CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's basketball opens Ivy League play at Princeton University on New Year's Eve, squaring off with the Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Jadwin Gymnasium with the Crimson posting a 9-5 record during non-conference play.

What to Know

• Harvard trails Princeton in the all-time series, 51-135, while the Crimson has posted a 6-3 mark in the last nine match-ups with the Tigers. Last season, Harvard dropped two narrow decisions, falling 74-67 at Princeton and 74-73 in Cambridge.
• Harvard tallied a 9-5 record during non-conference play with victories over Northeastern (70-69), Siena (69-59), Loyola Chicago (61-55), UC Irvine (62-57), and Maine (74-73, OT) highlighting the stretch. Four of the Crimson's five setbacks came against No. 4 Kansas, two Atlantic 10 opponents (Fordham, Massachusetts), and Louisiana – the preseason pick to win the Sun Belt. During non-league play, senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum paced the Crimson with 19.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
• Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum posted a double-double on 27 points and a career-best 15 rebounds, senior guard Idan Tretout scored a career-high 17 points, and Harvard outlasted Maine in overtime, 74-73, on Dec. 28. Playing in its non-conference finale, the Crimson held a six-point lead in the second half before the Black Bears forced overtime with a 3-pointer. Harvard scored seven of the first 10 points of overtime to pull ahead.
• Harvard stands in the midst of a six-game road swing with a 2-1 record thus far. The Crimson opened the stretch with a 62-57 win over UC Irvine (Dec. 20) before challenging No. 4/4 Kansas (Dec. 22) in a 68-54 setback. In its non-conference finale at Maine (Dec. 28), the Crimson took a 74-73 (OT) win. Harvard plays its first three Ivy League games on the road – at Princeton (Dec. 31), at Brown (Jan. 6), and at Yale (Jan. 7).
• Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum has averaged team highs in points (19.3), rebounds (8.4), and steals per game (1.7), scoring in double figures in 13 of 14 games, netting 20 or more points five times, and posting three double-doubles. Ledlum ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game, first in rebounds per game, and second in steals per game. He also stands second in total points (270), first in field goals (106), second in free throws (42, fourth in blocks per game (1.1), and sixth in minutes per game (31.5)). In the NCAA, he ranks seventh in field goals, 17^th in total points, and 33^rd in points per game.
• Ledlum poured in a career-high 30 points with nine rebounds and a career-best five steals vs. Loyola Chicago (Nov. 25). In the Crimson's battle with UMass (Dec. 2), Ledlum posted a double-double on 25 points and 10 rebounds. Ledlum notched a double-double on a game-high 27 points and career-best 15 rebounds in the OT win at Maine (Dec. 28). He scored a game-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). At No. 4 Kansas, he registered 17 points and nine boards. Ledlum notched 18 points and nine boards in the Crimson's win at UC Irvine (Dec. 20). Ledlum notched his first double-double of the year on 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Elon (Nov. 13). He posted game highs in points (22) and rebounds (seven) at Morehouse (Nov. 7).
• Junior guard Sam Silverstein has tallied 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 88.0 percent from the free throw line. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in minutes per game (32.5) and eighth in rebounds per game (5.6). Silverstein scored a career-high 17 points with five rebounds and three assists at Fordham (Nov. 27) before grabbing a career-best 10 rebounds at Holy Cross (Nov. 30). 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).
• First-year forward Chisom Okpara has averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on the year, scoring in double figures five times. He dropped a career-high 24 points on 10-of-13 field goals with eight rebounds vs. Siena (Nov. 20) before tallying 16 points and six rebounds vs. Tufts (Dec. 4). He notched 10 points and five boards at UC Irvine (Dec. 20), posted 11 points on 4-of-5 field goals vs. Louisiana (Nov. 11), and grabbed 10 rebounds at Northeastern (Nov. 16). Okpara has gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week three times (Nov. 14, Nov. 21, Dec. 26).
• Senior guard Luka Sakota has registered 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on the year. Sakota has scored in double figures six times on the year. He hit a career-high six 3-pointers for a season-best 18 points vs. Tufts (Dec. 4). Sakota scored 14 points vs. Elon (Nov. 13), 13 points at Holy Cross (Nov. 30), and 12 points at UC Irvine (Dec. 20). He netted 10 points vs. Louisiana (Nov. 11) and tallied 11 points and six rebounds at Morehouse (Nov. 7).
• 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 7.2 points, a team-best 3.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 34.1 percent from 3-point distance. Nelson has distributed five or more assists in each of four games this season. At No. 4 Kansas, he tallied 10 points and a game-best four assists. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in assists per game and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.8).
• Junior forward Justice Ajogbor ranks second in the Ivy League with 1.4 blocks per game and has added 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Ajogbor tallied career highs in points (14), rebounds (six), and minutes (26) vs. UMass (Dec. 2). At No.4 Kansas, he blocked four shots and added eight points and four boards. He has started all 14 games for the Crimson in the frontcourt and has tallied multiple blocks in each of six games this year.
• Senior guard Idan Tretout has compiled 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Tretout scored a career-high 17 points on 6-of-8 field goals in the OT win at Maine (Dec. 28). He totaled 10 points and six rebounds at Fordham (Nov. 27) and notched 12 points and four boards vs. Elon (Nov. 13). 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.
• As a team, Harvard ranks second in the Ivy League in field goal percentage defense (.410) and steals per game (7.93), while standing third in points per game allowed (64.1) and blocks per game (3.86). The Crimson sits 22^nd in the NCAA in fewest fouls per game (13.9).

Next Up

Harvard continues Ivy League play – and concludes a six-game road swing – with games at Brown on Friday, Jan. 6 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) and at Yale on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+).