One of the best varsity swimmers in the country and what may prove to be a top freshman team, compete in the I.A.B. pool tonight with the Crimson's flashiest competition in Cambridge: Dartmouth. The varsity meet starts at 8:30 p.m.; the freshmen precede it at 7.

Dartmouth coach Karl Michaels can be expected to shift his talent to the utmost in his annual attempt to outfox Hal Ulen, and he may well force the decision down to the next-to-last event.

Ulen won the battle of with last year. Michaels carried the meet to the final relay, but by then Ulen had forced him to overextend his strength.

Michaels' big asset is his chief problem. Captain John Glover has taken ten firsts and one second in five meets this year, lie one could win the 50, 100, 220, and 440 free styles and the 150-yard individual medley tonight if the rules permitted him to enter more than three events and if he could get enough rest between them.

But Dartmouth has three men to pick up Glover's slack. Duke Hust can beat him in the 440 with a 4:55. Glover can do a 2:08 220, but his fastest time this year has been 2:12.5. Hust is less than a second behind him in this event. Glover's top 100 time this season was a fast 50.8, but Hust can stop the Crimson with a 52. Only with Jim Jorgensen in the 220 does the varsity have a chance.

Giovar's 1:30.8 in the individual medley is the best in the East this year. His 22.8 in the 50 is backed up by Houck's 24 second sprint. It's fortunate that Giover can't swim all these events, because the Crimson couldn't beat him in any of them.

Dartmouth backstroker Neil Sween and diver Jim Venman should also take firsts against the Crimson. Sween's 2:21.2 edges Alan Rapperport's 2:23.2, the best varsity time to date. Rapperport, in fact, will have all he can do to held the green's Bill Pendleton out of second place in the event.

The Yardlings, strengthened by the return of Fl etcher Davis, will race one of Dartmouth's most powerful freshman squads.