Another shooting guard that has made an immediate impact is freshman Rochelle Bell, a Minnesota native who played against Peljto in high school. Bell has shown herself capable of coming into a game and hitting a three-pointer at any time. She has filled a role on the team that has been missing since co-captain Laura Barnard starting coming down with injuries last season. Bell has battled illness and ankle injuries since coming to Harvard, but Delaney-Smith believes the best is yet to come from her.

Junior forward Kate Ides has been Harvard’s the top option off the bench when the Crimson needed a strong inside force. Ides has been a Harvard starter off and on throughout her career, and she is expected to get a consistent amount of playing time each game, provided that she stays out of foul trouble. Sarah Johnson and senior Sharon Nunamaker could also be impact forwards for the Crimson if they can overcome the injuries they’ve been battling throughout their careers.

With five reliable starters and a bench that could become deeper as the season progresses, Harvard will be tough competition for its Ivy rivals. Dartmouth is expected to be around the top of the league as always, while defending Ivy champion Penn still has plenty of pride even though it no longer has Caramanico.

The Crimson should be well-rested and ready to run by the time the Ivy season starts on Jan. 5 against perennial rival Dartmouth.

“We’re running the floor so much better with more speed,” Monti said. “We’re more in shape. We’ve been through a rigorous preseason and we’ve had just hands down better conditioning. The pace is different.”

As league play approaches, Harvard will be out to prove that a different pace will translate into a different outcome atop the Ivy standings.