Ivy League Basketball Championship Futures: Predictions, Favorites & Contenders
Updated November 4, 2026
Updated November 4, 2026
The 2026–27 Ivy League men's basketball championship race features several legitimate contenders, led by defending tournament champion Penn, perennial power Yale, and an experienced Harvard squad. With only the top four regular-season finishers qualifying for Ivy Madness, consistency throughout conference play will be essential.
The defending tournament champions return standout forward TJ Power and four starters.
All-Ivy guard Robert Hinton and four of last season's five leading scorers return for the Crimson.
The defending regular-season champions retain important contributors Trevor Mullin and Riley Fox.
Returning their entire roster from last season, the Tigers have continuity and experience.
Cornell's high-volume perimeter offense and ball movement make the Big Red dangerous.
The defending tournament champions return standout forward TJ Power and four starters.
All-Ivy guard Robert Hinton and four of last season's five leading scorers return for the Crimson.
The defending regular-season champions retain important contributors Trevor Mullin and Riley Fox.
Returning their entire roster from last season, the Tigers have continuity and experience.
Cornell's high-volume perimeter offense and ball movement make the Big Red dangerous.
Our prediction to win the 2027 Ivy League Basketball Tournament is Penn. The Quakers return much of the roster that captured the 2026 tournament championship, including TJ Power, who averaged 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds last season. He posted a 55.3% effective field goal percentage and connected on 43.2% of his three-point attempts in 2025–26. His ability to score efficiently both inside and beyond the arc creates matchup difficulties for opposing Ivy League defenses.
Penn also benefits from continuity under head coach Fran McCaffery, with returning contributors Michael Zanoni, AJ Levine, and Augustus Gerhart complementing Power. Although the departure of Ethan Roberts removes an important scoring option, the Quakers have enough returning production and additional roster depth to remain competitive. Harvard represents the strongest challenger behind Robert Hinton, while Yale's established program and Princeton's returning experience make both credible alternatives.
Penn's combination of proven tournament performance, experienced personnel, and offensive versatility makes the Quakers our championship selection in this year's college basketball expert picks. The 2027 tournament will also take place at Penn's home arena, The Palestra, providing a familiarity advantage if the Quakers qualify. In a two-game, single-elimination tournament where individual shooting performances can swing the outcome, Penn has the personnel and experience to repeat as Ivy League Tournament champion.
Tournament Qualification
Only the top four teams from the Ivy League's 14-game conference schedule qualify for Ivy Madness, making regular-season positioning particularly important.
Home-Court Advantage
The 2027 Ivy League Tournament takes place at Penn's home arena, potentially giving the Quakers an advantage in shooting familiarity and overall comfort.
Roster Changes
Princeton returns its entire roster, Harvard retains most of its leading scorers, and Penn brings back four starters, while Yale and Cornell must replace significant departing production.
Cornell's Shooting
The Big Red led Division I in assists and three-pointers made per game in 2025–26. Maintaining that offensive identity could create difficult tournament matchups, but reliance on perimeter scoring also introduces game-to-game volatility.
