The Storyline
The Harvard men’s basketball team is dancing again, making its fourth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament. The team received a No. 13 seed in the West Region and will face fourth-seeded North Carolina in the second round Thursday, March 19. Tip off is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. EST live on TNT at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

Harvard earned the bearth with a 53-51 win over Yale on Saturday in a one-game playoff at The Palestra after sharing the Ivy League championship with the Bulldogs. North Carolina, meanwhile, received an at-large berth out of the ACC.

What To Watch For
• Harvard will be making its fourth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament, becoming just the third program to represent the Ivy League in the Big Dance in four successive years. Princeton was the last to do so in 1989-92, with Penn making six straight trips from 1970-75. Dartmouth also went to the NCAA Tournament for four-straight years from 1941-44 before the formation of the league.

• Harvard has advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament in each of its last two trips to the dance. A win in this year’s second round tie the Crimson with Penn (1971-73, 1978-80) and Princeton (1964-67) for the most consecutive years with a win in the tournament in Ivy League history.

• Harvard has won five straight Ivy League championships, becoming just the second program in Ancient Eight history to win at least five successive titles (Penn 1970-75, 1978-82). Harvard is one of three programs in the country with an active streak of at least five consecutive regular season championships; Kansas (11 straight Big 12 titles), Murray State (6 straight Ohio Valley titles).

• With a 22-7 record, Harvard has reached the 20-win plateau for a sixth-straight season, matching Penn (1969-75) for the longest streak of 20-win seasons in Ivy League history.

• Steve Moundou-Missi was voted as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Crimson student-athlete to earn the award. Wesley Saunders was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy League first team, joining Don Flemming ’82 as only the second student-athlete in program history to be named to the All-Ivy League first team in three straight years. Additionally, Moundou-Missi and Siyani Chambers were named to the All-Ivy League second team, marking the third All-Ivy honor for both.

• Harvard boasts a 139-42 (.768) record since 2009-10, good for the 11th highest win percentage in the country in that time (as of games played March 15). This includes a 72-7 record at home and a 67-35 mark away from Lavietes Pavilion (57-30 road, 10-5 neutral).

Last Time Out
The Harvard men’s basketball team is going dancing again after defeating Yale Saturday afternoon, 53-51, in a one-game playoff at The Palestra to decide the Ivy League’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Wesley Saunders finished with a game-high 22 points, with 18 of those points coming in the second half. Saunders shot 6-of-8 from the floor after the break and dished off two assists, with the biggest of his career coming on the final play.

Moundou-Missi just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine boards, and became the 34th member of Harvard’s 1,000-point club on his basket with 57 seconds remaining in the first. Siyani Chambers added seven points and four assists, with Jonah Travis contributing five points and seven rebounds.

Creating a Winning Culture
Harvard has posted a 139-42 (.768) overall record since the start of the 2009-10 season, ranking as the 11th highest win percentage in the country over the last five-plus seasons (as of games played March 15).

Home is Where the Wins Are
Harvard has posted a 61-5 (.924) record at Lavietes Pavilion since the start of the 2010-11 season, representing the fifth highest home-court win percentage in the country over the last four-plus seasons (as of games played March 15).

Since 2010-11, the Crimson has enjoyed two home win streaks of at least 20 games; 28 games (Feb. 20, 2010 to Feb. 25, 2012), 20 games (Dec. 1, 2012 to Feb. 7, 2014).

Making a Stand
Harvard’s defense is shaping up to be one of the best ever under head coach Tommy Amaker.

• Opponents are scoring just 57.2 ppg, which ranks 12th in the NCAA and stands as the second lowest total in the Amaker era (55.6 ppg in 2011-12).

• Opponents are shooting 39.9 percent from the floor, which ranks 48th in the NCAA and is the lowest opponent field goal percentage in the Amaker era (40.8% in 2013-14).

• Opponents are shooting 32.7 percent from 3-point range, which ranks 97th in the NCAA and stands as the second lowest opponent 3-point percentage in the Amaker era (32.1% in 2013-14).

• Harvard is averaging 4.6 bpg, which ranks 50th in the NCAA and is the second-highest total in the Amaker era (4.8 bpg in 2013-14).

• Harvard is averaging 7.0 spg, which ranks 73rd in the NCAA and is the second highest total in the Amaker era (7.9 spg in 2009-10).

• Harvard has held 18 of its 29 opponents to fewer than 60 points, with eight opponents scoring 50 points or less. The Crimson has limited opponents to 20 points or fewer in a half eight times.

• Harvard limited Saint Rose to just 20.8 percent shooting (11-53), the lowest single-game opponent shooting percentage in the Amaker era.

