Harvard Basketball: Chambers' return is Crimson's saving grace

Harvard Basketball: Chambers’ return is Crimson’s saving grace

By Stuart Gill | Oct 4, 2016

Mar 18, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Harvard Crimson guard Siyani Chambers (1) addresses the media during a press conference before the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veteran Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

With Siyani Chambers back in the fold, Harvard basketball has the potential to win the Ivy League.

College basketball fans in Cambridge are once again excited for the season to get under way, as they have their star point guard back to play his senior year for the Crimson.

Siyani Chambers took a voluntary leave of absence from Harvard after tearing his ACL during summer workouts in 2015. Because Ivy League schools do not allow redshirt seasons, Chambers was forced to put his education on hold for a year if he wanted to play his last season of college basketball.

Chambers has played a pivotal role since his freshman year, averaging nearly 38 minutes a game for head coach Tommy Amaker.

While Chambers’ offensive numbers don’t necessarily raise any eyebrows (9.9 points and 4.3 assists as a junior), it’s clear that he plays a key role as a leader both on and off the court.

Without Chambers in 2015-16, Harvard failed to break .500 for the first time under Amaker. With Chambers running the point from 2012-2015, the Crimson averaged 23 wins per year and less than eight losses.

Chambers is rejoining a team that Amaker continues to build into a perennial Ivy League contender. The addition of assistant coach Mike Stotsky illustrates the direction in which the organization is headed. Stotsky spent four years working as a manager for Coach Mike Krzyzewski and he had the opportunity to work with the 2015 National Champion Duke Blue Devils.

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The leadership and experience of a player like Chambers and a competitive staff could make waves in the Ivy League, especially due to the recent coaching change at Columbia and the departures that Yale suffered.