Coach Norm Shepard's varsity basketball team left for West Point yesterday afternoon, determined to prove in tonight's game with Army that Saturday's 77 to 42 rout by Princeton was all a horrible mistake.

Using the Cadets as a means of bringing the Crimson's season percentage up to .500 should prove a tough proposition, however. Army has recorded three straight wins this season, including impressive victories over Brown and Ithaca.

Shepard last night thought he might start Captain Bill Prior at center in place of Ed Smith. Smith's shooting eye has been off in the past few games and he fell to a season's low of three points against Princeton.

A familiar football figure, Arnold Galiffa, will lead Army tonight. Galiffa, one of two returning Cadet lettermen, will team at forward with the other veteran, Tom Boydston.

While Galiffa is Army's chief scoring threat, the Cadets' coach, John Maner, also relies heavily upon his six-foot-four pivot man, Ed Tixier.

Probable starting lineup: HARVARD    ARMY Rockwell  lf  Galiffa Gabler  rf  Boydston Prior  c  Tixier Covey  lg  Bailey Murphy  rg  feoman