It really all comes down to this for the men’s basketball team.

After a three-game slide, the Bulldogs need to take this final duo of home games before a two-week road stretch if they hope to climb out from the depths of the Ivy League standings.

[ydn-legacy-photo-inline id=”12713″ ]

For the past eight years, the Bulldogs have topped both rival Harvard and Dartmouth in home matches, but this season, against a high-scoring Crimson squad and a versatile Big Green, the Elis may be challenged at home.

Harvard — led by new coach Tommy Amaker — is propped up by veteran guards Jeremy Lin and Drew Housman, who shoot 13.1 ppg and 11.2 ppg, respectively, and who should keep the Elis’ perimeter defense busy. The Dartmouth squad boasts the league-leading scorer in forward Alex Barnett, who sinks 16.9 ppg. His presence under the post will match up well against Yale forward Ross Morin ’09.

Morin has been the leading scorer in Ivy contests. Despite a bad weekend against Cornell and Columbia, captain and guard Eric Flato ’08 provides consistent numbers. Points off the bench are also key to the Bulldogs’ offensive effort.

The match against Harvard is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, but a pre-game party at the Lee Amphitheater — the Bulldog Blue-Out — will begin at 6 p.m.