Cagers Preparing for Tough Schedule

Initiates to Harvard basketball may be surprised at the Crimson's rank in some pre-season top 20 polls, but it is a good omen for the hard-core followers who knew it would happen sooner or later. "The squad, which boasts four former high school All-Americans (double last year's number), has its work cut out for it though, if it expects to live up to its 11th-place rating in Basketball Magazine.

The Crimson has ten lettermen returning and won 11 of its last 13 contests to finish 16-10, but its schedule leaves no room for laxness--it will have to face North Carolina, Duquesne, St. John's, Maryland or Western Kentucky, and Dartmouth on the road before the Christmas holidays are over.

But head coach Bob Harrison thinks his team can play with any of them, "Last year we fed those kids to the wolves with a schedule that included St. Louis, Michigan, California, and Ohio State," he said last night, "But we got some valuable experience and confidence, and this year we should be able to play with them all."

Part of the reason for Harrison's confidence rests in his "Big Four", Floyd Lewis, 6-7 junior forward, and James Brown, 6-6 junior guard, who were the two top scores on last year's squad with 17.2 and 16.9-point scoring averages: Tony Jenkins, 6-7 sophomore forward who broke the freshman scoring and rebounding records last year; and Jim Fitzsimmons, 6-2 sophomore guard who transferred from Duke where he averaged 19.3 points and 57 per cent from the floor--are all former high school All-Americans.

With these four, Harvard does not lack scoring or rebounding, but traditionally weak defense and only average ballhandling could be trouble against the touch, precision teams the Crimson will meet.

Harrison plans to turn the defensive picture around though, and will be using a multiple-style defense to do it. "Most of the teams we'll face will probably play a slow-down, ball-control offense against us so we'll have to play as aggressive defense with lots of player rotation to meet it," he said.

The Crimson has the depth to do it with six other players, who could probably start on almost any other college team. Captain Brian Newmark, 6-7 senior center, and 6-10 junior Tom Mustoe will alternate at center. Both are tough defensive players, and Newmark will provide the team leadership that the squad will need this season.

Marshall Sanders, 6-5 junior forward, and Eric Fox, 6-4 junior forward, will back up Jenkins and Lewis at the corners, and juniors Hal Smith and Jean Wilkinson will see action at the guards.

Harvard finished sixth in New England last season, and Harrison is aiming to improve on that this winter. The Crimson meets Northeastern in its first game, the opening round of the Beanpot Tournament, and meets Massachusetts, Amherst, Holy Cross, Dartmouth, and either Boston College or Boston University later in the season.

The Ivy League is tougher overall than it has been in recent years, and Harvard, while aiming to win the championship, won't have an easy time of it. The Crimson meets Dartmouth, Penn, and Princeton on the road in its first three Ivy League contests, and then plays them again at home to round out its first six contests.

Dartmouth has All-Ivy Paul Erland, the League's leading scorer last season, junior guard James Brown, who averaged 19 points a game, and 6-10 center Jim Masker back, and is a definite contender despite its 5-9 Ivy record last winter.

Penn, coming off 25-2 and 28-1 records, may have some trouble with a new coach, Chuck Daley from B.C., and the loss of its backcourt aces, Steve Bilsky and Dave Wohl, but has to be the League favorite, 6 ft. 8 in. Bob Morse and 6-7 Corky Calhoun lead the Quakers' returnees with 6-8 Phil Hankinson, 6-5 Al Cotler, and 6-6 Craig Littlepage rounding out the squad.

Lost Big Men

Princeton lost its two big men within the past week (6-8 Bill Daake quit the team and 6-8 Bill Kapler underwent surgery) but with Brian Taylor and Ted Manakas in the backcourt, the Tigers are also contenders.

The rest of the League is improved with Columbia and Brown as possible spoilers. Yale and Cornell don't have the material to pose much of a threat.

Harvard's chances of finishing at the top of the race will depend largely on how well it jells before its first contest on December 4. "These guys are working harder than any other team I've coached here, and I think we'll be ready," Harrison said.

The Crimson has the experience it didn't have last season, and with the addition of two outstanding sophomores, it will definitely challenge for the Ivy title, and could even hold on to its Top 20 rating.