Transfer Preview: Louis Lesmond (Harvard)
A look at what Harvard graduate transfer Louis Lesmond brings to Fordham.
Louis Lesmond will spend his graduate season at Fordham after four years at Harvard, where he provided a steady two-way presence for the Crimson, starting 53 games and appearing in 74 over his career. He played in just five games during the 2022-23 season due to injury and redshirted, giving him the opportunity to play another season elsewhere, as the Ivy League does not allow graduate student athletic participation.
The native of Paris, France, moved to the United States heading into his sophomore year of high school, accumulating several high-major offers while at Notre Dame College Prep, just north of Chicago. Lesmond has international playing experience with Team France in FIBA play, notably in the 2021 U19 World Cup alongside now NBA star Victor Wembanyama. Lesmond and Wemby were Team France’s top two scorers in a 83-81 loss in the title game to Team USA, a squad that featured Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivey, and Ryan Kalkbrenner. The school’s press release provides a detailed overview of his on-court accomplishments.
Last season at Harvard, Lesmond started 20 of 22 games for the Crimson after missing the first five due to injury, posting:
7.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 0.4 BPG in 29.5 minutes per game on:
36.8% FG
48.3% 2PT (28/58)
29.8% 3PT (28/94)
71.8% FT (28/39)
Highlights:
Extended highlights (Via YT/College Basketball Scouting):
Lesmond’s play resembles what you would expect from a four-year Ivy Leaguer: he has smart shot selection, takes care of the ball, and stays out of foul trouble. The winner of Harvard’s team Defensive Player of the Year award last season, Lesmond’s length on the perimeter allows him to alter shots and passes—and he does it without fouling. His 1.9 personal fouls per 40 minutes placed him in the 91st percentile last season, and his 1.5% block rate placed him in the 81st percentile, per CBB Analytics.
Last season, Lesmond saw his three-point efficiency decline following a strong junior year, during which he shot 38.1% from three on 160 attempts. Malik Mack and Lesmond developed strong on-court chemistry during the 2023–24 season, Lesmond’s collegiate best. 31 of Mack’s 116 assists went to Lesmond, the most to any player, making them Harvard’s most frequent scoring combo (cbbanalytics). Lesmond thrives on catch-and-shoot opportunities, relying on teammates to find him when he’s open. Via BartTorvik, 98.4% and 96.3% of his made three-pointers over the past two seasons were assisted. Although Harvard’s team assist numbers remained steady the following season after Mack transferred to Georgetown, Lesmond struggled without a true shot creator to generate offense and create shots from beyond the arc.
While Lesmond took and connected on fewer threes, he was far more effective attacking the rim last season, improving his rim shooting percentage from 47.6% to 60.7% on increased shot volume (cbbanalytics).
Comparing his junior and senior seasons:
With his perimeter defense and high basketball IQ, Lesmond offers a steady veteran presence and has floor-raising potential if his three-point shooting bounces back. He will have more talent around him at Fordham and I can see him being an important role player in the coming season.
The next transfer preview will be Christian Henry!
In the queue: Demitri Gardner, Marcus Greene, Zarqiue Nutter, and Abass Bodija.