Harvard hosts Princeton this weekend. If Harvard wins, a 1 game playoff would be required between Harvard and Princeton to determine the conference championship and the NCAA berth (no tournament in the Ivy).
Let's go Tommy!
Unfortunately, Harvard lost a close away game to Princeton on Friday evening; pulling for Tommy (obviously), however, the home court advantage likely provided the margin.
Harvard hosts Princeton this weekend. If Harvard wins, a 1 game playoff would be required between Harvard and Princeton to determine the conference championship and the NCAA berth (no tournament in the Ivy).
Let's go Tommy!
Pretty cool front page article in the New York Times about Harvard's quest for it's first ever Ivy League title: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/sp...arvard.html?hp
Lots of fun quotes and facts in there and some well earned kudos for Coach Amaker. In particular, I thought it was interesting that Harvard has a RPI of 44 and doesn't have a single senior. Even more interesting, men's basketball is the only sport at the school that has never won a league title. They have to beat both Penn and Princeton and then would need to win a neutral court playoff, but still, this is great for Tommy. I thought he summed up best when he said,“I’m not sure you can walk anywhere on this campus and find something that hasn’t been done before...But we are on the verge of doing it."
I can't tell you all how sickening it is to come to this site and see pro-Harvard stuff ... I count the days until Tommy leaves for greener pastures. Someone please hire him so Harvard can return to their rightful place: battling with Dartmouth to stay out of the Ivy League cellar.
Harvard whupped up on a pretty good Penn team tonight 79-64. The Crimson raced out to a 22 point lead at the half and never looked back.
Up next, Princeton. The Tigers beat Dartmouth too, which sets up the game for the league title this weekend. If Harvard wins they would at least tie for the Ivy. Princeton would have to win at Penn to force a tie. If they tie, they play a one-game playoff for the right to go to the NCAA tourney.
--Jason "good luck to Tommy and the guys!" Evans
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
With sympathy for our Old Nassau Sheep, Harvard -- Tommy -- will win its first Ivy Title.
I actually was at the game last night (I didn't go to Harvard grad school for sports, but hey, I'll take what I can get!), and it was a lot of fun. Tommy's boys play a pretty fun style of ball with lots of ball movement and motion. They seemed to have real nice chemistry. Of course it didn't hurt that they were pretty much unconscious from 3-point land. It will be interesting to see how things go versus Princeton and whether the 3's keep falling.
On a lighter note, and not to poke fun too hard, but the Penn cheerleaders (Penn brought both a band and cheerleaders, is that normal in the Ivies?) had a hilarious cheer. It was "Let's Go Penn!" except they actually said "Let's Go Penn Exclamation Point" I'd never seen cheerleaders and fans yell "exclamation point" out loud before, so I thought it was pretty hilarious. Ahh the joy's of Ivy League sports!
Anyone have a sense of what Tommy is thinking in terms of his coaching career? Is he happy at Harvard or does he want to move up the coaching tree? Does the fact that he struggled at Michigan make him "damaged goods" when it comes to moving onto a major conference job? I would think that the job he has done at Harvard, along with a pretty good coaching pedigree, would put him on the list for some of the major jobs that could open up this season. If he can make the NCAAs and perhaps even give a big-time team a scare, that would really enhance his rep, I would think.
--Jason "I could see a school that values academics wanting a guy like him in charge" Evans
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
Let's just say we have beaten tougher teams in tougher circumstances ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM40lViQrw4
As always, I am embarrassed for Penn.
I could definitely see that too. As a matter of fact, if you want, I will join you in a letter writing campaign to potential schools that could use Tommy's services. Who's with us?
Tommy's wife is a well-regarded professor at Harvard. That may be part of the equation when other schools try to pry him from Cambridge.
Whenever Tommy has moved schools in the past (Seton Hall, Michigan, Harvard), his wife getting a job with the faculty has always been part of the equation.
Now, it may be one thing to move from Seton Hall or Michigan... but to leave Harvard... that's a horse of a different color if you are a professor.
By the way, if Tommy stays, he is going to be at the top of the Ivy for a while. There is not a single senior on the roster. You read that right... they return everyone for next year. What's more, their recruiting class is off the charts for an Ivy league team.
The gem of the class is Wesley Saunders, a 4-star recruit from out of California. Rivals and Scout both rate him as the 80th best prospect in the nation. He had scholarship offers from USC and Colorado among others. We are talking about a kid who would be a big deal recruit for most BCS-conference schools and he is going to the Ivy?!?! Are you kidding?!?! He is a bit raw but is just going to physically dominate most of the other players in that league.
Tommy's 2011 class also includes a 3-star shooting guard who had offers from BC, Stanford, Gonzaga, and Utah... a 3-star center who had offers from Northwestern and Vandy... and 3 other players who are all very good recruits for an Ivy. Most Ivy league schools are lucky to get a couple two-star recruits every few years. Penn and Princeton, the top other programs in the Ivy, have combined to sign exactly one 3-star recruit in the past 5 years. This year, Tommy has three 3-star players and a 4-star. Sick.
-Jason "now you know why O&B wants him gone from the conference!" Evans
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
It'll be fun to watch Harvard evolve into an Ivy power. What will be interesting is to see what sort of an impact--if any--it has on the school away from the gym.
At a place like Duke, the surge in basketball in the 1980s had tremendously positive effects on the school as whole in every discernible way.
Will Harvard be able to learn some new tricks?