Harvard men's basketball coach Frank Sullivan says his team is getting close. This weekend he will find out just how much further it has to go.

In the premier weekend for Harvard basketball, the Crimson (11-7, 4-2 Ivy) will host Ivy co-leaders Penn (7-12, 4-0) and Princeton (9-7, 4-0) tonight and tomorrow night at Lavietes Pavilion. A sweep or even a split would mark an important step in Harvard's quest to challenge the Ivy powerhouses for the conference championship.

"We've gotten close," Sullivan said. "But it's not going to become a reality until we get in situation where we can beat them or split with them on a regular basis."

Over the last three decades, Penn and Princeton have redefined the concept of league domination in a single sport. Only twice since 1963--and never since 1988--has either team failed to win or share the Ivy title. Success had bred more success for both schools, as potential recruits see that only Penn and Princeton can offer chances to compete against top-caliber opponents on national television.

"Tradition more than anything helps those teams recruit real good basketball players," Sullivan said. "They continue to gain that necessary exposure year after year by being champions and participating in the NCAA tournament."

Still, Harvard has made some strides in improving its program in recent years. The Crimson is third overall in winning percentage over the last five years, and it is the only team other than Penn and Princeton to finish in the top half of the Ivy League during that span.

Last year, Harvard came the closest of any team to stopping Penn's undefeated Ivy season. The Crimson lost 62-61 at home when forward Dan Clemente missed a shot at the buzzer. Harvard beat Princeton at home the year before.

The Crimson enters this year's weekend boasting the top-rated offense in the league, averaging more than 73 points a game. Clemente powers the offense, leading the team in both scoring (18.3 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 rpg). The senior captain will likely move into eighth place on the all-time Harvard scoring list this weekend.