The Conference Calling 31 in 31 preview series will examine each
of the NCAA Division I auto-bid conferences (so no Great West or
independents), one per day, leading up to college basketball's opening
day on November 9.
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The Ivy League doesn't do athletic scholarships, but it's still not exempt from the pressures of Division I athletics.
Harvard's cheating scandal has cost the defending league champions its co-captains and drastically altered the league race. Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry may have the option to return next year, but we're here to discuss the here and now.
The league is coming off an unprecedented postseason, the first in history to invite four Ivy schools to tournaments. The league was beginning to see clear evidence that its academic mission and athletic success weren't at complete cross-purposes in a one-and-done basketball culture. Harvard's
Government 1310 damaged the team and the school, but can the league continue to maintain its momentum?
Since no one else in the league is drawing the kind of touted recruits that Harvard's Tommy Amaker is bringing in, it may be the Crimson's tide that raises all boats. If Harvard slumps as a result of the scandal, it's back to business as usual for the Ivies, largely ignored until March, where its champion gets a little dap for earning a bid the hard way, winning for three months instead of three or four days. If a tournament upset gets pulled, all the better.
So, will Harvard slump without Casey and Curry? Who takes over and earns that tournament bid? Read on after the jump.
