Coming into this season, all connected to the Harvard men's basketball program knew that point guard Tarik Campbell would be the key to any major resurgence by the Crimson.

With senior Captain Tyler Rullman the only other experienced starter, Campbell's ability to break down opponents' defenses and get the ball to his teammates was even more valuable

It may be a little early to say for sure, but after three games, the 5'10" junior appears up to the challenge.

Despite sitting out all of last season, Campbell plays like he never left--averaging 6.3 assists per game so far.

"Tarik helps us because he's such a smart player," Rullman said. "He gets the ball up the court and gets us into our offense really well."

As Rullman Goes...: Rullman himself has probably benefited the most from Campbell's return.

After a chilly shooting day against BC (6-for-27 from the field), Rullman scorched Babson for 23 points and 9 rebounds.

Rullman is the leading scorer among Ivy League players with 22.3 points per game, and he also ranks sixth in rebounding with 7.3 boards per game.

To paraphrase some wise person that no one remembers: As Rullman goes, so goes Harvard.

Encouraging News?: The general sense from Harvard's opponents thus far is that the Crimson is a much improved squad this year--despite last Saturday's pasting at BC.

Perhaps they were just being diplomatic, but both the Holy Cross and Babson coaches said that Harvard seemed markedly better this season.

So did their players:

"They're much better than last season, because they play with a lot more intensity on the boards," Holy Cross guard Bill Walker said.

Wait, Bill, didn't you torch the Crimson for 25 points last Tuesday?

"They just look like they need a little time to gel. They should get better as the year goes on."

Thanks for the, uh, encouragement, Bill.

Happy Days are Here Again: Winning really does wonders for a team's psyche.

Starting senior center Arturo Llopis was tight-lipped before the BC game, waving off any questions about the contest, but his mood improved yesterday after Harvard's first victory.

Llopis, who battled the NCAA last season in an eligibility dispute, scored five points, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked two shots on Monday against Babson.

Playing so close to the basket, Llopis has maintained the highest field goal percentage on the team (72 percent) while averaging 5.7 boards per game.

Bench Help from the Frosh: Harvard's depth this season has depended heavily on two freshman, Mike Gilmore and Darren Rankin.

Gilmore has been the first guard off the bench, while Rankin is the first frontcourt reserve.

Both are learning the college game on the job.

"Both Mike and I have played a lot of summer league basketball against college and top high school players, so we've pretty much seen this kind of talent before," Rankin said.

"But the big difference is the physical play. There's a lot more contact, and being freshmen, we don't get many calls."

Don't be too surprised if Rankin takes the roughness in stride. His big brother Kevin, who plays for Northwestern, was the 1990 Big Ten Rookie of the Year.

Stubborn Stags Stand in Crimson's Path: Tonight's game against Fairfield at Briggs Center should provide a good test for the Harvard team, according to Rullman.

"Fairfield's a tough team, and they haven't lost yet, so we'll have to see how we do," the reticent captain said.

The Stags are 3-0.

The keys to defeating Fairfield will be strong rebounding and pressure on the Stag guards.

While second chance shots have helped Fairfield immensely in its first three games, the team's vulnerability clearly lies in the backcourt, where a freshman starts at point guard.

"We need to exploit them [in the backcourt]," Gilmore said. "We can definitely win the game if we do that." IVY LEAGUE STANDINGS

Team  Conf.  Overall  Home  Away   Streak Columbia  0-0  2-1  2-1  0-0  Won 2 Princeton  0-0  2-1  0-0  2-1  Won 1 Cornell  0-0  1-1  1-0  0-1  Won 1 Dartmouth  0-0  1-1  1-0  0-1  Won 1 Penn  0-0  1-1  0-1  1-0  Won 1 Harvard  0-0  1-2  1-1  0-1  Won 1 Yale  0-0  1-2  1-2  0-0  Lost 1 Brown  0-0  0-3  0-1  0-2  Lost 3 STATISTICAL SCORING LEADERS League  Overall

Player/School  GP  Pts  Avg  GP< Tab>Pts  Avg Rullman,Harvard  0  0  0.0  3  67  22.3 Casey,Columbia  0  0  0.0  3  64  21.3 Jenkins,Columbia  0  0  0.0  3  63  21.0 Palmer,Dartmouth  0  0  0.0  2  36  18.0 Pierce,Penn  0  0  0.0  2  35  17.5 Gaca,Cornell  0  0  0.0  2  35  17.5 STATISTICAL REBOUNDING LEADERS League  Overall

Player/School  GP  Reb  Avg  GP< Tab>Reb  Avg Palmer,Dartmouth  0  0  0.0  2  25  12.5 Moore,Penn  0  0  0.0  2  21  10.5 Marshall,Cornell  0  0  0.0  2  18  9.0 Fitzgerald,Yale  0  0  0.0  3  23  7.7 Casey,Columbia  0  0  0.0  3  23  7.7 Rullman,Harvard  0  0  0.0  3  22  7.3