M. Cagers to Host Bruins and Rival Elis at Briggs

They say that a cowboy has to climb back into the saddle right after has been thrown from his mount.

After Tuesday's crushing 91-89 dismounting by Dartmouth in double-overtime, the Harvard men's basketball team will try to climb right back onto the court this weekend.

"If you don't bounce back from a loss like that, you've wasted a tremendous effort," Harvard Coach Pete Roby said.

Fortunately for the Crimson (6-10 overall, 1-3 Ivy League), the squad's next shootout will take place tonight at 7:30 against Brown in Briggs Cage. The Bruins (4-12, 0-4) aren't the meanest dudes in the old West, or the East for that matter.

Leading the Bruins is 6-ft., 5-in. swingman Marcus Thompson, the third-leading scorer in the Ivies this year. Thompson, who burned Yale for 36 points earlier this year, is averaging 20.6 points per game overall (23.8 Ivies), and has hit 27-of-76 three-point bombs.

While it may not be possible to keep Thompson (nicknamed "The Mad Bomber") from racking up points, Roby expects the Harvard zone defense--which has worked very well in the last several games--to keep the Bruin sharpshooter from finding open shots.

"We can't keep [Thompson] from shooting the ball, but we want to keep a guy in his face at all times," Roby said. "We want to keep him under as much duress as possible. If he's going to get 30 points, we want him to have to take 25 shots."

Behind Thompson is center Anthony Katsoras, the team's second leading scorer (12.8 p.p.g.) and leading rebounder (7.8 r.p.g.). Don't let the low scoring average fool you. The senior is the fourth most accurate shooter in the nation this season, sinking 66.2 percent of his field goal attempts.

Sophomore guard Mark Rudolph roams the point and averages 7.2 points per game. Rudolph has also dished out 68 assists for the Bruins.

Brown Coach Mike Cingiser has been experimenting with the other two starting spots this year, but it looks like freshman Mike Traina (3.6 p.p.g.) and 6-ft., 7-in. senior Sean Moran (6.4 p.p.g., 4.9 r.p.g.) will get the nod against the Crimson.

Eli Shootout

After Friday night's shootout, the Crimson will have to rest up for the next night, as Yale comes riding into town.

The Elis (6-10, 2-2) were among the pre-season favorites in the Ivy League, and should give Harvard a good battle. The Crimson has to come out with blazing guns against the experienced Eli squad.

"They have a very good team," Roby said of the Bulldogs. "We have to have to come out ready to play. If we play like we did on Tuesday, we should be all right."

Big

The chief honcho for the Elis is Captain Paul Maley, a first-team All-Ivy selection as a junior last year. Maley has picked up where he left off last season, averaging 20.6 points overall, and leads the the Ivies with 25.5 points per game.

The 6-ft., 7-in. senior is a double threat from the outside--firing in 26-of-51 (50.9 percent) from three-point range--and the inside, where he lassoes 8.3 boards a game.

Surging

Senior center Eric Mitchell has had to fill the very large shoes of one Chris Dudley, last year's Ivy Player of the Year, and currently a member of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Mitchell has come on strong after a slow start, averaging 11 points and five rebounds in the last 11 outings after scoring a total of 15 points in the first five contest.

Despite the presence of six seniors on the squad, freshmen Dean Campbell and Travis McCready share the small forward spot. The duo has comined for 10.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. The 6-ft., 4-in. Campbell starts, but McCready--the younger brother of former Boston College star Roger McCready--also sees plenty of action.

Eli Guards

Two seniors lead the Eli backcourt. Point guard Peter White, who led the Ivies with 106 assists last year, has been struggling offensively. White is averaging 8.3 points and 4.8 assists per game, but is shooting only 36 percent from the field.

John Rice, a good defensive player, provides the Elis with a fine outside shot (9.2 p.p.g.) and strong rebounding skills from the backcourt (5.1 r.p.g).

If Harvard plays like it did Tuesday, saddles won't be the only thing the Crimson will find itself climbing.