Tommy and the tournament (Ivy champs!)

[Olympic Fan]

Tommy Amaker got Harvard in the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since World War II.

He has them close this year, despite losing two top players preseason.

Going into tonight (Mar. 8) Harvard was one-half game behind Princeton in the Ivy Standings with two fairly easy home games against second-dovidion Ivy teams to go. They should finish 11-3.

Princeton was 9-2 with three road gaes remaining ... the one tonight is at Yale, which beat Princeton earlier at Princeton. The home team is up 12 at the half. If they hold on, Harvard should be up half a game after tonight.

The Ivy doesn't have a tournament -- if they tie, Harvard and Princeton (which split their two meetings) would have each other in a one-game playoff.

For Tommy's sake ... Go Crimson!

[-jk]

At the halves, Harvard down 6 and Princeton down 12. Harvard hosts Columbia, Princeton at Yale.

-jk

[burnspbesq]

Final scores:

Harvard 56, Columbia 51
Yale 71, Princeton 66

Harvard now leads by a half game.

Harvard hosts Cornell tomorrow night. Princeton is at Brown tomorrow night, and at Penn Tuesday.

[sagegrouse]

At the halves, Harvard down 6 and Princeton down 12. Harvard hosts Columbia, Princeton at Yale.

-jk

The Hahvahds scored ten straight points in the last two minutes to turn a 45-49 deficit into a 55-49 lead. They won, 56-51.

Meanwhile, Princeton lost to Yale. Harvard now has a half-game lead over the Tigers.

Princeton must play Brown tomorrow and Penn on Tuesday. Harvard finishes tomorrow with Cornell at home. I would bet on a playoff to determine the Ivy rep to the NCAA tournament.

sagegrouse

[-bdbd]

The Hahvahds scored ten straight points in the last two minutes to turn a 45-49 deficit into a 55-49 lead. They won, 56-51.

Meanwhile, Princeton lost to Yale. Harvard now has a half-game lead over the Tigers.

Princeton must play Brown tomorrow and Penn on Tuesday. Harvard finishes tomorrow with Cornell at home. I would bet on a playoff to determine the Ivy rep to the NCAA tournament.

sagegrouse

Since they split this season, then WHERE would that one-game-playoff be held?

But with Princeton having two AWAY games, and Harvard just one game, at home, a playoff game might not even be required...

Go Crimson!!

[sagegrouse]

Since they split this season, then WHERE would that one-game-playoff be held?

But with Princeton having two AWAY games, and Harvard just one game, at home, a playoff game might not even be required...

Go Crimson!!

The previous Ivy League playoff was in 2011 and was also between Harvard and Princeton. It was played -- ta-DA -- at Yale.

sage

[BigWayne]

The previous Ivy League playoff was in 2011 and was also between Harvard and Princeton. It was played -- ta-DA -- at Yale.

sage

Based on what has come out the last couple years when a playoff was possible, the Ivy league will choose a neutral location and most likely one physically between the combatants. The 2011 game fit this characteristic at Yale and last year, the possible game between Harvard and Penn was planned to be held at Quinnipiac U in Connecticut. That puts Columbia, Yale, or some other small college arena in the CT/NYC area as possibilities.

[Ian]

Really don't see how Yale can be considered a neutral court for a playoff game between Harvard and Princeton.

That would be like playing the ACC championship game between UNC and NCSU at Cameron.

[burnspbesq]

Harvard is closing out a win over Cornell, up nine with 21 seconds to go.

Brown has a ten-point lead on Princeton with eight minutes to go.

If there is a playoff, it will be on St. Patrick's Day at the Palestra.

[OldPhiKap]

Harvard is closing out a win over Cornell, up nine with 21 seconds to go.

Brown has a ten-point lead on Princeton with eight minutes to go.

If there is a playoff, it will be on St. Patrick's Day at the Palestra.

Tommy wins. Princeton down 8 with 8 to go.

[Henderson]

Sorry I haven't been following this, but what ever happened with the exam cheating scandal at Harvard earlier this year? Early reports were that some B-ball players were implicated and (maybe) tossed. A link would suffice. I couldn't find a current one. Thanks in advance.

[burnspbesq]

Brown still clinging to an eight-point lead, with the ball, 2:58 to play.

