Princeton Rates as Favorite Over Crimson Five Tonight

Princeton, striving to stay in the tight race for the Ivy League basketball title, will be a slight favorite tonight to defeat last-place Harvard. The game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. in the I.A.B.

In a preliminary contest, beginning at 6:30, the Crimson Junior varsity and freshman teams will meet, competing under professional rules.

The Tigers, who defeated the Crimson, 63 to 54, in the teams first meeting last month, edged out Brown, 57 to 55, in Providence last night. Princeton now possesses a 4-2 league record, and is in third place, behind Penn and Columbia.

Leading the tigers is Bud Haabestad, the leagues' top scorer last year, and a consistent performer this season. Last night against Brown, Haabestad had 17 points, four behind his teammate, John DeVoe. Other probable starters for Cappy Cappons quintet are Don Davidson, John Easton, and either Dick Batt or Tom Dailey.

Coach Floyd Wilson will start his three big men, Ike Canty, Phil Haughey, and Dick Manning, and backcourt men Captain Roger Bulger and Bob BARNETT. He will probably also use Bob Hastings for a good part of the game. Hastings scored 14 points against Princeton in the first game.

The varsity's record in the league is 1-6, and its overall mark is 4-11. After tonight's game there will be only three more home games, against Dartmouth, Cornell, and Yale.