Men’s Basketball Meets Penn Saturday in Philadelphia on ESPNU

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's basketball continues Ivy League play when it meets the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 6:00 p.m. at The Palestra in Philadelphia in front of a national television audience on ESPNU.

What to Know

First-year guard Malik Mack – a candidate for the Lou Henson Award as the nation's top mid-major player – has established himself as one of the country's top first-year student-athletes. He stands as the nation's second-leading scorer among first-years at 18.9 points per game and as one of just two first-years in the top 100. Overall, he ranks 52^nd in the NCAA in scoring. His 32-point effort at UMass (Nov. 17) stands as the second-highest scoring output from a first-year in a game against another Division I institution this season in the nation.
Mack has averaged 18.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.3 percent from 3-point distance. He ranks first in the Ivy League in assists per game, second in points per game, and third in free throws made (57). Mack has scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games played this season, netted 20 or more points five times, notched 25 or more points three times, and eclipsed 30 points once.
Mack has gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week five times this season. He earned the award in each of the first four weeks of the season (Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 4) before capturing the honors again on Jan. 16.
Mack poured in a career-high 32 points 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. Mack went for 26 points on 8-of-10 field goals and 6-of-6 free throws vs. American (Nov. 29). He dropped 22 points on 9-of-11 field goals and 4-of-5 3-pointers vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14). He tallied 20 points and eight assists at Rice (Nov. 10) and notched 18 points and six assists at Boston College (Nov. 18). He compiled 18 points vs. Brown (Jan. 15), 17 points vs. Army (Dec. 8), and 16 points and eight assists at Colgate (Nov. 22).
Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara has tallied 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. He ranks third in the Ivy League in points per game, 11^th in rebounds per game, fifth in blocks per game (0.9), and first in free throws made (68). In Ivy play, he has averaged 19.0 points per game, ranking third in the league. He has scored in double figures 13 times in 14 games played and reached the 20-point plateau six times this season. He dropped a career-high 26 points vs. Holy Cross after scoring 23 points vs. American (Nov. 29). Okpara poured in 22 points vs. Albany (Jan. 2), 21 points at Colgate (Nov. 22) and 20 points vs. Brown (Jan. 15) and at Boston College (Nov. 18). He tallied 19 points and nine boards at Loyola Chicago (Dec. 2), scored 18 points at Princeton (Jan. 6) and posted 17 points against both Rice (Nov. 10) and Army (Dec. 8).
Junior guard Louis Lesmond has averaged 9.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 36.2 percent from 3-point distance. He ranks fifth in the Ivy League in 3-pointers per game (2.3) and in total 3-pointers made (34). Lesmond has made three or more 3-pointers in each of seven games this year. Lesmond scored a career-high 16 points vs. Albany (Jan. 2). He notched 14 points and made a season-high 4-of-7 3-pointers at UMass (Nov. 17). Lesmond netted 12 points vs. Iona and 11 points at Colgate (Nov. 22) and vs. Army (Dec. 8).
Sophomore guard Chandler Piggé has posted 9.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, while shooting 85.7 percent on free throws. He has scored in double figures in each of six games. 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 at Rice (Nov. 10). He notched 14 points vs. Army (Dec. 8), 13 points at Princeton (Jan. 6), and 12 points vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14). Piggé totaled 11 points, five rebounds, five steals, and four assists vs. Albany (Jan. 2).
Senior forward Justice Ajogbor – who returned to action on Jan. 15 for the first time since Nov. 26 – has registered 8.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game on the year. He has posted three or more blocks in each of five games this year. 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).
First-year forward Thomas Batties II has registered 7.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.7 percent from the field. Batties II has registered three double-doubles on the year and won Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Jan. 2. He notched back-to-back double-doubles this season with 11 points and 10 rebounds against both Iona (Dec. 30) and Albany (Jan. 2). He posted another double-double on 10 points and 10 rebounds against Indiana (Nov. 26) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He scored a team-high 16 points vs. UMass Boston (Nov. 6) and netted 15 points vs. Brown (Jan. 15).
Junior guard Denham Wojcik has averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 assists per game on the year. He netted a career-high eight points at Colgate (Nov. 22). Wojcik distributed a career-high six assists vs. Iona (Dec. 30) and has dished out five assists twice this season – vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14) and Holy Cross (Dec. 21).
First-year forward Luca Ace-Nasteski has compiled 2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. He notched 11 points in his collegiate debut vs. UMass Boston (Nov. 6). He went for eight points and six boards vs. Albany (Jan. 2).
Junior guard Tyler Simon has added 3.3 points per game on the year. He made 4-of-7 3-pointers for a career-high 12 points vs. Holy Cross (Dec. 21).
As a team, Harvard ranks 35^th in the NCAA in fewest fouls per game (14.6). In the Ivy rankings, the Crimson stands second in blocks per game (4.20) and 3-point percentage defense (31.3).
Harvard holds a 46-138 record all-time vs. Penn in a series that dates back to the 1902-03 season. Under Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball, Harvard has registered a 19-13 mark vs. the Quakers.