Tag Archive: Harvard

  1. M. BASKETBALL | Harvard draws 12 seed in NCAA tourney

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    The Crimson will have to dust off its dancing shoes — this week, Harvard will be dancing in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1946.

    Harvard (26-4, 12-2 Ivy) is the no. 12 seed in the East Region of the tournament bracket and will face the no. 5 seed Vanderbilt Commodores (24-10, 10-6 Southeastern Conference) in the second round.

    Both the Cantabs and the Commodores did not have to sweat out Selection Sunday waiting for an at-large bid to the tournament, as both teams received their conferences’ automatic bids. Vanderbilt ran the table in the SEC conference tournament to punch its ticket, toppling no. 1 Kentucky (32-2, 16-0 SEC) in the final 71-64 in New Orleans earlier today. Harvard earned the Ancient Eight bid by winning the school’s first outright Ivy League regular season crown.

    The Commodores will be looking to cut down the nets in New Orleans for a second time this season, but their road to the Final Four in April will have to go through a stingy Crimson defense that ranks fourth in Division I allowing only 54.8 points per game.

    If Harvard can survive against a Vanderbilt team that was ranked no. 7 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls in Albuquerque, then the Crimson will face the winner of the match-up between no. 4 seed and no. 13-ranked Wisconsin (24-9, 12-6 Big Ten) and no. 13 seed Montana (25-6, 15-1 Big Sky) on March 17.

    Two wins in the Big Dance and the Crimson would become the de facto home team, as Boston will host the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds of the tournament for the East region.

    On the ESPN program “Bracketology” that followed the release of the tournament bracket, the panel of experts discussed Harvard’s chances in the tournament.

    Former Duke baller and college basketball guru Jay Bilas asserted that the Crimson are a threat to Vanderbilt — particularly with their ability to slow the game down on defense — but he and the other panelists also focused on the game as a showdown of some of two of the premier institutes of higher learning.

    “At Vanderbilt they call Harvard the Vanderbilt of the northeast,” Bilas joked.

    The Crimson will tip off against the Commodores on March 15.

  2. Oprah will join Lady Gaga at Harvard launch party

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    We knew Harvard and Gaga can bring in the little monsters, but Oprah, too?

    Media mogul Oprah Winfrey will join Lady Gaga and Cynthia Germanotta, Gaga’s mom, at Harvard Feb. 29 to celebrate the launch of Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, according to The Crimson.

    In addition to Gaga and Winfrey, other presenters will include author Deepak Chopra, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Harvard Law School professor Charles J. Ogletree.

    The launch will be held in Sanders Theater and is co-sponsored by Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Born This Way Foundation, Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the California Endowment.

    In line with the values espoused in her hit song “Born This Way,” Gaga’s Foundation strives to create a culture of self-confidence by helping individuals realize their full potential without facing hate or bullying.

  3. M. BASKETBALL | A dispatch from behind enemy lines

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    In advance of tonight’s men’s basketball game against Harvard, we sent a few questions over to the Harvard Crimson’s basketball reporter and Sports Chair, Martin Kessler, to see what the Bulldogs can expect to see after tipoff.

    1) What can Yale expect from Harvard tomorrow?

    Harvard coach Tommy Amaker often talks about playing inside-out. The Crimson likes to establish forwards Kyle Casey and Keith Wright in the post early, and then kick it out to its shooters on the perimeter. But with Greg Mangano and Jeremiah Kreisberg patrolling the paint, it will be difficult for Harvard’s bigs to have their way. This means that a heavy burden will fall on the shoulders of wings Laurent Rivard, Christian Webster, and Oliver McNally. When they are hitting their shots, the Crimson is tough to beat. But when the shots aren’t falling (as was the case in the game at Fordham), Harvard is vulnerable to lose to any team, especially a talented team like Yale.

    2) Is Keith Wright a legitimate threat to repeat as Ivy League Player of the Year?

    Unless Wright starts averaging 20 and 10 the rest of the way, the answer is no (though I’d love to see Mangano’s reaction if he did). Wright’s role as the Crimson’s most important player hasn’t changed, but his numbers are down this year. With the addition of rookie forwards Steve Moundou-Missi and Jonah Travis, Harvard is much deeper down low resulting in fewer opportunities for Wright. Also, many of Harvard’s opponents have been keying in on Wright defensively, sending a number of 2-3 zones at the Crimson.

    3) Who’s the unsung hero for the Crimson squad?

    Oliver McNally may not put up jaw-dropping stats, but the co-captain’s importance to the Crimson should not be understated. McNally is Harvard’s vocal leader. When Harvard trailed St. Joseph’s at the half earlier this season, it was McNally who got the team fired up in the locker room. He can also knock down some threes, and when he does, he’ll let opposing fans know.

    4) Can you please bring me a burger and s’mores malt from Mr. Bartley’s? (Post-game Wenzels on me)

    This doesn’t sound like a fair exchange. Maybe if you throw in one of those steering wheel club things so my car doesn’t get stolen tomorrow night, I’ll consider it.

    5) Now that any Harvard coach with any hope of a bright future in football has sought refuge in the friendly confines of the Yale Bowl, do you think that y’all will be able to keep up this streak of luck (and occasional blow-outs)?

    As long as you don’t start stealing players, I think Harvard will be OK. Actually, I probably shouldn’t give you any ideas.

    6) What is one thing that Harvard MUST do to beat Yale Friday?

    Take out Mangano’s kneecaps. Or stay out of foul trouble.

    7) Final score prediction:

    I’m expecting this one to go down to the wire. The last two times that happened at John J. Lee, things didn’t turn out so well for the Crimson. But it’s a new year, and Friday night will be different. My prediction: 68-65 Harvard.

  4. Reno brings on three Harvard coaches

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    Yale’s new head football coach Tony Reno for has already started building his team — and some of his first picks for assistant coaches come from Cambridge.

    Harvard football players received an email informing them that Reno had hired three coaches — Joe Conlin, Dwayne Wilmot and Kris Barber — from the Harvard staff, Harvard senior and defensive back Matthew Hanson told the News. He added that the trio “left for more lucrative offers.” It is still unclear what positions these three coaches will hold on the Yale football staff.

    At Harvard, Conlin coached the offensive line, Wilmot oversaw the defensive line and Barber was the wide receivers coach. All three had just completed their first year with the Crimson.