Sigafoos was rewarded for his intense offseason efforts with a spot on the varsity squad last year. After some solid play as a reserve, the center earned a starting slot late in the season. All told, he averaged close to seven points and more than four rebounds a game last year.

At his best, Sigafoos presents a tall presence in the post and provides several easy baskets a game. This season, however, he has seen his minutes limited by Coleman’s return and by nagging injuries, including a foot problem that will likely bother him all season. Despite shooting 57 percent from the field, Sigafoos is averaging only 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds a game.

“I’ve not been playing nearly as well as I did last year,” Sigafoos said. “A lot of it is just a lack of self-confidence.”

Sigafoos’s biggest weakness is his tendency to get into foul trouble. His numbers last year would have been far more impressive had foul problems not limited him to 16 minutes a game. Against Penn last year, he fouled out in just six minutes of action.

Sigafoos has worked hard with assistant coaches since the end of last season on playing physical, but smart, defense. Thus far, however, he is still averaging a personal foul about every five minutes, which is not significantly different from last year’s rate.

“Avoiding fouls is about moving your feet, not fighting so much with the arms and playing a little stronger,” Sigafoos said. “I”m more under control with my fouling, but I still need to work on it a lot.”

Freshman Hurdles

Freshman Graham Beatty is the only underclassman in the frontcourt (last year’s sole recruit, forward Kam Walton, did not score last year and is no longer on the team).

While lacking polish from a basketball standpoint, Beatty has impressed teammates with his considerable athletic talent and ability to play in an up-tempo game. The Evanston, Ill., native starred in both basketball and track in high school, and is considering running hurdles for the track team this spring.

Beatty is seeing the most minutes of any of the three freshmen on the team, and he should become a regular part of the rotation as the season progresses.

“He’s a little raw right now, but he’s a great athlete and brings a lot of energy,” Sigafoos said. “Just give him some time.”

Though just a rookie, Beatty does not give up much to his elders. Although Harvard’s top three inside players are upperclassman, none averaged more than 15 minutes a game last year. All told, Harvard’s big men may have the best of both worlds: a combination of veteran savvy and the untapped potential of younger, less-experienced players.

“We’re not nearly as good as we could be,” Coleman said. “I just see us getting better.”