Proud at Point

At point will be Proudfit, Harvard's first-ever Ivy Rookie of the Year, with her trademark ball-handling finesse and her infallible instinct.

"She can really take control of the team on the floor," Crisera said. "She can drive, dish and shoot--she's a great point guard."

But don't expect Butler and Proudfit to inherit all the glory; since Harvard has adopted a quicker, more aggressive offensive style, more substitutions will be made to keep the pace going.

And, said Crisera, "everyone on our team likes to run."

Even leadership roles have been distributed throughout the team: as co-captains, Crisera, Frey and Phillips all carry a portion of the responsibility and each is "accessible in a different way," said Crisera.

"All the veterans have really stepped up and made a contribution," she added.

In addition, a talented, albeit gimpy class of recruits will also be sure to contribute.

Jessica Gelman, a pure point guard, will see a lot of action, enabling Proudfit play less conservatively, something she had to do last season as the team's sole player at point.

Kelly Black, Cara James and Allyson Keith--all currently rehabilitating injuries--will all see substantial court time once healthy.

With obvious changes implemented in the team's style of play, the players will still hold on to some things that Maher and Flandermeyer helped establish in the program: respect for each other, an exceptional team chemistry evident on and off the court, and an undefeatable attitude.