Those fans who nurture the secret hope of seeing Harvard win a basketball game this season should make it down to the I.A.B. tonight to watch the Crimson play Tufts. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be preceded by a contest between the Crimson JV's and the Tufts freshmen.

The Jumbos are not tall, but they make up for it by being slow. They don't shoot very well either.

In its opener Tufts lost to Maine, 72-62, and then absorbed a 79-47 pounding at the hands of Brown Wednesday night in Providence. Brown, it should be noted, is expected to join Columbia and Harvard at the bottom of the Ivy League this season.

But don't be scared off by the prospect of a dull ball game. The Crimson will probably make it close just to give the fans a thrill.

Actually such manifest disillusionment with Harvard basketball is probably not justified, at least not yet. The Crimson did look terrible losing to Amherst last week, but turned in a markedly improved performance before bowing to Boston College Thursday.

The starting five tonight will be slightly altered from the first two games since junior Bob Inman is incapacitated by a spained ankle. His place at forward will probably be filled by Denny Lynch. The other forward is Pete Kelley, an All-Ivy honorable mention for two seasons.

Scully Promising

Vern Strand, a senior, will operate at center, with Leo Scully and Capt. Gene Augustine in the backcourt. The play of Scully, a sophomore, has been particularly encouraging to the faithful observers of Harvard basketball. In the backcourt coach Floyd Wilson can also call on AlBornheimer and Barry Dym. Dym, a junior, has not seen much action this year but last season scored well for the JV's and could provide some firepower from the back line.

The players to watch for Tufts are Capt. Paul Burger and Paul Goldberger, the high scorer. But after these two the material begins to run mighty thin.