Busting Brackets
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Harvard basketball: 2017-18 season preview

By Tristan Freeman

LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Tommy Amaker of the Harvard Crimson coaches from the bench during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 5, 2015 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Tommy Amaker of the Harvard Crimson coaches from the bench during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 5, 2015 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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LAWRENCE, KS – DECEMBER 05: Head coach Tommy Amaker of the Harvard Crimson coaches from the bench during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 5, 2015 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS – DECEMBER 05: Head coach Tommy Amaker of the Harvard Crimson coaches from the bench during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 5, 2015 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Along with Yale and Princeton, Harvard has been right at or near the top since Tommy Amaker arrived a decade ago. The Crimson plan for it to stay that way this season.

One exception to the Harvard Crimson’s great consistency was the 2015-16 season, where the team finished below .500. It was a rare year where the Crimson didn’t compete for the Ivy title. However, that proved to be a blip on the radar as Amaker went back to the recruiting trail to reshape the roster.

Because of the high academic standards, there are many players who Harvard and other Ivy schools aren’t able to get, limiting the pool of prospects. That’s what made their (top 25) recruiting class a news topic in the following off-season. Despite the talent, it was yet to be seen how it would play out.

There was certainly a learning curve, as the Crimson lost four of their first five games. However, they finished up the non-conference by winning eight out of the next nine, with the lone exception being Vermont, who went undefeated in the America East conference.

Conference play was successful as well, going 10-4 including a regular season sweep of third place Yale. Two of their losses came to Princeton, but so did everyone else. While their season did end with conference tournament loss to Yale, the season overall was a big success considering how much the freshman played.

While Harvard does lose two seniors in Siyani Chambers and Zena Edosomwan, the core freshmen will now be experienced sophomores. Let’s take a look at these sophomores more closely in the starting lineups.