But Beam has practiced all week, and feels ready to go full tilt today.
"I feel great," Beam said. "I would definitely say I'm back to 100 percent."
With a win Friday and a likely Princeton win at home against second-place Cornell, the stage is set for a showdown for sole possession of second place tomorrow night in New Haven.
After a 1-6 start, Yale has gone 6-2 since Christmas, and finds itself the surprise team in the Ivy race.
"It's going to be a big battle," Fisher said. "They think they're the better team. If either team wants into the Ivy race, it's a must-win situation."
Yale has showcased nearly everything a team needs. The Bulldogs have talent, star power, and experience: the starting lineup contains three juniors and two senior former Ivy League Players-of-the-Week, senior Emerson Whitley (17 points-per-game) and Matt Ricketts.
Whitely has been especially impressive of late, and Harvard is clearly viewing him as the man to contain if the Crimson are to emerge victorious.
"Whitley is clearly their main guy," Beam said. "He's developed into one of the better players in the league."
However, the Crimson also believe Harvard's tall-but-agile front-court can do the job on Yale's multifaceted swingman.
"I think we'll match up against him really well, better than lots of other teams they face this year," Beam said.
Yale also sports a depth chart that looks more and more impressive as the second game of a weekend enters its final minutes.
Nine Bulldogs have logged at least eight minutes per contest this season, and the bench features three-point ace senior Gabe Hunterton, who is within 100 of recording 1000 career points, and freshman Isaiah Cavaco, whose four free throws in the final minute sealed Yale's victory over Brown last weekend.
If Harvard is to run with the "Dogs," it will need the kind of bench production it got on Tuesday, when sophomore guard Damian Long (7 points) and freshman center Tim Coleman (7 rebounds) logged valuable minutes in reserve of Beam and Paul Fisher, who was plagued by foul trouble.
As for the starting lineups, Yale may be just the squad Harvard wants to face. The Bulldog's frontcourt goes only 6'6, 6'6, 6'1, a fact that will put less pressure on a modestly-sized Crimson frontcourt that has been knocked around and outrebounded much of the season.
Harvard will enjoy a height advantage at all three post positions, giving the offensively-minded frontcourt of Fisher, captain forward Mike Scott, and freshman forward Dan Clemente, all of whom average at least 10 points-per-game, room to maneuver and work.
A key to the Yale game may be the first 20 minutes of play. The Bulldogs are 8-1 when leading at the intermission, and are winless at 0-6 when trailing.
Harvard plays Brown tonight at 7:30 in Providence, then faces Yale, in New Haven, tomorrow at 7:30