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Harvard first-year guard Malik Mack is out indefinitely due to mononucleosis, head coach Tommy Amaker announced on Thursday. Mack, who ranks first nationwide among freshmen in points per game, has been highly influential for the Crimson so far, leading the team in points, assists, and steals while winning the Ivy League Rookie of the Week award for three consecutive weeks to start the season.
“Malik is an amazing point guard,” reflected sophomore guard Chandler Piggé earlier in the season after the Crimson’s win against Northeastern. “It's amazing watching him come in as a freshman with such confidence, being able to score the ball at will, but also being a point guard at heart he just loves to get others involved and always make sure we get guys in the right spot.”
Mack is the second notable absence for the Crimson, who lost senior forward Justice Ajogbor to a hand injury on Nov. 26 against Indiana University. Ajogbor has since undergone hand surgery and is expected to return later in the season.
Despite the unavailability of two key players in Mack and Ajogbor, Harvard defeated Holy Cross 74-72 on Thursday afternoon, improving to 8-3 on the season and maintaining its perfect 5-0 record at Lavietes Pavilion.
Junior guard and Crimson co-captain Denham Wojcik recorded his first start and a season high 37 minutes in Mack’s absence, securing a team-high six rebounds and five assists. Sophomore forward Chisom Okpara scored 26 points on an efficient 10-14 shooting from the field, including two critical free throws with three seconds left in the game to give Harvard the two-point edge after a late Holy Cross comeback.
Okpara is the Crimson’s second-leading scorer behind Mack with 17.8 points per game, and he is the only other Harvard player averaging double digit points this season.
Behind Mack and Okpara in scoring are Piggé and junior guard Louis Lesmond, who average 9.2 and 9.1 points per game, respectively. Without Ajogbor’s presence around the rim offensively and Mack’s constant offensive threat, the Crimson will have to rely more heavily upon their depth to get buckets.
The Crimson complete a four game homestand with contests against Iona on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2:00pm EST (ESPN+) and the University of Albany on Jan. 2, before heading to play defending champion and Ivy League favorite Princeton in its conference opener on Jan. 6.
— Staff writer Alexander K. Bell can be reached at alexander.bell@thecrimson.com.
