Men’s Basketball Hosts Columbia Friday, Cornell Saturday in First Ivy Back-to-Back

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men's basketball hosts Columbia University on Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) and Cornell University on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Lavietes Pavilion in its first Ivy League back-to-back weekend of the season as the Crimson continues a four-game homestand.

What to Know

As part of the fourth annual ERACISM "This Game is No Secret" campaign, teams across the country – including the Crimson this weekend – 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. To learn more visit ERACISM4EVER.com.
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 18.8 points per game and as one of just two first-years in the top 100. Overall, he ranks 61^st in the NCAA in scoring and 80^th in assists per game (4.6). His 32-point effort at UMass (Nov. 17) stands as the third-highest scoring output from a first-year in a game against another Division I institution this season in the nation.
Mack has averaged 18.8 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.7 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 (70). Mack has scored in double figures in 13 of 14 games played this season, netted 20 or more points six times, notched 25 or more points three times, and eclipsed 30 points once. He has dished out five or more assists in each of seven games in 2023-24.
Mack has gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week six 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 in back-to-back weeks in January (Jan. 16, Jan. 22).
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), 20 points and six assists vs. Yale (Jan. 27), and 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 17.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 49.5 percent from the field. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in points per game, ninth in rebounds per game, and second in free throws made (72). In Ivy play, he has averaged 17.0 points per game, ranking fifth in the league. He has scored in double figures 15 times in 16 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 at Penn (Jan. 20) and posted 17 points against both Rice (Nov. 10) and Army (Dec. 8).
Junior guard Louis Lesmond has averaged 9.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 37.4 percent from 3-point distance. He ranks fourth in the Ivy League in total 3-pointers made (40) and fifth in 3-pointers per game (2.4). Lesmond has made three or more 3-pointers in each of eight games this year. Lesmond netted a career-high 17 points and five made 3-popinters at Penn (Jan. 20) after scoring 16 points vs. Albany (Jan. 2). He notched 14 points and made 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 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting 86.7 percent on free throws. In Ivy only play, he stands sixth in the league in field goal percentage (55.2). He has scored in double figures in each of seven 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 vs. Yale (Jan. 27) and 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 7.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game on the year. In Ivy only play, he leads the league in blocks per game (2.0). He has posted three or more blocks in each of six 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 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.5 percent from the field. In Ivy only play, he ranks eighth in the league in rebounds per game (5.3). 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 2.1 points and 2.3 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 2.6 points and 3.2 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 36^th in the NCAA in fewest fouls per game (14.9) and 73^rd in blocks per game (4.3). In the Ivy rankings, the Crimson stands second in blocks per game (4.29), second in 3-point percentage defense (31.7), and third in field goal percentage defense (42.2).
Harvard trails Columbia in the all-time series, 90-98, but the Crimson has taken the last nine matchups in the series. That nine-game win streak includes three overtime contests. Harvard swept the two-game set last year.
Harvard trails Cornell in the all-time series, 88-95. Harvard took both games in last year's series. The Crimson has posted a 21-10 record against Cornell under Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball.