Frosh Steps Up in Clutch

It was billed as one of Harvard senior center Brian Cusworth’s last hurrahs, as the sequel to a dominant performance by Dartmouth point guard Leon Pattman. So it came as a surprise when, with 13 minutes left in a game that had progressed in fits and spurts, 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 an increasingly astute judgment for when to attack the basket.

“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.

Perhaps inspired, perhaps emboldened, Lin took charge, collecting a rebound and taking it coast to coast. Lin showed impressive athleticism, driving hard to the basket through heavy traffic with his right hand, but maintaining enough composure to lay in a floater from six feet out while drawing a foul.

Though he missed the ensuing free throw, Lin kept his wits about him, snagging the carom and quickly dropping in another smooth layup with his right hand, pulling the Crimson even with Dartmouth at 45 apiece.

Two minutes later, following a Dartmouth free throw and a three by Pattman, Lin once more 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,” Harvard coach Frank Sullivan said.

Referring to Harvard’s failure to keep pace with the Big Green in last week’s game at Dartmouth, Sullivan added, “As the game got close, like it did up in Hanover, the game got a little different with the energy he brought to the game at that point.”

Lin’s roll continued with a steal from 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 left from the right wing and releasing a gentle stop-and-pop jumper from just in front of the free throw line, scoring his tenth point in fewer than four minutes. (He 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 and reignited 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,” said Sullivan, who expressed happiness that his two young guards 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. 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 more 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.