When John F. Kennedy '40 was leaving Boston to assume the Presidency, he was asked by a reporter what criteria he thought a president should be judged by. Without missing a beat, Kennedy answered with one of those facile profundities destined for Bartlett's: "Were we truly men of courage?"

The Harvard men's basketball team (3-8 overall, 0-1 Ivy) might do well to use that same criterion when evaluating its performances this weekend. The Crimson travels to Princeton today play the defending league champs, and then moves on to Philadelphia Saturday to take on Pennsylvania, the odds-on-favorite to take the league title this year.

Both teams were expected to have solid seasons--Princeton maybe a little less solid than usual--and both have followed through up to this point. In fact, what is most striking is that they've played well against real basketball teams. Few, if any, Babson's make the journey down I-95.

Princeton is 6-3 overall on the year, including close games against such quasi-powers such as Texas (a 63-53 loss), South Carolina (a 51-40 win), Illinois (a 58-50 loss) and North Carolina St. (a 50-41 win). The team's only true drubbing came from Washington St. (72-49), the school.

The Quakers, on the other hand, 6-2 overall on the year, have had an even more impressive go of it this season. The team's only losses have come against undefeated Virginia (74-68) and New Mexico (78-68). But check out these wins: two convincing victories over Philadelphia rivals and NCAA tournament regulars LaSalle (71-44) and Villanova (71-59).

The Quakers, off to their best start since 1978-79 (the season they went to the Final Four), have also beaten Holy Cross (78-76) and Northwestern (64-61). To give you an idea of where Harvard stands in the thick of all this, the Crimson lost to Holy Cross, 92-72, in a game that was as one-sided as a compact disc.

Harvard does have a chance to win; this is, after all, only the Ivy League. What's more, the Crimson is coming off of a promising 20-point win over city rival Boston University, 79-59, and some respectable losses at the Cable Car Classic over the break to host Santa Clara, 80-69, and Rhode Island, 80-67.

Harvard could make a run this weekend. Maybe. Maybe not.

The team can take solace going into the game in its proven ability to absorb potentially devastating losses. The 39-point loss to Boston College earlier this year, in which Harvard found itself behind at one point in the game 42-3, comes to mind. Afterwards, the Crimson rebounded to beat Babson, 80-64, for one of its three wins on the season.

It's essentially a no-lose situation. If the Crimson plays well this weekend, it will turn some heads. If not, look out Dartmouth (which, incidentally, beat Harvard earlier this season by 26). And, if Dartmouth doesn't give way, there's always the courage thing.

It could be worse.

No, probably not.