The Storyline
The Harvard men’s basketball team will close out the 2014 calendar year when it takes on Grand Canyon University Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. EST. The game will be televised nationally, including in the Boston market on NESN Plus, on American Sports Network and in the Phoenix region on Cox7 and Cox7.com. To see a complete listing of which American Sports Network affiliates will be carrying the game, click here.

Harvard is looking to bounch back from back-to-back losses against a Grand Canyon team which has won three straight. The Crimson has not lost three straight games since 2008-09 and has only lost consecutive games four times since 2009-10.

What To Watch For
• Harvard boasts a 124-38 (.765) record since 2009-10, good for the 12th highest win percentage in the country in that time (as of games played Dec. 28). This includes a 58-33 record away from Lavietes Pavilion (49-28 road, 9-5 neutral).

• Harvard has lost back-to-back games for just the fourth time since 2009-10, and first since March 1-2, 2013. The Crimson has not lost three straight games since 2008-09.

• A win at Grand Canyon on Tuesday will secure Harvard a winning record in non-conference play for the seventh straight season. The Crimson is 79-43 in non-conference games overall under head coach Tommy Amaker, including a 74-32 record since 2008-09.

• Harvard currently ranks 30th in the NCAA in scoring defense (as of games played Dec. 28), having allowed just 58.1 ppg. The Crimson has allowed fewer than 60.0 ppg just once before under head coach Tommy Amaker; 55.6 ppg in 2011-12.

• Wesley Saunders led Harvard in scoring in each of the team’s first eight games, becoming the first member of the Crimson to lead the team in scoring in eight straight games under head coach Tommy Amaker. Saunders averaged 20.1 ppg during this stretch and has led Harvard in scoring 36 times in his career.

• Harvard is 6-2 this season when Wesley Saunders scores at lesat 15 points, and is 31-9 when he has done so in his career. Harvard is 5-1 this season when Siyani Chambers dishes out at least five assists, and is 33-7 when he does so in his career.

• In 10 games, Harvard has had more than two student-athletes score in double-figures only three times. Five Crimson are averaging at least 5.0 ppg, but only one is averaging double-figures (Wesley Saunders, 18.0).

Last Time Out
The Harvard men’s basketball team suffered its second straight setback Sunday afternoon, falling at Arizona State, 56-46.

Wesley Saunders and Siyani Chambers combined for 25 points on the day, but the duo managed just two points in the second half. Saunders’ 15 points, three assists and two steals were all team highs, with Chambers contributing 10 points before the intermission.

Arizona State controlled the paint, outscoring Harvard 34-14 while holding a 40-23 advantage on the glass. Gerry Blakes and Shaquielle McKissic each notched 13 points to lead the Sun Devils, while Savon Goodman and Roosevelt Scott each added 10.

Starting Fast
Harvard has started 7-3 or better five times under head coach Tommy Amaker, including last season when the Crimson began 13-1.

Creating a Winning Culture
Harvard has posted a 124-38 (.665) overall record since the start of the 2009-10 season, ranking as the 12th highest win percentage in the country over the last five-plus seasons (as of games played Dec. 28).

Home is Where the Wins Are
Harvard has posted a 55-3 (.948) record at Lavietes Pavilion since the start of the 2010-11 season, ranking the Crimson behind only Duke (68-3, .958) and Kentucky (75-4, .949) for the third highest home-court win percentage in the country over the last four-plus seasons (as of games played Dec. 28).

Harvard is 6-0 at home this season and has won eight straight at Lavietes Pavilion dating back to last year. Since 2010-11, the Crimson has enjoyed two home win streaks of at least 20 games; 28 games (Feb. 20, 2010 to Feb. 25, 2012), 20 games (Dec. 1, 2012 to Feb. 7, 2014).

Stuffing the Stat Sheet
Wesley Saunders, the 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year, currently ranks among the Ancient Eight’s top 10 in eight statistcal categories. As a senior, Jeremy Lin ’10 finished ranked among the conference’s best in nine statistical categories.

Born to Assist
Siyani Chambers, whose 4.7 apg rank second in the Ivy League, has dished out at least five assists six times this season. Chambers boasts 40 career games with five or more assists, including a stretch of eight straight games as a freshman (Dec. 11, 2012 - Jan. 26, 2013). Harvard is 33-7 in games Chambers reaches five assists.

Grand Theft
Wesley Saunders recorded 12 steals against Northeastern and Vermont, including a career-high seven at Vermont to match Jeremy Lin ‘10 (vs. George Washington, Dec. 30, 2009) for the most steals by a member of the Crimson under head coach Tommy Amaker.

Saunders currently ranks 19th in the NCAA with 2.5 steals per game (as of games played Dec. 28), while his 145 career steals are good for eighth in program history.

Cleaning the Glass
Steve Moundou-Missi recorded a career-high 17 rebounds at Vermont, the most by a member of the Crimson under head coach Tommy Amaker.

Moundou-Missi has led Harvard in rebounding 29 times in his career, and boasts six career games with at least 10 boards, including two this season.

Double-Trouble
Wesley Saunders recorded three double-doubles in the team’s first four games, becoming the first member of the Crimson to post three double-doubles in a four-game stretch since Keith Wright ‘12 did it in four consecutive games in 2011-12.

Player of the Week
Wesley Saunders was named the Ivy League Player of the Week on Dec. 1 after averaging 25.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 3.5 apg in wins over Houston and UMass.

Saunders has earned nine player of the week awards in his career, matching Princeton’s Ian Hummer and Brown’s Earl Hunt for the most in Ivy history. Saunders garnered the honor five times in 2012-13, three times in 2013-14 and has one award in 2014-15.

Watch This
Wesley Saunders was named to the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and Lou Henson Award watch lists as one of the elite student-athletes in the country.

Saunders is the first Ivy Leaguer to be included on the Naismith Trophy Top 50, while he joined Jeremy Lin ’10 as the second member of the Crimson to be named to the Wooden Award Watch List. Saunders was also included on the 2013 Lou Henson Award Watch List.

Cousy Award
Siyani Chambers was named to the 2015 Bob Cousy Award Watch List, marking the third-straight year that the junior has been tabbed among the top point guards in college basketball. Chambers is one of just three individuals to have been included on the watch list in each of the last three years along with Duke’s Quinn Cook and Gonzaga’s Kevin Pangos.

Last year, Chambers was one of 23 Cousy Award Watch List finalists after being among the original list of 80 watch list candidates along with teammate Brandyn Curry ’13-14.

Moving on Up
Head coach Tommy Amaker continus to move up the ranks of the Ivy League’s winningest coaches. Amaker’s 146 wins at Harvard are the eighth most since the conference began competition in 1956, while his 67 Ivy League victories rank 14th.

Amaker has led Harvard to four-straight Ivy League championships, tying him with former Princeton head coach Butch van Breda Kolff and fomer Penn head coach Chuck Daly for the fourth most Ivy titles won

On The Sidelines
With 146 victories under his belt, Tommy Amaker ranks second all-time in Harvard coaching annals.

Amaker's .664 win percentage (146-74), meanwhile, ranks first among Harvard coaches who have spent at least two seasons at the helm of the team.

Conference Watch
Harvard has gone 79-43 in non-conference play under head coach Tommy Amaker, including six-straight seasons with a winning out of conference mark. The Crimson was 14-4 away from the Ivy League last season, matching the 2011-12 squad for most non-conference wins in program history.