Perhaps I was a bit too harsh on Brown the last time around—sure it was blown out by nearly fifty the last time it reached the NCAA Tournament, but the past is in the past. We like to focus on the present here at The Crimson.

A recent article from The Brown Daily Herald—perhaps Providence’s most esteemed news source—suggests the university is at odds with itself, arguing that the growth of its graduate schools “Puts Brown’s Identity Into Question.” Tough stuff right there. I think this is also applicable to the school’s basketball team. The Bears are a team whose identity is largely “Our Small Forward is Jordan Spieth’s brother.”

When the program can move past this, maybe it can get past Harvard, too.

Pick: Harvard

COLUMBIA AT PENN

During the American Revolution, Pennsylvania’s Quakers found themselves at odds. As their pledge to nonviolence conflicted with the ongoing fighting all around, they instead found peaceful ways to support the ongoing revolution.

Wikipedia—America’s most esteemed news source—notes that the Quakers “participated in the revolutionary movement through nonviolent actions such as embargoes and other economic protests.”

The Quakers of 2017 have a lot in common with their ancestors. They’re a bunch of really passive guys watching a season of Ivy League basketball fly by before their eyes. Sitting at 0-5 in conference, maybe Penn should consider changing its mascot.

Pick: Columbia

CORNELL AT PRINCETON

In a surprising turn of events, Cornell gave Yale a run for its money last weekend. In a game that saw a ridiculous 18 lead changes and two teams from some of the worst places in America face off, it was ultimately the Bulldogs that came out on top. Similarly, Harvard found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Princeton, so the Tigers come into this one without a conference loss.

Personally I’d love to call an upset here. I think orange and black make for a hideous combination of colors, but you have to hand it to the Tigers. They lost a First Team All-Ivy pick in senior Henry Caruso but have kept rolling.

Despite a nearly embarrassing loss to Dartmouth last Friday, they’re still the conference favorites.

Pick: Princeton

DARTMOUTH AT YALE