WACHTER IS PRAISED THOUGH TEAM FAILS

A basketball season marred by two defeats at the hands of Yale and six other setbacks in a schedule of 19 games cannot be called successful, nor is it possible to speak in glowing terms of next year's prospects when such sterling players as Captain Gordon, Rudofsky, and Black will be missing from the line-up. Thus the two favorite topics for a resume of the season are closed.

It has, however, been far from a wasted year for University basketball. Playing a harder schedule than ever before, the Crimson proved itself to be almost, though not quite, on a par with the Intercollegiate League teams. The high light of the season was a spectacular 38 to 16 victory over Dartmouth, when the Harvard quintet showed its true worth. The other battles with league teams were defeats, but never by a margin of more than nine points and always after the Crimson had been in the lead for a considerable part of the contest.

Wachter Wins Praise

Coach Wachter deserves and has received the most unstinted praise for his handling of the team. He worked wonders with material far inferior to that of the other large universities and produced a combination capable of battling on even terms teams of much greater potential ability. Recognized in basketball circles as one of the greatest players in a generation, he must on the basis of this year's record be rated equally high as a coach.

Three regulars of last year and two other "H" men answered the initial call for candidates, together with the entire 1926 Freshman team, which had won championship honors under the able tutelage of Coach Chase. With Captain Gordon as the mainspring of the attack and such experienced guards as Rudofsky, Samborski, and Black available for the defense, Coach Wachter's worries were confined largely to the center position and the remaining forward berth. Combs and Rauh, Sophomores, contested for center, and the latter finally gained the better of the argument by making vast improvement in the early weeks of the season. Smith, who had starred on the 1926 five, was at first a doubtful quantity on account of his lack of weight. He speedily dispelled all doubts, however, and made such good use of his 130 pounds that he clinched the open forward position and even rivalled Gordon in value to the team.

Win Five Straight

Five easy victories in the first two games roused high hopes for a triumph over Columbia, then leaders in the Intercollegiate League, but the Blue and White proved too strong and won by a six-point margin. Crippled by the absence of Captain Gordon, the Crimson defeated Williams unimpressively and dropped a listless contest to the Mass. Aggies, the visitors winning by a surprising rally in the second half.

A notable victory over Syracuse, in which the University five far surpassed its earlier performances, again raised expectations, but four straight defeats followed. Dartmouth, Pennsylvania, and Yale were all battled tooth and nail with the issue in doubt until the very end, but in every case the League team was on the long end of the score when the final whistle blew. Amherst's victory was largely at the expense of the Crimson substitutes, as the regulars were given a rest after an arduous week.

Reach Top Form Against Green

Victories over the weak Rhode Island quintet and Worcester Tech, punctuated by a defeat from New Hampshire, left the University stock far below par when the Dartmouth five entered Hemenway for a return engagement. The 38 to 16 Harvard triumph surprised the team's most sanguine supporters fully as much as it did the Green invaders, who were completely outplayed from the first whistle to the last. St. Francis College two days later gave the Crimson a real scare, losing by a scant point in a hard-fought fray.

The team entrained for New Haven Tuesday with an added confidence bred by its phenomenal victory over Dartmouth, but once again victory was snatched from its grasp by an Eli rally in the closing minutes. Gordon's all-around play was brilliant.

Due to the storm which prevented complete communication with New Haven, the CRIMSON failed to print the names of the following men who got into the Yale game: Jones, Stevens, Samborski, and Morrison.

The season's record follows:

Harvard  29  Clark Univ.  7Harvard  39  Middlebury  17Harvard  26  M. I. T.  16Harvard  30  Worcester  26Harvard  41  Brown  27Harvard  22  Columbia  28Harvard  31  Williams  20Harvard  22  Mass. Aggies  26Harvard  33  Syracuse  24Harvard  25  Dartmouth  34Harvard  24  Pennsylvania  26Harvard  23  Yale  27Harvard  24  Amherst  27Harvard  34  R. I. State  17Harvard  30  N. H. State  33Harvard  37  Worcester  19Harvard  38  Dartmouth  16Harvard  31  St. Francis  30Harvard  28  Yale  30Total  567    45