2019-20 Ivy League preview: Will it be Penn and Princeton again for the title?

The Crimson will look to both veterans and newcomers to return to Ivy Madness

Harvard

Last Season: 17-13 (9-5 in Ivy League)

Predicted Finish: 5th

Key Returners (Last season’s stats)

F- Jadyn Bush, 5’11, Jr- 10.9 PPG, 53% FG, 26 MPG

F- Jeannie Boehm, 6’3, Sr- 8.2 PPG, 43% FG, 28.7 MPG

G- Rachel Levy, 6’2, Jr- 5.5 PPG, 47% FG, 32% 3FG, 16 MPG

Biggest Losses (Last season’s stats)

G- Katie Benzan, 5’6- 14.3 PPG, 39% FG, 36% 3FG, 34.7 MPG

G- Madeline Raster, 5’9- 11.5 PPG, 39% FG, 35% 3FG, 28.3 MPG

G- Sydney Skinner, 5’7- 10.3 PPG, 36% FG, 32% 3FG, 24.8 MPG

G- Nani Redford, 5’5- 6.1 PPG, 37% FG, 32% 3FG, 22 MPG

Newcomers

G- Sara Park, 5’9, Fr

G- Gracie Martin, 6’1, Fr

G- Lola Mullaney, 5’11 Fr

G- Gabby Donaldson, 5’6, Fr

G- Annie Stritzel, 5’10, Fr

Head Coach- Kathy Delaney-Smith (38th season)

Key Non-Conference Games

Nov 8 vs. California

Nov 17 @ Rutgers

Nov 30 @ Quinnipiac

Outlook

Following three consecutive trips to Ivy Madness, head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith, who is entering her 38th season at the helm, looks to get the Crimson back again this year. The issue is, no team in the league lost more than Harvard.

Harvard lost three of their top four scorers from last season in Katie Benzan, Madeline Raster, and Sydney Skinner.  The return of junior forward Jadyn Bush and senior forward Jeannie Boehm will be critical for a Crimson team that may rely heavily on a strong group of freshman. Both Bush and Boehm played significant minutes last year, averaging 26 and 28.7 minutes per game, respectively. Coach Delaney-Smith will need to figure out how to implement an almost entirely new backcourt .

The return of junior captain, Rachel Levy, will certainly help, while senior Mackenzie Barta, who Coach Delaney-Smith called, “one of the best shooters I’ve ever coached,” will be called upon to make significant contributions this year. The Crimson will boast, arguable the deepest group of newcomers, as Sara Park, Gracie Martin, Lola Mullaney, Gabby Donaldson, and Annie Stritzel, have the coaching staff extremely excited in Cambridge.

While it remains to be seen what kind of impact the freshmen will have on this team, one thing is for certain: Harvard is used to winning games in the Ivy League and they would love to be a part of the postseason conference tournament that they are hosting this year. It may take some time for the freshmen to develop, so the Crimson will rely on the likes of Bush, Boehm, and Levy early, but by the time league play rolls around in January, this group will be ready to compete.

What Will Happen?

Harvard is a tough one to predict, as Delaney-Smith is one of the best coaches in the country, and will likely get more out of this team than anyone can expect. They are very talented, should compete hard and well on both ends of the floor, and have early non-conference games that will test them.

That said, I believe Harvard takes a small step back this season. With their likely reliance on freshmen, this could be way off, and they could very well go on and make the Ivy League championship game. That wouldn’t surprise me either. The thing about freshmen, is that we never know until we know, and for now, it remains a mystery. That said, the Crimson could finish 5th, or they could end up in the Sweet 16. For now, I’m tempering expectations for this season. A fifth place league finish.