On September 27,
USA Today Scott Gleeson named Harvard the 31st best team in the country and projected the team to earn a number 8 seed in the
2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. When the preseason
Coaches' Poll was released on October 17, three-time Ivy League defending champion Harvard received 28 points (the 32nd highest point total). When the preseason
Associated Press poll was released, Harvard had 46 points (the 31st highest total).
Sports Illustrated listed Harvard 20th in its College Basketball edition. Its support was largely based upon the return of 2013 Ivy Rookie of the Year Siyani Chambers and the 2013 Ivy League scoring champion
Wesley Saunders as well as the return of Kyle Casey and
Brandyn Curry, who had
redshirtted the previous season due to the
2012 Harvard cheating scandal. Casey and Curry had been
2011–12 All-Ivy League first and second team selections, respectively. Harvard was the unanimous selection of the 17-member Ivy League media poll selection committee when it was released on October 23, 2013. Harvard was also the preseason selection of
Athlon Sports,
Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, ''
Lindy's Sports and NBCSports.com, but Sporting News selected them second to Princeton. Saunders was selected as the preseason Ivy League player of the year according to Athlon Sports
, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook
, Lindy's Sports
, NBCSports.com and Sporting News'' and was a CollegeInsider.Com Lou Henson Preseason Mid-Major All-America Team selection. ==Recruits==