"Since [the inside guys] have been playing well, other teams have been worrying about them more," James said. "When they slump off us, we have more time to shoot."

Phillips Hoop-Driver: Another important reason why the cagers have been playing so well lately is the steadily improving play of Phillips following the football season.

The part-time split end, who needed a few weeks to get ready for play on the court rather than on the gridiron, has quietly moved into third place on the Crimson's scoring chart, and has been one of Harvard's best all-around players.

Although his shooting touch wasn't always there early in the season, Phillips' shot has started to fall with greater and greater regularity. After missing 10 of his first 11 three-point attempts to start the year, the junior has dropped 11 of his next 26 triples, including four of seven against Brown and Yale.

"I've always felt comfortable pulling up from out there," said Phillips, referring to the land of three. "I think that the lifting I did in the off-season has increased my strength to the point where I feel I can shoot from far out without changing my shot."

Phillips' shooting hasn't been the only part of his game that has been improving. The junior is second on the squad in steals and assists, and leads the team in free-throw percentage.