Columbia men's basketball coach Kevin Hovde has been named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, recognizing the top first-year head coach in college basketball. Under Hovde's guidance, the Lions have secured a 16-11 overall record, their first season above .500 since 2015-16. Columbia leads the Ivy League in offensive rebounds and ranks highly in rebounding margin nationally. The team is set to conclude its regular season against Harvard on March 6, where they will look to build on their recent success.
In individual honors, freshman Connor Igoe has earned his fourth Ivy League Rookie of the Week award after averaging 9.5 points per game over the past weekend. Igoe's standout performance included a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists in a decisive 80-62 victory against Brown, coming just shy of a triple-double with eight rebounds.
Columbia's men's swimming and diving team recently concluded its Ivy League Championship, finishing in fourth place. Isaac Beers received Second Team All-Ivy honors in both the 100 and 200 backstroke, achieving silver medals in each event and setting program records with times of 45.74 in the 100 back and 1:40.58 in the 200 back. Additionally, Zion James was named to the Academic All-Ivy Team, contributing to the team's success with a strong performance in the 100 free and as part of the relay teams.
The men's squash team is gearing up for the CSA Team National Championships, where they will face Tufts in the round of 16 on March 5. Earlier in the season, Columbia secured a convincing 8-1 victory against Tufts, and they aim to replicate that success as they pursue a championship run. Should they advance, a match against Harvard awaits on March 6.