[burnspbesq]

Harvard clinches the Ivy League championship and get the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Congrats to Coach Amaker, his staff, and the Crimson players. After not winning an Ivy League championship for the first 52 years the league was in existence, the Crimson have now won three in a row.

Fight fiercely, indeed.

[Henderson]

Congrats to Tommy and his recruits.

The new Harvard basketball slogan: The Facial Network.

[JasonEvans]

Sorry I haven't been following this, but what ever happened with the exam cheating scandal at Harvard earlier this year? Early reports were that some B-ball players were implicated and (maybe) tossed. A link would suffice. I couldn't find a current one. Thanks in advance.

Harvard senior co-captains Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry withdrew from the university last fall when they were implicated in the cheating scandal. Rather than be suspended from school, which would have resulted in their final year of basketball eligibility being wasted, they each withdrew and plan to return to Harvard next year. They both say they also plan to return to the basketball team. Casey was Harvard's best returning player, 11ppg and 6 rpg, and was certainly missed this season. Curry was a PG who scored 8ppg and 5 apg as a junior.

But, adding them to next year's team probably means the Crimson will again be strong favorites to win the Ivy next year. They only lose senior forward Christian Webster off this year's team and his 8 ppg and 3 rpg will likely easily be replaced by the return of Casey. Plus, the absence of Casey has allowed soph Wesley Saunders to really blossom this year. He was a top 100 recruit who has come into his own in his second season to average 16.6ppg 4rpg and 3.5apg. Put him on the front line with Casey, who hopes to parlay his senior season into a chance to make the NBA, and Harvard has one of the best forward tandems in all of college basketball. I am serious!

So, while the present is nice, the future is oh so bright for Tommy at Harvard.

--Jason "Tommy recruits at a whole different level from the rest of the Ivies... actually he recruits 2 or 3 levels above the rest of the conference" Evans

[MCFinARL]

Harvard clinches the Ivy League championship and get the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Congrats to Coach Amaker, his staff, and the Crimson players. After not winning an Ivy League championship for the first 52 years the league was in existence, the Crimson have now won three in a row.

Fight fiercely, indeed.
Yes--although because they lost the playoff to co-champion Princeton in 2011, they did not get the NCAA bid.

[Orange&BlackSheep]

Harvard clinches the Ivy League championship and get the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Congrats to Coach Amaker, his staff, and the Crimson players. After not winning an Ivy League championship for the first 52 years the league was in existence, the Crimson have now won three in a row.

Fight fiercely, indeed.

So friggin' annoying ... totally in the driver's seat and we go 0-fer against Yale and Brown [smh] ...

The Carolina game is the only reason I have even a little hoops happiness.

And I reiterate the annoyance at having to see this site happy for UNC-Cambridge.

[and please spare me the explanation about Amaker being beloved ... no one loved the '86 team more than I did ....]

O&B Sheep

[Indoor66]

So friggin' annoying ... totally in the driver's seat and we go 0-fer against Yale and Brown [smh] ...

The Carolina game is the only reason I have even a little hoops happiness.

And I reiterate the annoyance at having to see this site happy for UNC-Cambridge.

[and please spare me the explanation about Amaker being beloved ... no one loved the '86 team more than I did ....]

O&B Sheep

I seem to detect an element of bitterness in your post. What are your real feelings on this subject? :cool:

[burnspbesq]

So friggin' annoying ... totally in the driver's seat and we go 0-fer against Yale and Brown [smh] ...

The Carolina game is the only reason I have even a little hoops happiness.

And I reiterate the annoyance at having to see this site happy for UNC-Cambridge.

[and please spare me the explanation about Amaker being beloved ... no one loved the '86 team more than I did ....]

O&B Sheep

Sending Brown to the line 30 times in the last 3:36 didn't exactly work out for y'all, did it?

[OldPhiKap]

Feel your pain, O&B. Loved Pete Carril. But gotta pull for Tommy.

[tommy]

Harvard clinches the Ivy League championship and get the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Congrats to Coach Amaker, his staff, and the Crimson players. After not winning an Ivy League championship for the first 52 years the league was in existence, the Crimson have now won three in a row.

Fight fiercely, indeed.

I say match em up with Kentucky in the #12 vs. #12 play-in game, if they can justify seeding the Crimson that high. That would attract some viewers, and Calipari would start sweating it before the CBS interviews with the committee chair have been completed.