Harvard head coach Frank McLaughlin and his quintet of cagers may receive a baptism by fire tomorrow night when they tip off the season against UMass in the IAB at 7:30. Coach Jack Leaman's squad went 20-11 last season and in two of those victories the Minutemen anointed the hardwood with Crimson jerseys.

But McLaughlin can still count his blessings, as last year the hoopsters opened against Syracuse, as the Orangemen went through the season with a 26-4 slate. With 6-ft. 11-in., 235-lb. sophomore Roosevelt Bouie manning the pivot post accompanied by frontliners Louis Orr and pencil-thin Dale Shackleford, Jim Boheim's charges look to be the best in the East and are ranked seventh in the nation in "Sports Illustrated's" pre-season poll.

The Orangemen may be off the schedule but the Crimson can still look forward to tangling with ninth-ranked Holy Cross, spearheaded by soph Ronnie Perry. Perry was the most heavily recruited schoolboy from the Boston area three years ago along with Harvard transfer Joe Beaulieu. Coach George Blaney's Crusaders will face their first real test when they latch up with Iona College in their fourth game of the season.

Iona is one of the smallest schools in Division One but also one of the best in the Northeast. Richie Guerin was the last nationally acclaimed player at the New Rochelle school but this year coach Jimmy Valvano landed 6-ft., 9-in. Jeff Ruland, who was perhaps the most sought after high school big man in the nation.

In the Ivy League, the scenario could best be characterized as deja vu. With the return of Brian Banks and Glenn Fine, the Crimson should be in the thick of the race. With the nucleus of last year's Big Three of Princeton, Penn, and Columbia returning, don't be too surprised if the other five teams in the League only win 33 of 127 games as they did last year.

Arizona

On Saturday, December 17, the cagers take a sojurn in cactus country where they will play coach Fred Snowden's Arizona five in Tuscon. The Wildcats went 21-5 last year finishing as runner-up to Utah for the Western Athletic Conference title. Both Arizona and Arizona State University are forsaking the WAC in favor of the Pacific-8, which next year will be the Pac-10.

Boston College

Chestnut Hill has been a vale of tears the last few years as BC has had talent-laden squads that consistently managed to lose. Coach Bob Zuffelato bowed out last year and Tom Davis will lead the Eagles against the Crimson next Saturday at 1:30 in the IAB.

Brown

Brown mentor Gerry Alaimo has a starting lineup without a single senior. The Bruins played an exhibition against the defending Canadian collegiate champs, the Axemen of Acadia College in Nova Scotia.

CCNY

Harvard plays City College of New York in the Big Town of Friday, December 9. The Beavers won the City University Championship last year paced by a backcourt of Rich Silvera and Ken "Pogo" Collins. Silvera averaged 16.6 points per game last year and is CCNY's all-time leading scorer with over 1300 career points.

Columbia

Columbia should threaten for the Ivy title once again as Tom Penders has Ricky Free, Juan "the Enforcer" Mitchell, and 5-ft., 8-in. assist kingpin Alton Byrd back in uniform. Center Elmer Love decided to take the year off and will be replaced by Ed Shockley, who spent last season recovering from leg surgery for varicose veins.