Hoop Dreams Hinge on Help

Harvard men’s basketball needs the Ivy League to get weird. After flopping against Princeton last weekend, the Crimson will need to win its remaining games and depend on wild outcomes in league play in order to stay in contention for the conference title.

The problem is that, so far this season, no team has embraced the role of the underdog. Week after week, the favorites win big, stomping their weaker opponents like Edward Norton in American History X.

Sure, there have been some close games. The Tigers’ win in Cambridge a week ago was certainly thrilling, as was Penn’s narrow victory over Dartmouth last Friday. But the closest game the league has to an upset is the Quakers’ last-second triumph over Brown, a win that rocked the league about as hard as an Enya concert.

For Harvard to gain ground on Cornell and Princeton, it will need the bottom-dwelling Ivies to do some damage. The Bears did a commendable job last week in scaring the Big Red. For the first time in weeks, Cornell looked mortal, trailing Brown with as few as 16 minutes remaining. If Columbia, Dartmouth, Penn, and Yale can follow the Bears’ lead, then sooner of later one or both of the league leaders will fall.

For its own part, the Crimson’s task of winning out is becoming increasingly difficult. Injuries are going around Harvard’s frontcourt like the flu in first grade. Sophomore Andrew Van Nest is out with pneumonia, classmate Keith Wright is hobbled with Achilles tendonitis, and senior Pat Magnarelli is sidelined with a high ankle sprain. These ailments have resulted in increased action for co-captain Doug Miller, freshman Kyle Casey, and rookie Jeff Georgatos, who recorded an unprecedented “13 trillion” (13 minutes, zero stats) in the loss to Princeton.

The loss of its inside presence clearly affected the Crimson. Without a forward able to score in the post, Harvard was forced to attack from the perimeter, where it faced long streaks of cold shooting.

But just as quickly as the injury bug bit the Crimson, it can bite the Big Red or the Tigers. How vulnerable would Cornell be without Jeff Foote anchoring the paint? What would Princeton look like without Doug Davis running the point?

While Harvard’s championship hopes have taken a hit the last two weeks and are now a long shot, many games remain to be played. Anything can happen, but one thing is certain. If the Crimson is to challenge for the Ivy crown, it will take a league-wide effort.

HARVARD (15-5, 4-2 Ivy) at YALE (9-14, 3-3)

With only three effective forwards healthy, Harvard is very vulnerable. Yale staked its claim last week as the fourth-best team in the Ivy League with a win over the Lions. The Elis dominated Columbia on the boards, 41-26—a worrisome stat for the hobbled Crimson.

Rightly or wrongly, Jeremy Lin leads the fan voting for the Bob Cousy Award. If he is legitimately the top point guard in the country, he will need to carry Harvard during this stretch of the season. The Crimson is sure to attract a rowdy crowd at the John J. Lee Amphitheater, and I see them silencing the Yalies.

Pick: Harvard 69, Yale 63

No. 22 CORNELL (20-3, 6-0) at PENN (3-15, 2-2)

The Big Red stumbled out of the gates against Brown, but it deserves a stinker after nearly a month of impeccable hoops. The Quakers gave a spirited effort in Cambridge, especially point guard Zack Rosen, and sit at a very respectable .500 in the conference, but they don’t have the horses to compete with Cornell.

Pick: Cornell 82, Penn 58

COLUMBIA (8-12, 2-4) at PRINCETON (13-5, 4-0)

Overlooked coming into conference play, the Tigers have won 11 of their last 12 games and surprised everyone with their start. Columbia struggled against the Big Red and Harvard to start the Ivy schedule but has recovered by winning two of its last three games. Still missing guard Patrick Foley with a separated right shoulder, the Lions rely almost exclusively on Noruwa Agho. If he is on, Columbia is capable of providing the kind of upset that Harvard needs. Against Princeton, though, I don’t see it happening.

Pick: Princeton 58, Columbia 50

DARTMOUTH (4-16, 0-6) at BROWN (7-16, 1-5)

The bottom pair of Ivy teams both could use a win. Brown has far more talent than the Big Green, including potential All-Ivy forward Matt Mullery and streaky freshman Tucker Halpern in the frontcourt. But the Bears have a head-scratching resume which features a hard-fought game against Cornell and a stunning loss to Penn. Depending on which Brown team shows up, Dartmouth might have a chance. I say the shame of last place is enough inspiration for the Bears to play well and take down the Big Green.

Pick: Brown 64, Dartmouth 55

No. 22 CORNELL at PRINCETON

This matchup is the game of the week. Cornell came into its last hyped game—against Harvard two weeks ago—with such focus that it’s hard to imagine the Big Red won’t be geared up for this game as well. The big difference this time is that the game takes place on enemy territory. Historically, Princeton’s Jadwin Gymnasium has proven to be a hostile atmosphere, but Cornell has already shown poise on bigger arenas such as Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse. The Big Red has thrived each time it has faced a challenge, and I see the trend continuing.

Pick: Cornell 66, Princeton 56

DARTMOUTH at YALE

The road doesn’t get any easier for Dartmouth. Eventually, it will steal a win in the conference, but it’s impossible to predict against whom. Until that day comes, I’ll continue picking against the Big Green.

Pick: Yale 67, Dartmouth 58

COLUMBIA at PENN

I think Penn is better than its record and stands a good chance against a team as one-dimensional as the Lions. The Quakers have the most devoted fans in the Ivy League, and I think they will give Penn a big lift in its first home Ivy weekend of the season.

Pick: Penn 70, Columbia 67

HARVARD at BROWN

Mullery presents a huge challenge to the Crimson’s big men. The Brown forward is the most polished post player in the league, and Harvard, which couldn’t handle Cornell’s similarly-talented forward Jeff Foote, is thin on the front line. Facing the Bears on the back end of the trip, on a night after logging big minutes in New Haven, won’t make the task of stopping Mullery any easier. I’m tempted to pick Brown with an upset, but I would never forgive myself if the Crimson pulled out a win. Harvard in a squeaker.

Pick: Harvard 68, Brown 66

RECORD LAST WEEK: 6-2 (To date: 13-3)

—Staff writer Timothy J. Walsh can be reached at twalsh@fas.harvard.edu.