Tomorrow’s game begins a stretch in which five of the Crimson’s six games are against Ivy League opponents. Currently, Harvard sits in sixth place.
Depending on how Saturday’s games go, the Crimson could find itself skyrocketed up to third place. A loss to Brown, and Harvard could conceivably drop into a tie for last in the league.
If the Crimson hope to overtake Brown and Yale by the end of the season, a win tomorrow is crucial.
Also, if Harvard eventually fails to win the Ivy League, a win against Brown could prove critical to its hopes of securing an at-large bid to the 48 team NCAA tournament.
To obtain such a spot, a team must first have a record over .500. Then record, strength of schedule and Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) are all considered.
The RPI is adjusted to give bonus points for beating teams with high RPI, so a win against a highly ranked team like Brown could be a great boon for the Crimson’s postseason prospects.
The game’s importance is not lost on Harvard.
“It’s huge,” Charnock said. “It’s basically our whole season on the line.”