Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.

For the Harvard men's basketball team, the turnover-to-assist ratio was the single greatest problem former coach Peter Roby had to deal with.

Last year, point guard Tarik Campbell was the only player to have more assists than turnovers. He recorded 176 assists while committing 109 turnovers.

But this year, Campbell is on academic probation, leaving behind a very greasy-fingered lineup. Last year's statistics for this year's starters are enough to make one cringe:

Forward Ron Mitchell, 47 assists, 82 turnovers.

Forward Tyler Rullman, 28 assists, 47 turnovers.

Center Mike Minor, 10 assists, 17 turnovers.

Guard Matt McClain, 27 assists, 55 turnovers.

Starting point guard Jared Leake is a freshman, so the statistics are not all that telling yet. But in one game, he has two assists and five turnovers.

"We do have to take better care of the ball," Minor admitted.

It was perhaps sadly appropriate that the Crimson's first offensive sequence of the 1991-92 season was a pass inside to Mitchell, who was stripped of the ball by Lehigh superstar Bob Krizansky.

Limited Ballhandlers

Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan has sought to deal with this problem by limiting the number of players that touch the ball.

Simply in order to bring the ball upcourt, the point guard must emerge from a complicated series of moves designed to throw off his defender, while other team members stand by and watch.

This does have the desired effect of getting the ball to the designated ballhandlers, Leake and McClain, but opponents catch on to the strategy quickly.

When the ball is obviously going to one player on an inbounds pass, the pass becomes much easier to defend against.

Trouble In The Paint

The majority of turnovers, though, occur in the paint. When the Crimson gets the ball inside, the opposing team routinely collapses three players to defend.

The triple-teaming makes it difficult for players such as Mitchell to bring the ball up to shoot. At least one player is always slapping at the ball, trying to knock it loose.

Unfortunately, these defenders meet with a great deal of success.

Sullivan must encourage teamwork and passing in bringing the ball upcourt. Leake and McClain are not Jordanesque dribblers.

And in the meantime, he needs to buy his team some of those gloves soccer goalies wear so the Crimson can hold onto the ball better.

Last year's statistics for this year's starters are enough to make one cringe.