ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Saunders Shoulders Crimson's Success

Few players can engineer a second-half comeback. Guys who can do so with an assist, a rebound, a lay-up, a steal, another assist, and another driving finish—contributing to nine straight points that tie the game—are even more rare. And then to fuel two more lead-taking runs after that, refusing to let your team lose?

Well that must just mean we are talking about Wesley Saunders.

Harvard basketball coach Tommy Amaker said before the season that Saunders, a senior guard/forward/whatever you want him to be, had the chance to be one of the Crimson’s best players of all time—maybe the best.

In games against Houston and Massachusetts last week, Saunders continued separating himself from hundreds of Harvard players that have come before him, scoring a combined 51 points in two wins to claim this week’s Athlete of the Week honor.

He started with 24 points against Houston Tuesday. Saunders led the team in scoring for the fourth straight game in that 84-63 victory—the first do so since Jeremy Lin ’10—but none of his points were as crucial as several of his buckets were a few days later.

Sure, Amaker called Saunders’ play “phenomenal” Tuesday, but that game will not be nearly as important come March. So let’s jump ahead to Saturday.

The Crimson played in what felt like enemy territory upon entering Lavietes Pavilion Saturday as UMass fans packed the stands. But Saunders made sure the Minutemen crowd left quietly.

The audience was anything but quiet as UMass jumped out to a game-high nine-point lead to start the second half.

Saunders then overheaded a crosscourt pass to sophomore Corbin Miller for a three. On the other end, he grabbed a defensive rebound and drove the length of the floor before dropping in a contested layup.

Then he came from nowhere to intercept a Trey Davis pass and feed junior Evan Cummins downcourt for a slam.

Saunders left the honor of totally eliminating the gap to himself, tying the game at 45 with a crossover and an up-and-under layup.

When he’s on, Saunders can appear downright arachnid.

Others struggle to protect the ball, guarding it with their arms and hoping to make it to the basket unthwarted. Saunders uses it as bait.

He sets up his defender with jab-steps, quarter-rotations and half-turns. His legs and arms all work in perfect synchronization until he’s got the defender right where he wants him, all spun around and outmatched. Usually the man trying to mark Saunders cannot see the ball-handlers plans until it’s too late. He’s caught in Saunders’ web—ensnared—and Saunders is laying the ball in, textbook leg and arm technique be damned.

He slips up sometimes—including a careless turnover at the top of the key Saturday—and his style does not make him the best partner for junior captain Siyani Chambers when it comes time to break a trap. But when his team needs a bucket, few in college basketball are as crafty or reliable as Saunders.

Still, the Minutemen proved game, struggling out of Saunder’s trap multiple times. The teams fought back and forth after Saunders tied the game at 45 before UMass’ Zach Coleman brought his supporters to their feet again with a dunk that put his team up three.

If you’ve been paying attention, you probably know what happened next. Saunders provided another lesson is space-creation and finishing, driving from right in front of Amaker to the basket, scoring two points despite drawing contact.

A play later, Chambers found Saunders for what looked like a lazy transition three-pointer to anyone that hasn’t watched the smooth senior cash them in for the better part of three years. This one went down too. Harvard was up two with just under seven minutes to play.

Massachusetts made one more push, tying the game with 1:14 left. Saunders earned and cashed in two free throws on the ensuing possession and then completed a three-point play, dribbling behind his back and hitting a six-footer while being pushed backwards.

“I just tried to…draw a foul or make a shot and luckily I did both,” he explained afterwards.

Saunders claimed a key defensive rebound with three seconds left to boot.

He finished with 27 points. With co-captain Steve Moundou-Missi limited by foul trouble and Chambers going scoreless in the first-half, Harvard needed just about all of them.

“Absolutely sensational,” Amaker said. “I thought he made critical baskets and critical plays for us to put us in position to win.”

Of course he was talking about Wesley Saunders.

—Staff writer Jacob D.H. Feldman can be reached at jacob.feldman@thecrimson.com.