensah, while coach Steve Donahue returns to the Ivy League to restore Penn's program.
Favorite
There's no clear favorite this season. You could make a case for Princeton, Columbia, Yale and maybe even Harvard. We're going with Princeton in this space, as the league's coaches gave the Tigers the slight edge in an anonymous poll. Henderson led his alma mater to a 9-5 mark in the Ivy a year ago, behind Harvard and Yale, and the Crimson and Bulldogs both lost key pieces, while Princeton returns all five starters. The Tigers bring back all-league junior forwards Spencer Weisz and Steven Cook, in addition to senior forward Hans Brase, sophomore guard Amir Bell and 6-foot-10 junior big man Pete Miller. The Tigers have experience, size, quality guards and no shortage of skill.
"We've got good balance, and we do the things you need to do in order to be successful," Henderson told ESPN. "They look to pass the ball, there's no tension, and we can really shoot it. That's a good combination."
Sleeper
Steve Donahue doesn't have Ryan Wittman, Jeff Foote and Louis Dale as was the case when he was coaching Cornell to the Sweet 16 in 2010. While Donahue may not have the same level of talent as Princeton, Yale, Columbia and even Harvard this season, he can really coach, and the Quakers do have some talent left from the Jerome Allen regime. Senior guard Tony Hicks (13.2 points per game) is coming off a strong season, and 6-foot-11 big man Darien Nelson-Henry is one of the better frontcourt guys in the conference. It's difficult to imagine Donahue and Penn competing for the league title in his first season, but there's certainly a chance he can crack the top three.
Team that could fall on its face
The Crimson have dominated the league recently, but it won't be easy after losing leading scorer Saunders (16.6 PPG) and fellow starter Moundou-Missi (9.6 PPG) to graduation -- and also three-year starting point guard Chambers to a torn ACL in the summer. Amaker's team will be young, inexperienced and may rely heavily on freshman point guard Tommy McCarthy. The big men for the Crimson, although heralded, are unproven. Zena Edosomwan will need to use his motor and physicality to make an impact this season as a junior, and senior Agunwa Okolie (4.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG) will need to be more than just a role player. Don't be surprised if the 2015-16 Crimson finish in the middle of the pack.
Top pro prospect
NBA scouts are well aware of the Lions point guard, but the native German flies under the radar. Lo has good size at 6-foot-3 and can really shoot it from deep. He made 43 percent of his 3s last season as a junior, which was actually down from 45 percent in his sophomore campaign. Lo is quick and can really make shots off the dribble. He also makes contested 3s with regularity. One Ivy League coach told ESPN Lo was the best NBA prospect in the league since Ibrahim Jaaber, who graduated from Penn in 2007.
Projected all-conference team
G: Maodo Lo, Columbia
F: Spencer Weisz, Princeton
F: Cedric Kuakumensah, Brown
F: Justin Sears, Yale
F: Steven Cook, Princeton