CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard is set to play just its second game since Dec. 21, when it visits Columbia for a Saturday afternoon contest on Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium. Game time is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
What to Know
- Saturday's tilt will mark Harvard's first road game since Dec. 4 at UMass and is the first of a three-game road swing (at Columbia, at Dartmouth, at Cornell).
- The Crimson has had three of its last four games affected by COVID-19 concerns and safety protocols. After its home game vs. Howard on Dec. 21, Harvard was to play at Kansas on Dec. 29, and then welcome Princeton on Jan. 2. Those games were canceled and postponed, respectively, before falling to Brown on Jan. 7. The Crimson's home game vs. Yale was then postponed from Jan. 9 to Feb. 9.
- The Crimson, which fell to the Bears, 84-73, had four players score in double figures and enjoyed advantages in rebounds (42-36), turnovers (7-9), steals (5-4) and points in the paint (30-15), but could not overcome Brown's 50.9-percent shooting or its accuracy from three (15-26, .577).
- Noah Kirkwood led Harvard with 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists against the Bears. The do-it-all senior has led the team in either points, rebounds or assists in all but two games this season (vs. MIT, at Siena) and has scored in double figures in all 13 games.
- Kirkwood, who is averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.6 steals, is the only Division I player averaging at least 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals (through Jan. 11), according to College Basketball Reference.
- Chris Ledlum registered 17 points and eight rebounds against Brown, marking the 11th time in 13 games that he has led the team in rebounding (solo or shared). The Ivy League rebounding leader is one of three players in the country (through Jan. 11) averaging at least 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.5 steals, according to College Basketball Reference. Ledlum, (16.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.7 spg), is joined by Dereon Seabron (NC State) and Utah State's Justin Bean.
- Idan Tretout posted his fourth double-figure scoring game in his last five outings, recording 14 against Brown. In his last five games, the junior is averaging 12.6 points and 1.6 assists.
- Louis Lesmond provided a spark off the bench vs. Brown with 13 points and a career-high six rebounds in 27 minutes. The first-year knocked in four treys, marking his sixth game with multiple three-pointers. Lesmond has 22 threes on the season, just one behind team leader Luka Sakota.
- After missing the first 12 games of the season, senior co-captain Mason Forbes returned to the hardwood against Brown and logged 10 minutes. The 6-9 forward had one point and three rebounds (two offensive), and entered the campaign as the team's most experienced frontcourt player with 49 career games.
- Harvard has been a resilient group over the last few seasons, posting a 15-3 record in the game following its last 18 defeats. This season alone, the Crimson is 3-1 in responding to losses. Harvard has not suffered a three-game losing streak since 2017-18.
- Harvard is returning to The Empire State for the first time since making three trips in 10 days during the month of November. The Crimson fell in overtime to the MAAC preseason favorite Iona before splitting games with UAlbany and Siena.
- The Crimson is 2-2 this season vs. teams from the state of New York. In addition to the aforementioned contests, Harvard defeated Colgate, the Patriot League's preseason No. 2 squad, in overtime, 89-84, at Lavietes Pavilion.
At the Helm
Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball, is in his 15th season at Harvard. He is the winningest coach in Crimson history with 259 victories and has led the program to seven Ivy League titles and eight postseason appearances.
Up Next
Harvard travels to Dartmouth on Monday, Jan. 17, for a 7 p.m. ET game in Hanover, New Hampshire.
