The Ivy League has no conference tournament, so the team with the best conference record will advance to the NCAA Tournament. This means it could all come down to one of the oldest rivalries known to man in Harvard vs. Yale on March 6 in Lavietes Pavillion. But really, should the Ivy League be settled any other way?
Harvard
After upsetting 5-seed Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year, this a team that no one will take lightly. If not for a 26-2 run by Dartmouth in their game on January 24, Harvard would be undefeated in league play. After beating Yale on Saturday night, the Crimson are in a position to be able to control their own destiny the rest of the way. This is a team with experience, as only one of its starters is an underclassman. This experience will be key as the team has traveled to the tournament before and won’t be shocked by flashing lights and cameras.
Harvard plays hard on both ends, only allowing 57.5 points per game. Led by 6-5 guard Wesley Saunders, Harvard will need to keep up its winning ways if it hopes to be able to represent the Ivy League in the big dance.
- Key Wins: Northeastern, Yale
- Key Losses: Holy Cross, Dartmouth
- Player to Watch: Wesley Saunders (15.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 2.1 SPG)
- Schedule: Columbia (Feb. 13), Cornell (Feb. 14)
Yale
Yale watched Harvard win in the tournament last year and it wants to be the one that is taking down the 5 seed this year. I’m sure finishing second in the league to Harvard last year did not settle well with these guys. With a starting lineup that includes three seniors and two juniors, experience is there for the Bulldogs. Yale was able to upset UConn in December, snapping a 13-game losing streak to the Huskies. If you take away the loss to Florida, this team has not lost by more than 7 points all season. The Bulldogs look to spread the floor with guards Jack Montague and Javier Duren, who are shooting 47 percent and 40 percent from behind the arc, respectively.
After losing to Harvard on Saturday night though, Yale is only sharing the league lead. If the Bulldogs want to continue their season after March 7, then they will have to bring everything they have when they visit Harvard next month in a game which could be for all the marbles.
- Key Wins: at UConn, Bryant
- Key Losses: at Quinnipiac, at NJIT
- Player to Watch: Justin Sears (14.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG)
- Schedule: at Pennsylvania (Feb. 13), at Princeton (Feb. 14)
Dorm Room Hoops 