Housman, Harris Lead Crimson on Trip South

In Ivy League basketball, one weekend can change a lot.

Yale ascended from middle of the pack to first last weekend following stunning victories over Princeton and Penn.

Princeton continued its lackluster season with two more Ivy losses to drop its historically top-tier program to an unprecedented 0-4 record in league play.

This weekend, it’s Harvard’s turn to make a statement.

Leading the charge for the surging Crimson will be two sophomores—Evan Harris and Drew Housman—who have something to prove.

This weekend will be not only the toughest road trip of the season for Harvard, but it will also prove the stiffest test for Harris’ and Housman’s young careers.

The team travels to Jadwin Gym in Princeton, NJ and the Palestra in Philadelphia, PA­— places where the Crimson has not won since 1989 and 1991, respectively.

But Harris and Housman have more than history working against them.

For Harris, the challenge is two-fold: maintain the offensive production that led Harvard to a 65-64 victory over Cornell last Saturday while also containing the Ivy League’s leading scorer.

The second challenge will come Saturday night, as Harris will try to staunch senior forward and returning All-Ivy League standout Mark Zoller’s attempts to carry his Quakers (10-8, 4-1 Ivy) to another NCAA tournament.

After the departure of Harvard senior Brian Cusworth, Zoller is leading the Ivy Leagues in points (18.3) and rebounds (7.9) per game—showcasing why he is the best four man in the Ivies. Harris will look to prove the Crimson’s four-man is not far behind.

“He’s definitely a great player, he’s a great four man leading his team,” Harris said. “But I hope I can rise to the occasion to help the team.”

The first challenge—continuing his stellar offensive and defensive performance into this weekend—is a more complicated task.

Harris, who has had career nights this season—a 20 point, six rebound performance against CCSU earlier this year on top of the spectacle he put on last Saturday against the Big Red—has shown how good he can be.

However, weeks later, Harris put up a less-than-stellar six point, two rebound performance against Ivy rival Yale.

The big man must still work on performing week in, week out to take the next step in his ascension to Crimson stardom.

For Housman, his test will come against the Ivy League’s best player in the Quaker’s impeccable senior Quentin Jaaber on Saturday. What he does against Jaaber will show how far the second-year point guard has come in his two year’s at the helm of the Harvard offense.

“Jaaber could be the Player of the Year in the league when it’s all said and done,” head coach Frank Sullivan said. “It’s a tough matchup up for [Housman], but I think now being a sophomore, having been through it twice, he’s more prepared.”

Housman has been solid this season, averaging 12.3 points and 3.3 assists per game, but there is still one hump to get over—finding a victory against Penn or Princeton, or both.

Harris and Housman will look to reverse this fate and pass the hardest test of their second sophomore semester.

With two outstanding games against two of the Ivy’s historically most talented teams, all of this can come to pass.

Because one weekend in the Ivies can change a lot.

Staff writer Walter E. Howell can be reached at wehowell@fas.harvard.edu

Staff writer Walter E. Howell can be reached at wehowell@fas.harvard.edu