The Harvard Crimson (12) may have breezed through the Ivy League, but the NCAA Tournament's first round matchup with the Cincinnati Bearcats (5) will provide a true challenge.

Harvard has won its third straight Ivy League title, going 13-1 in conference play and also won their first NCAA Tournament game last year when they upset New Mexico. With an NBA alumni like Jeremy Lin, the school is getting plenty of attention for its basketball program.

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However, none of that will make their matchup with the AAC's Cincinnati. The Bearcats went 15-3 in a conference shared with UConn and Louisville and also tout one of the nation's top scorers in Sean Kilpatrick.

Both teams finished the regular season in the top 20 for turnover margins, so they will both have a similar approach and strategy for the game. The key for either team may just come down to Kilpatrick. Harvard will need to bottle him up and hope the Bearcats' secondary options do not beat them, while Cincinnati is counting on their leading scorer to lead them like he has all year.

"He's a ball player. When it gets down to it he's going to it, he's going to do what it takes to win the game," Cincinnati teammate Justin Jackson told the Associated Press of Kilpatrick.

Both teams have a tough defense to compliment their ball-protecting offense. Cincinnati held opponents to 58 points per game and Harvard's hard-nosed man-to-man yielded an average of 60 points per game.

This will make offense extremely important for either team. Kilpatrick, whose leadership has been one noticeable improvement in his game, will need to get teammates involved early in order to build their confidence and get them into a rhythm.

"I think the most improved part of his game is his leadership," Cincinnati forward Titus Rubles said, according to the AP. "Last year he got buckets, of course, but he was a little more silent. But this year he's more of a leader and he takes a leadership role. When we get down, he keeps people composed."