Basketball Team to Open Season Against Bowdoin Quintet Tonight

The Crimson varsity basketball team, with only one senior and four lettermen on the squad, will open its season against Bowdoin tonight at the Polar Bears' home court.

Inexperience is the key to the fortunes of the team chat finished tied for sixth in the Ivy League with a 6-8 record last season. Coach Floyd Wilson characterized this year's club as "steady," with good speed and strong rebounding, and looks for a marked improvement.

The speed factor, especially on defense, ruined the Crimson last year, Wilson is optimistic that this year's team will have a tighter defense and a better fast break with added swiftness.

Wilson's starting team for tonight's game will have captain Bob Bowditch, the lone senior, and Joe Deering at guards, Gary Borchard, last year's high scorer, and Tom Tangeman at forwards, and either Bill Danner or Denny Lynch at center.

Now in his third year of varsity play, Bowditch has an outstanding jump shot from about 25 feet. Wilson feels that teaming Bowditch with the fast, steady ball-handler Deering will give him the solid backcourt previous Crimson teams have lacked.

Borchard, now a junior, was named to the all-Ivy second team last year and is expected to be the Crimson's high scorer. His effectiveness should be sharpened with the addition of Tangeman, a junior who didn't play last year, in the front count.

Tangeman is a good feeder, and his speed and quick hands on defense are one of Wilson's prime reasons for optimism. The center position will be shared by letterman Danner and sophomore Lynch, the tallest first-liner at 6 ft., 5 in.

The game tonight is expected to be a tough test for the youthful squad. Last year the Crimson eked out a five point win at home against a Bowdoin team composed mostly of sophomores.

Wilson will use these early non-league games to sharpen the team's offensive patterns and defense in preparation for the Ivy battles that will begin January 4 against Dartmouth.