Harvard’s opponents this year can be forgiven if they think they see five gaurds on the floor at once.

The Crimson play two big men at all times, but Harvard’s frontcourt players can shoot and run the court as if they belonged on the perimeter.

“Our big men can rebound, run the floor, and make a transition,” Harvard Coach Frank Sullivan said. “It’s such a blessing to have kids who can move up and down, and do it fairly quickly.”

With a three-guard lineup, Harvard’s four frontcourt players have been forced to adapt to a style of play that focuses on the backcourt. Ideally, the Crimson would like to play an up-tempo game, which forces the big men to run the floor and concentrate on transition defense.

While most frontcourt players might prefer a half-court game where the ball is pounded into the post, junior forward Sam Winter says he welcomes the guard-first mentality.

“I like playing an up-tempo game,” Winter said. “When the guards are getting their shots going to the hole, it makes it easier for us inside.”

A Second Chance

Going into last year, senior forward Tim Coleman was all set to be the post presence needed to make Harvard a team to be feared in the Ivy League. With Penn and Princeton in something of a rebuilding year, everything was in place for the most talented Harvard team in years to finally win the Ivy championship.

Then, late last summer, Coleman learned that he would be forced to miss a year of school for academic reasons. With star forward Dan Clemente playing his final season last year, that ideal team would never get to take the court.

As his teammates struggled down the stretch en route to a tie for fourth in the Ivy League, Coleman spent much of the year in San Francisco working for an Internet company while trying to stay in shape. He refused to feel resentment over not being able to play.

“You can’t live thinking ‘what if?’” Coleman said. “Basketball teaches you not to be jealous. I wanted them to win the league and go to the NCAA tournament.”

Despite nearly averaging a double-double thus far this season, Coleman believes he has not approached his form of two years ago.

“Nothing can replace the Division I practice and season,” Coleman said. “I feel way more relaxed and confident on the court, but physically, I still have a ways to go.”

Coleman’s return provides the Crimson with more than just a consistent inside scoring threat. The forward has developed an outside shot which makes him as tough to guard on the perimeter as in the paint. It was Coleman’s three-pointer in the final minute against Lehigh this year that put the Crimson in a position to win the game in the final seconds.

Most importantly, Coleman provides sorely-needed rebounding ability in the frontcourt. Thus far, Coleman has averaged nearly nine boards a game. The next-best rebounder in the frontcourt is Winter, with just 3.5 a contest.