Classics players also concede that skill isn't the only criterion for making the club.

"Friendships and strong relationships help foster a team spirit that might not ordinarily be there without a coach or regular practices," Arrowsmith said.

"We want a nice bunch of guys. If we had two people of the same ability and one was a nice guy and the other wasn't, we'd take the nice guy," Mike Caulfield said. He is one of this year's four returning players and judges of incoming talent.

Age is another influential factor in tryouts. Of the thirteen Classics players this year, seven are seniors--Newlin, Patton, Marc Pino, Peter Bassett, Dell Arvayo, Tom Callahan, and David Price--and four are juniors--Arrowsmith, Caulfield, Winkler, and Steve Brown. Only two--Traudy Vaughn and Tchad Robinson--are sophomores.

Freshmen and the Classics

Freshmen aren't allowed to participate at all in Classics so they will experience Harvard's varsity/junior varsity programs. As Patton points out, "We keep it something to shoot for--an upperclassmen thing."

In fact, all of the players on the Classics team have played JV or varsity ball for the Crimson or have played for another Harvard sports team. Newlin, Pino, Caulfield, Arrowsmith, Arvayo, Patton, Price, and Brown have all played JV hoops for Harvard, and Robinson played varsity last year.

Of the remaining five, Callahan and Bassett play Crimson football, Vaughn plays soccer and Winkler plays football and runs track.

"I really benefitted from playing JV," said Pino, "but my senior year I wanted a more relaxed atmosphere, and Classics is more fun."

Past Stars

This year's roster is unusual, because it has fewer Crimson athletes involved in other sports than past teams. Football players Mark Bianchi and Tim Perry, and volleyball captain, Brian Ehrlich, have graced the courts for the Classics in past years.

"Basketball has been a big part of these people's lives," Caulfield said. "Everyone played in high school, and it's really good not to have to give that up in college. Classics gives them the chance to play good basketball on a regular basis."

The players create the Classics schedule with help from Recreation Director John Wentzell. The team plays JV teams from other colleges, and teams from a local adult league against players like ex-Celtic M.L. Carr and Patriot Andre Tippett.

Do Not Pass Go

But this is far from the highlight of the Classics' schedule, when the team boards a bus, does not pass go and goes directly to jail--to two jails, actually, Concord and Walpole, the latter of which is a maximum security facility.