“You could see [last night] what makes [Harvard] good,” Hill said. “They have great shooters. They like to space the floor. They have a great point guard who likes to find guys in transition, and they have a five-man who can battle in the post.”

The Wildcats are a team that the Crimson does not want to put on the line, as Arizona ranks in the top 25 in the country in free-throw percentage. Harvard, which entered the tournament ranked second nationally in free throw rate, will also look to get to the charity stripe against Arizona more often than it did against the Lobos, when it failed to attempt a free throw in the first half.

“[Getting to the line was] something we’ve tried to do all year,” Saunders said. “So it’s something that moving forward we will definitely want to try to do.”

The teams have one common opponent this season—fellow tournament team California. Harvard knocked off the Golden Bears, 67-62, in Berkley on Dec. 29, while Cal defeated conference rival Arizona, 66-62, in Tucson a month later.

The Wildcats thus insisted they would not be taking the Crimson lightly.

“For us to let down at all or take a deep breath because we’re playing a 14 seed would be foolish,” Miller said. “Harvard has proved, not only in this year but in recent years, that they can beat anybody on a given night, especially on a neutral court.”

And with a Sweet 16 birth on the line, the stakes are immense for both squads.

“No seed matters [anymore],” Miller said. “It’s about Arizona being at its very best, doing the things we do...being ready to go, knowing that we have to play a great game. If anything happens less than that, we’re going to go home.”

—Staff writer Scott A. Sherman can be reached at ssherman13@college.harvard.edu.