That year was disappointing, however, because despite fielding a team full of seniors, the Crimson ended up with a 13-13 record, much lower than anybody--including Clemente--had believed possible.

Last season Clemente dealt with more serious adversity. The only star on a team in the midst of a rebuilding year, Clemente suffered some eye irritation several games into the season and went to a doctor after a loss against BU.

"My appointment was after the game, and I went there and it was kind of weird," Clemente said earlier this year. "I was in Boston and they kept sending me from doctor to doctor. I was there for about two hours, and I knew something was a little off when the guy came in and told me I needed to have surgery that night, and that if I didn't get it fixed I might go blind."

The diagnosis was a detached retina, and it could have ended his career.

Miraculously, just two months later, Clemente was cleared to play by his doctor, who told him the eye was now fine. Clemente immediately returned to the starting lineup (sporting goggles), scored 24 points in his first game back and led a developing Crimson team to a surprising 7-7 Ivy record, good for third place.

"We always felt safe knowing Dan was on the court," sophomore guard Elliott Prasse-Freeman says, "so when he was gone, we were all definitely hurting."

Fast forward to this past season. Clemente entered the year healthy (and would remain that way), the sophomores had had plenty of seasoning from the previous season and guard Pat Harvey--who had taken the previous year off--was back in the lineup.

If there was going to be an Ivy championship for Harvard, it was going to be this season. Perennial league powers Penn and Princeton had all suffered some significant personnel losses. The race appeared wide-open.