Five Hosts Cornell, Lions

Harvard's game but outclassed basketball team embarks tonight on a three-month journey to oblivion.

The Crimson opens its Ivy League schedule at 8 p.m. against Cornell in the IBB, and hosts Columbia tomorrow night. Both opponents are Ivy powerhouses; Harvard will very likely lose both games by a combined total of 40 points.

Cornell has a 5-5 record to date, but that mark is somewhat deceiving. The Big Red finished second in the Ivy League last year, and has four starters returning from the team that bombed Harvard, 91 to 52.

The Big Red is an extremely well-balanced club. Steve Cram, their 6-7 center, is averaging 23 points per game, and 6-2 guard Bob Deluca has an 18.8 average. But everyone else on the starting five in a solid ballplayer: 6-5 forward Gary Munson, 6-5 forward Bob McCready, and 6-2 guard Bob Borube.

Cornell plays run-and-shoot basketball, and last season not an Ivy record by averaging 82 points per game. They scored 92 points in a loss to Brigham young, one of the country's top ten teams.

Newmark Looms Large

There's one big reason why Columbia in having a great season, and that reason is seven foot tall. His name is Dave Newmark, a sophomore averaging 22.7 points and 16.5 rebounds per game. He's being touted as one of the half dozen best sophomores in the country.

And Newmark isn't a one-man team. Guard Stan Felsinger is a fine ball handler and shooter; he's averaging 22.6. In the backcourt with Felsinger in Ken Benoit, the prototype of the scrappy little guard. Benoit is not normally a high scorer, but his 22 point performance gave Columbia a 69-68 win over Cornell last month.

Columbia has no other exceptional talent--but they don't really need it. Four players have been alternating at the forward positions--Jack Dema (6-5), Tuck Ganzenmuller (6-4) Joel Hoffman (6-2) and John Harms (6-3).

Columbia has won eight of its first ten games, topping 100 points three times. Their only losses came against George town and Auburn.

Harvard is clearly out of its element against these two teams. We discussed the Crimson's prospects and plans with Coach Floyd Wilson:

Q. "Coach, do you have any super-special strategy for Columbia and Cornell besides prayer?"

A. "No."

That's it in a nutshell. Harvard, with a tremendous height disadvantage, has no hope at all of upsetting any of the Ivy contenders this season.

Barry Williams, Keith Sedlacek, Gene Dressler, John Scott, and George Neville will start tonight for the Crimson. Sedlacek is averaging 20.9 per game, and currently ranks fourth on the all-time list of Harvard scorers. Williams has surpassed the all-time Harvard rebounding record. Neville's shooting has improved fantastically in the past month place Wilson suggested a minor change in his shooting style.

But Harvard's shooting ability and their effective full-court press won't help much this weekend. Williams, at 6-5, in Harvard's tallest player--and what can even he do against a seven-foot monster?