Harvard men’s basketball coach Tommy Amaker has secured his first recruit in the class of 2011. Jonah Travis, a 6’6, 220-lb combo forward at DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis, Minn.) verbally committed to the Crimson last month.

Carrying about 20 Division-I offers from schools across the country—including Cornell, Northwestern, Boise State, Wofford, Lafayette, Bowling Green, and Miami of Ohio—Travis is rated a 90 by ESPN and No. 44 at his position nationally.

“He should be a great pick-up for Harvard,” said Kevin Alsteens, editor of Twin Cities Boys Hoops, where he has Travis ranked fourth in the Minnesota class of 2011. “‘Relentless’ is probably the one word I‘d use to describe him—either that, or ‘fearless.’ One hundred percent effort all the time, a great motor.”

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Isn't shopping period fun? For many, it means minimal academic work, maximal social life, and hoping for the best when school really starts to pick up.

A lot of Ivy League teams seem to take similar strategies in out-of-conference play. What could be more fun than winning an easy blow-out victory over a winless team? Of course, easy victories aren't necessarily the best way to prepare for the wear and tear of the conference season.

In this edition of the Back Page, we look at five Ivy teams which have had some success in the early season. One team will coast to an Easy A, two will have to cram for the occasional midterm, and two will end up pulling frequent all-nighters, wondering how the could have misread the Q guide so badly.

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Though the Harvard football season opener is just 11 short days away, for some ex-Crimson players, the season begins even sooner. Four Harvard alums are on active NFL rosters right now, and at least one of them is likely to start this weekend’s opener. Let’s take a quick look around the league:

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Few people can pronounce his last name, but that doesn’t really matter since #6 of the men’s soccer team rarely hears the loud “BA-BA”s anyways. He’s too much in the zone. Which is why when junior Baba Omosegbon hits the field, teams watch out for the guy who could-have, maybe, hypothetically, perhaps kneed another player in the face, as he explains in this exclusive interview. Every week, The Full-Court Press will give you the sort of personal scoop that you’re not likely to hear at a typical press conference.

Name: Baba Omosegbon

Year: 2012

Position: Defender

Stats: Coming into Harvard with an impressive resume, Baba started freshman year as a dominant force, scoring three goals in his first collegiate season. Starting 17 games his sophomore year, the defender still managed to see the other half of the field, taking shots against soccer powerhouses Maryland and Connecticut, and helping the Crimson claim another Ivy League championship.

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Harvard’s varsity teams aren’t the only ones strapping on the cleats this fall. Club sport seasons are getting under way, and the men’s and women’s club soccer teams are holding tryouts this week to get some fresh legs on the pitch.

The men’s team will be holding tryouts today and Wednesday, Sept. 8, starting at 6 p.m. at Cumnock Fields. The captains request that you wear a white shirt during the action.

The women’s team will be holding tryouts tomorrow and Thursday, Sept. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Cumnock Fields.

Both teams ask that you wear shin guards and cleats and that you bring water and a ball (if you have one). Arriving early is always a good idea, because tryouts start promptly.

If you have any questions, contact:

Men:

Nils Sceery- nsceery@gmail.com

Alex Trevino- alejandro3vino@gmail.com

Women:

Sarah Campbell- scampbel@fas.harvard.edu

Rebecca Howe- rhowe@fas.harvard.edu