• Harvard limited Saint Rose and Cornell to just 11 field goals, the lowest single-game total by an opponent in the Amaker era.

• The Crimson allowed just 38 points to Saint Rose and Penn, marking the fourth and fifth times under head coach Tommy Amaker that an opponent has scored fewer than 40 points (Cornell was held to exactly 40 points).

• Penn’s 38 points scored on Jan. 31 were the fewest Harvard has given up to a Quaker squad since taking a 58-31 victory on March 11, 1942. Additionally, it marked just the sixth time since the Ivy League’s formation prior to the 1956-57 season that Penn had been held to fewer than 40 points.

• Yale managed just 11 first half points on Feb. 7, shooting 3-of-22 from the field. The Bulldogs’ 11 points were the fewest allowed in any half by the Crimson under head coach Tommy Amaker, while the three made field goals represented the fewest field goals allowed in a half under Amaker.

Down But Not Out
Harvard became the first Ivy program to win at least a share of the conference title after beginning 1-1 since Penn did so during the 2001-02 season. The Quakers actually began that year’s conference slate with a 2-3 record before running the table and earning a three-way share of the Ancient Eight crown with Princeton and Yale.

Now in its 59th season of play, the Ivy League has crowned 16 champions that have begun conference play either 0-1 or 1-1, or roughly one every four years.

Conference Honors
Steve Moundou-Missi was voted as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Crimson student-athlete to earn the award.

Wesley Saunders was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy League first team, joining Don Flemming ’82 as only the second student-athlete in program history to be named to the All-Ivy League first team in three straight years.

Additionally, Moundou-Missi and Siyani Chambers were named to the All-Ivy League second team, marking the third All-Ivy honor for both.

All-District
Wesley Saunders has been named to the USBWA All-District I team, marking the third straight season he has received the accolade. Saunders has also been included on the NABC All-District 13 first team each of the last two years, with this season’s honorees yet to be announced.

Points Responsible For
It isn’t always how many points a player scores, but how many points he is responsible for that demonstrates his true importance to the team. Wesley Saunders has scored or assisted on 746 points this season, representing 40.0 percent of the team’s offense. Siyani Chambers, meanwhile, has been responsible for 572 points, or 30.7 percent.

Player of the Week
Wesley Saunders was named Ivy League Player of the Week on Feb. 23 for the third time this season and an Ivy League record 11th time in his career. The previous record of nine career Player of the Week awards was shared by Brown’s Earl Hunt (2000-03) and Princeton’s Ian Hummer (2009-13).

Saunders garnered the honor five times in 2012-13, three times in 2013-14 and has three awards in 2014-15.

Going Off
Wesley Saunders scored a career-high 33 points at Brown (Feb. 6), representing the 14th-highest single-game total in program history and the most points scored under head coach Tommy Amaker.

Jeremy Lin ’10 is the only other member of the Crimson to have scored at least 30 points under Amaker, notching 30 at UConn on Dec. 6, 2009.

All-Around Effort
Wesley Saunders’ full arsenal of skills were on display against Princeton (Feb. 21) as the senior led the Crimson in points (23), rebounds (9), assists (3) and steals (4), marking the second time this season (at Brown, Feb. 6) and third time in his career he has led Harvard in all four categories.

Jeremy Lin ’10 is the only other student-athlete to accomplish the feat under head coach Tommy Amaker, having done so 10 times.

Stuffing the Stat Sheet
Wesley Saunders, a unanimous All-Ivy League first team selection, ranks among the Ancient Eight’s top 10 in eight statistcal categories. As a senior, Jeremy Lin ’10 finished ranked among the conference’s best in nine statistical categories.

Leading the Way
Wesley Saunders led Harvard in scoring in each of the team’s first eight games, becoming the first member of the Crimson to lead the team in scoring in eight straight games under head coach Tommy Amaker.

Saunders has led Harvard in scoring 47 times in his career, with the Crimson owning a 32-15 record in those games.

Born to Assist
Siyani Chambers has led Harvard in assists 57 times in his career, with the Crimson owning a 42-15 record in those games.

Chambers boasts 47 career games with five assist or more, including a stretch of eight straight games as a freshman (Dec. 11, 2012 - Jan. 26, 2013). Harvard is 39-8 in games Chambers reaches five assists.

Cleaning the Glass
Steve Moundou-Missi recorded a career-high 17 rebounds at Vermont, the most by a member of the Crimson under head coach Tommy Amaker.

Moundou-Missi has led Harvard in rebounding 40 times in his career, with the Crimson owning a 31-9 record in those games.

