Men's Basketball to Open Season in Shanghai Against Stanford

SHANGHAI–What gets lost in presentations at one of the world’s largest companies, trips to ancient temples, parades at Shanghai Disney, jetlag from a 20-hour trip, photo ops with Bill Walton and Jason Collins, and press conferences with the Chinese media is that there is a basketball game to be played.

The Harvard men’s basketball team will begin its regular season and cap off its week-long trip to Shanghai with a matchup with arguably its most challenging nonconference foe, as the Crimson will take on Stanford on Saturday afternoon (11 PM EST) at Mercedes-Benz Arena.

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to compete and to play,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. “To start the season off here is a wonderful moment for all of us, but to face an opponent like Stanford is not usually something we sign up for at this time in the season. We have an amazing amount of respect for their program and their institution.”

The 2016 edition of the Pac-12 China Game features two teams loaded with talent looking to bounce back from disappointing campaigns last season. The Cardinal returns eight of its nine players who averaged at least 12 minutes a contest a season ago while Harvard counters with three-time All-Ivy pick Siyani Chambers, who missed last season with a torn ACL, and a class of seven talented freshmen. Jerod Haase, formerly the head man at UAB and an assistant coach under Roy Williams at both Kansas and North Carolina, took over the reins at Stanford in March. Amaker will begin his tenth season with the Crimson on Saturday.

Stanford was bitten by the injury bug last season but is expected to have a fully healthy roster on Saturday. Sophomore point guard Robert Cartwright and junior forward Reid Travis combined to play just eight games last season but both figure to be in the starting lineup for the Cardinal.

They will likely be joined by senior guard Marcus Allen, junior forward Michael Humphrey, and junior swingman Dorian Pickens. Haase will also have a deep bench at his disposal, headlined by last year’s starting point guard Christian Sanders and wings Marcus Sheffield and Kodye Pugh.

Harvard will counter with its core of Chambers, sophomore shooting guard Corey Johnson, and senior center Zena Edosomwan. Outside of the trio, it remains to be seen how Amaker will utilize the rest of his roster. Eleven different players, not including co-captain Corbin Miller, have logged ten or more minutes in at least one of the team’s exhibition games this season. However, Amaker figures to stick with a smaller rotation on Saturday. Freshman Seth Towns will likely start on the wing opposite Johnson while several of his classmates will see key minutes off the bench.

The matchup to watch will be between Travis, the younger brother of Harvard forward Jonah Travis ’15, and Harvard’s rotation at the power forward position. Junior Chris Egi and freshman Chris Lewis will likely be tasked with shutting down the game’s most talented player. Egi and Lewis have the size (6’9”, 220 and 6’9”, 235, respectively) but the former averaged just 11.5 minutes per game last season while the latter will be making his collegiate debut.

“We’re excited for the game,” Haase said. “Most US teams start the first weekend of the regular season at home with a lesser opponent and needless to say, we’re obviously not going that route. It’s not exactly a home game and our level of respect for Harvard is off the charts. It’s going to be a tremendous battle.”

Despite the x-factor in Travis, the Crimson will likely have the edge shooting the ball. Johnson set the Harvard freshman three-point record a season ago while Miller is in range once the ball crosses halfcourt. Towns and classmate Bryce Aiken bring the midrange game Harvard lacked last year.

Defense has been the calling card of Amaker-led teams during his time in Cambridge and the length of this year’s freshmen figures to strengthen a defense that allowed just under 65 points a game last season.

The magnitude of the game will definitely be reflected in its coverage. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN2 in the US and throughout China via Alibaba’s new sports platform. Mercedes-Benz Arena is the largest non-NBA arena the Crimson will have played at during the Amaker era.

“We’re very proud to participate, very proud to represent our institution and represent the Ivy League as a whole,” Amaker said. “To learn about the culture and history, the tradition here in this amazing country has been amazing for all of us”

–Staff writer Stephen J. Gleason can be reached at stephen.gleason@thecrimson.com.