Men’s Basketball Hosts American Wednesday in Return to Lavietes Pavilion

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's basketball hosts American University on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) as it returns to Lavietes Pavilion after a four-game road swing, bringing a 5-2 record into the matchup.

What to Know

Harvard has posted a 5-2 record to open the season – a mark that includes three road victories and wins over teams from the American Athletic Conference, Atlantic 10, Coastal Athletic Association, and Patriot League. The Crimson has notched a 2-0 mark at home and has notched a 5-0 record against teams outside the Power Five conferences.
First-year guard Malik Mack has established himself as one of the nation's top first-year student-athletes. He stands as the nation's leading scorer among first-years at 21.1 points per game. Overall, he ranks 21^st in the NCAA in scoring and ranks as the only first-year in the top 50 in points per game. His 32-point effort at UMass (Nov. 17) stands as the top scoring output from a first-year in a single game this season in the nation.
Mack has averaged 21.1 points and 5.1 assists per game, ranking first in the Ivy League in points per game, assists per game, total points (148), free throws made (36), and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4). He ranks 10^th in the NCAA in total points, 21^st in points per game, 20^th in free throws made, 29^th in total assists (36), 33^rd in field goals made, and 47^th in 3-point percentage (43.9). He has scored in double figures in all seven games this season, netted 20 or more points four times, and eclipsed 30 points once.
Mack has gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week in back-to-back-to-back weeks (Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27) to open the season.
Mack poured in a career-high 32 points on 10-of-23 field goals and 5-of-10 3-pointers at Massachusetts (Nov. 17) and scored 27 points on 8-of-16 field goals and 8-of-10 free throws against Indiana (Nov. 26) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He dropped 22 points on 9-of-11 field goals and 4-of-5 3-pointers in the win over Northeastern (Nov. 14). He tallied 20 points and eight assists in Harvard's win at Rice (Nov. 10) and notched 18 points and six assists at Boston College (Nov. 18). He added 16 points and eight assists at Colgate (Nov. 22).
Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara has tallied 15.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game on the year, scoring in double figures five times and reaching the 20-point plateau twice. He ranks ninth in the Ivy League in points per game, 13^th in rebounds per game, and fifth in blocks per game (1.0). Okpara poured in a career-high 21 points at Colgate (Nov. 22) and scored 20 points with seven rebounds at Boston College (Nov. 18). He posted 17 points and seven rebounds in his season debut in the win at Rice (Nov. 10). Okpara added 14 points in the win over Northeastern (Nov. 14) and 13 points at Indiana (Nov. 26). Last season, he averaged 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures nine times. Okpara gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week four times (Nov. 14, Nov. 21, Dec. 26, Feb. 20) as a first-year last season.
Junior guard Louis Lesmond has averaged 10.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point distance. He ranks second in the Ivy League and 40^th in the NCAA in total 3-pointers made (19) and third in the Ivies in 3-pointers made per game (2.7). Lesmond has made three or more 3-pointers in each of four games this year. He notched 14 points and made a season-high 4-of-7 3-pointers at UMass (Nov. 17). Lesmond netted 11 points at Colgate (Nov. 22), 10 points at Indiana (Nov. 26), and 10 points vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14). Lesmond averaged 7.9 points per game during the 2021-22 season before missing most of the 2022-23 season due to injury.
Sophomore guard Chandler Piggé has posted 9.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, scoring in double figures in each of three games. He ranks ninth in the Ivy League in rebounds per game. He has connected on 14-of-14 free throw attempts this season. Piggé posted his first collegiate double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds at Massachusetts (Nov. 17). He dropped a career-high 23 points on 8-of-12 field goals and 6-of-6 free throws with five rebounds in Harvard's win at Rice (Nov. 10). He notched 12 points and five rebounds in the win over Northeastern (Nov. 14).
Senior forward Justice Ajogbor has registered 8.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game on the year. He ranks third in the NCAA in total blocks (20) and ranks first in the Ivy League and sixth in the NCAA in blocks per game (2.86), having posted three or more blocks in each of five games this year. He stands fifth in the Ancient Eight in rebounds per game (7.6) and sixth in field goal percentage (53.8). He scored a career-high 15 points at Colgate (Nov. 22). Ajogbor notched 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting with six rebounds at Rice (Nov. 10) before grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14). He posted his first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against UMass Boston (Nov. 6). Last season, he ranked third in the Ivy League with 1.4 blocks per game and added 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.9 percent from the field.
First-year forward Thomas Batties II has registered 6.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. Batties II notched his first collegiate double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Indiana (Nov. 26) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In his collegiate debut, he scored a team-high 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting with five rebounds in the win vs. UMass Boston (Nov. 6).
First-year forward Luca Ace-Nasteski has compiled 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He notched 11 points on 4-of-7 field goals with four rebounds in his collegiate debut vs. UMass Boston (Nov. 6).
Junior guard Denham Wojcik has contributed in the Crimson's backcourt, playing in all seven games and averaging 2.6 points and 2.1 assists points per game. He netted a career-high eight points at Colgate (Nov. 22). Wojcik dished out a game-high five assists vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14). Wojcik appeared in 41 games over his first two seasons.
As a team, Harvard ranks 16^th in the NCAA in blocks per game (5.9), 62^nd in field goal percentage defense (39.4), and 47^th in 3-point percentage (38.1).
In the Ivy rankings, the Crimson stands first in field goal percentage defense (39.4), blocks per game (5.9), and 3-point percentage (38.1), while standing second in 3-point percentage defense (.292) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.35).
Harvard trails American in the all-time series, 0-3, with the last meeting between the two teams coming in the 1988-89 season.