Men's Basketball: Tigers look for sweep of 1st-place Crimson

The rivalry between the two teams has no shortage of history, as 167 Harvard-Princeton matchups all-time have left the Tigers on the winning end of a 128-39 split. During their last 10 meetings, Princeton holds a commanding 8-2 series lead that includes senior guard Doug Davis’ buzzer-beating jump shot from last year’s playoff game, as well as the Tigers’ historical upset of the nationally-ranked Harvard squad two weeks ago.

Despite the lopsided victory count, the statistics Princeton (15-10 overall, 6-3 Ivy League) and Harvard (23-3, 9-1) have generated thus far indicate that this game will be as close as they come. During their last 10 matchups, Princeton has averaged 64 points per game to Harvard’s 62, while both teams have averaged 27 rebounds and four steals. Five of the last seven matchups have been decided by four points or fewer, and eight of the last 10 have produced single-digit win margins. All signs point to this game being an intensely close battle with an exciting finish.

Beyond the recent history, Friday’s contest also has significant ramifications for this year’s Ivy League Championship race. A loss this weekend would leave the Tigers 6-4 in league play, while the Crimson would advance to 10-1. This scenario would put Princeton one game away from mathematical elimination; any Princeton loss or Harvard win after that would remove the Tigers from title contention.

A victory at Harvard would make things much more interesting for Princeton and the rest of the Ivy League. The title would be up for grabs, with Penn likely tied with Harvard in the loss column entering Saturday’s meeting and the Tigers only one game behind. A number of two-way and even three-way ties for the title would come into play, and a repeat of last year’s Harvard-Princeton playoff game for an NCAA Tournament bid would become a real possibility.

At this point, the best situation Princeton can realistically hope for is a 11-3 season for both teams, which would result in a shared Ivy League title reminiscent of last year’s finish. Even that scenario, though, would require help from another team to upset Harvard. The Crimson still controls its own destiny and is guaranteed at least a share of the Ivy League championship if it wins both of this weekend’s games.

The critical rematch comes at as good a time as any for the streaking Tigers, who have won four consecutive games in convincing fashion. Three of these wins ended with double-digit victory margins, and all of them came against Ivy League opponents. Still better news for the red-hot Tigers is that they have won 13 of 15 games when scoring 60 points or more; they are averaging a whopping 70.25 during their current win streak. Princeton is sporting an entirely healthy roster and could be primed for another impressive performance against the league’s top team, which seems to have difficulty matching up with the Tigers.

Junior forward Ian Hummer will certainly be an important player to watch, as his ferocious post presence has inspired the Tigers during their recent success. Hummer dismantled the Crimson defense the last time they met, posting nine rebounds and six assists to complement his 20 points. The game also presents a potential opportunity for fans to watch Davis keep climbing the history books, as eight or more points will move him from fourth to third on Princeton’s all-time scoring list.

After the Tigers’ 75-57 mauling of Cornell last Saturday, Hummer expressed his optimism about the team’s chances of catching Harvard and winning the league title.

“We’re playing the kind of basketball [where] we know we can make a run at what we’ve been going for the whole season: the Ivy League Championship,” Hummer said.

He and the Tigers have a chance to prove it this Friday at 7 p.m.