When the freshman basketball squad meets Newman Prep at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Indoor Athletic Building it will have had only two team practices behind it since exam period began. Coach Lloyd Harper doesn't expect any noticeable depreciation in the quality of his boys play, however, because he held informal practice sessions during the two and a half week layoff to keep them reasonably up to snuff.

As usual the starting lineup will be composed of captain Bill Hickey and Bill Borah at the forwards, Jerry Murphy and Bill Downey at the guards, and John Stevenson at center. On the offense Murphy and Downey switch to forward to utilize their height.

A beefy, six foot four inch center named Jim McFadden is, by virtue of his size--a department in which the Crimson is dismally deficient, the chief Weapon which Newman will roll into the blockhouse. Big men who literally overpower Harper's economy size players under the boards have always been a source of difficulty to the '52 quintet.

Vacation Blues

At least this time lean Harvard center Stevenson won't have to go the full 40 minutes against a more rugged opposing center, since Harper has found an effective relief man for him in the person of Al Switzer.

The freshmen may be slightly off their timing after their enforced vacation, but they should be able to cope with Newman if they play at all like the way they did when they smothered Tabor 63 to 40 in their last action January 18. Harper noted, though, that his men should get more competition tonight than they have in their last two games with Tabor and Tufts.

Eight more games with MIT, Exeter, Dartmouth, Boston University, Andover, Nichols Junior College, Boston College, and Yale, respectively, face the freshmen before they retire March 12.