Varsity basketball coach Norm Shepard will lead his team against favored Cornell at Ithaca tonight in the opening game of Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball competition.

The Crimson, which finished last in the league last season without a victory, is rated an improved team this year with a good chance to climb out of the cellar.

The same five which started each of the varsity's first three games this season will open again tonight. Bill Dennis, who has scored at least 21 points in every game so far, will team with Harry Sacks at the forwards. Captain Dick Lionette will play center, with Roger Bulger and Paul Shaw at the guard positions.

The Big Red will line up tonight missing four starters from the squad which trounced the Crimson twice last year. Although several sophomores are in the starting lineup, the hosts will have a slight height advantage with two men standing at 6'5". Sacks, Bulger, and Shaw on the Crimson are also spohomores.

The Crimson in its last game began concentrating on controlling the ball and running set plays instead of continual fast breaking. Coach Roy Green of Cornell prefers the same type of control game, and both teams use a man to man defense.

In games played, the Big Red holds the advantage with four victories and no defeats, while the Crimson has won two out of three games. They have met no common opponents.

Picks Cornell Third

Shepard figures that Columbia and Pennsylvania will set the pace in the E.I.B.L. "Ivy" loop, with last year's champion, Princeton, and Cornell battling for the next two places. He would not predict any final spot for the Crimson.

The defensive play of Ed Condon in the second half of the last minute Brown victory on Saturday particularly pleased Shepard. Condon came off the bench to hold Brown's top scorer to two field goals.