Yale is one of the most balanced teams Harvard has faced this season, with all five starters averaging at least seven points a contest, including reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Justin Sears and forward Brandon Sherrod, who made NCAA history earlier this season after hitting 30 consecutive field goals. Sherrod missed last season while singing with the Whiffenpoofs. Okolie, who has guarded the likes of Kansas guard Frank Mason III and Providence star Kris Dunn, will be tasked with neutralizing the versatile 6’8” Sears.

“They’re very challenging,” Okolie said. “We just have to make sure that everybody on our team on the floor is locked in on their own man, with help side defense and on the ball defense and make sure that our rotations are as quick as possible.”

While the Crimson has struggled overall, the team has saved some of its best performances for its top opponents. Harvard has led at halftime against three of the top five teams it has faced this season (according to kenpom.com) and fell to No. 6 Kansas by just six points on the road.

The Crimson will need more consistency from sharpshooters sophomore Corey Johnson and junior Corbin Miller if it wants to keep pace with the high-scoring Bulldog attack. The duo has shot just 25 percent from three in conference play, well below the 42 percent they shot during nonconference play.

“When things don’t go our way, we don’t turn away, we’re still going to face it head-on and continue to battle and grind it out and see what happens,” Edosomwan said. “At this point, you take care of what you can take care of and that’s going out there every weekend and battling, hopefully coming out with wins and the rest of it is out of our control.”

–Staff writer Stephen J. Gleason can be reached at stephen.gleason@thecrimson.com.