Harvard Men’s Basketball Chosen Second in Ivy Preseason Media Poll

The Crimson earned one first-place vote in the poll. Princeton, which was picked first, received the other 16 first-place votes. Rounding out the field in order of predicted finish are Columbia, Cornell, Penn, Yale, Brown and Dartmouth.

 

Harvard is coming off a 26-5 season in 2011-12, as the Crimson won its second straight Ivy League crown and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1946. Under head coach Tommy Amaker, who is entering his sixth season with the Crimson, Harvard went 12-2 in Ivy League play and established a program record with its 26 victories overall.

 

The Crimson also won the prestigious Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and earned the program’s first national ranking in 2011-12, reaching as high as No. 21.

 

In addition to welcoming five newcomers to this year’s squad, Harvard returns 10 players from last year’s team, including senior co-captain Christian Webster and junior co-captain Laurent Rivard. Prior to the season, Harvard went on a 10-day international training trip to Italy, and the Crimson finished a perfect 4-0 in its exhibition games abroad.

 

The Crimson will open the 2012-13 season by hosting MIT Friday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.

 

1. Princeton – 134 points (16 first-place votes)

3. Columbia - 90

4. Cornell -- 80

5. Penn -- 74

6. Yale -- 55

7. Brown -- 50

8. Dartmouth -- 20