Additional pluses are the 1990-91 U.S.S.R.A. Rookie of the Year Adam Ezra, and Ivy League Player of the Year, Jeremy Fraiberg. As winner of the Intercollegiate Individual Hardball Championships last year, Ezra is a formidable force on the Crimson team.

Fraiberg, as a seasoned senior and the team's number-one player, knows how to play tough. He demonstrated this last year against Ivy powerhouses Yale and Princeton, helping Harvard win the National Title.

Junior Marty Clark has one of the most graceful games of any intercollegiate player.

"Marty is a beautiful player," Polsky said. "In fact, Marty's just a beautiful person."

The sole frshman on the squad is Mike Masland. Masland, the brother of 1989-90 Co-Captain Jim Masland and 1990-91 Co-Captain and current assistant Coach John Masland, ought to earn respect on the court by virtue of his name alone.

All things considered, the team looks strong. The Crimson is an older and deeper team than traditional rivals Princeton, Yale and Trinity, possessing the greatest number of All-American and All-Ivy returners. It won both pre-sea-son matches against Princeton and Yale. The coaches all have experience defending championships.

Picture perfect.

Or is it?

"Something to worry about is that we're returning a lot of players," Piltch said. "People can fall into a trap of thinking they can win just by stepping on to the court."

Here, the team looks back to Pandole. In order to win, every player must think and play like Pandole, who never assumes he can win by reputation.

In every game, there is a thin line between winning and losing. If this year's team can do the Pandole thing, it will bring home another NCAA championship.