Rookies Forced Into the Lineup

It’s not everyday a freshman is lucky enough to get a lot of action in his first year at college—but on the Harvard men’s basketball team, the novices are seeing a lot of playing time.

Six first-years, who represent half of the team, inherited the mammoth task of supporting a squad plagued by injury.

This weekend, there are only eight healthy players on the roster—not an unusual circumstance for the Crimson this season—and Harvard continues to juggle around the health of the upperclassmen.

“We knew coming into the year that our freshmen were going to contribute for us, and they have,” Crimson coach Tommy Amaker said.

“We’ve also said coming into the year that we’re only going to be as good as our veterans will carry us. Some of those veterans aren’t even playing for us right now. So that’s hurt us and set us back.”

Upperclassmen started to peel off early in the season due to back, knee, and ankle problems, opening up positions for the younger players.

While this is not an ideal situation by any means, Harvard could not have been in a better position to compensate for this misfortune, considering it has a top-25 recruiting class.

“To lead the program at this point, it is very difficult for younger players or freshman players to take on that kind of challenge,” Amaker said.

But the freshmen on the team have excelled beyond expectation.

While their shining moment may seem like a dull ray of light, due to the fact that they are playing because of injuries to the upperclassmen, being pushed has brought out their raw talent.

Freshman Max Kenyi has given Harvard valuable minutes at point guard, while freshmen Peter Swiatek and Hugh Martin have gotten their feet wet in the front court. The other first-years, Keith Wright, Peter Boehm and Oliver McNally, have also stood out.

Among these freshmen, forward Wright ranks highest with both 13 starts and about seven points per game.

“I think Keith has established himself. I think he’s going to be a tremendous inside, low-post player throughout his tenure here in the Ivy League,” Amaker said. “I think he’s got a lot of work to do, as all the freshmen do. We have seen that he has a chance to become a good player if he continues to work.”

Fellow forward Boehm has also been a hard-worker, and despite being undersized playing in the post, he has appeared in every single game this season.

“I think Peter Boehm has been a player that surprised some people in a very positive sense,” Amaker said. “He’s a very good shooter. He’s going to have to diversify his game a little bit…but certainly he’s a player that has given us a lot in his freshman year.”

Another big contributor and gameday regular, appearing in all 24 games, is McNally. He tallies around five points per game, but his real input comes from his unyielding and persistent demeanor on the court.

“I think Oliver’s presence and his fight and his guts and his spirit make him a little bit different than the normal freshman,” Amaker said. “He’s a fighter. If we can have that remain a part of his identity throughout his tenure, I think he’s going to have a fine career.”

As point guard, McNally enjoys the opportunity to play with undamaged senior Drew Housman, senior Andrew Pusar, and junior Jeremy Lin, and he learns from their example.

“It’s cool to have such a good group in front of you, especially as a point guard having Drew as a senior because he has played all four years, and he is a really good player,” McNally said.

With the season’s end just four games away, seniors are saying their last farewells to college athletics, and the freshmen prepare to assume higher ranks on the team.

It is easy to get excited about what next year holds for the first-year prodigies. Made to compete before their time, they have gained invaluable experience that will no doubt contribute greatly to Harvard basketball.