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The Ivy basketball season was well underway this past weekend. The Harvard men’s team lost their initial league match of the year at home to Princeton, 68-64. The Harvard women’s team played in their second Ivy contest, a heart breaking 52-50 loss to Princeton in New Jersey.
Men’s coach Tommy Amaker finds himself in a place he did not expect to be as 2024-25 matches began. Two of his star players from 2023-24 defected elsewhere. They jumped through the transfer portal.
Malik Mack, last season’s Ivy League Freshman of the Year, moved to Georgetown. Junior standout Chisom Okpara is now playing for Stanford. Rumors still abound as to the millions of dollars these young men were offered to leave Harvard.
The Banner conducted an exclusive interview with Coach Amaker after his team’s tune-up 71-65 victory at home over Bowdoin on January 5. Amaker made it clear that Harvard would not engage in the pay-for-play invited by NIL (name, image and likeness) in what he called the “new world of college sports.” Instead, he and the university’s athletics department plan to abide by what he believes to be the spirit of the rules.
Chandler Piggé had 15 points for the Crimson against the Tigers. PHOTO: GREG SABIN/HARVARD ATHLETICS
Indeed, Harvard recently announced its new initiative, One Crimson NIL. It offers businesses and brands the opportunity to contract with student-athletes.
One Crimson participates through Teamworks Influencer, the athletic brand-building management app. That will lead to partnerships for these young people that so far include endorsements, public appearances, autograph sessions and social media promotions.
On the hardwood floor itself, women’s coach Carrie Moore, in her third year at Harvard, has her team off to a best in the Ivy 12-2 record. A few more victories and they will crack the top 25.
After Saturday’s loss to Princeton, they are 1-1 in the league. The game was close all the way. Elena Rodriguez led the Crimson with 22 points. However, Princeton’s Ashley Chea sealed the deal with a buzzer beater. The women’s next game is on Saturday at 2 p.m. at home, Lavietes Pavilion in Allston.
Men’s freshman guard from Los Angeles, 6’8” Robert Hinton, continued to impress his coaches with 14 points in their four-point loss to Princeton Saturday. 6’5” junior guard Chandler Pigge from Houston threw in 15. The effort bodes well for the remaining season. The next contest is against Ivy rival Penn, Monday, MLK Day, at 2 p.m. at home in the Pavilion.
To address concerns expressed about Hinton’s L.A. family in the fire disaster, it was revealed at the post-game press conference that his parents were in attendance on Saturday. The parents of 6’2” freshman guard Ben Eisendrath, also from L.A., were present as well.
For the men and women, the remaining games, all Ivy League, will determine their respective season’s success. The top four teams after their 14 league contests meet for a two-game playoff. The winners automatically advance to the March Madness first round.
For the men, this season took on special significance with Class of 2020 Seth Towns’ return to be the Crimson’s assistant coach. When Towns got his degree, due to injuries, he still had two remaining years of basketball eligibility. However, archaic Ivy League rules prohibit graduate students from playing.
In order to continue his basketball career, Towns returned to his native Columbus, Ohio, and took the floor for the Buckeyes. Injuries continued to plague him, and with additional eligibility, he used it up at Howard.
Now with Big Ten and HBCU experience, he brings that knowledge to coaching at Harvard. Hopefully Towns’ story will help the Ivy League revisit its ban on graduate student play. Over the last four years, instead of being forced to go on the road, he could have been a valuable Harvard contributor.
On Monday, Hinton was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this season. In addition to his 14 points against Princeton, he had six rebounds, two steals and two assists. He scored half of his points in the final 34 seconds of the game as Harvard pulled to within a possession.
This year, Hinton is ninth in the league in points per game, 13.9, and fifth in both field goals made, 73, and free throws made, 42. Among all first-year NCAA players his 13.9 points per game ranks him 20th and 17th in field goals made, 5.2, very impressive stats.
As a team, Harvard has racked up five Ivy League Rookie of the Week Awards. Besides Hinton, the laurel also went to 6’4” guard Austin Hunt from Marlborough, who attended Milton Academy.
On the national level the AP College polls were released on Monday. The 15-1 Auburn Tigers are the new No. 1 on the men’s side. The 16-0 UCLA Lady Bruins remained at the top for the women. The Harvard women did receive three top 25 votes, so they are still in the running to get in before season’s end.
Interesting, men’s division conference races are shaping up. Close to home, the Big East is very competitive. Georgetown, with former Harvard star Malik Mack leading the way, is trying to break into their conference top four for the first time in a long time. Marquette (7) and UConn (14) are the two Big East teams in the top 25.
Other men’s conferences are doing even better. The SEC has nine in the top 25 and the Big Ten has six. The top 25 games to watch on Saturday will be very interesting. In the SEC, it is Alabama at Kentucky, Auburn at Georgia and Mississippi at Mississippi State. Big Ten top 25 finds Purdue at Oregon.
For local in-person men’s attendance, besides Penn at Harvard on Monday, AP National No. 3 Duke will be in town at Boston College, Saturday, 8 p.m. Duke is 14-2 overall and leads the ACC at 6-0. BC is struggling at 1-5 in the conference but 9-8 overall. March Madness will be here before we know it.
