Lin-ning and grinning. Lin-tensity. Lin-ning streak.

We've heard all the nicknames and wordplay, but none captures the hype surrounding Jeremy Lin ’10 better than Lin-sanity. Sports fans around the nation—and especially in New York—have a huge case of it, and it's pretty clear why.

Before the season started, huge expectations were placed on a team that features two NBA All-Stars and a defending NBA champion center. The Knicks were supposed to vie for one of the top spots in the Eastern Conference and make a big run in the playoffs, but for the first 23 games, New York fans watched incredulously as their team moved into 10th place and lacked the chemistry needed to win it all. Critics blamed it all on the lack of a true point guard, and though rookie Iman Shumpert played well at the one spot in his first few starts, Shumpert was not consistent and exposed his tendency for playing as a combo guard.

New York coach Mike D'Antoni had already tried Toney Douglas, but he was clearly not the answer. D'Antoni also gave veteran Mike Bibby a try, but he couldn't get a fluid offense going. The Knicks then signed former All-Star Baron Davis, hoping that once back from a herniated disc injury, he could save the team from a losing season. New York also picked up Lin off of waivers in December to reinforce an inconsistent backcourt, but the second-year player was primarily kept on the bench, and in his limited time on the court, Lin didn’t do so well, to say the least.

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It’s official: “Linsanity” has taken ahold of the NBA, causing Facebook and Twitter feeds worldwide to blow up. After posting three consecutive 20-point games for the New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin ’10 has received coverage from ESPN, The New York Times, and The Atlantic—and even has a rap song devoted to him.

But it wasn’t that long ago that Lin was suiting up in a Harvard men’s basketball uniform. As a senior during the 2009-10 season, Lin led the Crimson to a 21-8 finish while averaging 16.4 points per game.

With Lin now turning heads in the NBA, we caught up with some current Harvard men’s basketball players to hear their thoughts on Crimson grad’s recent success.

How excited are you to see Jeremy’s recent success in the NBA? Are you surprised by his success?

Oliver McNally: “We were 100 percent confident that he was a legitimate NBA backup. I don’t want to lie. I thought he could definitely play in the NBA, but I don’t think anybody saw this happening. It’s pretty unbelievable….I couldn’t be happier. He’s by far the hardest worker I’ve ever been around. All he cares about is his family, his friends, and basketball. No one is more deserving.”

Keith Wright: “I’m really excited for him; I’m not surprised about it at all. He’s an extremely hard worker. He just needed a chance.…I think he made the most of [that] chance on Saturday night [a 25-point, seven-assist, five-rebound, two-steal effort against the New Jersey Nets]. He’s continued to work on his game, and it’s just nice to see his hard work pan out.”

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With the Harvard men’s basketball team visiting Penn on Friday night, we caught up with The Daily Pennsylvanian’s Calder Silcox over email to get the inside scoop on Penn basketball. Check out what Silcox had to say below.

The Harvard Crimson: What can Harvard expect from Penn on Friday?

Calder Silcox: The question isn't what Harvard can expect from Penn, but rather which Penn Harvard can expect. Lately we've seen a Penn team that has depth and a real drive to win. This is the Penn that swept its first Ivy weekend against Columbia and Cornell, beat St. Joe's, manhandled Princeton, and dispatched Brown (I've got a few more synonyms for 'won' in case you need them). This team also showed up to New Haven and played 35 minutes against Yale, only to relapse into the other Penn for the final crucial possessions and lose to the Bulldogs.

This other Penn, who we had gotten accustomed to seeing throughout December and early January, relies heavily on one player (you guessed it, Zack Rosen), and when his shots don't fall, Penn doesn't do very well. But lately we've seen a much deeper Penn team, with wingmen Tyler Bernardini and Miles Cartwright contributing much more, and freshman big man Henry Brooks is peaking. I'd expect the more competitive Penn to show up, looking to defend its home court on Friday. Penn's season essentially hinges on a victory over Harvard this weekend, and after last year's gut-wrenching loss here at the Palestra, I would be surprised to see the lesser version of this Quakers team show up.

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While most of Crimson Nation is going “Linsane” over its newest basketball-star-turned-pop-culture-juggernaut, Harvard alums elsewhere in the pros are getting it done as well.

Former Harvard hockey player Louis Leblanc is back in action with the Montreal Canadiens after spending the month of January in the American Hockey League.

And in the first four games since his return, Leblanc is starting to turn heads.

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Forget about the SportsCenter highlights and M.V.P chants, you know you’ve really made it when rappers are spitting bars about you. It may not be by Hov, Yeezy, or Wayne, but former Harvard men’s basketball standout Jeremy Lin ’10 now has his own track courtesy of an artist named Mega Ran. Sure, “Six-foot-three, with a four-two/grade-point average, not vertical” isn’t exactly the definition of flow, but we still think you will enjoy giving this joint a listen.