Junior co-captain Oliver McNally had
seven points at George Mason Saturday (Mitchell Layton).
The Particulars
Harvard looks to rebound from a season opening loss at George
Mason, as the Crimson hosts Holy Cross at Lavietes Pavilion in the
team's home opener Wednesday evening.
Free Admission for Harvard Graduate Students
Harvard graduate students with an ID will have free admission to
Wednesday's home game against Holy Cross.
Series History
The Crimson and Crusaders have met 62 times, with Holy Cross
owning a 40-22 advantage in the series which began in 1900-01.
Harvard has taken the last two games between the schools,
including a 69-59 victory at Lavietes Pavilion on Nov. 25,
2008.
Last season, Jeremy Lin '10 scored 24 points and handed out seven
assists, as the Crimson opened the year with an 87-77 victory in
Worcester on Nov. 13. Dee Giger had 13
points, Kyle
Casey added 12 and Oliver McNally and Keith Wright netted
11 each, as Harvard had five players reach double digits in
scoring.
Last Time Out
Keith Wright established a new career-high with 16 rebounds and
tied a career-best with 22 points in Harvard's 66-53 loss at George
Mason. Wright was 9-of-12 shooting and hit 4-of-5 from the
line, while also making three steals and blocking two shots.
Christian
Webster had 11 points, as he made three shots from beyond the
arc, and added six rebounds while Brandyn Curry
had eight assists, seven points and six rebounds.
Holy Cross's Last Time Out
The Crusaders are 0-1 after dropping their home opener to the
College of Charleston Saturday. Holy Cross had four players
score in double digits, led by Mike Cavataio and R.J. Evans, who
contributed 16 points apiece. Andrew Keister, who also
grabbed 10 rebounds, finished with 15 points, while Devin Brown hit
3-of-6 three pointers and added 14 points off the bench.
He's Honored
With his 22-point and 16-rebound performance at George Mason,
Keith Wright was honored as the Ivy League Player of the Week
Monday. Wright had 10 defensive rebounds, six on the
offensive end, blocked two shots and made three steals.
Getting It Done At Home
The Crimson is looking to continue its stretch of success at
Lavietes Pavilion. Harvard was 11-2 at home last season and
has won its last five home openers, dating back to 2005-06.
The Crimson is also riding an eight-game win streak against
non-conference opponents at Lavietes.
Welcome to the Show
Three of Harvard's six freshmen made their collegiate debut
Saturday at George Mason: Ugo Okam, Laurent Rivard and
Ernest
Rouse. This group combined to play 30 minutes in the
season opener.
The Crimson's roster also features three other freshmen in Matt Brown, Tom Hamel and Jamie Moore.
Conference Records
Harvard is 58-104 all-time against current members of the Patriot
League. The Crimson boasts a 22-40 mark against Holy Cross and owns
a winning record against Patriot League member Lafayette, 3-2.
Season Honors
Keith Wright Ivy Player of the Week (Nov. 15)
Head Coach Tommy Amaker
Tommy Amaker (Duke '87) begins his fourth season as head coach of
the Harvard men's basketball team. He registered his 200th career
coaching victory Nov. 13 in the 2009-10 season opener at Holy
Cross. Amaker guided Harvard to its first postseason
appearance since 1946, as the Crimson competed in the
CollegeInsider.com Tournament last season.
He brings a 220-183 career head coaching record into today's game,
including a 109-83 record at Michigan at a 68-55 record at Seton
Hall.
Amaker came to Harvard after a six-year stint as Michigan's head
coach. Inheriting a program that was reeling from institutional and
NCAA sanctions, he led the Wolverines to the postseason three
times, winning the 2004 NIT title, reaching the championship game
of the 2006 NIT, and advancing to the second round of the 2007
tournament. The 2006-07 season was Michigan's second straight
20-win campaign and its third in four years. The Wolverines were
ranked as high as No. 20 in the nation during the 2005-06
season.
Preseason Honors
Kyle Casey Ivy League (Athlon Sports) Ivy League (Lindy's) Ivy
League (The Sporting News) Ivy League (Blue Ribbon) Ivy League
second-team (Rivals.com)
Brandyn Curry Ivy League's Best Defender (Lindy's)
Laurent Rivard Ivy League Newcomer of the Year (Lindy's)
Preseason Prognostications
After losing All-Ivy and All-America guard Jeremy Lin to
graduation and the professional ranks, Harvard was picked to finish
second in the Ivy League preseason media poll released Oct.
27. Harvard was picked to finish fourth in last year's preseason
poll and placed third at the end of the season with a 10-4
conference mark.
Princeton was picked to win the league and received 12 first-place
votes, while Harvard garnered four and Cornell one.
2010-11 Ivy League Preseason Media Poll
1. Princeton– 128 points (12 first-place votes)
2. Harvard – 120 (4)
3. Cornell – 96 (1)
4. Penn – 86
5. Yale – 57
6. Brown – 55
7. Columbia – 48
8. Dartmouth – 19
Harvard in the NBA
Former Harvard guard and three-time All-Ivy League honoree Jeremy
Lin '10 signed a professional contract with the Golden State
Warriors in July.
With his NBA debut against the Los Angeles Clippes Oct. 29, Lin
became the first Ivy League player to to suit up for an NBA team
since Penn's Matt Maloney played for the Atlanta Hawks and Yale's
Chris Dudley was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers in
2003.
Lin joins former Harvard standouts Saul Mariaschin '47
(Boston Celtics) and Edward Smith '51 (New York Knicks) as Crimson
players who have seen time in the NBA.
Tremendous Start
Keith Wright set a new career-high with 16 rebounds and tied a
career-best with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting at George Mason Nov.
13. Wright grabbed 10 defensive boards and six offensive
rebounds, while also making three steals and blocking two shots in
the season opener.
Oh Captain, My Captains
This is the second season since 1991-92 that Harvard has elected
more than one captain for the men's basketball team. Juniors Oliver
McNally and Keith Wright are the 111th and 112th captains in
program history.
Dual Threat
Freshman Matt Brown is also a wide receiver on the Harvard
football team. Brown has made six receptions for 75 yards in three
games this fall.
Give Me The Ball
When Harvard outrebounded opponents in 2009-10, the Crimson owned
an impressive 16-2 record. Harvard outrebounded George Mason,
41-34, in the season opener.
Fountain of Youth
The Crimson has just three upperclassmen on the roster this year
– all of them juniors. Five sophomores as well as six
freshmen join the juniors to make up the team that has no
seniors.
Harvard is the only school in the Ivy League with no seniors this
season.
