With a 2-3 record in non-league play, the Harvard men's basketball team is like a teenager first learning to drive: upbeat, but cautious.

Fresh off two wins last week, Harvard suits up tonight in Hanover, N.H., against Dartmouth, its first Ivy League opponent.

Last year, Harvard didn't win its second game until February 5. Clearly this team has begun to erase the ugly memories of that 0-11 start.

"We're playing better now," Captain Tyler Rullman said. "Last year we had no wins going into league games, but this season the two wins have given us some confidence."

Part of the reason for the squad's success lies in the frontcourt's recent play. All three starters have enjoyed career efforts so far.

Rullman--named Ivy League Player of the Week for his 23, 28 and 28-point efforts against Babson, Fairfield and Lehigh, senior power forward Eric Carter (a career-high 23 points against Fairfield) and senior center Arturo Llopis (career-high 14 points against Lehigh) are the bedrock of one of the Ancient Eight's best frontcourts.

Still, guard James White refrained from making any lofty predictions for tonight's match.

"Of course, Dartmouth's a league game, so it's important in that sense, but as far as preparations go, we're taking it like all the other games we've had," White said.

Maybe the memories of a 96-57 rout at the hands of Boston College are still too fresh.

Maybe the team wants to keep a low profile, so that it can sneak up on unsuspecting opponents.

Maybe seasons of losing have tempered the players' optimism.

Maybe it's all three. But whatever the reason, the Harvard players seem unusually quiet as they approach their showdown with Dartmouth.

Keys to Success

Most of the players agree that the team has improved its rebounding and its ball movement this season.

Rullman (who seems to be point guard Tarik Campbell's biggest fan) again praised the junior's contributions to the Crimson offense.