Pictured: Tommy Amaker and the Crimson will play 13 home
games in 2009-10.
Photo Courtesy, Dave Silverman
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The 99th season of Harvard
men's basketball begins November 13 with 28 games including 13
games at Lavietes Pavilion.
Third-year head coach Tommy Amaker's Crimson will open the
season at nearby foe Holy Cross against first-year head coach Sean
Kearney. Two days later, on November 15, the Crimson opens its home
schedule with a 2 p.m. game against the Tribe of William & Mary
in a return game from last season.
On November 20, the Crimson plays its first-ever game against
new Division I-member Bryant University at 7 p.m. on the eve of the
Harvard-Yale football game in New Haven, Conn.
After a road game at Army (November 23), the Crimson welcomes
New Hampshire to Lavietes Pavilion for a November 25 meeting as
Harvard looks to extend its winning streak against the Wildcats to
five games to match its best streak in a series that dates to 1921.
The Crimson will make a short trip over the Charles River on
November 29 with a game at Boston University (time to be
determined).
On December 2, the Rice Owls make their first trip to Cambridge
for an 8 p.m. game. Harvard then heads on an intriguing three-game
road trip spanning reading period and holiday breaks. On December
6, the Crimson travels to the University of Connecticut in a game
that will be played either in Storrs or Hartford, Conn.
Four days later, on December 6, another short road trip sees the
Crimson return to Boston College's Conte Forum for a 7 p.m. game
against the Eagles. Harvard won last year's showdown with an 82-70
victory against the then-17th-ranked team in the nation.
Harvard then remains idle for the next 13 days until venturing
back to Washington, D.C. for the second straight year. After
playing George Washington in the nation's capital last year,
Harvard will take on the Georgetown Hoyas at the Verizon Center
December 23 at noon.
After the holidays, Harvard will return to the court December 28
with a 4 p.m. home game against Cambridge neighbor MIT. The two
teams have not played since the 1985-86 season. Harvard leads the
all-time series, which dates to 1900-01, by a 47-8 margin.
Two days later, on December 30, Harvard plays host to George
Washington in a 6 p.m. game at Lavietes in the Colonials' first
trip to Cambridge. Following the game, Harvard takes to the air for
a west coast trip to round out its non-conference schedule. On
January 2, the Crimson plays at Seattle University in a game to be
played at the Key Arena - former home of the Seattle Supersonics.
The team then heads to Santa Clara, Calif. for a return game
against the SCU Broncos on January 4. Harvard defeated Santa Clara
last season at home, 73-68, and also won the last time meeting in
Santa Clara - a 55-54 decision back in 1998-99 during the Cable Car
Classic.
The Ivy League's "14-game tournament" begins as it historically
has - with Harvard taking on Dartmouth on Saturday January 9 in a 2
p.m. game at Lavietes Pavilion. Harvard will sit through its second
13-day rest of the season before traveling to Hanover, N.H. for a
return game of the series on January 23.
On the last weekend in January, Harvard travels to Columbia and
Cornell. February opens with a pair of home games against Princeton
(Feb. 5) and Penn (Feb. 6) in 7 p.m. games. Harvard is back on the
road Feb. 12-13 with nearby trips to Yale and Brown.
The team will then enjoy a two-week stretch at home, hosting
Cornell and Columbia on Feb 19-20 and then against Brown and Yale
on Feb. 26-27 - also in 7 p.m. starts.
Harvard will close out the regular season slate of games March
5-6 at Penn (7 p.m.) and Princeton (6 p.m.) respectively.
