Harvard will continue its six-game road trip when it travels to No. 4 Kansas on Thursday night. The Crimson opened the trip with a 62-57 win over UC Irvine on Tuesday. Kansas has won 10 of its first 11 games this season, and it is entering this contest on a four-game winning streak.
Harvard got off to a strong start this season, winning five of its first six games. The Crimson have struggled with some consistency issues since then, going 3-3 in their last six outings. They were 3-point underdogs in their loss to Fordham and were 2-point underdogs in their loss to UMass, but they were 10-point favorites in a disappointing loss to Howard on Sunday. Harvard bounced back on Tuesday with a 62-57 win over UC Irvine as a 9.5-point underdog, though. Chris Ledlum scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win, which was the opener of a six-game road trip.
???? Live from Los Angeles International Airport, @ttime2332 checks in with @KTLA on the scene at LAX.#GoCrimson #OneCrimson pic.twitter.com/8hFsU3POYE
— Harvard Men's Basketball (@HarvardMBB) December 21, 2022
The Crimson used their height advantage to control the paint on Tuesday, which tends to be their recipe for success. They rank No. 31 of 363 Division I teams in 2-point percentage (55.9), which has helped offset a 3-point percentage (24.1) which is the second worst in college basketball. Their turnover rate has also been terrible, sitting at No. 287 nationally. They are facing a Kansas defense that is ninth in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency ratings. Ledlum, a senior guard, is Harvard’s only player in double figures, averaging 18.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Freshman forward Chisom Okpara is adding 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds.