Harvard Basketball Participating in ESPN's 2012 College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon

After arguably the best regular season in the program’s history, Harvard men’s basketball will be taking part in the 2012 ESPN College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. The fifth consecutive annual event, which celebrates the opening of the college basketball season, includes 11 televised men’s basketball games over a 24-hour period on November 13, 2012 on ESPN. Games yet to be determined will also be showing on ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU during this time.   

Along with seven other programs this will be the Crimson’s first appearance in the event. Last season Harvard (26-5) won their first outright Ivy League title, before losing to Vanderbilt in the second round of the 2012 NCAA tournament. It was the most wins in a single season for the Crimson, and their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 1946.

Keith Wright, a co-captain on last year’s Crimson squad, recently followed in the NBA footsteps of former Harvard player Jeremy Lin by joining the Dallas Mavericks' summer league squad. Lin is currently looking at an NBA deal worth around $30 million with offers from the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks. 

Havard will be facing Massachusetts during the marathon. It will be the 25 contest between the two programs, with Massachusetts leading 14-10 after beating Harvard in their last meeting back in 1991. Massachusetts (25-12) lost to Stanford in last year’s NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Stanford went on to beat Minnesota and win the 2012 post-season NIT title.  

12 of the teams participating in the marathon were in the 2012 NCAA tournament, including both Kentucky and Kansas that played for the National Championship.

ESPN 2012 College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon Schedule:

(rankings are from ESPN’s early top 25 preseason poll posted in April)

Time (ET)           Matchup                                                                                    Network

Midnight             Old Spice Classic: West Virginia @ No. 20 Gonzaga                  ESPN

2 a.m.                 Davidson @ New Mexico                                                            ESPN

4 a.m.                Houston Baptist @ Hawaii                                                           ESPN

6 a.m.                Stony Brook @ Rider                                                                   ESPN

8 a.m.                Northern Illinois @ Valparaiso                                                      ESPN

10 a.m.              Harvard @ Massachusetts                                                          ESPN

Noon                 Temple @ Kent State                                                                   ESPN

2 p.m.                Detroit @ St. John’s                                                                    ESPN

4 p.m.                 Butler @ Xavier                                                                          ESPN

6 p.m.                College GameDay (from Atlanta)                                                ESPN

7 p.m.                State Farm Champions Classic (from Atlanta)                            ESPN

                          No. 9 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Kansas

9 p.m.                State Farm Champions Classic (from Atlanta)                            ESPN

                          No. 15 Duke vs. No. 3 Kentucky