Harvard vs. Saint Mary’s: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

The Saint Mary’s Gaels and the Harvard Crimson will highlight the first round of the 2017 Wooden Classic. Who will win this mid-major affair?

TV schedule: Thursday, Nov. 23, 4:00 p.m. ET. ESPNEWS

Arena: Titan Gym in Fullerton, California

After a highly successful season, Randy Bennett and Saint Mary’s (4-0) are considered to be even better this time around. With four seniors starting including a potential All-American in Jock Landale, the Gaels are expected to make a run in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Landale has played as expected, averaging 17.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg. His first double-double of the season came against their only legit opponent in a win against New Mexico State with 20 and 10.

However, he may be the third best player to start out the season. Point guard Emmett Naar has become the main distributor with the graduation of Joe Rahon. He’s putting up 12.5 ppg and 9.5 apg. A lot of those assists are going to senior wing Calvin Hermanson, who’s leading the team in scoring with 19.0 ppg. He’s always been a marksman from deep, but his 60% clip from deep is ridiculous. If he continues to score like this they’ll be the odds-on favorite to win the West Coast Conference.

Their opponents hail from the prestigious Ivy League in the Harvard Crimson (2-2). The makeup of the roster is deceptive because, while the Crimson’s best players are all underclassmen, they each plenty the most minutes of last year’s very successful campaign. It’s a double-edged sword, as their talent is obvious but the youth will show time to time.

After winning their first two home games, they lost back-to-back road games at Manhattan and Holy Cross, two inferior teams. However, that doesn’t make Tommy Amaker’s team any less dangerous, especially if their top two players go off.

Bryce Aiken (16.8 ppg) and Seth Towns (16.5 ppg) are by far the players to watch. Aiken recently scored 30 in an overtime win against UMass, including the game-winning three-pointer with seconds to go. They also have another sophomore in center Chris Baker, who averages 10.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg. Besides these three, however, the production dips a lot, hence the two road losses.

Next: Harvard 2017-18 season preview

This game comes simply to how the Harvard duo performs. If they struggle, then it’s a blowout. And even if they both go off, Saint Mary’s can still win this one, as Baker vs. Landale is a mismatch in favor of the Gaels. For those interested in how Saint Mary’s looks, this is a good game to watch. Especially given the weak non-conference slate they once again have.

Prediction: Saint Mary’s 86 – Harvard 72