Grand Theft
Wesley Saunders recorded 12 steals against Northeastern and Vermont, including a career-high seven at Vermont to match Jeremy Lin ‘10 (vs. George Washington, Dec. 30, 2009) for the most steals by a member of the Crimson under head coach Tommy Amaker.

Saunders currently ranks 62nd in the NCAA with 1.8 steals per game (as of games played March 10), while his 173 career steals are good for fourth in program history.

Double-Trouble
Wesley Saunders recorded three double-doubles in the team’s first four games, becoming the first member of the Crimson to post three double-doubles in a four-game stretch since Keith Wright ‘12 did it in four consecutive games in 2011-12.

Saunders has turned in six double-doubles on the year and touts seven for his career. Steve Moundou-Missi, meanwhile, has notched five this season and boasts eight for his career.

Pop-A-Shot
Corbin Miller made at least one 3-point field goal in each of Harvard’s first 23 games, good for the fourth longest streak in program history. The program record for consecutive games with a 3-pointer stands at 29 games and was set by Jim Goffredo ’07.

Starting Fast
Harvard began the year with a 10-3 record, marking the fifth time under head coach Tommy Amaker that the Crimson has gone 10-3 or better to start the year; 24-3, 2011-12; 18-3, 2013-14; 15-3, 2010-11; 14-3, 2009-10, 10-3, 2014-15.

Non-Conference Nonsense
Harvard went 10-4 in non-conference play, marking the seventh straight season that the Crimson has posted a winning record away from the Ivy League. The Crimson is 77-33 in non-conference action since 2008-09, and has registered double-digit victories five times under head coach Tommy Amaker.

Watch This
Wesley Saunders was named to the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and Lou Henson Award preseason watch lists as one of the elite student-athletes in the country.

Saunders is the first Ivy Leaguer to be included on the Naismith Trophy Top 50, while he joined Jeremy Lin ’10 as the second member of the Crimson to be named to the Wooden Award Watch List. Saunders was also included on the 2013 Lou Henson Award Watch List.

Cousy Award
Siyani Chambers was named to the 2015 Bob Cousy Award Watch List, marking the third-straight year that the junior has been tabbed among the top point guards in college basketball. Chambers is one of just three individuals to have been included on the watch list in each of the last three years along with Duke’s Quinn Cook and Gonzaga’s Kevin Pangos.

Last year, Chambers was one of 23 Cousy Award Watch List finalists after being among the original list of 80 watch list candidates along with teammate Brandyn Curry ’13-14.

Moving on Up
Head coach Tommy Amaker continus to move up the ranks of the Ivy League’s winningest coaches. Amaker’s 161 wins at Harvard are the seventh most since the conference began competition in 1956, while his 78 Ivy League victories have tied him with former Cornell head coach Steve Donahue (2000-10) for 10th place in conference history.

Amaker has led Harvard to five-straight Ivy League championships, tying him with former Penn coach Bob Weinhauer (1977-82) for the third most title in Ancient Eight history.

On The Sidelines
With 161 victories under his belt, Tommy Amaker ranks second all-time in Harvard coaching annals.

Amaker's .674 win percentage (161-78), meanwhile, ranks first among Harvard coaches who have spent at least two seasons at the helm of the team.

Join the Club
Siyani Chambers and Steve Moundou-Missi became the 33rd and 34th members of Harvard’s 1,000-point club this season, joining teammate Wesley Saunders who did so in Harvard’s NCAA tournament third-round game last year versus Michigan State.

Head coach Tommy Amaker has coached nine 1,000-point scorers while at Harvard; Saunders (1,485), Jeremy Lin ’10 (1,483), Laurent Rivard ’14 (1,270), Kyle Casey ’13-14 (1,242), Drew Housman ’09 (1,228), Keith Wright ’12 (1,178), Christian Webster ’13 (1,016), Siyani Chambers (1,008), Steve Moundou-Miss (1,004).

Beating The Odds
The Crimson is 4-8 against ranked opponents since 2008-09, marking the only four wins over ranked opponents in program history. The first came at No. 17 Boston College, 82-70, on Jan. 7, 2009 while the last came against No. 15 Cincinnati, 61-57, on March 20, 2014 in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Harvard defeated No. 10 New Mexico, 68-62, on March 23, 2013, also in the second round of the NCAA tournament, marking the highest ranked opponent the Crimson has defeated.

Harvard vs. The Power Conferences
Harvard owns a 13-17 record against power conference opponents under Tommy Amaker. The Crimson defeated Boston College in six straight seasons from 2009-2014, and has also topped California, Cincinnati, Colorado, Florida State, Michigan, TCU and Utah during Amaker’s tenure. The Crimson defeated at least one power conference foe in each of Amaker’s first seven seasons.