The Harvard men's basketball team suffered a serious blow this weekend when it discovered that junior Dan Clemente, the team's leading scorer, is out for the season with a detached retina in his right eye.

Before the injury was diagnosed Thursday, Clemente had been experiencing blurred vision in his right eye, and he underwent season-ending surgery Friday morning to correct the injury.

Before his season was prematurely curtailed, the 6'7 forward had been the 24th leading scorer in the nation, averaging 21.2 points per game, and chipping in 4.7 boards per contest.

After the 1997-98 season, he was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and last season, Clemente earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors after averaging 14.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

The NCAA will not grant Clemente a medical redshirt this season because after appearing in six games, he has already played in 22 percent of the Crimson's 27 games this year. According to NCAA rules, a player must have appeared in less than 20 percent of the team's games in a season in order to claim a medical redshirt.

The loss of the experienced and dynamic Clemente makes a young Harvard team even younger. After losing four talented seniors to graduation last year and with four promising but inexperienced freshmen on the roster, the Crimson must now find a replacement for Clemente's offensive firepower.

Two freshmen who have seen limited playing time this year, Onnie Mayshak and Sam Winter, are expected to replace Clemente for the remainder of the season.

The Crimson (3-4) was painfully aware of Clemente's absence on Saturday against Colgate. After falling behind 31-14 at the half, Harvard lost 76-49 and continued its four-game losing streak.

Lacking Clemente's leadership on the floor, the Crimson missed several easy layups against the Red Raiders and often took quick, ill-advised shots.

"So many of Dan's points come off of three-pointers, which hides many

of our offensive deficiencies," Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan said. "We were a

work in progress going into the season and now that is even more the case."

The Crimson must now find a way to produce points and attack the boards in Clemente's absence. Against Colgate, they shot just 32.2 percent from the field and committed 27 turnovers.

"Players were trying to fill in new roles instead of just letting it happen." Sullivan said.

Winter, who is expected to take over Clemente's starting position, mustered only two points against the Red Raiders, but his three-point shooting prowess may compensate for the loss of Clemente's firepower.

Mayshak, who will see extended playing time behind Winter, performed well against Colgate, racking up seven points and seven boards Saturday afternoon.

Junior center Tim Coleman and freshman standout Prasse-Freeman will

have to shoulder more of the scoring load for the Crimson this season, but time is working against the Crimson as it tries to rebuild its roster while also salvaging a winning season.

With Dartmouth coming to Lavietes Pavilion on Wednesday, Harvard is set to start a difficult Ivy schedule as it begins its quest for the league crown.

Perennial league powerhouses Pennsylvania and Princeton will seek to destroy the Crimson's championship hopes, but Dartmouth will also give Harvard a run for its money this season. The Big Green's Shaun Gee was the nation's leading three-point shooter and rebounder in the nation last year and is enjoying another successful season.

With its second Ivy League game coming on January 8, the Crimson

cannot afford to mourn the loss of Clemente. Harvard must begin its quest for the Ivy crown with its leading scorer looking on from the sidelines.