Ivy League foes will collide when the Harvard Crimson (9-13) challenge the Brown Bears (7-13) at Lavietes Pavilion. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 12 and will air on ES3.
The Crimson fell to Penn 67-57 in their last game. Agunwa Okolie recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds, earning his first double-double of the year. The Bears, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 77-73 loss to Columbia in their last outing. Steven Spieth had a good shooting night, leading the team with 21 points.
Spieth has been on fire for the Bears, averaging 16.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 three-pointers over the past five games.
The Crimson enter the game with records of 9-13 Straight Up (SU) and 5-10 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (5-2). Harvard has averaged 76.8 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 66.2. Harvard is excellent from the perimeter, shooting an impressive .391 from three-point range. Turning to the defensive side, the Harvard defense has been very good, only giving up 65.6 points per game. The Crimson have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 41st in the country with a .400 opponent field-goal percentage. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Crimson, ranking 38th in the country in blocks per game with 5.0.
As for their opponent, the Bears have records of 7-6 ATS and 7-13 SU. Most recently, Brown is a meager 1-6 ATS over the last 10 games. The Bears will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In their most recent 10 games, their scoring has dropped to 64.6 PPG, compared to 66.2 for the duration of the season. The Bears average 77.4 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 65.5 points per game during that span. Defensive rebounding is an area where Brown has excelled. The Bears average 27.0 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
These conference rivals will be facing off in their first head-to-head clash of the season. When they last met the Crimson were winners, bumping their SU record to 10-0 over Brown in their most recent meetings. With an 8-2 record, the Bears have the advantage ATS. Harvard held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Brown never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Harv, ATS Winner – Harv
Notes
Brown averages 74.3 points per game, placing the team just 125th in the nation. Harvard ranks 37th in points allowed, giving up 65.6 points per game.
The Harvard Crimson have a defensive rating of 97.1 (ranked 54th), while the Brown Bears have an offensive rating of 103.3 (ranked 225th).
Harvard has an average field goal percentage of 44.2%. Brown is an underachieving 1-8 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Harvard Crimson and the Brown Bears both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Harvard is 164th and 144th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Brown is 245th and 177th in these categories.
Harvard ranks 72nd in assists, recording 15.4 per game. Brown ranks 53rd with 15.7 assists per game.
Harvard ranks 188th in offensive rebounds, while Brown ranks 48th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Harvard makes 5.2 steals per game. Brown is a poor 5-11 when it gives up at least 5 steals.
