SIDEBAR: Freshman Guard Lin Scores 12 After Half to Spark Trailing Crimson

It was billed as one of Harvard senior center Brian Cusworth’s last hurrahs. It also could have been the sequel to a dominant performance by Dartmouth point guard Leon Pattman last weekend. But it came as a surprise when, with thirteen minutes left in Friday’s Ivy League tilt against the Big Green, freshman guard Jeremy Lin took charge of the Crimson offense.

With Dartmouth leading 45-41, the 6’2 combo guard reeled off ten straight points, exhibiting versatility, poise, and increasingly astute judgment on the court during his prolific stretch of play.

“I really felt like I was in the flow,” Lin said, “And I felt comfortable for the first time since I got here.”

Trailing by six points following an emphatic dunk by Dartmouth guard Alex Barnett, Harvard found itself in a precarious situation.

Sophomore point guard Drew Housman set an example for Lin, righting Harvard’s ship by penetrating and dishing to forward Brad Unger to snap a seven point Big Green run.

Possibly inspired, possibly emboldened, Lin immediately took charge.

After collecting the next rebound, Lin took the rock coast to coast, drove hard to the basket through heavy traffic, drew the foul, and still maintained enough composure to lay in a floater from six feet out.

Though he missed the ensuing free throw, Lin kept his cool, snagging the carom and quickly dropping in another smooth layup to pull the Crimson even with Dartmouth at 45-45.

Two minutes later, following a Dartmouth free throw and a three by Pattman, Lin once again pulled Harvard back into the flow of the game, drilling a wide-open right corner three off an inside-outside assist from Unger.

“It was great to get the lift off the bench from Jeremy Lin and Brad Unger,” Crimson coach Frank Sullivan said.

“As the game got close, like it did up in Hanover [last weekend], the game got a little different with the energy he brought to the game at that point,” he added.

Lin continued his roll with a steal off Dartmouth guard DeVon Mosley. Once more, he drove to the basket and drew a hard foul.

On Harvard’s next possession, Lin changed pace, dribbling right-to-left and releasing a gentle stop-and-pop jumper. The shot from thirteen feet out fell to give Lin his tenth point in fewer than four minutes.

Lin added two free throws later to finish with 12 points.

Though Lin’s play was far from perfect, especially in the final minutes, his effort put the Crimson back on track by reigniting its offense.

“I think it’s just about getting confidence freshman year,” Cusworth said. “It’s about not worrying so much about playing perfectly, but just relaxing. He obviously showed some great composure and poise.”

The mistakes Lin did make—losing the ball after dribbling into a crowded corner and botching an inbounds play under the Dartmouth basket while under heavy pressure—showed his inexperience above all else.

“Jeremy’s still getting used to the nuances, doing the little things,” Sullivan said.

While recognizing the need for improvement, Sullivan also lauded the play of his two young guards, who stepped up in a game that saw senior captain Jim Goffredo working himself to the point of exhaustion covering Pattman.

“You can look at them and say [Housman and Lin are] both point guards, [but] I think they’re both guards who can play together in the future,” Sullivan said. “One doesn’t have to play the one, one doesn’t have to play the two. It bodes well for our backcourt future.”

Given that Harvard’s lineup will undergo a significant downsizing in two games after Cusworth’s departure, the backcourt’s future will become inextricably tied to the Crimson’s success. Perhaps Lin’s steep learning curve bodes well for the whole team.

—Staff writer Jonathan B. Steinman can be reached at steinman@fas.harvard.edu.