Every cloud has a silver lining, they say, Harvard basketball this year has resembled nothing move than a black and gloomy rain cloud for the Crimson faithful, with the men's varsity playing well below expectations, the women's varsity brandishing a dismal 3-24 record, and the men's J.V. team struggling at 4-10.

So, it was left o the women's J.V. team, which possesses a 11-4 record, to provide the gliner for an otherwise dark season.

The enthusiastic group of eight freshmen, two sophomores, and one senior agree that the dedication and ability of first year Coach Nancy Hogan have provided the team with the inspiration to win.

"I've never played with such a good coach before," freshman guard Silke Lach beamed, as the other players heap nothing but praise on the young coach, who was hired only five months ago to take over the reins of the J.V. squad.

Hogan's ability to relate to players is the quality most often mentioned by her admiring charges. "She's really sensitive to the team's psyche," senior co-captain Valerie Romero says.

Hogan says that a coach should "demonstrate compassion towards the players but maintain a firm hand."

One instance of her compassion was her treatment of Romero, who went down with a twisted ankle in the middle of the season. Hogan still made sure that Romero was at all the practices and the games, "she said she wanted me to help her coach," Romero says, adding that "it made me feel I was contributing something."

Freshman six-footer Cassandra Coe lends a view of the firmer side of the coach. Hogan forced Coe to run more sprints than the other players in practice, to get the big center in shape. "She was always pressuring me," Coe says, conceding, however, that the extra running "helped me tons."

After playing basketball for Rutgers, Hogan joined a master's program at Boston University where she became the assistant coach for women's basketball. Last summer she accepted a full time job as a social worker in a suburban apartment complex. When women's basketball head coach Carole Kleinfelder called Hogan in October she jumped at the opportunity to coach her own team.

To keep her full-time job and still coach, Hogan says she had to juggle her schedule to make early afternoon practice sessions. In addition, she often stayed late after practice to work with players individually.

Needless to say, her players are amazed at their coach's dedication. "It's so incredible, She rushes down from work psyched and ready for practice," Romeo says with awe. "She's been at her job all day, yet she has all this energy for us."

Hogan chuckles at the suggestion that she overworks herself, saying, "I've been doing it like that all my life."

Her hard work and intensity have approved to rub off on her players. The team has won several one-point games, including an ever-time victory against Wellesely in which the Cagers were down 15 points in their first half. "We sever give up," Hogan says. "I coach that way, and they play that way."

Unfortunately for the J.V. hoopsters, with only one senior leaving the varsity and two starters returning from leaves, chances are that only one or two spots will open up. But, the players agree that being cut from the varsity would not be such a bad fate. As Cassandra Coe says. "I love playing for Nancy I would gladly play J.V. again if she's coaching."