NBA Draft: Four Players Taking the Ivy League by Storm

The Ivy League has seen an increase in talented players within the past few years. Who are some players to watch this season?

Mar 23, 2023; Louisville, KY, USA; Princeton Tigers guard Xaivian Lee (4) warms up during practice for the NCAA Tournament South Regional game at KFC YUM! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Ivy League has seen an influx of talent within the past few seasons. A handful of potential NBA prospects transferred up from the Ivy League this past offseason, including Danny Wolf who went from Yale to Michigan, Malik Mack who went from Harvard to Georgetown, and Chris Manon who went from Cornell to Vanderbilt. Other talented players, like Xaivian Lee, decided to stay at their schools this season (Princeton). Let's take a closer look at some players who may be intriguing to monitor in the Ivy League this season.

Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa, Columbia

Nov 7, 2022; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Columbia Lions guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa (15) grabs a loose ball in front of Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Clifford Omoruyi (11) during the second half at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging 21.4 points, 2.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 67.6% at the rim (34 attempts), 50% on non-rim twos (10 attempts), 50.8% from three (65 attempts), and 90.5% from the free throw line (43 attempts). The senior guard is also assisting on an estimated 16.8% of his teammates' made field goals when he's on the floor while only recording a 6.5 turnover percentage. Lastly, his Box Plus-Minus is currently at 11.4 -- 25th out of all Division 1 NCAA players playing at least 40% of their team's minutes.

John Poulakidas, Yale

Nov 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Yale Bulldogs guard John Poulakidas (4) shoots as Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Brennan Rigsby (24) defends during the second half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-5 senior guard is averaging 21.1 points, one assist, and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.8% from three (73 attempts) and 53.1% on non-rim twos (49 attempts). He has only six attempts at the rim so far this season. Known for his quick release, Poulakidas can get his shot off in a variety of ways: off the catch, off screens, off movement, and off the dribble. Poulakidas is recording a Box Plus-Minus of 6.9 so far this season.

Jake Fiegen, Cornell

Nov 27, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange forward Donnie Freeman (1) drives against Cornell Big Red guard Jake Fiegen (22) during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Fiegen is a 6-foot-4, 205 pound sophomore guard that offers intriguing point-of-attack defense and three point shooting. He's averaging 12.5 points, 1.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from beyond the arc (38 attempts) and 80% from the free throw line over two seasons (25 total attempts). He's also converted 72.2% of his 18 rim attempts and is recording a 6.9 offensive rebounding percentage and 5.3 stock percentage. Overall, he's recording a Box Plus-Minus of 5.9 and could be someone to monitor as the season continues.

Xaivian Lee, Princeton

Mar 18, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Princeton Tigers guard Xaivian Lee (4) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Princeton Tigers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The consensus top NBA prospect in the Ivy League, Xaivian Lee has an intriguing blend of self-creation and playmaking that led to NBA attention last season. Lee has continued to remain an interesting prospect, averaging 15.1 points, 5.5 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 stocks per game while shooting 41% from beyond the arc (39 attempts). His finishing numbers could increase, as he's only converting 47.4% of his attempts at the rim so far this season (57 attempts). Last season, however, he converted 62.2% of his 148 rim attempts -- so some positive regression is likely.

Lee's creation ability for both himself and others has remained strong, as he's been unassisted on 77.6% of his made field goals this season while assisting an estimated 36.8% of his teammates' made field goals when on the floor. Overall, his assist numbers have gone from 3.7 to 5.5 per game, his assist percentage has increased from 24.8 to 36.8, while his 2.64 assist-turnover ratio even slightly improved to 2.75 assists for every one turnover. While it's only a ten game sample size, Lee appears to have only gotten better.

Read More: Xaivian Lee Scouting Report

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