With the advent of winter in Cambridge, that most played and seen national competitive sport, basketball, once again begins to assume its proper place in the University sports kaleidoscope.

Paring down his squad to 12 men and anxiously awaiting the termination of fall sports, from which he hopes to glean valuable material, the University's new basketball mentor, Bill Barclay, this week accelerated preparations for the opening of the Varsity basketball season on December 7 against M.I.T.

The Barclay system, as previewed in the first two weeks of practice, differs only slightly from that of ex-Coach Floyd Stahl, which saw the Crimson quintet to the N.C.A.A. championship tourney in New York last year. The fundamental man-to-man defense will remain, but the Barclay offense calls for more use of set plays than Stahl's.

"What I am trying to achieve," said the recently appointed coach last night, "is the happy medium between a completely un-systematic offense and one like that used at the University of Wisconsin, where the center holds up a certain number of fingers on each advance, denoting the set offensive play to be put in action."

With only three returning letter-men, Saul Mariaschin, John Gantt, and John Clark, all Juniors, Barclay has quite a rebuilding job ahead of him but he also has an excellent opportunity to develop a winning quintet since every member of the present squad is eligible for at least one more year of college competition.

Help Expected from Gridders

At present, the first five consist of Sophomores Mike Fansler and Steve Davis at guards, Junior John Noble at center, and Mariaschin and Gantt at forwards. Guard Jack Torgan and forward Leo Page, both also Juniors, have frequently been substituted into this combination. Clark, Bill Hanford, Ray Nelson, Bob At has, and Monroe Hymans make up the second five.

Barclay stressed last night that the squad was limited to 12 not by design, but by material. "When the fall sport boys come out. I hope to make part of the present first team the second team" he said. Among those expected to increase Varsity strength are George Haupt-fuhrer, Chip Cannon, Ralph Petrillo, Willard McDaniel, and Dean Markham of the football squad and Dick Forster of the soccer team.