Ivy Player of the Week, freshman Casey adds a fresh face to Crimson

This season is shaping up to be very exciting for the Crimson (17-5, 6-2 Ivy), thanks in no small part to its much-hyped freshman recruits. Notable among them is Kyle Casey, who at 6—foot—7 and 215 pounds, plays small forward for Harvard.

Summoned to Cambridge last year by head coach Tommy Amaker, Casey is not far from home. He grew up in Medway, Mass. and attended Brimmer and May Academy in Chestnut Hill, where, as a three-time captain and three-year starter, he was primed for big-league recruitment. Casey was a 2008 Reebok All-America selection, three-time Greater Boston first team pick, and three-time New England Prep School Athletic Conference selection. He earned MVP honors at the 2009 St. Sebastian’s Tournament and was a McDonald’s All-America nominee.

Snubbing Stanford, Casey, a lover of poetry and singing, accepted Amaker’s invitation to fortify the recently refashioned Harvard Men’s Basketball program.

Last week, after facilitating Crimson triumphs over Brown and Yale, Casey was named the Ivy League Player of the Week. This honor has not been bestowed upon a freshman since January 28, 2002 when it was awarded to Brown’s Jason Forte. The same day, Casey earned his second Rookie of the Week honor in a row and his fourth this season. He was named by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook as the Ivy League’s Preseason Newcomer of the Year. Casey was also mentioned in a Harvard Men’s Basketball feature in Sports Illustrated’s February issue.

Casey shares the Crimson limelight with senior guard Jeremy Lin, the first Ivy League finalist in ten years for the prestigious Wooden Award, as well as the first ever Ivy League finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Bob Cousy Award—given each year to the nation’s top point guard.

Though a Crimson squad has never won a basketball conference title, this year’s team is in good position to make a run for it. Harvard currently stands in third place in the Ancient Eight behind Princeton (15-6, 6-1 Ivy) and league-leader Cornell (21-4, 7- Ivy). A part of this revolution, Casey is one of two fiery new recruits who has helped with Harvard’s three­—year—long transformation from an infamously unskilled basketball program to one brimming with potential.

Against the Light Blue on January 29, the Crimson, led by Lin and Brandyn Curry (who scored 14 and 13 points respectively), emerged too easily victorious with a final score of 74-45. That night, Noruwa Agho and Patrick Foley spearheaded Columbia’s offensive effort, scoring 12 points and 10 points in 14 minutes, respectively. Unfortunately, Foley’s recent shoulder injury does not bode well for the Light Blue, which will have to cope henceforth without the high scorer and leader in assists.

Before Harvard’s matchup with Columbia, Casey and his teammates will look to redeem themselves from an embarrassing 86-50 loss to Cornell when they host the Big Red tonight.