Palestra may be 'all that stands in the way' of Harvard's Ivy title hopes

ESPN's Dana O'Neil loves to bring up Philadelphia in her college basketball columns. A Penn State grad who lives in the area and used to cover Villanova for the Philadelphia Daily News, O'Neil knows Philly basketball.

After mentioning the Penn-Princeton rivalry yesterday as one of the great historic rivalries in college basketball, O'Neil's post today yet again mentions the Quakers.

In a list of 'Five Things I Think I Know,' O'Neil says that "The Palestra could be all that stands in the way of Harvard and the NCAA tourney."

Here's what she says about Friday's game against Harvard at the Palestra:

I'm sure Crimson fans are cringing right now, remembering how Harvard let its own fate slip through its grasp at the end of last season.
And yes, history could cruelly repeat itself.

But really, it all comes down to the Palestra, and here's why. The only two teams that pose a real threat to Harvard and the automatic bid are Penn and Yale, each with just one loss in the Ivy League.

If the Crimson can get past the Quakers on Friday night -- no easy task as Jerome Allen has restored order at Penn -- there are just three more road games between it and that elusive NCAA berth. Harvard is at Princeton on Saturday night and will travel to Columbia and Cornell. The Crimson would be favored to win all three.

Equally important, Yale and Penn will meet in the final game of the regular season.

At the Palestra.

Do you think the Palestra is the last real obstacle for Harvard in its search for the Ivy League title? If not, who else could pose a threat to the Crimson?