CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University men’s basketball meets Indiana University on Sunday, Nov. 26 at 4:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network) in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse – the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers – with the Crimson off to a 5-1 start, including three road victories.

What to Know

• First-year forward Thomas Batties II holds several meaningful family connections to Indiana University, a team that the Crimson will meet on Nov. 26 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. His great grandfather Dr. Mark D. Batties II M.D. was one of the first African Americans to graduate from Indiana’s medical school while his father Thomas L. Batties Sr. earned B.S., MBA, and J.D. degrees from Indiana. Other Indiana graduates in the family include his uncle Mark D. Batties III (J.D.), his aunt Lilaberdia Batties (J.D.), his great aunt Louise T. Batties (B.A.), and his cousin Dr. Paul T. Batties (B.S.).
• Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara led four Crimson in double-figures with a season-high 21 points as Harvard beat Colgate, 76-70, on Nov. 22, improving to 5-1 on the season, including three road victories. First-year guard Malik Mack tallied 16 points and a career-high eight assists, and senior forward Justice Ajogbor posted a career-best 15 points.
• First-year guard Malik Mack has established himself as one of the nation’s top first-year student-athletes. He stands as the nation’s leading scorer among first-years at 20.2 points per game. Overall, he ranks 41^st in the NCAA in scoring and ranks as one of two first-years in the top 50 in points per game. His 32-point effort at UMass (Nov. 17) stands as the top scoring output from a first-year in a single game this season in the nation.
• Senior forward Justice Ajogbor stands as one of the nation’s top shot blockers, ranking first in the NCAA in total blocks (19) and seventh in blocks per game (3.17).
• First-year guard Malik Mack has averaged 20.2 points and 5.5 assists per game, ranking first in the Ivy League in points per game, assists per game, total points (121), free throws made (28), and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0), while standing third in 3-point percentage (45.5) and free throw percentage (84.8). He ranks 41^st in the NCAA in points per game, 16^th in total points, 18^th in total assists (33), and 36^th in assists per game. He has scored in double figures in all six games this season, netted 20 or more points three times, and eclipsed 30 points once. He gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks (Nov. 13, Nov. 20) to open the season.
• Mack poured in a career-high 32 points on 10-of-23 field goals and 5-of-10 3-pointers at Massachusetts (Nov. 17). He dropped 22 points on 9-of-11 field goals and 4-of-5 3-pointers in the win over Northeastern (Nov. 14). He tallied 20 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and three steals in Harvard’s win at Rice (Nov. 10) and notched 18 points, six assists, and five rebounds at Boston College (Nov. 18). He added 16 points and eight assists at Colgate (Nov. 22).
• Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara has tallied 16.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on the year, scoring in double figures four times and reaching the 20-point plateau twice. He ranks seventh in the Ivy League in points per game, 12^th in rebounds per game, and fourth in blocks per game (1.2). Okpara poured in a career-high 21 points at Colgate (Nov. 22) and scored 20 points with seven rebounds at Boston College (Nov. 18). He posted 17 points and seven rebounds in his season debut in the win at Rice (Nov. 10) before scoring 14 points in the win over Northeastern (Nov. 14). Last season, he averaged 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures nine times. Okpara gained Ivy League Rookie of the Week four times (Nov. 14, Nov. 21, Dec. 26, Feb. 20) as a first-year last season.
• Sophomore guard Chandler Piggé has posted 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, scoring in double figures in each of three games. He ranks sixth in the Ivy League in rebounds per game. He has connected on 14-of-14 free throw attempts this season. Piggé posted his first collegiate double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds at Massachusetts (Nov. 17). He dropped a career-high 23 points on 8-of-12 field goals and 6-of-6 free throws with five rebounds in Harvard’s win at Rice (Nov. 10). He notched 12 points and five rebounds in the win over Northeastern (Nov. 14).
• Senior forward Justice Ajogbor has registered 8.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game on the year. He leads the NCAA in total blocks (19) and ranks first in the Ivy League and seventh in the NCAA in blocks per game (3.17), having posted three or more blocks in each of five games this year. He stands fourth in the Ancient Eight in rebounds per game (8.2). He scored a career-high 15 points at Colgate (Nov. 22). Ajogbor notched 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting with six rebounds at Rice (Nov. 10) before grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14). He posted his first collegiate double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against UMass Boston (Nov. 6). Last season, he ranked third in the Ivy League with 1.4 blocks per game and added 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 54.9 percent from the field.
• Junior guard Louis Lesmond has averaged 10.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game on the year, while shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point distance. He ranks second in the Ivy League and 29^th in the NCAA in total 3-pointers made (17) and third in the Ivies in 3-pointers made per game (2.8). He notched 14 points and made a season-high 4-of-7 3-pointers at UMass (Nov. 17). Lesmond netted 11 points at Colgate (Nov. 22) and 10 points vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14). He connected on three 3-pointers in back-to-back games vs. UMass Boston (Nov. 6) and at Rice (Nov. 10). Lesmond averaged 7.9 points per game during the 2021-22 season before missing most of the 2022-23 season due to injury.
• First-year forward Thomas Batties II has registered 6.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. In his collegiate debut, he scored a team-high 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting with five rebounds in the win vs. UMass Boston (Nov. 6).
• First-year forward Luca Ace-Nasteski has compiled 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.0 percent from the field. He notched 11 points on 4-of-7 field goals with four rebounds in his collegiate debut vs. UMass Boston (Nov. 6).
• Junior guard Denham Wojcik has contributed in the Crimson’s backcourt, playing in all six games and averaging 2.2 assists points per game. He netted a career-high eight points at Colgate (Nov. 22). Wojcik dished out a game-high five assists vs. Northeastern (Nov. 14). He appeared in 41 games over his first two seasons.
• As a team, Harvard ranks ninth in the NCAA in blocks per game (6.7), 22^nd in field goal percentage defense (36.7), and 40^th in 3-point percentage (38.8).
• In the Ivy rankings, the Crimson stands first in field goal percentage defense (36.7), blocks per game (6.7), 3-point percentage (38.8), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.41), while ranking second in field goal percentage (.475) and 3-point percentage defense (29.4).
• Harvard and Indiana have met once before with the Hoosiers taking a 97-76 decision on December 2, 1972.

Next Up

Harvard hosts American on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Lavietes Pavilion before playing at Loyola Chicago on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 4:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. CT (ESPN+/NBC Sports Chicago Plus).