An excellent Dartmouth basketball team, which is the defending Ivy League champion and has amassed a 17-6 record this season, still has the mathematical possibility of tying Yale for this year's title. But, the Indians cannot do much by themselves to catch the Bulldogs.

In order to tie Yale, (10-2) Dartmouth (9-3) must win both its remaining contests while the Elis lose one of their two final games. The front-runners should have an easy time tonight, at Penn, however, so the Indians' only hope is that Harvard defeat Yale Saturday.

The Crimson moreover figures doubly in Dartmouth's title aspirations, of the two games left that Dartmouth must win, the more difficult and crucial one is tonight against the very same Harvard five. Thus, although the varsity league record is a mediocre 6-6, good for only fifth place, it can play the determining role in deciding the league championship.

In tonight's contest, at 8:30 in the I.A.B., the Crimson can resume its spoiler role. Last week it administered to Princeton its only home league loss, and came close to upsetting Yale Saturday. Dartmouth must rule as the definite favorite, however, on the basis of its prior 74 to 59 win at Hanover, although that contest was played before a very partisan Dartmouth crowd.

Four of the first five Indians are hold-overs from last year's championship quintet, and the fifth is a 6-6 sophomore forward. Height, in fact, constitutes the visitors' chief advantage, as the starting five average height of over 6-4 is taller than the Crimson's tallest regular.

Center Jim Francis, a 6-8 senior, has led the Indians this season. Captain and All-Ivy Ron Judson (6-4) and Francis have averaged close to 20 points a game in league play. Rudy LaRusso, the 6-6 sophomore, shares the forward positions with Judson.

Dave Carruthers (6-2) and Gene Booth, 6-1, the two small men, play the guards. Booth, the team's defensive standout, was hurt Saturday against Princeton, in a game which the Indians barely won, 75 to 74. He will be able to play tonight, though, and will probably try to hold down the Crimson star, Harrington.

If he succeeds as well as Yale's Tom Sargent did Saturday, then Harvard should be in trouble. Against Yale, Harrington scored only three field goals, in his poorest effort since he was installed as a regular. It was the only one of the last seven games in which he was not the team's high scorer, and coincidentally, the only game the team did not win.

Tonight, the Crimson will need more than a hot performance from Harrington. With Harrington and Bob Hastings, the varsity has a pair of outcourt shooters who can be counted on. The problem tonight will be underneath, both in rebounding and close-in scoring.

Dick Woolston has been Harvard's most dependable man all season. He continuously leads the team in rebounding and tallies about 15 points per game.

Captain Ike Canty is the only other starter who regularly pulls down a fair percentage of the rebounds. He will be paired against Francis tonight, and must forfeit four inches to his taller opponent. Sophomore reserve center Griff McClellan, 6-8, therefore, may be called in to help on the boards