ROUNDBALL DAILY

Harvard Crimson: NCAA Tournament Profile

Siyani Chambers (left) and Harvard already have experience winning in the NCAA Tournament.  (Steve Dykes/USA Today Sports)

Siyani Chambers (left) and Harvard already have experience winning in the NCAA Tournament. (Steve Dykes/USA Today Sports)

Harvard Crimson (26-4, 13-1 Ivy League)-Can Harvard make a run in the NCAAs? Absolutely. This is virtually the same team that upset 3rd-seeded New Mexico in the Round of 64 last year, only with former starters in point guard Brandyn Curry (9.3 ppg) and Kyle Casey (10 ppg, 5.7 rpg) back from an academic scandal.

Five players average in double figures in scoring for the Crimson, led by 6-5 junior Wesley Saunders (14 ppg, 4.7 rpg), who is drawing comparisons to Jeremy Lin. Point guard Siyani Chambers is also among the best players in the Ivy League, and has the talent and chops to go off in any game. He scored 27 in a win over Vermont earlier this season.

Harvard is one of the nation’s stingiest defensive teams, ranking 13th overall in points allowed per game and points allowed per possession. They’re also one of the country’s best three-point shooting teams, stroking it at 38.7 percent. Senior guard Laurent Rivard (10 ppg) is one of the best three-point shooters in college basketball, at 42.7%.

The Crimson beat Boston College and played Colorado to a six-point game. They also lost to UConn by five at Gampel Pavillion.

 

KEY STATS:

Points Allowed per Game 13th (60.8)

Points Allowed per Possession 13th (0.91)

Three-Point Percentage 30th (38.7)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *