Cagers May Get N. I. T. Invitation

Tourney Bid May Depend on Ivy Finish

The Harvard basketball team, even though its record is only 11-10 with two games remaining, may receive by Monday its first invitation ever to play in a post-season tournament.

The National Invitational Tournament committee, which began inviting teams Tuesday to play in its Madison Square Garden tourney from March 20-27, may choose an Ivy League team because of a ruling last. December by the Ivy Policy Committee.

In December, the Policy Committee-composed of the eight Ivy presidents-removed the N. I. T. from its list of unapproved post-season athletic activities.

As a rule, in the first year a league allows its teams to play in the N. I. T., the tournament committee returns the favor by inviting a team from the league. Since Penn will compete in the NCAA Tournament in March, the second-place Ivy team could be invited.

Should Harvard, currently 9-3 in Ivy play, finish second in the League-which it could do by defeating Brown and Yale this weekend-and should it get an invitation for the N. I. T., the Faculty Committee on Athletic Sports will decide whether or not to allow the team to play.

If the Crimson does go, it will be without senior Hal Calbom, the squad's fourth leading scorer and junior Vince Lackner, a reserve forward, both of whom quit the team Tuesday to emphasize, they said yesterday, their dissatisfaction with the Crimson coaching staff.

"It was their decision." head coach Bob Harrison said yesterday. "They had their reasons, and I respect them. If they're not happy, then it's best for them not to be here-for their own sakes and the team's."