Men's Basketball Preview: Cornell

A late jumper by junior co-captain Siyani Chambers catapulted the Harvard men’s basketball team (16-5, 6-1 Ivy) to its fifth straight win Friday. The Crimson goes for its 20th win in its last 22 games at home Saturday against the Cornell Big Red. Below, The Back Page takes a look at the three main things to keep your eye on as Harvard looks to complete its first home sweep of the year.

Balance, Balance, Balance: Harvard coach Tommy Amaker’s favorite phrase, his team’s “bench and balance,” came up big for the Crimson against Columbia. Senior Jonah Travis had 12 points off of the bench, playing most of the second half and hitting a dagger jumper late in the game. Amaker has moved to a seven-man rotation almost exclusively since the beginning of conference play, sticking nonconference rotation players like freshman Andre Chatfield and junior Evan Cummins on the bench for the entire 40 minutes, making Travis’ efforts even more important.

On the other side of the floor, Cornell is a top-heavy squad led by sophomore guard Robert Hatter and senior forward Shonn Miller. The Big Red had four players in double figures in an overtime victory Friday over Dartmouth and has been at its best this season when role players like Devin Cherry and Galal Cancer can step up. Cancer had 17 points in Cornell’s best win of the season, a 68-60 triumph last Saturday over Princeton; to beat Harvard, Cornell will need him and Cherry to stretch the Crimson defense out to the three-point line.

Captain Clutch: For the season, Chambers has struggled horribly, making just 34 percent of his shots and 33 percent of his threes. He is averaging the fewest points, assists, and rebounds of his career, with foul and turnover averages worse than last year. It mattered little Friday night. Chambers watched from the other side of the court as Columbia point guard Maodo Lo tore up teammates with a vicious series of crossover and in-and-out dribbles to the tune of 22 points over 39 minutes. It was Lo who found forward Jeff Coby for the game-tying three-pointer with eight seconds to go, but Chambers who had the last laugh—draining a jumper in his defender’s grill to seal the ballgame.

With the exception of Penn, each of Harvard’s last five Ivy League games has been decided by four points or less. If it comes down to that again Saturday, look for the point guard with nerves of steel to have the ball in his hands again.

Elimination Games: Columbia’s loss to the Crimson Friday night effectively eliminated the Lions from the conference title race at three games back with seven to go. Two teams face similar predicaments Saturday night. A Cornell loss would put both of the Gentleman’s C’s out of contention, while Princeton hosts Yale looking to keep its title hopes alive. If the Tigers cannot win at Jadwin, with trips to Payne Whitney and Lavietes on the horizon, they can kiss the crown goodbye. Ditto for Cornell, which has yet to host the Crimson or visit Jadwin and Payne Whitney.