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Roundball Quarterbacks JOHN H ARVARD'S JOURNAL five touchdowns, com- To receive weekly football pleting 16 of 22 passes for reports from “Cleat,” sign up at 296 yards and running http://harvardmag.com/email the ball 11 times on de- signed and improvised plays. T#$%#&'. For the record, Harvard has now “I saw a better Hempel won 13 consecutive home openers, is 8-0 in today than I did on film Stadium night games, and has taken 12 of of the San Diego game,” the last 14 contests with Brown. Brown coach Phil Estes Adios, Toreros: The San Diego victory said after the game. “He’s completed a two-game home-and-home a hell of a quarterback, series. Putting a West Coast team on the with great feet. Give him football schedule was in part a response time and he can make to changing demographics: more Har- plays.” Time will tell, but vard alumni now live in California than Hempel may run better in Massachusetts, and Southern Califor- than any Crimson quar- nia has become an important catchment Safety Jaron Wilson dove into the end terback since Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05, now of area for recruits in many varsity sports.… zone, vaulting over Bruin halfback Andrew the Tennessee Titans, whose old number USD is the defending co-champion of the Coke, to !nish off a 51-yard interception return in the Brown game. Cornerback (14) he wears. Like Fitzpatrick, Hempel 12-team Pioneer Football League, which Brian Owusu (6, at right) had thrown a can throw the ball, and like Fitzpatrick he has members on both coasts. The PFL crushing block on Coke just in front of the brings a steadying presence to the huddle. and the Ivies are the only NCAA Division goal line. “Conner never gets too high, and he never I conferences that still bar athletic schol- gets too low,” says coach Murphy. “His arships. with a resounding 41-23 victory. leadership style is very well received by the Papering the house: The Brown game was “The biggest thing we’re doing is play- coaching sta" and his teammates.” designated as “Harvard Night,” with free ing really hard,” coach Murphy would say Asked after the San Diego game if he’d admission for anyone with a Harvard ID. later. And making some really big plays. felt nervous before his first start, Hem- The attendance was 17, 256—more than Harvard’s 41 points came on a one-yard pel dismissed the question. “I don’t get double the average for an afternoon game, sweep by Hempel, two rushing touch- nervous in situations like this,” he said. but well short of the night-game high of downs by Stanton, a 51-yard interception “I remember starting as a sophomore in 21,704, set in 2010. return by defensive back Jaron Wilson, a high school and was never nervous. When Friendly rivalry: Preseason polls favored spectacular 63-yard pass play from Hem- you’re prepared and have confidence, Penn to repeat as Ivy champion, with Har- pel to Zorn, and two field goals and five you’re ready to play the game, and I was vard and Brown as runners-up.…Over the points-after by ultra-reliable placekicker ready to play the game.” past six seasons, Penn and Harvard have David Mothander. Great feet. Strong arm. Poised and confi- each won the Ivy title three times. This Brown had started the season with a 45-7 dent. All he needs now is a sobriquet. How year’s showdown comes on November 16, victory over Georgetown, with tailback about Cool Hand Hemp? at Harvard Stadium. !()*+,&- John Spooney, the Ivy titlist in the 100- and 200-meter dash, scoring three times. Em- ploying a three-man rush for much of the Roundball Tim Duncan are fours. The small forward or game, the Crimson defense had to hustle to three (Larry Bird, Julius Erving) is a versatile contain the speedy Spooney—who carried Quarterbacks athlete who can handle the ball, spring a va- 17 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns— The art of playing point guard riety of o"ensive attacks, and often draws while keeping pressure on Pat Donnelly, the fouls, pouring in points from the free-throw Bruin quarterback. He threw for 169 yards W#&.