With just over a month and a half until the season begins, the Harvard men’s basketball team needed just about a day and a half to clinch commitments from two recruits this past weekend.

Shortly after the end of their official campus visits, Chris Egi and Andrew Chatfield both proverbially donned a Crimson jersey on Sunday in committing to Harvard.

2014 6’9″ F/C Chris Egi’s announcement makes this the second consecutive year that Head Coach Tommy Amaker has drawn a top-100 prospect into the program, the other being freshman Zena Edosomwan. Despite the timing of their respective commitments, Chatfield said he and Egi didn’t discuss their impending decisions.

“We didn’t really talk about it,” Chatfield said. “Throughout the whole weekend, he was also having a good time. He enjoyed the environment and playing some five-on-five [with the team].”

Egi said he only discussed committing with Chatfield, a 6-foot-5 guard, Sunday morning.

“We were actually at breakfast together,” Egi said.

Egi reportedly has a 4.0 GPA, said Harvard’s mix of basketball and the important stuff.

“I though it was the best place for me in terms of both basketball and academics” Chris Egi told Hoops Hype Canada via text message the night he pledged allegiance to the Crimson.

On the heels of Harvard’s most successful season in program history, they land a four-star prospect like Egi. His AAU coach Tony McIntyre was quoted by American media as to what the IVY League program can expect in the Canadian power forward.

“He’s a tremendous shot-blocker and gritty competitor, not to mention a tremendous student. It’s possible he may be the top academic athlete there when it’s done”

1 year ago, Tommy Amaker’s Harvard Crimson were written off after two starters — arguably the team’s top two players — had to withdraw from school after an academic scandal that hit more than 100 students.

Now, Amaker has Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry back and they will integrate themselves into a team that shocked just about everyone by winning the Ivy League and notching the program’s first NCAA tournament win last season.

Although this season could be the program’s most successful and be the most hyped in the program’s history the Crimson won just eight games in Amaker’s first season,. Now steady progression on the court and in recruiting have them on the verge of becoming the first team in Ivy League history to win at least 20 games in five consecutive seasons.

Question begs, Is Harvard the new mid magor power? HHC will be keeping tabs.

CIA BOUNCE

Chris Egi’s exposure while playing AAU basketball no doubt increased his stock value for both both the NCAA ranks and National team landscape. Chris had a terrific circuit with Canadian powerhouse program CIA Bounce. It helped him earn a selection on Team Canada at the NIKE DC Global Games and also the U19 FIBA World Championships with the Canadian Junior Mens National Team. Egi was the youngest talent in the tournament and played major minutes with most kids who were a full two years older then him. A whirlwind summer also saw him take his talents to one of the globes most reputable student athlete prep programs in Montverde Academy FL

MVA  gives Chris a chance to consistently compete against high level talent in his final high school year. Over the summer, Egi on the circuit with CIA Bounce ranked third in the EYBL in shot blocking at 2.6 BPG behind Ivan Rabb & Thon Maker.

Buffalo native and Harvard assistant coach Adam Cohen on behalf of the Crimson was seen late July in attendence at the annual CIA Bounce Caribana Classic camp  epitomizing the commitment the Crimson showed in securing Egis signature for post secondary basketball.

The Harvard program continues to incline under Head Coach Tommy Amaker, evidenced by two straight NCAA tournament appearances in the last two seasons. The only other time the Crimson made a trip to the dance was back in 1946.

“I think I can be a part of something special, trying to help build the program, as it’s heading in a great

FREE THROWS

How exactly does one “reclassify”? We asked HHC NCAA certified recruiting analyst Mark Bairos his take.

“It’s usually more of the not going to a post grad year. It often has to do with being a little young for the age to start, so the prospect will opt to reclassify into a later class to essentially “rejoin” the correct age class, while still retaining the option to move forward to the class that he left.

It happens frequently when Canadian players go to the US – upon entering the States they reclassify into a later year at their new HS. Andrew Wiggins is the most notable example of this, but there are plenty of others. If I remember correctly, he did two years in Canada before transferring to the US in 2011, and reclassified to 2014 upon starting here. Then, he reclassified back into his original class during what would have been that class’s peak recruiting season”

Also Bairos take on Egi choosing Harvard over the likes of Florida, Stanford, Marquette, Vanderbilt, California etc?

“Harvard is a rare breed this day and age. A Ivy League program that plays a competitive schedule, competing against high major programs. Egi at Harvard will still be in position to play on the big stage, it’s not your typical ivy league experience.” adding “Match made in heaven”.