Fifteen candidates for the 1923-24 varsity basketball team reported to Manager J. A. Fleming '24, on the floor of the Alumni Gymnasium for the first practice of the season November 7. The session, which consisted of informal preliminary work, was under the direction of Captain Friedmann, star center.
Prospects for the year are bright although five letter men from last year are no longer available. Captain Cullen, Millar and Moore graduated in June and Goldstein, originally chosen captain for this season, did not return in September. Heep will be lost to the squad because of the three-year rule.
Coach Zahn will have Friedmann, Watkins and Sailer from last year's letter men. The first two alternated at center and it is probable that Watkins will be shifted to forward to fill a vacancy there. Sailer, who is suffering from a finger injury at present, will fill his old position at guard. Goas, who showed up well last year, will probably fill the other defensive position.
Dooley and Tully, forwards on the 1926 quintet, will report along with Watkins after football season. Edwards, Hecht, Patten, and Shaneman are also available from last year's squad.
Other promising candidates are Steel of the 1926 outfit and Thayer who was ineligible last year.
In spite of experienced material and a good start, Dartmouth finished the 1922-23 season in a tie with Penn for the cellar position in the league. The Green quintet was greatly handicapped late in the year by the loss of Captain Cullen, who was injured seriously in the Penn game February 24. Cullen received a fractured skull in a collision with Miller of the Quakers and did not return to the lineup for the rest of the season.
The feature of the league race last year was Yale's meteoric rise to the championship position after a mediocre start.