CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Over the past few seasons, as Harvard has become an Ivy League contender and then champion, the Crimson developed an identity. They were known as a defensive team, one that would shut you down no matter the style of play. They became known as a team that lives off its defense. That’s still important, but this year’s team is making its mark on the offensive end in a big way, and that was apparent once again in their 67-64 win over Yale on Friday night.
Harvard is shooting a little under 49 percent from the field on the season, a figure that puts them in the top 15 nationally. They also shoot over 41 percent from long range, good for fifth nationally, and assist on over 60 percent of their made field goals. They average nearly 70 points per game, which won’t put them among the national leaders but is a pretty good number nonetheless. About the only knock on the stat sheet is that they have a few more turnovers than assists, though they closed the gap on that one Friday night.
All of this was evident on Friday night in a game they won as much because they were better offensively. The Crimson shot 54.8 percent from the field and went 8-13 from long range. In Ivy League play they are shooting over 54 percent. With 17 assists on 23 field goals, they kept up their season number in that category.
A lot of this success owes to two young guards who have become stars when the team has needed them most. With four starters gone from last season’s team, two of whom were supposed to be back this season, Siyani Chambers and Wesley Saunders were both suddenly thrust into bigger roles than initially planned for them. Thus far, they have both been more than up to the task, a large reason why the Crimson haven’t missed a beat.
“When we have our flow about us and everybody’s getting touches, I think we have a great offense,” said Saunders.
Chambers was supposed to play 10-15 minutes a game backing up senior Brandyn Curry. His body still has a ways to go, so he was supposed to have a chance to develop his body while learning the college game. Instead, he has been handed the keys to the offense and on the court for over 36 minutes a game. The leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, he’s won Rookie of the Week five times.
“He’s done that from day one for us, and we rely on him so much to quarterback our team,” said head coach Tommy Amaker.
Added Saunders: “He’s a floor general out there, he’s the one that makes everything go, so when he’s out of the game it’s a big blow.”
Saunders, meanwhile, was supposed to take on an expanded role this season, but Curry’s absence also meant he would need to handle the ball more. Add in Kyle Casey sitting out the season, and now the sophomore was the likely go-to guy instead of a complementary piece. Saunders posted his first career double-double on Friday night with 15 points and 11 assists, making six of his eight shots.
“I think Wesley is the best all-around player in our league,” said Amaker. “There’s nothing he can’t do. He handles the ball, he rebounds, he’s big, he’s strong, he’s scores, he’s our best perimeter defender. We rely on him so much it’s amazing.”
The numbers tell some of the story for both. Saunders leads the Ivy League in scoring and steals and is fifth in assists and third in field goal percentage, the last stat a remarkable one for a guard as he’s shooting almost 55 percent from the field. Chambers is in the top ten in scoring, leads the league in assists and is third in three-point shooting. They play well off each other, and with Saunders able to handle the ball at times it takes some pressure off Chambers.
The Crimson haven’t done this against a cheap schedule. Harvard’s non-conference schedule included UMass, Atlantic 10 preseason favorite Saint Joseph’s (who has been a disappointment), America East contender Vermont, Connecticut, California, Saint Mary’s and Memphis. Vermont is the only one of those opponents they played at home.
The Crimson’s offensive numbers are up in the first three Ivy League games. There is a long way to go, but this has been a season-long trend. Amaker will still emphasize defense, knowing that offense won’t always be there the way it usually has been for this team, and he spent a lot of time talking about the foul trouble they were in on Friday night. In particular, he emphasized Chambers being limited to just 28 minutes because he was in foul trouble.
“Not having Siyani on the floor for us for that long stretch of the game was really tough on us,” said Amaker. “Alex (Nesbitt) came in and did a nice job and ran our offense, but we didn’t match up on the other end and broke down in our responsibilities.”
Still, this team has become quite an offensive team, built around its two young guards. One reason the Crimson look like they might be the favorites is that they have the Ivy League’s best backcourt. While the Crimson still work at being a good defensive team, and will likely win or lose the league based on that, their offense might carry them to a victory or two on a night when the defense isn’t so good.
