Tenacious D: 2001: A Basketball Oddity

What a weird new millenium this is turning out to be.

Genetically-engineered monkeys? A Giants-Ravens Super Bowl? A George W. Bush presidency? Could these events be the first warning signs of the end of civilization as we know it?

Well, not likely. Although these developments are strange and unique, I don't think we have to be necessarily worried about the genetically engineered primate… in the White House!

Alright, enough of the bitter partisan humor. I apologize to my Republican friends. Both of them.

As I was saying earlier, this is turning out to be an odd New Year. In particular, the men's basketball team is having quite the interesting month of January.

In a very short period of time since the New Year began--a span of five games, to be exact--Harvard has seemingly experienced the full spectrum of basketball competence and emotion.

The Crimson was blown out in embarrassing fashion (by 33 points at Navy), but has also blown out an opponent in an identical manner (a margin of 33 points against UNH).

Harvard has suffered the agonizing heartbreak of losing a close game at home (against Yale last Friday), but has also inflicted similar pain by narrowly defeating an opponent on the road (at Dartmouth the week before last).

The Crimson has had trouble restraining a daunting foe named Archibong (Yale's Ime Archibong helped his team beat the Crimson with 19 points), but has also effectively shut down a player who is good friends with a bong (a certain Dartmouth player, who shall remain nameless, seemed to be struggling to overcome an apparently wicked buzz).

But perhaps the most sensationally odd occurrence of this New Year has been the refutation of an age-old basketball myth. Hold on to your seats, ladies and gentlemen, because as it turns out … White Men Can Jump.

That's right, folks, you missed quite a sight this past weekend. Crimson guard and Ohio native Brady Merchant threw one down with authority in the overtime period of Harvard's loss to Yale on Friday. Not to be outdone by his Quincy House roommate, Crimson forward Sam Winter, who grew up on the prairies of Kansas, belittled the Brown frontcourt the very next day with his impressive dunk and subsequent tongue-brandishing celebration.

It goes without saying that both acts of athleticism were instant crowd pleasers. However, the audience at Lavietes Pavilion should not have been so quick to cheer. You see, similar to other conventional phrases of impossibility like "When Hell Freezes Over" or "When Pigs Fly", the more trendy "When Two Midwestern Harvard Basketball Players Dunk" was thought to be one of life's unattainable constants, not to mention a sure sign of the Apocalypse.

After the dunks this weekend, it now seems that anything is possible. Peace in the Middle East, the Red Sox winning the World Series, The Harvard Crimson landing an interview with out-going Athletic Director Bill Cleary '56, appetizing dining hall food, intelligent life at Yale.

Well, maybe the last one is too much of a stretch, but you get my general point. Seriously though, what's next? A Canadian on the basketball team? Oh wait, nevermind. Sorry, Onnie. My bad.

Despite all of these weird and uncanny events in the first few games of this new millenium though, something interesting and positive should be pointed out. Permit me to be serious for a minute.

With Saturday's win against Brown, Harvard has gone all season without losing back-to-back games. That might not seem that impressive at first glance, but consider a couple of things.

First, the pace and content of the Crimson schedule is such that not posting back-to-back loses is something to be lauded. For instance, over the winter break, Harvard played the tough Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, a strong Mercer team, and the perennially competitive Navy Midshipmen. The Crimson, despite a draining loss at Georgia Tech, bounced back to beat Mercer two days later. And although Harvard went on to lose to Navy, the streak had been preserved with a gutsy double-digit win over a quality opponent.

The second thing to consider about the back-to-back streak is that it is not something that happens frequently around these parts. In fact, the last Harvard team to go this far into the season without back-to-back loses was the 1945-46 squad that ultimately made it into the NCAA Tournament. Coincidentally, that was also the last and only time a Crimson team has ever gone to the Big Dance (although, admittedly, it was a smaller soire way back when).

My point is that aside from coming only once every few generations, the resiliency and mental toughness exhibited by the 2000-01 Crimson should make everyone take note and give credit where credit is due.

Give credit to Frank Sullivan, who presciently told his team at the outset of the season that he expected them to go far into the season without back-to-back losses. His game-planning, strong practice regimen and ability to coach probably also have something to do with it also.

Give credit to Dan Clemente and the rest of the Crimson role players, who even had to play through a part of the exam period to extend the mythical streak.

And don't forget to give credit to Brady Merchant and Sam Winter for breaking the "dunk barrier" for all of those little kids who dream of growing up to play for the Crimson and one day establishing the Harvard chapter of the Phi Slamma Jamma fraternity.

You might be wondering what the streak means in this odd year of random goings-on. Will Harvard continue in the tradition of the 1945-46 team and finish without back-to-back losses? Will the Crimson upset Penn and Princeton and make it to the Big Dance like their old counterparts? Can Harvard, once in the tourney, ride the March Madness all the way to a National Championship?

Well, stranger things have happened.

Just ask the Giants. And George W. Bush.