The decision was an easy one for head coach Steve Donahue at the outset of last season. With Louis Dale, the 2007-08 Ivy League Player of the Year, sidelined for the first eight games due to a sore hamstring, Donahue inserted freshman Chris Wroblewski into the team’s starting lineup at point guard.

This year, the decision making process is a bit more complex as it appears Wroblewski and senior Geoff Reeves will compete for the starting nod. Reeves, who started all but one game last season, seems to hold a slight edge over the sophomore, but Donahue says it is too early to tell.

“I’m not even sure still. I look at it as we have six starters. I think Geoff has done a great job over the last couple of years. Chris has done a terrific job. Chris and Lou, both are 1’s and 2’s I think equally. Some days, Chris is great and you have him with the ball and Lou off it, but I think all good teams have a couple of guys out there who can really handle the ball.”

The one thing that seems certain is that Donahue will likely split time equally among this trio in the backcourt, sticking with whoever has the hot hand. Last year, all three guards each logged approximately 26 minutes per game.

Dale captured his second consecutive first-team All-Ivy selection last season averaging 13.0 points per game as the Red’s floor general. Wroblewski also captured some hardware, earning the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award. Reeves, a strong outside shooter, has demonstrated the ability to create points off the dribble by penetrating the lane utilizing his lanky 6-4 frame.

Junior Max Groebe and freshman Miles Asafo-Adjei may also see some time in the backcourt for Cornell this season. Groebe, a transfer from the University of Massachusetts, sat out the entire season last year due to NCAA transfer regulations and has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

“Max is a great shooter,” Dale said. “You can’t leave him open. He can definitely help us out on offense and defense because he’s long and athletic. I see him coming off of the bench and providing a spark for us, getting some easy looks, knocking down 3’s and providing a scoring threat.”

In the early practices and scrimmage, Asafo-Adjei has already drawn some comparisons to last year’s co-captain Jason Battle ’09. Battle’s versatility and athleticism helped him become one of the Red’s toughest defenders last season and the coaches envision Asafo-Adjei filling a similar role in the future.

“Miles is someone that can help us because we need another ball handler,” Donahue said. “He’s someone that can help us in practice. He’s played well. He’s a good athlete.”

With a very difficult out-of-conference schedule this season, the Red will rely heavily on its backcourt to control the pace and tempo of these games. Fortunately for Cornell, there is no shortage of quality players to choose from at the guard position. Donahue’s greatest challenge may simply be selecting who plays from this loaded arsenal of backcourt threats.