The NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships begin today at West Point, N.Y., with defending champion Indiana a strong favorite to grab yet another title. Harvard, which had qualified four individuals and three relays, will send three swimmers.

After strong showings at the Easterns two weeks ago. Crimson standouts Dave Brumwell. Tim Neville and Rich Baughman will be competing against the big boys from the West coast and Jim Counsilman's outstanding Hoosiers. Coach Don Gambril hopes to score some points. It won't be easy.

Baughman, who now holds three Harvard records--the 500-yd., 1000-yd. and 1650-yd. freestyles--has the best chance of the three to score points. After taking strong seconds to Princeton's Curtis Haydon in the 500-yd. free and the 1650-yd. free at the Easterns, he appears to have a chance in both distances at the Nationals.

Ranked 13th in the 500, Baughman could see his time drop considerably. He has just begun to realize his potential in this distance, lopping seven seconds off his time in his last two outings. John Kinsella of Indiana appears untouchable in this race.

In the 1650-yd. free. Baughman, who is considered best at the longer distances, swam a very fast 16:16.3 to take second to Haydon at the Easterns. At the Nationals he is ranked sixth, and he could go under the 16-minute mark. If he swims well, Baughman could make the finals in this event.

Besides Baughman, whose chances for points seem good. Harvard's point-scoring possibilities appear limited. Dave Brumwell, who finally broke the two-minute mark in the 200-yd. individual medley at the Easterns, is well back of the leader. Gary Hall of Indiana, and his scoring chances seem remote. Brumwell, who like Baughman holds three Harvard records, will also swim the 400-yd. IM, but once again his chances of scoring are doubtful.

Tim Neville, the third Crimson participant, will swim the 50-yd. and 100-yd. freestyles and the 100-yd. butterfly, and he, like Brumwell, has an outside chance of placing. Neville, a freshman like Baughman and Brumwell, is ranked ninth in the fly, but his chances in the two freestyle events, against some very fast competition, are not bright. Neville, who has had trouble with his starts, could shave some time off his 50-yd. free mark if he can master the grab start he began using at the Easterns.

Coach Don Gambril, whose Long Beach squads placed high in past Nationals, won't be fighting for the team title this year, but it is hard to imagine him remaining in the shadows for very long. TV commentators, who sneer at the name of Harvard in national competition, may find the Crimson in the national spotlight--perhaps as soon as next year.