Clemente Injury, Return Mark Trends in M. Hoops' Year

The short of it: A pretty even Ivy League year, more losses than wins and a good rebuilding start.

The long of it: A team that was supposed to be rebuilding and going extremely young has an above-average league season and an adequate overall record. Its best player gets severely injured and comes back, almost leading his team to a major upset. Four freshmen play and start in more games than anyone imagined, and play pretty well in the process. An unassuming senior steps up and becomes the team's premier shooter.

These are all the subplots from a wild, winding Harvard men's basketball season. Returning only one senior starter, the Crimson showed not only youth and inexperience, but also mental toughness and gritty defense. Instead of streaky, the words that best describe the team are surprising and inconsistent.

Harvard went into the season hoping everything would stay together. Dan Clemente, a junior forward, was expected to lead the team's scoring attack, while captain Damian Long, sophomore guard Drew Gellert and junior center Tim Coleman were all to provide help and experience. The team would also start one freshman, razzle-dazzle point guard Elliott Prasse-Freeman.

Things started out as planned. In its opening games against Holy Cross, Lehigh, and Washington and Lee, Harvard's defense and Clemente's consistent offensive prowess gave the Crimson three solid wins. In early December, Harvard continued its non-conference schedule, losing three close games, one to Marist and two in the final seconds to Navy and Boston University. Clemente suffered in those games, but tough defensive performances kept them close.

Then, on Dec. 10, disaster struck. Clemente injured his retina in practice and was declared gone for the season. The Crimson got demolished by Colgate in its next outing, seemingly stunned by the news. Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan acknowledged that despite some early success, it was definitely a rebuilding season now. Without a go-to guy, Harvard endured a tough Christmas break, losing games to South Florida and Vermont while picking up just one win, at Sacred Heart.

But when the team started up again in January, things began to change. Prasse-Freeman took on the role of field general, directing the offense on Sullivan's orders. Long became Harvard's top scorer, and Coleman had two straight double-doubles. Freshman forward Sam Winter, filling in for Clemente, performed admirably. In fact, all these players did well in a 78-60 defeat of SUNY Albany in Harvard's first game after the break.

The Crimson then began its real season, the Ivy League season. Since only the league winner goes to the NCAA tournament, and since Penn or Princeton have won the Ivy League title in all but six years since 1957, the Crimson had its work cut out for it.

Harvard had actually beaten Dartmouth in December, and the rematch in New Hampshire on Jan. 8 proved no different. In another upset, Harvard won 48-43. Poor shooting prevailed on both sides, but Harvard once again neutralized star Big Green center Shaun Gee, holding him to seven points.

Suddenly, Harvard led the Ivy League with a 2-0 record. It was ready to shock the world.

But minor difficulties hindered that dream. The next weekend, Harvard was scheduled to play away at Yale and Brown, two up-and-coming teams. A long, horrible bus ride delayed the start of the Yale game, and despite Coleman's double-double, Harvard's inexperience showed. At times, four freshmen, including center Onnie Mayshak and guard Brady Merchant, were on the floor. Yale's Onija Woodbine laid 28 points down on the Crimson in a 69-61 Bulldog victory. The next night, Brown guard Earl Hunt put 39 points on the decimated Crimson defense in a 78-68 Bear win.

Harvard really, really missed Dan Clemente. Nobody could score as much as he could.

On Feb. 1, fate intervened again.

Clemente went in for a regular checkup, and, much to his surprise, was cleared to play. Coach Sullivan inserted him into the lineup three minutes into Harvard's next game, a win against Cornell. He finished with 24 points, and more importantly, his presence energized the Crimson defense. He added another 24 points the next night, but other than Long, nobody else could shoot as Harvard lost to Columbia, 71-65.

Harvard took its 3-3 Ivy record to Penn and Princeton the next weekend, hoping it might put up one good performance. The first night, against Penn, the Crimson played intense defense...for ten minutes. Despite Gellert's strong play on star guard Michael Jordan, Clemente found no openings, and scored only two points before fouling out in a 79-52 loss. He was equally ineffective the next night, and Princeton's Chris Young lit up Harvard for 30 points in a 73-55 win at Jadwin Gymnasium.

Harvard worked on its "D" during practice the next week before getting a chance for revenge against Brown and Yale at home. It paid off. An abundance of steals that led to easy points, along with a shutdown of Hunt, gave Harvard a 70-63 win over Brown. The next evening, Harvard shut down Woodbine, while Clemente, Long and Winter all had good offensive production. Prasse-Freeman also tied the Harvard record for assists in a game with 15 in a 70-51 drubbing of Yale.

The Jekyll and Hyde act continued the following weekend. Princeton showed up at Lavietes Pavilion and thrashed the Crimson again, 63-48. The only highlight was Gellert's setting Harvard's single-season record for steals with 67.

The following evening, however, was the most exciting of the year. Penn came in almost guaranteed the Ivy title. In the final home game for Long, who had become the biggest factor in the Crimson's offense, Harvard almost pulled off an upset win. Jordan's turnover with nine seconds left set up Clemente's attempted buzzer-beater, which clanked off the right side of the rim. Harvard lost, 62-61.

That would have been a climactic ending, but Long had other thoughts. He almost single-handedly defeated Columbia and Cornell in the final weekend, getting a career-high 29 points in the final game. Fittingly, every player saw time in that 74-60 win over Cornell.

Harvard actually slightly improved on last year, finishing third in the Ivy with a 7-7 record. While Long's scoring and leadership will be gone, Clemente will be back for the whole season, the team hopes. The fabulous freshmen, led by Prasse-Freeman, will surely improve, and be ready to make even more of an impact. Gellert is still the team's premier defender, and one can expect more new recruits.

If you thought this season was wild, wait until next year. Madness is expected--maybe even March Madness.