The Bulldogs lead in Ivy League in total season assists and recently combined for 48 dishes in their weekend sweep of Columbia and Cornell. In comparison, Harvard tallied just 23 total assists in its past two games. This type of ball movement has been critical for a Yale team that has largely struggled in shooting the deep ball and maintaining consistent production from its scorers.
Dead last in conference three-point shooting at .317, the Bulldogs have relied on offensive spurts from players like sophomore guard Miye Oni, who combined for 36 points last weekend after a shooting slump the previous two weeks. Junior guard Trey Phills also had an impressive showing against Columbia, tallying 14 points off six-of-eight shooting.
With Lewis coming off a career-high 25 points against Penn, the Yale frontcourt will need to improve its interior defense compared to its last outing against the Crimson. In the Jan. 26 loss to Harvard, Lewis went 7-for-11 from the field and added four offensive rebounds for a total of 16 points. Freshman forward Paul Atkinson will again likely assume defensive responsibilities on the main focal point for the Crimson offense.
“I thought Chris did a great job of using his body and his angles in the post,” said Amaker about Lewis’ performance against the Quakers. “We did a terrific job in terms of our perimeter guys looking for him and making the right pass. So we are hopeful we can continue to do that not just against Penn but get the ball inside to him and play through him.”
Another important unknown about the weekend is the potential return of Yale senior guard Makai Mason, who had been sidelined with a broken foot for the entire season. Reportedly day-to-day and practicing with the team, Mason will give the Bulldogs a dangerous new weapon if he is able to suit up. However, Amaker emphasized his gameplan will remain the same regardless if Mason makes his season debut.
“I anticipate they will still play the same way,” Amaker said. “They will still use the same types of actions, plays, and philosophies that they have had without him all this season. He is a terrific player, as we know.”
On Harvard’s side, sophomore point guard Bryce Aiken’s status is still unknown. Amaker stated that Aiken was able to practice on Monday, but that he could not go “full throttle.” With sophomore Christian Juzang playing essentially all 40 minutes at the point guard position in his absence, Amaker has clearly centered his trust on Aiken’s former backup.
One interesting note: the Crimson’s 7-1 Ivy record is a repeat start to the 2014-2015 season and the four prior seasons. In those five years, Harvard reached the NCAA Tournament four times.
—Staff writer Henry Zhu can be reached at henry.zhu@thecrimson.com.