While the Crimson’s Friday matchup with the Bulldogs is expected to be tightly contested, Saturday’s contest against Brown (6-13, 0-2) is projected to go Harvard’s way.

Even so, the Crimson knows from past experience that the Bears are not to be overlooked.

When Harvard met Brown for the first time last season, the Crimson trailed a Bears team that finished seventh in the Ivy League by 22 at the half before staging a ferocious comeback to win, 85-78.

Two weeks later, Harvard pulled off another comeback against Brown, fighting back from a nine-point halftime deficit to capture a 74-68 win.

This year’s Bears squad boasts a talented offense spearheaded by 6’1" guard Sean McGonagill, the Ivy League’s reigning Rookie of the Year. Now a sophomore, McGonagill has continued to find the bottom of the net, averaging a team-high 14.8 points and 5.5 assists per game.

But while the Crimson has a perimeter defender in Curry capable of slowing the Bears’ leading scorer, Brown lacks an answer for Wright in the post. Last season, Wright overpowered the Bears frontcourt, posting double-doubles in both Harvard wins.

That being said, the Crimson isn’t expecting Brown to fold as soon as Harvard shows up.

"People are going to really gun for us," McNally said. "We know, especially when we’re on the road, we’re going to get [the] other team’s absolute best shot."

—Staff writer Martin Kessler be reached at martin.kessler@college.harvard.edu.