A Bill Brooks-coached Harvard swimming team has never lost to Princeton, and the Tigers invading the IAB pool at 4 p.m. tomorrow know that. Last year the Princeton tankmen were outstroked by only nine points and this year they intend to win. It all adds up to the most important and most exciting swimming match that Harvard tank fans will get to see this winter.

Princeton's sprinters, Dan Carmichael and Bob Keck and the Crimson's Dave Bennett, Eric Klaussmann, and Dennis Hunter will be straining to beat a slow 23 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle and 51 seconds in the 100, either of which should be good enough for first.

Tiger captain Jed Graef has raced the 200-yard freestyle in 1:53.5, fast enough to give Dave Abramson, whose best at the distance is 1:51.1 some trouble tomorrow. The Crimson junior should have no such problems in the 500, where the Tigers' Dave Vail needs about 5:35 to negotiate the distance.

But the Crimson probably lost the valuable second-place points here, when Bob Buster decided two weeks ago to take a semester's leave.

Battle of Sophs

The 209-yard individual medley will be a battle of the sophomores, Princeton's John Kalmbach and the Crimson's Henry Frey. With a timing of 2:06.7 earlier this month, Kalmbach ranks as the favorite, but Frey is not used to losing. Reliable senior Joe Stetz should give Harvard third place in the event.

Kalmbach will try to come back and capture the 200-yard butterfly right after the medley, and whether such a feat is physically possible for the tiger sophomore is somewhat of a question mark. Kalmbach failed in the attempt two weeks ago against Michigan, and just might stage a repeat tomorrow against the Crimson's Harry Turner.

Backstrokers Strong

Princeton holds the edge in the backstroke, and it's a big enough edge that Tiger coach Bob Clotworthy may enter Cy Hornsby and Bob Middleton, thinking he can score a sweep without using Graef, his best backstroker.

Crimson breaststrokers Bruce Fowler and Porky Pitts should outrace Bob Harsh and Greg Buckley, and give Harvard eight points.

First place in the dive could go to either Harvard's Dan Mahoney or Princeton's Gary Walters or Scott Andrews; the sheer force of numbers in the event means the Crimson will be praying for an even point split.