CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's basketball hosts 2018 Final Four participant Loyola Chicago on Friday, Nov. 25 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Lavieties Pavilion with the Crimson bringing a three-game winning streak into a stretch of five games in 10 days that includes three matchups with teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference.

What to Know

• In the Crimson's home opener, first-year forward Chisom Okpara scored a career-high 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting alongside a game-high eight rebounds to pace Harvard past Siena, 69-59, on Nov. 20.
• Harvard swept the Ivy League weekly awards on Nov. 21 as senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum took player of the week and first-year forward Chisom Okpara captured rookie of the week. In a 2-0 week for the Crimson, Ledlum averaged 23.5 points on 71.4-percent shooting while Okpara tallied 13.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game with a 73.3 percent field goal percentage.
• In its first game in New England this season, Harvard topped Northeastern on Nov. 16, 70-69, with senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum leading the way with a career-high 29 points on 12-of-17 field goals and 3-of-5 3-pointers alongside seven rebounds.
• Harvard posted a 2-1 record in its opening week with back-to-back road trips to the South. The Crimson opened its season with a 68-63 victory over Morehouse, while also making stops at Ebenezer Baptist Church and The King Center. Harvard then went 1-1 at the Asheville Championship, closing the tournament with a 92-77 win over Elon. Junior guard Sam Silverstein earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team after averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
• In the third-place game of the Asheville Championship, sophomore guard Evan Nelson scored a career-high 23 points, leading five Crimson in double figures, as Harvard beat Elon, 92-77. Alongside Nelson, senior guard Luka Sakota (14 points), junior guard Sam Silverstein (13 points), and senior guard Idan Tretout (12 points) all scored in double figures while senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum tallied a double-double on 10 points and 10 rebounds.
• The Crimson opened its season with a 68-63 win over Morehouse on Nov. 7. Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum scored a game-high 22 points while junior guard Sam Silverstein and senior guard Luka Sakota netted 12 and 11 points respectively in the Crimson's first-ever visit to Morehouse.
• Harvard and Loyola Chicago will meet in men's basketball for the first time on Friday.
• Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum has averaged team highs in points per game (18.8) and rebounds per game (6.6), scoring in double figures in all five games. Ledlum ranks third in the Ivy League in points per game and fourth in rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting at Northeastern (Nov. 16) and then had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting vs. Siena (Nov. 20). Ledlum notched his first double-double of the year on 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Elon (Nov. 13). He posted team highs in points (15) and rebounds (eight) vs. Louisiana (Nov. 11) and game highs in points (22) and rebounds (seven) at Morehouse (Nov. 7).
• Ledlum returns after averaging 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game last season over 13 contests, missing the latter portion of the season due to injury. A Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree in 2021-22, he gained 2022-23 Blue Ribbon Preseason All-Ivy League accolades.
• Junior guard Sam Silverstein has tallied 12.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 68.8 percent from the field. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in field goal percentage and second in minutes per game (33.0). He notched 13 points and five steals vs. Siena (Nov. 20). Over the Crimson's first week he posted 13 points and eight boards vs. Elon (Nov. 13), scored 14 points vs. Louisiana (Nov. 11), and netted 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting with five rebounds at Morehouse (Nov. 7). He played in all 26 games last winter in his first season of action with the Crimson.
• Senior guard Luka Sakota has registered 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 35.7 percent from 3-point distance. Sakota has scored in double figures three times on the year, including 14 points vs. Elon (Nov. 13). He netted 10 points vs. Louisiana (Nov. 11) and tallied 11 points and six rebounds at Morehouse (Nov. 7). Sakota started all 26 games during the 2022-23 season and averaged 11.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
• First-year forward Chisom Okpara has averaged 9.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game on the year, while leading the Ivy League with a .750 field goal percentage. Okpara gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week on both Nov. 14 and Nov. 21. He dropped a career-high 24 points on 10-of-13 field goals with eight rebounds vs. Siena (Nov. 20). He posted 11 points on 4-of-5 field goals vs. Louisiana (Nov. 11) and grabbed 10 rebounds at Northeastern (Nov. 16).
• Sophomore guard Evan Nelson exploded for 23 points, six assists, and three steals, while making 8-of-12 field goals, 4-of-6 triples, and 3-of-3 free throws vs. Elon (Nov. 13). For the year, he has averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. He ranks fifth in the Ivy League in assists per game and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0).
• Senior guard Idan Tretout has compiled 6.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He tallied 12 points and four boards vs. Elon (Nov. 13) and totaled six points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals at Morehouse (Nov. 7). Tretout tallied 8.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last season over 13 games, missing the latter portion of the season due to injury.
• Sophomore guard Louis Lesmond has netted 5.8 points per game on the year. He scored nine points on three 3-pointers vs. Elon (Nov. 13) and hit a pair of 3-pointers at Morehouse (Nov. 7). He posted 7.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last season, while scoring in double figures seven times out of 20 games played.
• Junior forward Justice Ajogbor leads the Ivy League with 1.4 blocks per game. He has started all five games for the Crimson in the frontcourt.

Next Up

Harvard plays at Fordham on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 1:30 p.m. (ESPN+/SNY) in Bronx, New York.