Harvard Hosts Killer P’s in Weekend Set

The Harvard men’s basketball team (9-7, 1-1 Ivy) lost to Dartmouth in overtime last week, but will look to redeem itself as it takes on Ivy League foes Penn (4-10, 0-0) and Princeton (5-8, 0-0) at Lavietes Pavilion this weekend.

The Crimson split its two game series with Dartmouth for the third season in a row. From the opening tip-off, Harvard could not keep pace with the Big Green, committing 17 costly turnovers and hitting just 17-for-27 from the charity stripe.

“We’ve all just been talking about [how] it was a bad loss, but we have to keep fighting,” senior guard Drew Housman said. “We have a chance to beat every team, so our destiny is still in our hands.”

Indeed it is, as the Crimson has shown an improvement in every facet of the game so far this season, from the breakout performances of junior Jeremy Lin to the stifling defense—even without much of a big man presence inside due to injury.

Not surprisingly, Harvard has already accumulated more wins than that at the end of last season.

But notching two more victories this weekend won’t be easy.

While Penn and Princeton both have losing records, both teams have what it takes to pull out an upset. The Crimson must limit itself in turnovers and dominate the boards.

“I think it’s been a great week of practice,” said senior captain and guard Andrew Pusar. “We believe we’re one of the best team in the league and we have to get back to that level after Dartmouth.”

Point guard Housman and freshman forward Keith Wright, who matched a career-high 13 rebounds last weekend against Dartmouth, have put on impressive performances this season. Both players must be able to score and dish it out to Lin, who has been averaging a team-high 18.1 points per game.

Senior forward Evan Harris may see the court this weekend after nursing an injury earlier in the season.

“I have to imagine it’s a game-time decision, but I would say it’s looking optimistic,” Pusar said.

Coming off of a loss against St. Joseph’s, Penn will look to establish its balanced attack this weekend against Harvard.

Leading the Quakers is sophomore Tyler Bernardini, a 6’6 forward, who had two double-doubles in the last three games, along with a 23-point showing against La Salle.

“We really need to focus on Bernardini,” said Housman.

The Crimson must also keep its eye on point guard Zack Rosen. In his first season, the freshman sensation currently leads the Ivy League with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.13. He is also second in the league in assists, averaging 4.9 a game.

Rosen can score as well, as he has put up double figures in points in four of the last six games.

“I think that one of the things we know about Penn is that they’re a hard-nosed team and they’re tough in size,” Pusar said. “They have a pretty good inside-out combination and they surround their tough big men with good shooters. For us to counter that, we have to play solid man-to-man defense and function as a unit together.”

Harvard must aim for a strong start on its home court, as the Quakers are 0-10 when trailing at halftime but 4-0 when leading.

Penn has won twelve of the last thirteen games against Harvard, but the Crimson will hope to reverse that trend this coming Saturday.

Harvard will face the famed Princeton offense just 24 hours later. Known for their plethora of three-point attempts and the motion offense, the Tigers will bring a completely different style of play to the court. It is no surprise that in Princeton’s last game, seven different players hit at least one three-pointer against Concordia.

“I think we have to be very alert on every possession against Princeton,” Pusar said. “Obviously, they’ll try to catch you off guard, so we’ll have to be aware that they’ll be constantly moving.”

The Tigers are also led by a freshman point guard in Doug Davis. Though he stands at only 5’11 and weighs just 155 lbs, Davis is the team’s scoring leader, averaging 13.5 points per game.

Additionally, Princeton has the size in 6’9 centers Zach Finley and Pawel Buczak to accommodate its perimeter game. With many of the Crimson’s big men out with injuries, Harvard will try to make up for size with intensity and speed.

“With both teams, we want to be very aggressive on defense,” Pusar said. “We want to make both teams feel uncomfortable handling and dribbling the ball. Regardless of any size advantage, we’ll be able to force turnovers.”

Though it may still be early in conference play, the Crimson feels that it must win this weekend in order to contend for its first-ever Ivy League championship.

“We really need to focus,” Housman said. “Right now is the time to hold our own court in the Ivy League.”

—Staff writer Kevin T. Chen can be reached at ktchen@fas.harvard.edu.