NOTEBOOK: Blocked Shots, Return of Seniors Overwhelm Black Knights

If the offense is not shooting particularly well in a close game, it is up to the defense to step it up and keep the game tight until the offense can break away. On Saturday afternoon at home against Army, the Crimson defense came through and put on a show, setting a new single-game record of 12 blocks in the victory.

“It was cool to see them do it, because they bang each other so hard every day in practice,” senior guard Drew Housman said. “It was great to see them go against another team and really control the boards. Our guards were getting beat a lot, and they were there to help us, so it was a good team effort.”

Freshman forward Keith Wright led the team with a career-high four blocks, while senior forward Evan Harris had three of his own. Both junior guard Jeremy Lin and junior forward Doug Miller contributed two rejections to the total. Freshman center Peter Swiatek had a key block of his own after coming off the bench in the last seconds of the game, leaping through the air to stuff Jeremy Hence’s layup to seal the game for Harvard.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

After missing the first three games of the season due to a preseason injury to his chest, captain guard Andrew Pusar was finally healthy enough to take his first steps onto the basketball court, logging 17 minutes of game time off the bench.

“It felt good,” Pusar said. “I had to work my way back in, kind of had to prove myself again, but it felt good. I just wanted to help the team in any way. I happened to be in when we made a big run, so it felt good to watch us show so much improvement and great to be a part of that.”

Pusar’s first shot of the season, and only shot of the game, was a three-pointer from just beyond the arc, and he added an assist and two steals for the team. But his presence on the court did much more than his stat line might suggest: he brought stability to the game that improved the play of every one of his teammates.

“That’s our captain,” Housman said. “He came in, provided everything we needed from him. He’s leading the nation in three-point field goal percentage. That’s what we need him for, and he also played good solid D.”

One of the keys to the Crimson’s victory was the ball movement around the perimeter and in the paint, and Pusar was a big part of this, regardless of his assist total on paper.

Having Pusar on the court as a threat on offense opened up passing lanes and let his teammates take advantage good looks and open shots, while his hustle on defense led to forced turnovers and better play in the second half.

But the biggest impact that Pusar had on the team was in moving the ball up and down the court, making sure that everything he did created better opportunities for his team.

“I think we did a great job today of moving the ball,” Pusar said. “Everyone really played unselfishly and looked for the open man. Somebody might have thought they were a little bit open and then saw a guy who was even more open, so they made the extra pass and helped out a teammate. We feel confident in our shooters and try to get the best chances we can.”

I’M BACK!

Saturday afternoon also marked the return of senior guard Erik Groszyk, who has not played since the middle of the 2006-07 season because of a concussion. Groszyk is looking to show what he can do after his year on hiatus.

“He got medically cleared again this year, so he’s back on the team,” Housman said. “It’s great to have him back. He’s my roommate, I wish I could have hit him for that layup down there [late in the second half], but I blew the pass. It’s cool to see him, because he provides a lot of energy and is a great team player.”

Groszyk saw limited playing time on Saturday, coming off the bench in the last minute of the game, but with the recovery time of junior guard Dan McGeary’s back injury still unknown, he should see more playing time.