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It’s been a long month.
But since this is STILL March, as Jon Rothstein has noted – one without a NCAA Tournament – now’s as good a time as ever for Ivy Hoops Online’s contributors to reflect back on our favorite moments for Ivies in the Big Dance.
Read moreIHO staff share favorite NCAA Tournament moments for Ivies
The No. 11 seed Princeton women’s basketball team gave No. 6 seed (and national No. 17) Kentucky all it could handle but came up just short in its first-round game at the Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C.
The Tigers were up by as many as nine points in the second quarter and up four at the half, but a 28-15 third quarter propelled the Wildcats into the lead and gave them enough of a cushion to withstand a late Tigers rally to claim the first-round victory.
Read moreNo. 11 Princeton comes up just short against No. 6 Kentucky in NCAA Tournament, 82-77
Greensboro Regional – First Round (Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, N.C.)
No. 11 Princeton (22-9 overall, 12-2 Ivy – Co-Champions, Automatic Bid) vs No. 6 Kentucky (24-7 overall, 11-5 SEC – 4th, At-Large Bid) 11:00 a.m. ESPN2
Read moreNCAA Tournament preview: No. 11 Princeton vs No. 6 Kentucky
Kyle Smith reminded reporters Wednesday that Columbia jumped out to a 11-0 lead at still-undefeated Kentucky at Rupp Arena and led for nearly 27 minutes before losing to the Wildcats, 56-46.
“Hey, do you guys remember that game?” Smith said. “That was awesome, right? 11-0!”
Smith also let slip that the Lions will play at Kentucky, Michigan State, Duke and Wisconsin.
“I promise you, we will play our hearts out in those games come next season,” Smith said. “And we’ll make everybody forget about finishing 5-9 in conference play this year.”
Read moreALL FOOLS’ DAY: Kyle Smith reminds us that Columbia played Kentucky close for a while
With Harvard set to take on North Carolina Thursday in the Crimson’s fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance, Peter Andrews and I debate whether non-Harvard Ivy hoops fans should root for the Crimson to win their third straight opening NCAA tourney game.
MT: Look, I know you probably hate Harvard. And you have every reason to.
The cheating scandal that forced Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry to withdraw from the team in 2012-13 only to win another Ivy title the following year.
The loosening of academic standards for basketball players.
The sending of an assistant out on “unethical recruiting trips.”
The way Harvard teases Ivy fans every year by getting entangled in close games against underdog conference competition only to emerge victorious almost every time. (The Crimson have won five straight games this season decided by three points or fewer.)
But Harvard beating UNC wouldn’t be so bad.