…for the first time in school history! This feat makes Harvard the first Ivy League team to make the AP’s list since a second-tier school in New Jersey did it in 1997-98. Harvard was also ranked No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.

Check out Coach Tommy Amaker’s thoughts on the accomplishment:

Congratulations to Coach Tommy, Keith Wright, Brandyn Curry, Kyle Casey, Oliver McNally, Jonah Travis, Corbin Miller and all the rest on this amazing achievement.

P.S. Be sure to tune in to ESPN 2 on Thursday at 8, when Harvard (8-0) seeks to prolong its undefeated season with a win against current ninth-ranked and defending national champions UConn. For those not keeping track, UConn lost to the team that Harvard ultimately beat to win the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament over Thanksgiving break.

Crimson Athletics has again proven that Harvard isn’t just for nerds.  Earlier this evening, the Harvard Men’s Basketball team achieved a surprise first-place finish in the inaugural Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.

The eight-team tournament took place from Thursday to Saturday at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.  Participating in the competition were squads from around the country, including UNC Asheville, the College of Charleston and UMass Amherst.  The heavy favorites to take the trophy were the defending NCAA champions and fourth-ranked UConn Huskies.

Harvard crushed Utah in its first game in the tournament on Thanksgiving Day, 75-47.  During that match-up, senior and Preseason Ivy League Player of the Year Keith Wright scored 13 points, a feat that was doubled by freshman Corbin Miller in a career-high effort for the Crimson newbie. Friday night, Harvard beat number 22-ranked Florida State University in a closely battled 46-41 victory, with senior Oliver McNally leading the team with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

This evening, Harvard sealed the deal with a solid 59-49 victory over the UCF Knights, who had taken out UConn to make it to the championship game. The win brings the Crimson to a 6-0 record this season, with earlier victories over MIT, Holy Cross and Loyola Marymount.

The men’s basketball team has been on an upward trajectory since last school year. In 2010-2011, Wright and McNally, along with current juniors Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry, led Harvard to tie Princeton for its first-ever Ivy League Championship.

We look forward to following you this season, boys. Go Crimson!

Wright goes up over two Big Green Defenders for the score

While you were at home catching up on sleep and watching TV, the basketball team was back at school, kicking off Ivy League basketball by defeating Dartmouth in a blowout, 76-47. The team’s star, Jeremy Lin, finished the game with 11 points and six steals, one of which resulted in a highlight-worthy breakaway dunk.  The true star of this game, however, was Keith Wright, who finished with 22 points, three blocks, and six rebounds.  Freshman Kyle Casey was impressive, off the bench, with four blocks and an alley-oop on a pass from guard Oliver McNally. Read the rest of this entry »