Coach Bill Barclay's Varsity five pays its last pre-Christmas visit to the Indoor Athletic Building tonight in a game with Boston University that shapes up as a far closer contest than Tuesday night's Tufts slaughter. Tap-off time is 8:45 o'clock.

The preliminary contest, scheduled for 7:15 o'clock pits the Yardling quintet against a squad from the Squantum Naval Air Base.

Until Tuesday night, the Common-wealth Avenue crowd had shown little in the way of basketball prowess, but that evening the Terriors came to life in the Boston Garden to give Holy Cross its closest shave of the season. The Crusaders won by four points. Previously, B.U. had dropped games to M.I.T., a Varsity victim, and Syracuse, while their only victory came at the expense of Clark University.

Coach Russ Peterson's ace is forward George Gaudreault, high scorer for the Terriers last season.

For the Crimson Barclay will open with John Gantt and Leo Page at forwards, George Hauptfuhrer at center, and Captain Saul Marlaschin and Steve Davis at guards. PROBABLE LINEUPS HARVARD    B.U. Page  if  Gaudreault Gantt  if  Leighton Hauptfuhrer  c  Stanley Marlaschin  Ig  Daly Davis  rg  Galbert