Men’s Basketball: Houston Preview

After three games, the Harvard men’s basketball team (2-1) has sandwiched solid home wins around a surprising neutral-court defeat to Holy Cross. The Crimson will look to continue protecting home-court advantage when it takes on Houston (2-0) Tuesday night at Lavietes Pavilion. Below, The Back Page takes a look at the three main things to keep your eye on as the Crimson tries to stay undefeated on its current four-game homestand.

Trap Games: Before the year, much was made about Harvard’s nonconference schedule—or lack thereof. The schedule lacks the marquee games of past years, with teams like Memphis, Colorado, and St. Mary’s absent from the schedule. However, while the slate of games is not top-heavy, it carries a number of dangerous games against teams solidly in the NCAA’s middle tier. Harvard plays eight programs ranked between 65 and 165 on KenPom, with two of the Crimson’s conference opponents—Yale and Columbia—falling in the same range.

Houston carries a 2-0 record and a no. 163 ranking into Lavietes. The Cougars have a solid early road win over top-100 Murray State and took out SMU, Memphis, and UConn last year, so the team will not be intimidated by the host Crimson. Despite a ranking in the triple digits, Houston represents a stiff early season test for Harvard.

Home Sweet Home: Over the last four seasons, Harvard has turned the cozy confines of Lavietes Pavilion into a nightmare trip for opposing teams. The Crimson has lost just three times at home in its last 54 contests, a startling run of success bested by only Belmont (52-2 in the same span) and Duke (65-3).

In its three losses—to Yale (2014), Vermont (2012), and Penn (2012)—Harvard’s normally stout defense gave up an average of 71.3 points per game, allowing opponents to shoot 53.4 percent from the floor. So far this season, Harvard has yet to allow 60 points in a game and has held each opponent to below 40 percent from the floor. To pull off the upset, Houston will need to shatter those numbers.

Getting Healthy: The Crimson, which has been remarkably healthy during its four-year run, has struggled with nicks and bruises in the early going. Junior Agunwa Okolie, who received rave reviews from teammates and coaches for his preseason progress, played his first minutes of the season against Florida Atlantic before re-aggravating a previous ankle tweak. Senior Jonah Travis, a starter in the team’s first two games, was out the entire game with a concussion. Both players are key to the team’s floor spacing and depth, and their availability will be closely monitored as the team moves towards the tougher half of its nonconference schedule.