Men’s Basketball Opens Ivy League Play at Princeton on Saturday

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's basketball opens Ivy League play at Princeton University on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+/SNY/NBC Sports Philadelphia) at Jadwin Gymnasium with the Crimson concluding non-conference play with a 9-4 overall record.

What to Know

Harvard posted a 9-4 record during its non-league season – a mark that included three road victories, a 6-1 mark at home, and wins over teams from the American Athletic Conference, Atlantic 10, Coastal Athletic Association, America East, and Patriot League. The Crimson notched a 9-2 record against teams outside the Power Five conferences.
In an all-around effort, sophomore forward Chisom Okpara led four Crimson in double figures with 22 points, junior guard Louis Lesmond scored a career-high 16 points, and first-year forward Thomas Batties II posted his second straight double-double on 11 points and 10 rebounds as Harvard beat UAlbany (Jan. 2) in its non-league finale, 76-71.
Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara has tallied 17.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 35.3 percent on 3-pointers. He has scored in double figures 11 times in 12 games played and reached the 20-point plateau five times this season. He ranks third in the Ivy League in points per game, 10^th in rebounds per game, sixth in blocks per game (0.8), and first in free throws made (61). 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 with seven rebounds at Boston College (Nov. 18). He tallied 19 points and nine boards at Loyola Chicago (Dec. 2) and posted 17 points against both Rice (Nov. 10) and Army (Dec. 8). Okpara added 15 points vs. Iona (Dec. 30), 14 points vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14), and 13 points at Indiana (Nov. 26).
First-year guard Malik Mack – who will miss an indefinite amount of time due to mononucleosis – 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 20.1 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 second-highest scoring output from a first-year in a game against another Division I institution this season in the nation.
Mack has averaged 20.1 points and 4.4 assists per game, ranking first in the Ivy League in points per game and assists per game, while ranking second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0) and third in free throws made (52). He ranks fifth in the NCAA in 3-point percentage (47.2). He has scored in double figures in all 10 games played this season, netted 20 or more points five times, notched 25 or more points three times, and eclipsed 30 points once.
Mack gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week in each of the first four weeks of the season (Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 4).
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 17 points vs. Army (Dec. 8) and added 16 points and eight assists at Colgate (Nov. 22).
Junior guard Louis Lesmond has averaged 9.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 39.0 percent from 3-point distance. He ranks fifth in the Ivy League in 3-pointers made (32) and 3-pointers per game (2.5). 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, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 88.5 percent on free throws. He has scored in double figures in each of five games. He ranks 12^th in the Ivy League in rebounds per game. 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). Piggé totaled 11 points, five rebounds, five steals, and four assists vs. Albany (Jan. 2). He notched 14 points vs. Army (Dec. 8) and 12 points vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14).
Senior forward Justice Ajogbor – who will miss an indefinite amount of time due to a right hand injury but will return later in the 2023-24 season – has registered 8.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.9 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 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 47.4 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. In his collegiate debut, he scored a team-high 16 points vs. UMass Boston (Nov. 6).
Junior guard Denham Wojcik has played in all 13 games and averaged 2.5 points and 2.6 assists per game. 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 3.5 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 3.6 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 38^th in the NCAA in fewest fouls per game (14.6), 63^rd in 3-point percentage defense (29.9), and 72^nd in 3-point percentage (36.5).
In the Ivy rankings, the Crimson stands second in blocks per game (4.38) and 3-point percentage defense (29.9), while ranking third in field goal percentage defense (41.4) and 3-point percentage (36.5).
Harvard trails Princeton in the all-time series, 51-137. The Crimson holds a 14-17 mark against the Tigers under Tommy Amaker. Last season, Harvard dropped two narrow decisions (69-66 and 58-56) to Princeton.