Hill was Harvard's all-time assists leader, averaged 16.1 points per game and played 1,033 of a possible 1,050 minutes en route to a first team All-Ivy slot. More importantly, he was a four-year starter who missed one career start and ran the offense with more poise and precision than anybody else to play his position for Harvard.

The Crimson's first question must be making an offensive transition from a system based on Hill to one that operates through Gellert and highly-regarded freshman Elliott Prasse-Freeman.

"Elliott and Andrew have a speed and quickness that's similar to Tim Hill's," Sullivan said. "What they have to learn is the relentless, resilient approach Tim brought. Our thinking on offense now is that we have to find situations for Dan Clemente to be successful. Where Tim would have found them by instinct, we have to work on creating them."

But Gellert has a separated right shoulder and will not be available until Thanksgiving. Classmate Alex Lowder, a combination guard with good speed who saw limited time last year, is out indefinitely with a sprained ankle, and Pat Harvey, who played in 24 games last year and shot 40 percent from three-point range, will miss the season for academic reasons.

That leaves Prasse-Freeman and Long, who like everybody else to play alongside Hill, has not run the floor much, to captain the offense in the early-going.

"Elliott's a smart kid and a smart basketball player," Long said. "He's got good court sense and lots of experience at the high school level, and he's the primary point guard until Drew is back."

The 6'3 Prasse-Freeman was a high school All-American and has even inherited Hill's No. 15 uniform.

Sullivan started a three-guard set in last Sunday's exhibition game against St. Francis Xavier, and seems likely to continue with that offense in the absence of major frontcourt depth.