Men’s Basketball Hosts Princeton Saturday for Senior Day in Home Finale

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Coming off a pair of Ivy League victories, Harvard University men's basketball hosts Princeton University on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+) for Senior Day at Lavietes Pavilion as the Crimson competes in its final home game of the regular season in a contest presented by Bumble.

What to Know

Harvard trails Princeton in the all-time series, 51-136, while the Crimson has posted a 6-4 mark in the last 10 match-ups with the Tigers. Last season, Harvard dropped two narrow decisions, falling 74-67 at Princeton and 74-73 in Cambridge. The Crimson fell narrowly to the Tigers earlier this season, 69-66.
Senior guards Chris Ledlum, Luka Sakota, and Idan Tretot have all earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors for their combined work in the classroom and in competition. Ledlum also captured Academic All-District and Academic All-America laurels in 2021-22.
Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum earned Ivy League Player of the Week for the second time this season, and first-year forward Chisom Okpara collected Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the fourth time on Feb. 20 after helping the Crimson post a 2-0 record with victories over Columbia (83-65) on Feb. 17 and Cornell (73-56) on Feb. 18.
Harvard earned an Empire State sweep with road wins over Columbia (83-65) on Feb. 17 and Cornell (73-56) on Feb. 18. Against the Lions, first-year forward Chisom Okpara led four Crimson in double figures with 16 points while Harvard held a 52-26 rebounding advantage. Against the Big Red, senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum scored a career-high 35 points, made 12-of-17 field goals and 9-of-12 free throws, and tallied 13 rebounds and a career-best six steals while the Crimson held Cornell to a season-low 56 points.
Senior guard/forward Chris Ledlum has averaged team highs in points (19.0), rebounds (8.4), and steals per game (1.8), scoring in double figures in 24 of 26 games, netting 20 or more points 11 times, eclipsing 30 points twice, and posting seven double-doubles. He has scored in double figures in 18 of his last 19 games.
Ledlum ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game (19.0), second in rebounds per game (8.4), and second in steals per game (1.8). He also stands second in total points (495), second in field goals (186), second in free throws (85), second in offensive rebounds per game (2.7), sixth in blocks per game (1.2), and seventh in minutes per game (31.2). In Ivy League play only, he stands second in points per game (18.8), second in rebounds per game (8.5), first in steals per game (2.0), and fifth in blocks per game (1.3). In the NCAA, Ledlum ranks 39^th in field goals (185), 41^st in points per game (19.0), and 59^th in rebounds per game (8.5).
Ledlum dropped a career-high 35 points on 12-of-17 field goals and 9-of-12 free throws alongside 13 rebounds and a career-best six steals at Cornell (Feb. 18). Ledlum poured in 30 points with nine rebounds and 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). He notched 15 points and nine boards at Columbia (Feb. 17).
Senior guard Idan Tretout has increased his production in Ivy play, ranking 10^th in the conference in points per game (13.3) and sixth in 3-point percentage (.388), while adding 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Overall, he has compiled 9.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He has scored in double figures in nine of his last 10 games and netted at least nine points in 13 straight outings. Tretout posted career highs in points (21) and rebounds (seven) against Penn (Feb. 11) before netting 19 points at Cornell (Feb. 18). 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). Tretout tallied 13 points and seven boards at Columbia (Feb. 17). He 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 boards at Fordham (Nov. 27) and notched 12 points vs. Elon (Nov. 13).
Sophomore guard Evan Nelson has averaged 7.5 points, a team-best 3.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 36.0 percent from 3-point distance and 84.6 percent from the free throw line. In Ivy play, he has tallied 7.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists 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 (3.4) and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7). In Ivy only play, he stands fourth in assists per game (3.2) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7).
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 7.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 87.2 percent from the free throw line. He ranks seventh in the Ivy League in steals per game (1.2) and sixth in minutes per game (31.3). 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 third in the Ivy League with 1.5 blocks per game and has added 6.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.8 percent from the field. In Ivy play, he ranks fourth in the conference in blocks per game (1.7) and third in field goal percentage (.606), while registering 7.7 points and 3.5 boards per game. He has tallied multiple blocks in each of 13 games this season. In the NCAA rankings, he stands 67^th in blocks per game (1.50). Ajogbor tallied career highs in points (14) and minutes (26) with six rebounds vs. UMass (Dec. 2). He matched his career high with 14 points at Columbia (Feb. 17). 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 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on the year, scoring in double figures eight times. In Ivy only play, he has shot 54.7 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). Okpara went for a team-high 16 points and six boards at Columbia (Feb. 17). 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 four times (Nov. 14, Nov. 21, Dec. 26, Feb. 20).
Senior guard Luka Sakota has registered 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 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 first in the Ivy League in 3-point percentage defense (.318), second in scoring defense (65.9), field goal percentage defense (.415), blocks per game (4.12), steals per game (7.50), and offensive rebounds per game (10.7), and third in rebounding margin (4.5).
In Ivy play only, the Crimson leads the conference in blocks per game (4.42), scoring defense (67.9), and rebounding margin (4.8), while standing second in 3-point percentage defense (.329) and third in field goal percentage defense (.421) and steals per game (7.00).
In the national rankings, Harvard sits 30^th in fewest fouls per game (14.7), 44^th in rebounding margin (4.5), 62^nd in blocks per game (4.1), 62^nd in field goal percentage defense (41.5), 67^th in 3-point percentage defense (31.8), 68^th in points per game allowed (65.9), and 73^rd in steals per game (7.5).