But when the newcomers--Carrabino Smith and Duncan--grooved with the oldtimers-standout guard Ferry and senior forward Plutnicki everything turned groovy.

Add freshman Keith Webster to the lineup and throw Duke onto, the schedule and that's where it took off. After a last-minute 89-86 loss to the highly touted Blue Devils--a defeat that saw the Crimson play its finest ball of the year--the cagers took off on an 8-2 tear.

And if not for a pair of losses to Cornell and a pair of last-minute controversial defeats at the hands of Penn, that elusive Ivy title would have belonged to the Crimson.

Instead, the Cantabs had to settle for their first road victories in more than a year, two victories over league champion Princeton--one at the Tigers' Jadwin Gym that broke a quarter century losing streak there--and a brand new NCAA team free-throw percentage record.

"We have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of," says McLaughlin, explaining his club's failure to win when the title was on the line.

"We have a major goal to accomplish," Duncan says. "We should be able to start next year exactly where we left off this year," he adds, cognizant that all but Plutnicki and Co-Captain Monroe Trout will return.

"I wish I could stick it out," the graduating Plutnicki says, "because I'd be an Ivy League champion."