Crimson Cagers Prime for Opener; Tough Schedule Ahead for Squad

If consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, then recent Harvard basketball teams have had heads which are quite swelled to say the least. Wins over Cornell have preceded defeats to Princeton, and by the time March 5 rolls around, the cagers find themselves in third place in the Ivies, with an overall record of something like 12-13.

Not bad, in other words, but not too good either. This year, with a lot of young talent but a tough schedule to challenge it, more of the same can be expected.

The Talent

First the talent, which begins with Captain Bill Carey, the best player during the second half of the year on last year's team. Carey has the talent to be an All-Ivy performer, and the Crimson will need a full season from his experienced forward position if it plans to go anywhere.

Carey will be joined up front by Cyrus Booker, one of the many sophomores who will be gracing the IAB this winter, and Doc Hines, who, at last report, was back playing on the team again, and playing extremely well.

Hines, who quit the team two weeks ago along with Roosevelt Cox (also back) and Roland Smart, rejoined the cagers last week, and is challenging for a starting position.

The Middle-Man

Brian Banks, who has the potential to be an excellent center, will be the man in the middle, and don't be surprised if Banks's and the Crimson's development parallel each other. The only other senior on the team, Mufi Hanneman, will also be counted on to pull down a few rebounds.

In the backcourt, last year's freshman sensation, Glen Fine, will be one starter. Fine is an excellent ballhandler and shooter, and, in combination with Joe Leondis and Jonas Honick, should give Harvard a more than adequate backcourt.

The Bench

As for the bench, there is the nucleus of last year's once-beaten freshmen team (Cox, Steve Irion, Mark Johnson, and Mike Cantor), ex-Classics' performer Gordon Congden, and returnee Jeff Hill, when he recovers from a knee injury.

There is plenty of talent, then, but the question remains as to whether there is enough for the challenging schedule which the cagers will face.

For openers, there is nationally ranked Clemson (as in Clemson from the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is to collegiate basketball what Harvard is to rowing) and Syracuse (a finalist in the NCAAs last March) in this weekend's Tip-Off Tournament in South Carolina. Then there are those giants from Boston College, an angry UMass team, and four combined contests with Princeton (last year's NIT champs) and Penn, which plays Top Twenty basketball while residing in the Ivy League.

Thus, despite the sentiments of Carey and Coach Tom Sanders, both of whom point to Harvard's improved look and increased depth over a year ago, another 12-13 record shouldn't be too surprising, even if they do play 26 games.