Men’s Basketball Hosts Yale Friday, Brown Saturday to Open Second Half of Ivy Play

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's basketball hosts a back-to-back weekend against Yale University on Friday, Feb. 3 at 5:00 p.m. (ESPNU/ESPN+) and Brown University on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+/NESN) to begin a three-game homestand at Lavietes Pavilion as the Crimson opens the second half of its Ivy League conference slate.

What to Know

The Crimson trails the all-time series with Yale, 84-122. Yale captured this year's earlier matchup, 58-54, in New Haven. The Bulldogs took both of last season's meetings by one possession – 58-55 in New Haven and 62-59 in Cambridge. Harvard had taken six of the previous seven meetings between the two teams prior to the 2021-22 season.
Harvard holds a 106-76 edge in the all-time series with Brown. The Crimson captured this year's earlier meeting, 70-68 (OT). The two teams split last year's matchups with the Crimson winning at Brown, 65-50, and falling at home, 84-73. The Crimson had taken 19 in a row in the series from 2010-19 before the Bears captured the second meeting between the teams in 2018-19.
As part of the third annual ERACISM "This Game is No Secret" campaign, teams across the country – including the Crimson – will again honor the legacy of Coach John McLendon by wearing t-shirts with those five words – "This Game is No Secret." Established in 2020, ERACISM is a social inclusion movement committed to bringing forth change through education, awareness, and action with current and former college basketball coaches leading the way. The event is an opportunity for players, coaches, and fans to learn more about the iconic Secret Game, in which Coach McLendon's North Carolina College defeated Duke in 1944 in a game that had to be played in secret due to Jim Crow laws.
Following Harvard's eight previous setbacks this season, the Crimson has emerged victorious in the next game. Since Nov. 27, Harvard has followed each of its six losses with a win, alternating wins and losses during that time span.
Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum has averaged team highs in points (19.2), rebounds (8.7), and steals per game (1.6), scoring in double figures in 19 of 21 games, netting 20 or more points 10 times, and posting six double-doubles, including four in his last eight outings. He has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 14 games and grabbed eight or more rebounds in 11 of his last 13 contests.
Ledlum ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game (19.2), first in rebounds per game (8.7), and third in steals per game (1.6). He also stands second in total points (403), second in field goals (153), second in free throws (67), first in offensive rebounds per game (2.8), fifth in blocks per game (1.0), and fifth in minutes per game (31.7). In Ivy League play only, he stands second in points per game (19.0), second in rebounds per game (9.3), and seventh in steals per game (1.4).
In the NCAA, Ledlum ranks 32^nd in field goals (153), 55^th in points (403), 34^th in points per game (19.2), 58^th in rebounds (184), 46^th in rebounds per game (8.8), and 62^nd in double-doubles (six).
Ledlum poured in a career-high 30 points with nine rebounds and a career-best five steals vs. Loyola Chicago (Nov. 25). Ledlum notched back-to-back 20-point double-doubles with a game-high 27 points and career-best 15 rebounds in the OT win at Maine (Dec. 28) prior to game highs in points (22) and rebounds (13) at Princeton (Dec. 31). Ledlum totaled 23 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists vs. Columbia (Jan. 14) before notching 24 points and eight boards vs. Cornell (Jan. 21) and 21 points at Penn (Jan. 28). In the Crimson's battle with UMass (Dec. 2), Ledlum posted a double-double on 25 points and 10 rebounds. He scored a game-high 29 points at Northeastern (Nov. 16) and then had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting vs. Siena (Nov. 20). At No. 4 Kansas (Dec. 22), he registered 17 points and nine boards. Ledlum went for 21 points and nine boards in the OT win at Brown (Jan. 6) and finished with a double-double on 15 points and 14 boards at Yale (Jan. 7).
Senior guard Idan Tretout has compiled 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. In Ivy play, he has posted 12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, while shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point distance. He has scored in double figures in five straight games and in six of his last eight outings. He dropped a career-high 17 points against both Cornell (Jan. 21) and in the OT win at Maine (Dec. 28). He tallied 15 points and five rebounds at Yale (Jan. 7) and netted 12 points against both Dartmouth (Jan. 16) and Penn (Jan. 28) and 11 points vs. Columbia (Jan. 14). Tretout totaled 10 points and six rebounds at Fordham (Nov. 27) and notched 12 points vs. Elon (Nov. 13).
Junior guard Sam Silverstein has tallied 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 84.8 percent from the free throw line. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in minutes per game (32.6), eighth in steals per game (1.3), and eighth in rebounds per game (5.7). He netted 16 points with four assists vs. Cornell (Jan. 21) and grabbed 10 rebounds at Penn (Jan. 28). 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 at Morehouse (Nov. 7).
Junior forward Justice Ajogbor ranks second in the Ivy League with 1.6 blocks per game and has added 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 55.3 percent from the field. In Ivy play, he paces the conference in blocks per game (2.1) and ranks second in field goal percentage (.676), while chipping in 7.1 points and 4.1 boards per game. He is the only student-athlete to start all 21 games for the Crimson this year and has tallied multiple blocks in each of 11 games this year. In the NCAA rankings, he stands 59^th in blocks per game (1.62). Ajogbor tallied career highs in points (14), rebounds (six), and minutes (26) vs. UMass (Dec. 2). He scored 12 points vs. Cornell (Jan. 21). At No. 4 Kansas (Dec. 22), he blocked four shots and added eight points and four boards. Ajogbor tallied 10 points, nine boards, and four blocks vs. Columbia (Jan. 14).
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 7.7 points, a team-best 3.5 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game. Nelson has distributed five or more assists in each of six games this season. He ranks third in the Ivy League in assists per game (3.5) and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7). In Ivy only play, he stands fourth in assists per game (3.3), while scoring 8.6 points per game. He scored a game-high 19 points on 5-of-9 field goals, 3-of-5 3-pointers, and 6-of-6 free throws vs. Dartmouth (Jan. 16). Nelson netted 15 points and made 4-of-6 3-pointers at Penn (Jan. 28). At No. 4 Kansas (Dec. 22), he tallied 10 points and a game-best four assists. Nelson distributed a career-high seven assists both vs. Cornell (Jan. 21) and at Princeton (Dec. 31).
Senior guard Luka Sakota has registered 7.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on the year. Sakota has scored in double figures eight times on the season. 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 at Brown (Jan. 6), and 12 points at UC Irvine (Dec. 20).
First-year forward Chisom Okpara has averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on the year, scoring in double figures six times. In Ivy only play, he has shot 52.0 percent from the field. 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). In his first Ivy game, he netted 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting with six boards at Princeton (Dec. 31). 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).
As a team, Harvard ranks second in the Ivy League in blocks per game (4.19), points per game allowed (65.5), opponent field goal percentage (.414), opponent 3-point percentage (.325), and steals per game (7.57), while standing third in rebounding margin (4.7). In Ivy play only, the Crimson leads the conference in scoring defense (68.3), blocks per game (4.86), and rebounding margin (5.7), while standing second in opponent field goal percentage (.424).
In the national rankings, Harvard sits 22^nd in fewest fouls per game (14.3), 50^th in rebounding margin (4.7), 60^th in blocks per game (4.7), and 67^th in scoring defense (65.5).