While Harvard carries the stigma of playing in a weak Ivy League conference, freshman forward Alvin Ellis III knows the Crimson can pack a punch

"There’s going to be upsets every day,” Ellis said following MSU’s win. “We’re just going to have to be ready to play when our time is here.”

Now the Spartans will be meeting the Crimson to see which team advances to the Sweet 16 in New York City.

Saturday’s showdown will be between two coaches familiar with each other, as Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker coached at Michigan from 2001-07.

As the Wolverine head coach, Amaker was 3-7 against the Spartans, but he spent a good portion of that dealing with the sanctions imposed against Michigan. The highlight of his tenure was winning the 2004 NIT, but he was fired after six seasons for not bringing Michigan to an NCAA Tournament.

However, Amaker has had success at Harvard in the Big Dance, leading the Crimson to wins in back-to-back tournaments — a tough task for an Ivy League school.

Behind five players that scored nine or more points, the Crimson were able to set up another upset opportunity against MSU.

Not only does Harvard spread the scoring on offense, but they win games by keeping their opposition silent on offense. They held the Bearcats to 36.8 percent shooting on Thursday, which isn’t a shock as they held teams to an average of 40.5 percent shooting during the season.

Leading the defensive attack is junior forward and leading scorer Wesley Saunders. After their win over Cincinnati, Amaker called his defense underrated.

“He’s been, in my opinion, the best all-around player in our conference and one of the better ones in the county,” Amaker said. “He doesn’t get enough credit for what he does on (the) defensive end on the floor.”

While Saunders leads the team with about 14 points per game, the Crimson have four other players that average 10 or more points.

However, if there is one area Harvard lacks in, it’s their work on the boards. They grab 34.2 rebounds per game, good for 207th best in the nation.