Saul Mariaschin '47, of Dunster House and Brooklyn, N. Y., was elected captain of the Varsity basketball team by the 13 squad members yesterday afternoon, as the Barclaymen went through their last session in preparation for tonight's opener with M.I.T.

One of the few holdovers from last year's squad, Mariaschin in generally considered as good a defenseman an the Crimson has had in the past five years, both for his ability to handle enemy forwards, and for his whip-lash accuracy on long set shots.

Yale Game Performance

His greatest performance for Harvard, however, came in neither of these capacities, but instead in his role as a team player--an inspirational role he will undoubtedly play this year also. The game was the Yale game, a contest that seemed hopelessly lost for the Crimson, as the Eli led by seven points going into the second half of a tight thriller.

Although an injured leg had kept him on the bench for the first 20 minutes of play, Mariaschin took to the floor in the third quarter--and the Crimson began to move. Instead of merely parrying blows with yale's Tony Leavelli, the Stahl five took the play away, went on to cop the lead, and eventually won 39 to 7. Mariaschin's two baskets in the scoring columndin't count for much in the final score, but the 15,000 spectators were unanimous in attributing the win to his morale as a floor leader.

In addition to his play last year, Mariaschin boasts a varied basketball background, both as a civilian and as a serviceman. He has played at both Bloomsberg and Syracuse in the college leagues, and can also claim earlier experience at brooklyn's Lafayette High School.

Coming to Harvard in the Naval R.O.T.C. in 1945, Mariaschin swiftly won himself a varsity post, which he held throughout the year, secting action in every Crimson game last fall.

At mid-years, he received his discharge from the Navy, but the lure of Harvard--and a championship basketball team-were enough to induce him to return to Cambridge as a civilian in time to complete to February schedule with the Stahlmen. He will graduate in 1947, with a degree in the field of government.

Aside from his athletic ambitions, which include baseball as well as basketball, Mariaschin is considering law as a possible post-graduation vocation. Coaching, and song writing, however, also are included in his list of future possibilities.