Pictured: Jeremy Lin in action against Yale two weeks ago
(Chris Wraight).
Harvard senior basketball player Jeremy Lin has been named as
the Ivy League Most Valuable Player by CollegeInsider.com.
Lin is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the
nation’s top point guard as well as the John R. Wooden Award
for the national player of the year. The Palo Alto, Calif. native
lived up to the billing with an impressive season that saw Harvard
set numerous program records including wins (21), non-conference
wins (11), home wins (11) and road/neutral wins (10).
Last year, Lin was the only player in Division I to rank among
his league’s top 10 in every statistical category. This
season, he become the first player in the history of the Ivy League
to record 1,450 points (1,471), 450 rebounds (487), 400 assists
(401) and 200 steals (224).
At the end of the regular season, he ranks first all-time in
games played (114) at Harvard, fifth in points (1,471), fifth in
assists (401) and second in steals (224).
Harvard is awaiting word on a postseason tournament following a
21-7 overall record and a 10-4 mark in Ivy play.
In the nonconference schedule, Lin averaged 17.4 points, 5.0
rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while
shooting 53.5 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the free
throw line – making an average of 7.2 trips per game.
His breakout performances came against Holy Cross in the season
opener with 24 points and seven assists; against William & Mary
with 19 points, including a game-winning 3-pointer in triple
overtime to go with nine assists and five rebounds; 30 points, nine
rebounds, three steals, three assists and two blocks at
Connecticut; 25 points and four assists in a win at Boston College;
17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and seven steals against
George Washington; 21 points and four steals at Seattle and nine
assists at Santa Clara.
All told for the season, Lin averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds,
4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 52.3
percent from the floor overall, 35 percent from 3-point range and
76 percent from the free throw line (144-190).
He made nearly 60 percent of his 2-point field goal attempts
during the season (115-192, .599).
Lin was a four-time Ivy League Player of the Week and earned a
spot on its weekly Honor Roll in 13 of his team’s 15 weeks of
games.
