Tough Questions? Not Really

Heading into the new season, the top question on the mind of every Harvard women's basketball fan is this: Who can possibly replace Erin Maher '93 and Debbie Flandermeyer '93, arguably the finest players ever on the Crimson roster?

Here's your answer: Try the entire 1993-94 squad, with special help from two rising stars.

"We're a completely different team from last year," senior co-captain Catherine Crisera said. "We're faster, and we're much more even across the board."

"You can't lose two players like Debbie and Erin without making a lot of changes," senior co-captain Katie Phillips said.

The duo plainly made its mark at Harvard. Together, Maher and Flandermeyer set or matched 22 school records and finished as the school's two all-time leading scorers.

But with the graduation of this powerful tandem goes the departure of an extremely structured, play-oriented offense.

Now the program is looking forward to running a faster-paced, "run-and-gun" offense and a more aggressive defense.

"This is the fastest, quickest, most athletic team I have ever coached at Harvard," said Head Coach Kathy Delaney Smith.

"We're going to run, and we're going to press 40 minutes a game," said Frey. "It's my favorite kind of basketball."

Along with the Crimson's newfound speed comes a newfound depth that opens up the team's options.

"We're looking for everyone to fill the shoes of Debbie and Erin," Frey said.

Junior forward Tammy Butler and sophomore Elizabeth "Buzz" Proudfit, however, will likely play the two biggest roles in the transition.

Butler, the only sophomore to earn First Team Ivy League honors in 1993, was a dominant force in the league last season.

The 6'1" forward ended with 11.4 rebounds per game and a 16.1 point average, and set a Harvard record with 285 boards for the season.

"Tammy runs the floor better than any forward I've seen at any school," Delaney Smith said. "She's worked hard on putting on weight and building body strength while maintaining remarkable speed and quickness."

Proud at Point

At point will be Proudfit, Harvard's first-ever Ivy Rookie of the Year, with her trademark ball-handling finesse and her infallible instinct.

"She can really take control of the team on the floor," Crisera said. "She can drive, dish and shoot--she's a great point guard."

But don't expect Butler and Proudfit to inherit all the glory; since Harvard has adopted a quicker, more aggressive offensive style, more substitutions will be made to keep the pace going.

And, said Crisera, "everyone on our team likes to run."

Even leadership roles have been distributed throughout the team: as co-captains, Crisera, Frey and Phillips all carry a portion of the responsibility and each is "accessible in a different way," said Crisera.

"All the veterans have really stepped up and made a contribution," she added.

In addition, a talented, albeit gimpy class of recruits will also be sure to contribute.

Jessica Gelman, a pure point guard, will see a lot of action, enabling Proudfit play less conservatively, something she had to do last season as the team's sole player at point.

Kelly Black, Cara James and Allyson Keith--all currently rehabilitating injuries--will all see substantial court time once healthy.

With obvious changes implemented in the team's style of play, the players will still hold on to some things that Maher and Flandermeyer helped establish in the program: respect for each other, an exceptional team chemistry evident on and off the court, and an undefeatable attitude.