Adieu and Thanks for Everything, Ralph

It wasn't supposed to end this way.

Ralph James, the third leading scorer in the history of Harvard men's basketball, stood on the sidelines in a jacket and tie as his teammates warmed up for last Saturday night's game against Pennsylvania. The game was supposed to be James's final appearance in Briggs Cage, but a shoulder injury prevented him from donning his familiar number 44 one last time.

Instead of going out with the brilliance that characterized his four-year Harvard career, James was relegated to the sidelines as the Crimson lost its seventh consecutive Ivy League game. The team's sudden Ivy skid wasn't supposed to happen, but neither was James's injury. And it is no coincidence that Harvard's demise took place while the senior co-captain was fighting injury.

It's tempting to speculate about what might have happened to this year's Crimson had James not been hurt. Over the past four years, Harvard is 3-11 in games that James has missed. With him, they have made two serious runs at their first-ever Ivy title. In the James era, the Harvard program has gone from questionability to respectability, and followers of Harvard basketball have been treated to an on-court artistry that was distinctly James.

James's patented jumpers from the wing became a fixture at Briggs Cage. His leaners in traffic and graceful fast break finishes became a part of Harvard lore. His hardnosed rebounding and hustle in the open floor endeared him to Crimson fans.

There was his freshman year when the highly touted recruit burst on the Ivy scene to average 14.5 points per game (ppg). James proved why he had received overtures from such powerhouses as Michigan, Michigan State and St. John's as he was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

There was his sophomore year when he pumped in more than 14 ppg and was a Second Team All-Ivy selection. Despite increased defensive attention, he lit up Yale for 26 points and connected for 23 on the road at Brown.

There was last season when he was First Team All-Ivy and racked up a stellar 20.3 ppg. There was the game last February when he silenced a hostile Palestra crowd at Penn with a Harvard-record 41 points. There were the numerous clutch rebounds when James used toughness and guile to muscle his 6-ft., 5-in. frame in amongst the centers and forwards.

And then there was this year. James was elected co-captain and became the first player in Harvard history to lead the team in scoring for four consecutive years. But the shoulder injury limited his playing time and effectiveness.

The injury might have hampered his shooting, but it didn't hurt his attitude. James's reaction to his injury reflected the fact that his contributions to the team went beyond the scoring column.

"In terms of talent, I wasn't as much of an impact as in past years," James says. "But anytime your captain goes down it's a detrimental thing psychologically to your team when they look up to their lone senior, and he's not able to play."

James has carved a permanent niche in the Harvard record books, but his role transcended the numbers.

"I would want people not to see me as a one-dimensional player," he says. "A lot of times when a player has a certain amount of athletic ability, you automatically think that he's an offensive player. I'd want people to think that I meant a lot more to the team than offense."

And he did. He helped elevate the Harvard program. He brought fans and NBA scouts to the stands. He gave his selfless leadership to the Crimson.

But it wasn't supposed to end this way.

An Ivy championship would have been a fitting way to end the James era. If an Ivy title wasn't possible, then maybe just one more vintage James performance would have done. Maybe a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Maybe a clutch defensive stand or a rebound that would seal one more Crimson victory.

But Harvard fans knew that something wasn't quite right Saturday night. James will probably be wearing a jacket and tie for a good many years to come, but he will never again wear number 44.

The curtain has sadly closed on Ralph James's athletic career at Harvard. Adieu and thanks for everything, Ralph.