Basketball, Hockey Squads Open Against Tufts, Tech

Coach Norman Shepard lifts the lid on his first Harvard basketball team, and opens the local season as well, at 8:45 p.m. tonight when an equally untested Tufts five trots onto the Blockhouse floor.

As far as Shepard is concerned, tonight's is the most important game on his schedule. This is what he told his squad yesterday as it completed eight weeks of practice under Shepard's fast-break style. At the close of yesterday's workout, the coach said, "My team will be fine as far as condition and morale go, and it will play to the best of its abilities."

The Crimson's probable starting lineup includes four men who saw a great deal of action last season, and two of them center and captain Bill Prior and forward John Rockwell--started against Yale. Ed Smith, the other forward, and Cliff Crosby, one of the guards, are the other seasoned men; Bill Hickey, who will team with Crosby at guard, is the only sophomore in the lineup.

Gabler May Start

A late change may send Jim Gabler to guard in the place of Crosby. Shepard plans to dress 15 men for the games, and, in addition to the starting five, at least three of them--Gabler, Aaron Cohodes, and Gerry Murphy--are likely to see considerable service.

And how about Tufts? All Shepard knows about the visitors from Medford is what Walt McCurdy has told him. McCurdy, a member of last year's team, played with a Business School outfit that lost to the Jumbos in an unofficial scrimmage. Coach Fred Ellis likes to play a wild and fast game. His team is about the same as Shepard's heightwise (the Smith-Rockwell-Prior front line averages 6 ft. 5 in.) and his best man is Perry, a dead set shot who is also very fast.

In the curtain-raiser, the freshmen take on the Tufts yearlings. The Yardlings will also be making their debut under a new coach, Floyd Wilson. Probable varsity lineups: HARVARD  TUFTS Smith  F  Kolankiewicz Rockwell  F  Perry Prior  C  Goodwin Crosby  G  Mullaney Hickey  G  Sokelin