So does Cusworth have visions of outshooting junior marksman Kevin Rogus after not attempting a single trey last year?

“I think I’ll be allowed to shoot, but I’m not going to go looking for that shot,” Cusworth said. “If it’s open, I’ll take it, but I’m not going to be looking for that. The paint is where I do most of the dirty work.”

And that’s the beauty of Cusworth—yes, he can play on the perimeter, but he’s also comfortable (and dangerous) inside.

“You need to find him near the basket because he’s got the hook shot and he’s hard to guard,” Harvard coach Frank Sullivan said. “He’s a very difficult target to get around, so certainly in the triangle areas around the basket, yes, he needs to get the ball there. He’s also a very, very capable elbow shooter, so whether it be any kind of rotation or a screen and a pop as the screener…he can do that.”

“He can drive past people,” Sullivan added. “He can put the ball on the floor and pull up and create a shot, so he’s got real versatility as a scorer, but just a low-block player? Oh, no, no.”

Cusworth might be even stronger defensively. In fact, as a senior in high school, he had more blocks than any team in school history.

“He’s got great timing when he blocks shots and he provides a big presence in the middle,” 6’7 freshman forward/center Brian Darcy said. “It’s really intimidating to teams that want to penetrate.”

This season, Cusworth wants to average at least two rejections a game and lead the Ivy League.

“He’s a great shot-blocker,” freshman Jim Goffredo said. “Having a big man in the middle definitely makes other teams change their plans.”

Hubie Brown’s Dream

But with Cusworth just moving into the starting lineup this year, he still has to prove he can capitalize on his potential and be productive.

One would be hard-pressed to find someone who doubts he can. At the end of last season, he won an “Ivy” on ivybasketball.com for “Best Upside for a Freshman.”

Even this year’s crop of freshmen has picked up on Cusworth’s upside.

“Brian probably has the most potential of anyone on the team because of his size and his coordination,” guard Ko Yada said.

“He has the potential to be one of the best players in the Ivy League,” sophomore forward Zach Martin added.