Dan Clemente has always been experienced beyond his years.

One of only two returning starters to the Harvard men's basketball team's roster, Clemente led the Crimson in scoring (14.7 points per game) and rebounding (4.6 rebounds per game) last year. The junior was also the team's top three-point shooter, converting on 41.7 percent of his shots last season.

His impressive numbers belie a debilitating ankle injury that he overcame with grit and hard work. His phenomenal play last season earned him an All-Ivy honorable mention, one in a string of awards given to the talented forward.

"I've got nothing but the highest regard for Dan," Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan said. "He went through rehab, he gritted his way through last season hurt, he went to surgery right away and wasted no time, and I think he had the most workmanlike summer I've seen. That indicated to me that he's ready [to be the leading scorer]."

During the 1997-98 season, which was Clemente's first year with the Crimson, he was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year, one of only four winners in Harvard's history. In addition, he was named to the Sporting News National All-Freshman team.

Though he stands at 6'7, Clemente is as lethal on the perimeter as in the paint. Clemente's versatility is a dangerous offensive weapon, and other schools have taken notice of the threat that the multifaceted Clemente poses. "People will be grabbing my shirt and [playing rough]," said Clemente. "My teammates have been saying that they've got to get some shots so that I can get open."

Clemente is ready this season for this brand of rough-and- tumble basketball, and his childhood days of playing ball laid the foundation for his current success.

He comes from a family of athletes devoted to another sport--football. His father and all of his uncles excelled on the fields of established Division I programs.

"My dad played football at Notre Dame, and then transferred to Boston College where he was captain," Clemente said. "The funny thing is that in my generation, none of us play football because we are all messed up. But basketball was fine with me."

And for Harvard, that is a very fine thing indeed.

Harvard nearly lost the talented forward to the University of Missouri at St. Louis. Clemente had a difficult time deciding between the two schools and their basketball programs during recruiting.

"I was actually going to St. Louis," Clemente said. "I went on the visit, and they gave me the scholarship and everything. I was sitting down to sign it, and my dad was really pushing Harvard."

After much thought and deliberation, Clemente put down his pen and decided to head to Harvard instead.

"I just decided," Clemente said. "I think I made a decision beyond my years, a mature decision. I mean, how can you turn down Harvard? That's basically what it came down to, and I'm very happy with my decision."

Harvard is just as happy. In his years here, Clemente has been an exceptional performer and a forceful presence on the court. This season, the Crimson will rely heavily on Clemente and his skills to guide the way.

Last season, the Crimson finished fourth in the Ivy League, with a 7-7 record. Clemente acknowledges that this year's team is different from last year's team. The loss of Tim Hill to graduation is a particular blow to the dynamic of the team.

"[This season], Tim Hill isn't going to have the ball 85-90 percent of the time like he did last year, so the offense appears the same, but it really is a little different," Clemente said. "My role is really going to be pretty much the same thing, but the ball will be in my hands more."

Clemente praised the significant time that guard Drew Gellert spent on the basketball court this summer. But Gellert has a separated right shoulder and may not be available until Thanksgiving.

The loss of Gellert and sophomore Alex Lowder to injury diminishes the Crimson's already small pool of experienced guards. Luckily, injury has not plagued the entire team. After reconstructive surgery in March, Clemente returns to the offense healthier and even more of a threat.

"We have a couple of new things where I'm setting screens and stepping out to the perimeter more," Clemente said. "Coach definitely did change a few things this year which suit me better."

Harvard has focused on its defensive strategies with its changed roster. The team is much smaller in size this year and must fight aggressively for key rebounds.

"As Coach says, this year, it is going to be the defense and it's going to be the rebounding and that's going to be the foundation," Clemente said.

With the loss of four of the top five scorers last season to graduation, the Crimson will look to the freshmen to step up their game this year. Clemente mentioned freshman forward Onnie Mayshak and guard Elliott Prasse-Freeman as promising players.

"We had seven new players [freshmen and transfer students] coming into practice, so it was a little slow at first, but they are going to be really good if they work hard," Clemente said.

Clemente also mentioned junior-college transfer and former teammate, Bryan Parker, as an immediate contributor to the team. Clemente and Parker, a graduate of Cuesta College in California, played together at St. Thomas More Preparatory School in Connecticut in 1996-97. Clemente is excited about renewing his past on-court chemistry with Parker.

"It was great [joining up with Parker again]," Clemente said. "He knew my game, I knew his game."

Clemente, Parker and the rest of the Crimson squad have a long road ahead of them in their quest to capture the league crown. A strong Dartmouth team joins the perennial Ivy powerhouses, Penn and Princeton, in the fight for the league title.

Picked to finish third in the league, Dartmouth will give Penn and Princeton a run for their money. The Big Green will return all five of its starters and seven other letterwinners. While acknowledging Dartmouth's potential, Clemente predicts an extraordinary season for Penn.

"Just looking at [Penn's] schedule, they are playing Kansas, Temple, and they open against Kentucky," Clemente said. "They are playing one of the toughest schedules that I've seen, and just from playing [these top-ranked teams], they just have an amazing advantage already."

Harvard has a much less daunting schedule. The Crimson season officially opens at home against Division-II Washington and Lee Nov. 20. Clemente attributes the level of difficulty in the Crimson's non-conference schedule to the youth of the team. The main goal now, he says, is to focus on crucial Ivy League games.

"The best team that we'll be playing is probably South Florida during Christmas," Clemente said. "We're not playing anyone real big this year because Coach is worried about the inexperience of the team."

Looking beyond his Harvard career, Clemente sees some more time out on the court for him after he graduates.

"I think I am going to play basketball in Europe," Clemente said. "Tim Hill is doing that right now in Amsterdam, and he's doing great over there. [The European leagues] pay you to play and they give you a car and a place to stay. So, I am definitely thinking about it."

But for now, Clemente's thoughts are grounded in the challenges of this season. He is encouraged by the hard work and talent shown in practice by the young team and has high hopes for the season.

"I feel like some kind of a veteran because I've been here for more than two years, and what I've learned is that we have to take it game by game, and just try to get every Ivy League game that we can."

And though he's just a junior, Clemente is ready to lead in that process.