Guard Takes Charge

In the preseason, the Harvard men’s basketball team was considered to be full of talent, but it lacked a go-to guy.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for sophomore Jeremy Lin to establish himself in that role.

The Palo Alto, Calif. native was the only player to start in all 30 games and led the team with 12.6 points per game, 107 assists, and 58 steals.

“Jeremy’s been our best player. He’s played exceptionally well for us all year,” head coach Tommy Amaker said of his star in February. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”

Whether that meant making shots, finding the open man, grabbing rebounds (third on the team at 4.8 per game), or blocking shots (second on the team with 18), Lin broke out as a leader in all facets of the game.

“Jeremy’s great. He’s killin’!” junior forward Evan Harris said of Lin following a victory over Penn in February. “It’s great, especially for a sophomore to be stepping up like that—it’s a great sign for our future.”

Early in the season, Lin put up a career-high 23-point, nine rebound, nine assist performance in a big non-conference win over Mercer.

Lin would later put his stamp on the season in one weekend, with the team hosting Princeton and Penn at Lavietes Pavilion on consecutive nights. Against the Tigers, Lin capped an 8-0 run by the Crimson with a layup on the right side with nine seconds to play to tie the game and force overtime. He finished with 20 points and seven boards in an eventual 76-67 Harvard victory.

The next night, Lin did one better, notching 21 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals, leading the Crimson to its first weekend sweep of the Killer P’s since 1987.

While Lin broke out to become one of the best players in the league, he credits his teammates for his success.

“We just have so many weapons that the other team can’t really focus on one person,” Lin said. “That allowed me to get a lot more open—getting into lanes and getting open shots.”

—Staff writer Kevin C. Reyes can be reached at kreyes@post.harvard.edu.