#/ the fast-moving controlled chaos line. The two or shooting guard, like Michael and a touchdown, but was intercepted three of a basketball game, the players nonetheless Jordan or Kobe Bryant, may be the team’s times by Crimson defenders. enact definite roles. The number-five player ace outside shooter and scorer; twos can Safety Jaron Wilson’s second-period is the center, perhaps the tallest and most also handle the ball well or drive to the net. interception return was a brilliant feat prominent athlete (think Bill Russell, LL.D. Then there is the choreographer who di- of broken-field running through heavy ’07, Yao Ming): NBA fives patrol the baseline rects basketball’s quintet: the number one tra!c. End Zach Hodges and cornerback and the paint under the basket, rebounding, or point guard (Magic Johnson, John Stock- Norman Hayes made the other intercep- blocking shots, and often scoring dunks and ton), normally the team’s best dribbler, ball tions. Hodges, a fiery competitor, was also layups. The power forward or four can score handler, and passer, as well as its shortest credited with three tackles-for-loss and a heavily from short or midrange positions member. The one runs the o"ense and de- quarterback sack. and is strong enough to defend against oth- fense on the floor, as “an extension of the Ringmaster Hempel accounted for 318 er “bigs” (tall players, a.k.a. “trees”) down head coach,” as Brandyn Curry ’13 (’14) puts yards of total o"ense and two of Harvard’s low—i.e., near the hoop. Kevin Garnett and it. Doing this is “about control,” adds Siyani 70 N01+2%+3 - D+)+2%+3 2013 www.gocrimson.com Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 Chambers ’16. “Either the defense controls “You need to be mentally tough. Suppose We encourage him to do things that are the o!ense, or the o!ense controls the de- you’re running a late-clock play [a set play flashy or dynamic—to feel free to express fense.” Which way this falls will determine that develops quickly, for use with little himself.” Curry, in contrast, might be com- the outcome of the basketball game. time on the shot clock] o! an in-bounds pared with Boston Celtics point guard Curry and Chambers are two of the pass. You’ve got to make sure everyone is Rajon Rondo, who thinks of passing be- finest point guards in the college game. in the right position, call the play, throw fore shooting. “He’s got long arms and can Curry returns this season, having taken a the pass, and when the shot goes up, get get an o!ensive rebound,” Amaker says. year o! after being swept up in Harvard’s back on defense—you’re accountable for “Brandyn’s also a great defender and a ter- academic-misconduct scandal of last fall. all that, and it all happens in 10 seconds. rific three-point shooter.” He made the All-Ivy Second Team and Or less.” Point guards also must manage In college basketball, 90 to 95 percent of was an Academic All-Ivy Leaguer as both their emotions: a point guard who’s hav- the teams use man-to-man defense, mean- a sophomore and junior. With 424 career ing a poor game and begins to feel upset ing that each player guards a specific op- assists, Curry is already sixth in Harvard’s cannot start moping on the court, warns ponent, usually someone playing the same record books; as a sopho- position—a three guard- more, he led the Ivies ing another three, for ex- with 5.9 dishes per game. ample. (In zone defense, Last season, Chambers players defend an area of was not only Ivy League the court rather than a Rookie of the Year, but specific player.) The point also became the first guard communicates con- freshman ever named to stantly (“You want a lot of the All-Ivy First Team. chatter,” says Chambers), His 5.4 assists-per-game alerting teammates or average led the Ancient giving commands. “Ball Eight, and made him the pressure!” or just “Ball!” nation’s top freshman in urges close harassment of that category. Chambers the ball handler: moving also found time to score hands, arms, torso, and 13.7 points per contest, feet in ways that interfere good for third in the with shots or passes. The league. (Wesley Saunders related “Deny!” means ’15 led the league with 17.1 to deny the ball handler points per Ivy game.) the ability to pass, for ex- Harvard has won the last ample, by obstructing the three Ivy League Cham- potential passing lane. pionships, and last year “Pick coming!” signals a captured its first NCAA defender that an oppo- tournament game. nent—usually a “big”— “The point guard is has positioned himself the quarterback of a to screen, or block, the basketball team,” says defender, “picking” him head men’s coach Tommy o! the ball handler, and Amaker. “He needs to “Switch!” is a response be someone who can get to a successful pick: tell- outside of himself and ing a teammate to switch see the whole, bigger pic- o! his man and guard the Point-guard pair: ture.
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