M. Basketball Midseason Report Card

FRONTCOURT

The Crimson came into the season boasting the top frontcourt in the Ivy League with forward Matt Stehle and center Brian Cusworth.

The duo got off to a slow start, as the impressive and unexpected backcourt play grabbed the attention of those following the squad. Then, Cusworth went down with a fractured left hand in the Central Connecticut game, turning Harvard’s pre-season strength into a question mark, if not a weakness.

Stehle struggled even further in the games immediately following Cusworth’s absence at BU and Lehigh, but exploded against LIU and Albany.

The three-man rotation of Brian Darcy, Brad Unger, and Evan Harris has met with mixed success. Harris had a big game against BC and a pretty strong showing against BU, while Unger had his day against Albany.

The extra experience that those three players received in Cusworth’s absence should invariably help the squad in Ivy play, but it likely came at a cost of one or two non-conference wins.



Grade: B-



BACKCOURT

Any talk of the backcourt has to start with freshman point guard Drew Housman.

Most people surrounding the Harvard program figured that junior guard Jim Goffredo would be a strong scorer from the shooting guard position and that Michael Beal could be a solid swingman and provide a boost on the defensive end.

But no one knew who was going to play the point. Would Beal have to move back there, while the freshmen were brought along? Would one of the freshmen take over? Would it be a point-by-committee system?

Housman answered those questions immediately, grabbing the starting role out of the gate and carrying himself with the poise fitting a veteran.

Despite being undersized at 5’11, Housman had a nose for the basket from day one, driving to the hole and using a plethora of pivots to open himself up for a scoop shot or a leaning bank.

Goffredo played exceptionally well over the first half of the season, leading the team in scoring until Stehle’s recent outbursts against LIU and Albany put him on top. Goffredo might get a bit less credit than Housman, because he entered the season with much higher expectations.

Beal also started the season on a tear, but has since cooled off. The 6’4 swingman has had a history of knee problems, and there is always a question of whether that injury has continued to nag him throughout his college career.



Grade: A-



BENCH

The 61-48 Harvard win at Albany with two starters out, and the Crimson’s three-game winning streak without its highly-touted center both speak to the quality of the bench play this season.

The frontcourt trio mentioned previously as well as backcourt players Zach Martin and Ko Yada have all provided timely contributions.

Harvard’s frontcourt depth has allowed it to move Martin back to his original three position, and that has paid dividends for the squad, as Martin has become the top scorer of the bench. Yada showed a knack for hitting the clutch three-pointer early in the season, and his strong defense has been important.



Grade: B+



THE W’S AND L’S

Harvard’s season-opening five-game winning streak included impressive road victories over Holy Cross and Sacred Heart, as well as a victory in the home opener against Vermont.

The aforementioned 61-48 win at Albany with two starters out was another strong road performance.

It’s hard to fault the Crimson for laying an egg at BC, and the losses to BU and Central Connecticut were not particularly embarrassing.

That leaves the 67-56 defeat at Lehigh. It’s fair to say that Harvard wishes it could have that one back. If this Crimson squad is lucky enough to flirt with the school-record 19 win mark, that might be a contest that Harvard could sorely regret.



Grade: B



LOOKING AHEAD

With a matchup with Southern Methodist next Tuesday the last game standing between Harvard and the Ivy portion of the schedule, it’s time to take a look at the league slate.

After a home date with Dartmouth, the Crimson goes on the road for its next five contests spanning exams and intersession. Upon its return to Lavietes, it hosts Penn and Princeton, meaning that by the end of game eight it should be very clear where this Harvard squad is likely to end up.

In order to have a shot at the Ivy title, the Crimson will need to go at least 6-2 in those eight contests. Likely, however, it will take at least a 7-1 mark to remain in the thick of the title hunt.

Along with the visit from Penn and Princeton, Harvard gets six of its final eight Ivy games at home (where it went 5-2 last season), giving it a distinct advantage if it can survive the early portion of the league slate.

—Staff writer Michael R. James can be reached at mrjames@fas.harvard.edu.