Crimson Meets Rugged Test Against Holy Cross Five in Garden Tonight

When Coach Bill Barclay's morrie men go against Holy Cross at the Garden tonight, they will be facing the identical athleties who last year averaged 58 points per game and defeated such good teams as CCNY, Dartmouth, Bowling Green, and the Crimson itself.

The Crusaders topped Harvard 47 to 42 to spoil an otherwise perfect season while half the population of Boston struggled vainly to get into the Indoor Athletic Building. Whatever the outcome tonight, it is unlikely that anybody will ask for a refund.

Stress Teamwork

Like the opponent it will meet, Holy Cross features coordinated teamwork rather than individualism. "Doggie" Julian's boys average just under 6,2. They have everything a good team should have--speed, aggressiveness, finesse, deception. They like the sound of swishing strings and, what is more important, they know how to make strings swish, quickly and easily. They will be hard to beat.

An indication of the team's real depth lies not in the stars but in an obscure third string center, named Matthew Forman, who seems to be the only man on the roster who has failed to make all-something-or-other in high school or college. The Crusaders, who will be playing their first game of the season tonight, must be conisdered one of the powers in Eastern intercollegiate basketball circles this year. Evidence of this was provided recently when they scrimmaged St. John's Boykoff & Co. to a three hour, 136-136 standstill.

Mullaney, Haggerty Co-cpatains

The Holy Cross lineup tonight will read like this: Chuch Bollinger--18 year old pivot man, stands 6.6 despite crew haircut, is usually either very very hot or very very cold; George Kaftan-18 year old Sophomore and big factor in last year's victory over the Crimson, has knack for being in the right place at the right time; Dermott O'Connell, another 18 year older, perhaps the least spectacular memeber of the starting five; Ken Haggerty--Navy vetrean and co-captain of team, playmaking guard and set shot artist, steadying influence; Joe Mullaney--22 year old ex-pilot and co-captain of team, honorable mention all-America last year, a crafty guard who does just about everything but collect tickets.

Promising Freshmen

These holdovers from last year will be supplemented mostly by a crop of yearlings which includes two ex-servicemen, Andy Laska and Frank Oftring, and an outstanding New York schoolboy last year, Bob Cousy. Bob Curran, a Junior, may also see considerable action tonight. Holy Cross, whose matchbox gymnasium is inadequate for anything but practice purposes, will be playing on its "home court" tonight.

Statistically, man for man, basket for basket, the combine that Harvard, will meet tonight looks like a million rubles, but who knows--as W. Post once warned, "Don't, believe everything you read in the paper."