Men’s Basketball Travels to Columbia, Cornell in Final Back-to-Back Weekend

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's basketball plays at Columbia University on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+/SNY) at Levien Gymnasium and at Cornell University on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Newman Arena as the Crimson competes in its final Ivy League back-to-back weekend of the regular season.

What to Know

Harvard trails Columbia in the all-time series, 89-98, but the Crimson has taken the last eight matchups in the series. That eight-game win streak includes three overtime contests. Last season, Harvard captured a 91-82 win on the road and a 62-54 victory at home. Earlier this year, the Crimson won 73-51 on Jan. 14.
Harvard trails Cornell in the all-time series, 87-95. Earlier this year, Harvard beat Cornell, 95-89, on Jan. 21. Last season, the Crimson took a 77-72 (OT) victory at home, while falling on the road, 76-61. The Crimson has posted a 20-10 record against Cornell under Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball.
Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum has averaged team highs in points (18.5), rebounds (8.2), and steals per game (1.7), scoring in double figures in 22 of 24 games, netting 20 or more points 10 times, and posting six double-doubles. He has scored in double figures in 16 of his last 17 games.
Ledlum ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game (18.5), first in rebounds per game (8.2), and third in steals per game (1.7). He also stands second in total points (445), second in field goals (168), second in free throws (73), second in offensive rebounds per game (2.6), sixth in blocks per game (1.1), and sixth in minutes per game (31.1). In Ivy League play only, he stands third in points per game (17.5), second in rebounds per game (8.0), fourth in steals per game (1.6), and sixth in blocks per game (1.0). In the NCAA, Ledlum ranks 53^rd in field goals (168) and 55^th in points per game (18.5).
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 9.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. In Ivy play, he has posted 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point distance. He has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games and netted at least nine points in 11 straight outings. Tretout posted career highs in points (21) and rebounds (seven) against Penn (Feb. 11). He dropped 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 Dartmouth (Jan. 16), Penn (Jan. 28), and Brown (Feb. 4) 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).
Sophomore guard Evan Nelson has averaged 7.8 points, a team-best 3.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point distance and 86.5 percent from the free throw line. In Ivy play, he has tallied 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Nelson has distributed five or more assists in each of six games this season. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in assists per game (3.3) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7). In Ivy only play, he stands sixth in assists per game (3.0) and seventh in 3-point percentage (.410).
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). 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) prior to netting 13 points against the Quakers (Feb. 11). 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).
Junior guard Sam Silverstein has tallied 7.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 86.8 percent from the free throw line. He ranks fifth in the Ivy League in minutes per game (31.5) and sixth in steals per game (1.3). 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 1.5 blocks per game and has added 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field. In Ivy play, he ranks third in the conference in blocks per game (1.8) and fifth in field goal percentage (.589), while registering 7.4 points and 3.5 boards per game. He has made a team-high 23 starts this year and has tallied multiple blocks in each of 12 games this season. In the NCAA rankings, he stands 59^th in blocks per game (1.54). Ajogbor tallied career highs in points (14) and minutes (26) with six rebounds vs. UMass (Dec. 2). He scored 12 points vs. Cornell (Jan. 21) and vs. Yale (Feb. 3). At No. 4 Kansas (Dec. 22), he blocked four shots and added eight points and four boards. Ajogbor tallied 10 points, a career-best nine boards, and four blocks vs. Columbia (Jan. 14).
First-year forward Chisom Okpara has averaged 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game on the year, scoring in double figures seven times. In Ivy only play, he has shot 52.6 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 registered 11 points and eight rebounds vs. Brown (Feb. 4) and notched 10 points and five boards at UC Irvine (Dec. 20). He 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 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on the year. Sakota has scored in double figures nine 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).
As a team, Harvard ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game allowed (66.3) and steals per game (7.58), while standing third in opponent field goal percentage (.419), opponent 3-point percentage (.326), rebounding margin (3.7) and blocks per game (4.04). In Ivy play only, the Crimson leads the conference in blocks per game (4.30), while standing second in points per game allowed (69.4) and third in opponent field goal percentage (.434), steals per game (7.10), and rebounding margin (3.0).
In the national rankings, Harvard sits 31^st in fewest fouls per game (14.8), 71^st in blocks per game (4.0), 74^th in steals per game (7.6), and 75^th in rebounding margin (3.7).