Ivy League Basketball power rankings: Close battle at top between Yale and Harvard

1. Harvard

Record: 18-7 (7-3 Ivy League)

Sitting at 7-3 in conference play, Harvard is currently 2nd in the Ivy League Basketball standings. When assessing their record as a whole, it is easy to be slightly unimpressed because of the hype  that seemed to surround them early in the year. I mean, this is a team that some were saying would be good enough to crack the national top 25 rankings. With 7 losses overall, those expectations for the Crimson may have been a little too high.

Despite their 3 conference losses, Harvard is still the team to beat in the league because they have not been consistently beaten by any team in the conference. Their early loss to Penn was followed by a game in which they beat the Quakers. They also have the signature win over Yale.

Harvard’s place at the top of the league is a product of a very deep roster that is headlined by an incredible backcourt duo. Senior, Bryce Aiken, is arguably the best guard in the league. He averages 16.7 ppg. Just when it is thought Bryce Aiken is the main problem, Sophomore, Noah Kirkwood, lets Harvard’s opponents know otherwise. He adds 12.5 ppg.

Now, when looking into the depth, it can be argued that Harvard has the advantage in the 4-team Ivy League Basketball Tournament. The rotation the Crimson possesses can go 10 guys deep at times. On top of that, four of their six leading scorers are seniors. Harvard has the experience that can give them the upper hand from here on out.

With all of this depth, it is no secret that Yale will have its hands full when trying to take down Harvard on March 7th. The task will be even more difficult for opponents of the Crimson at the time of the Ivy League Tournament. Harvard looks like an NCAA Tournament team.