Favored Crimson Quintet Plays at Williams Tonight

Varsity basketball coach Floyd Wilson is a very happy man today. After a discouragaing two and a half years as the team's mentor, Crimson fortunes finally seem to have turned. Moreover, his own strategy decisions were in no small way responsible for this favorable turn of events.

Six days ago the Harvard five was in the throes of a six game losing streak, and what had optimistically begun as a fairly good season threatened to end as poorly as all those of recent varsity years. Then, as if by magic, the tide turned, and in order, the team broke all ots scoring records, trouncing Boston College, and won its most impressive league game in several years by soundly defeating Princeton. And it was not an accident.

Some carefully devised plans of Floyd Wilson played a major part in both triumphs. In the B.C. game, a new starting lineup was advanced, calculated to be the fastest, most aggressive, and best shooting alignment possible, even though it involved three guards playing concurrently, and a resultant loss of important rebound height.

After this worked so successfully, Wilson decided he still needed something more if the team were to cope with Princeton's superior height. Following a scouting trip to see the Tigers play Brown, he devised a pressing zone defense, which allowed the Crimson to keep its tall men under the boards, and forced Princeton to handle the ball outside instead of working it into the keyhole.

Tonight Wilson will again use his new devices, as the varsity travels to Williams to play a mediocre Williams team. Even the usually cautious Wilson predicted victory "if there is no letdown."

This game opened a crucial week for the varsity, which has league games against Penn and Cornell at home this weekend. If the team can get by Williams tonight, it should then be in good psychological shape to sweep the weekend contests and grab a firm hold on fifth place in the league race.