Harvard Crimson
Ivy League (26-4, 12-2)
In 2010 Coach Tommy Amaker led Harvard to the CIT. That is a far cry from the NCAA Tournament, but it was a huge step in the right direction. Last season the Crimson came agonizingly close to a trip to the NCAA Tournament, but their putrid play at Princeton continued and Harvard had to settle for the NIT. A majority of the impact players have postseason experience now, but not at the NCAA Tournament level they will experience this year. In fact, this is Harvard’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1946.
Big Wins: 11/25 vs Florida State (46-41), 11/26 vs UCF (59-49), 12/31 St. Joseph’s (74-69)
Bad Losses: 12/8 at Connecticut (53-67), 1/3 at Fordham (54-60), 2/11 at Princeton (62-70)
Coach: Tommy Amaker (5 seasons at Harvard)
Why They Can Surprise:
Harvard has the frontcourt to keep up with just about any team in the nation. Center Keith Wright is a consistent interior scorer and a beast on the glass. He has won the Ivy League Player of the Year and his senior leadership will help out immensely during the tournament. Wright’s partner in the paint is Kyle Casey. Casey is a versatile forward who can score inside and out. He can be very difficult for many power forwards to defend. Casey is a decent rebounder, but Wright will grab most of them while Casey hangs around on the perimeter a little bit more. Wright and Casey will lead this team offensively, but they also spearhead the defensive effort. Both are quality shot blockers and that is one reason why it is so hard to score against the Crimson. Brandyn Curry, a junior point guard, is the shutdown defender on the perimeter. Curry is not much of a shooter, but he is a superb point guard who will keep the turnovers down and find the scorers on the perimeter and under the basket.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The Harvard offense will usually go through Wright and Casey, but the Crimson need more production from their guards. This is not a team that will score a lot of points and they do not give up a lot of points, but they have to knock down some perimeter shots to keep the opposition honest. Sophomore Laurent Rivard is the only relatively consistent long range shooter on the team and Coach Tommy Amaker eventually moved the sophomore into the starting lineup. He has to make shots in March or Harvard’s trip to the tournament will be short lived. Oliver McNally has taken a step back offensively this season, but he is a great secondary ballhandler and has the ability to get hot and make some shots. Christian Webster, a 6-5 junior, has also seen his offensive output decrease, but he is a versatile wing who can help out on the glass even if he is not scoring. However, somebody on the perimeter must score some points.
Probable Starters:
Brandyn Curry, Junior, Guard, 7.8 ppg, 5.0 apg
Oliver McNally, Senior, Guard, 7.4 ppg, 3.1 apg
Laurent Rivard, Sophomore, Guard, 9.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Kyle Casey, Junior, Forward, 11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.2 bpg
Keith Wright, Senior, Forward, 10.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Corbin Miller, Freshman, Guard, 3.9 ppg
Steve Moundou-Missi, Freshman, Forward, 4.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Wesley Saunders, Freshman, Guard, 3.4 ppg, 1.2 apg
Christian Webster, Junior, Guard, 4.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 65.4 (227th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 54.8 (4, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.7 (46, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.6 (46, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.9 (194, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.6 (106, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.6 (30, 1)
Rebound Margin: 4.5 (47, 2)
Assists Per Game: 12.9 (171, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.3 (68, 3)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Harvard 2011 NIT First Round loss to Oklahoma State
Harvard 2010 CIT First Round loss to Appalachian State
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
