There are few teams I’ve scouted live more over the past two seasons than Columbia. The Lions have had the players to be a top team in the Ivy, but for two straight years they haven’t consistently put it together.
The 2024-25 group had, in my opinion, the pieces to be a top 2 team in the Ivy (right there with the Mbeng-Poulakidas-Townsend Yale team). They started 11-1 that season, highlighted by a road win at Villanova. However, injuries to Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa and Zine Eddine Bedri, along with an inability to hold onto leads, ultimately derailed their once-promising season and led to a coaching change.
The 2025-26 group (this past season) flashed some good life and team chemistry under first year head coach Kevin Hovde. Despite Bedri and Avery Brown out for most of the season with injuries, the group rallied around the senior leadership and talent of Kenny Noland and Blair Thompson—two players who were a true pleasure to watch over the years, and also a bit saddened to not see them in postseason competition during their careers. Noland was a slithery point guard who finished consistently at the basket and made clutch shots, and Thompson was the ultimate catch-and-shoot maestro from downtown. Yes, they had holes in their games, but they carried themselves as team leaders and stepped up consistently over the course of the season. The Lions finished 16-12, flashing growth and promise in a few areas.
The two biggest areas of promise for this Lions group heading into next season are the continued development of rising sophomore guard Miles Franklin and rising junior forward Mason Ritter. Franklin quickly earned a starting role early in the season—and backed it up with his play. He’s a 6-5 shooting guard with long arms, above-average bounce, an evident pull-up jumper and a knack for getting steals—he recorded a steal in 18 of the 26 games this season, including a 5-steal game. He has high-major athleticism, a smooth jumper and he competes—traits that make him a real player to watch in the Ivy next season. He also had 16 dunks this season—indicating an aggressive play style—which was tied for the team lead.
Franklin needs to show that he can be the main guy and that will be a tall task, as Columbia is losing so much perimeter firepower (Noland, Thompson and Brown). It’s one thing to be a freshman darling, it’s another to be at the top of the opponent’s scouting report. Franklin will have to show he can make plays with the ball in his hands (in pick-and-roll situations can he make plays for himself, is he a good passer, is his handle tight enough to play at multiple speeds, can he play through adversity when the games not going his way?), and will have to showcase more than just a pull-up jump shot. An improved handle and playmaking skills are what I’m looking for early next season.
Ritter is a 6-9, 240-pound forward who plays with a combination of physicality and soft touch for the Ivy level. He was 54-78 (69%) around the rim this season, and only 59% of those baskets were assisted, which matches what the film shows, as he has some ability to score with his back to the basket. He averaged 7 points, 5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24 minutes per game, while shooting 55% from the field. Ritter has a chance to develop into a reliable interior scoring option and a brick-wall type defender in the Ivy.
If the Lions can retain and develop Franklin and Ritter, and they both rise to all-Ivy levels, they can win a lot of games next season. If neither reaches an all-Ivy level, Columbia likely remains inconsistent.
I want to also mention three other returning players who will influence whether or not this team will take a step forward next season: Gerard O’Keefe (6-3 sharpshooting guard, rising junior), Connor Igoe (6-7 combo forward, Ivy League Rookie of the Year, rising sophomore) and Ryan Soulis (6-10 center, rising junior). O’Keefe will have to work on his defense so he can be trusted on that end of the floor—at least relatively trusted—and continue to be a plus shooter on offense. Igoe has to work on his dribbling and shot creation, as he works too hard to try to get open looks, which can eat the shot clock and end up in suboptimal shots. But he averaged a solid 8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3 assists on 49% shooting in only 19 minutes per game—not bad for a freshman. He has confidence, which is very good. Now the ball security and handling has to catch up.
Soulis is an interesting player because his size at 6-10 made him one of the taller players in the Ivy. Offensively, he flashed some ability to catch the ball in traffic and finish, and he plays with passion, but it was too inconsistent. Defensively, he led the Lions in blocks. If he can develop stronger hands in traffic, secure rebounds consistently, and add some shooting range, he can become a consistent contributor next season.
Assuming the roster stays as is (with the senior departures and Brown/Bedri transferring out), whether Columbia can play towards the top of the league next season will depend on player development, particularly from Franklin and Ritter, along with a few others.
Miles Franklin (rising sophomore) | SG, 6-5, 195 lbs
- 24 MPG | 9.5 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 1 APG | 44% FG
- 16 dunks (tied for team-high)
- Recorded a steal in 18/26 games (incl. 5-steal game)
Mason Ritter (rising junior) | PF, 6-9, 240 lbs
- 24 MPG | 7 PPG | 5 RPG | 1.6 APG | 55% FG
- 69% at rim (54–78)