It is a truism of Harvard basketball that the freshman teams are almost as strong as the varsities are weak. The 1954 freshman squad hardly seems to be an exception.

With a squad whose tallest man was six feet four, the Yardlings defeated all sixteen of its opponents to become the first undefeated freshman basketball team in the College's athletic history.

"This year's team," freshman coach Floyd Wilson said yesterday, "faced a tougher schedule than any we've played in many years." The record proves his point. Three of the Yardling victims, Dartmouth, Boston College, and Tufts, defeated perennially strong Holy Cross. Opponent Yale boasted a win over Princeton and a winning season, while Brown, never a basketball powerhouse, had a well above average year. The Bruins gave the freshmen their biggest scare of the season by carrying them into overtime before accumbing, 67 to 66.

Dean Academy came into the IAB with a string of 34 victories over top prep school and college freshman competition. It left on the short end of a 96-58 score.

The toughest team the freshmen played this year was Dartmouth. Doggie Julian, the Indians' varsity coach, reportedly spent as much time with the freshmen as he did with the Green first string. But the unawed freshmen, behind by eleven points in the second period, came back to pound out a 68-55 victory.

On paper, the freshmen hardly figured to be outstanding. While not overly weak in height, they nevertheless lacked the very tall center who could assure them of a majority of rebounds in each of their games.

Wilson yesterday summed up the main factors that led to an undefeated season. "The team possessed a fierce competitive spirit and improved more during the season than any other squad I've ever coached. The bench was strong," he added, "and could be counted on when the first string was below par."

No High School Stars

While this year's freshmen included no all-city or state all-star selection, the team consistently put a well-balanced five on the floor. Bob Dolven, the team's captain, scored 24 points in the big games with Yale and Dartmouth and possessed what Wilson called "the best touch of any freshman I've ever coached."

Ike Canty, the team's six foot three center, led the freshman scoring for the year, nosing out Dolven by three points. Others who saw considerable action during the past season were Lou Lowenfels, the team's top play-maker, Dick Hurley, another outstanding guard, Phil Haughey, a six foot four forward, and Bob Barnett, whom Wilson rates as one of the most improved members of the squad.