March 20, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Filed under Basketball, Denver, Princeton
When Coach Joe Scott and I taped our last one-on-one interview of the season seven days ago, we spent an extra hour after I hit stop on my MiniDisc recorder sitting at the very top of Jadwin Gym talking about the future of Princeton basketball.
The conversation was as candid as it had always been when the tape was no longer rolling.
We discussed recruiting principles and strategies. We discussed ways things needed to be improved. We discussed what Coach Scott felt he could have done differently during the season. The majority of our conversation, however, was about where Princeton basketball was headed with Coach Scott as head coach.
After I got back to my desk I sent Coach Scott an email about an idea I had for a collaborative project that I had forgotten to mention while we were talking. He wrote I should give him a call in April and we could talk in greater detail then.
The man I shook hands with outside of his office was not a man who appeared to be going anywhere but back to work.
Tonight, Coach Scott left Princeton for the University of Denver.
A press conference is scheduled at Denver for 5:00 pm ET on Wednesday.
Coach Scott was quoted on the Trenton Times web site this evening saying "it all started over the weekend."
A source tells me the same detail the Trenton Times is reporting: Coach Scott was not forced out of Princeton. A member of the athletic department I spoke to was caught by surprise by tonight's news, saying simply "I'm completely dumbfounded."
When I was at Jadwin Gym briefly this afternoon, Coach Scott was not around. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Plenty of coaches are on the recruiting trail at this time of year. Two assistants were in the basketball office, and both greeted me warmly.
There was no indication of the news that would drop jaws six hours later.
We will have more on this story as it develops and will be closely following Princeton's third search for a men's basketball coach in seven years.
March 16, 2007 at 9:29 am
Filed under Basketball, Princeton, Recruiting
The San Mateo County Times is reporting and princetonbasketball.com can confirm that former Serra guard Dan Mavraides (above, far left) will be attending Princeton to play basketball. Mavraides participated in the 2006 state Division I semifinals in Sacramento against a De La Salle team with current Princeton Tigers Marcus Schroeder and Lincoln Gunn in the starting lineup.
The 6'3" 195 lb Mavraides was named Honorable Mention All-Metro by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2006. He is currently taking a post-graduate year at Phillips Exeter Academy.
Exeter coach Jay Tilton had the following to say about the newest member of Princeton's recruiting class - "Dan Mavraides is one of the most complete players I have encountered in my fifteen years of coaching. His skill level, nose for scoring and toughness made him a marked opponent in the highly competitive Class A New England. Dan is a college-ready player and we are all excited about his future at Princeton."
March 15, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Filed under 06-07, Administrative, Basketball
November 2006
10 Fri. vs. Loyola IL (Columbus, OH) - 5:30 pm ET - 68-57 L (0-1/0-0 Ivy)
11 Sat. vs. VMI (Columbus, OH) - 2:00 pm ET - 73-68 W (1-1/0-0 Ivy)
12 Sun. vs. Alabama A&M (Columbus, OH) - 2:00 pm ET - 56-39 W (2-1/0-0 Ivy)
22 Wed. at Manhattan - 7:00 pm ET - 57-45 W (3-1/0-0 Ivy)
28 Tue. at Lafayette - 7:00 pm ET - 44-42 W (4-1/0-0 Ivy)
December 2006
1 Fri. vs. North Dakota St. (Blue & Gold Classic) - 6:30 pm ET - 57-50 L (4-2/0-0 Ivy)
2 Sat. vs. Northwestern St. (Blue & Gold Classic) - 6:30 pm ET - 53-51 W (5-2/0-0 Ivy)
6 Wed. vs. Lehigh - 7:30 pm ET - 44-43 W (6-2/0-0 Ivy)
9 Sat. vs. Rutgers - 4:00 pm ET - 53-47 L (6-3/0-0 Ivy)
16 Sat. vs. Marshall - 4:00 pm ET - 61-45 W (7-3/0-0 Ivy)
20 Wed. at South Carolina - 7:00 pm ET - 54-48 L (7-4/0-0 Ivy)
30 Sat. at Iona - 2:00 pm ET - 57-46 W (8-4/0-0 Ivy)
January 2007
5 Sat. vs. Rice - 2:00 pm ET - 51-28 W (9-4/0-0 Ivy)
12 Fri. at Columbia - 7:00 pm ET - 64-56 L (9-5/0-1 Ivy)
13 Sat. at Cornell - 7:00 pm ET - 55-35 L (9-6/0-2 Ivy)
30 Mon. at Seton Hall - 7:00 pm ET - 79-41 L (9-7/0-2 Ivy)
February 2007
2 Fri. at Yale - 7:00 pm ET - 43-35 L (9-8/0-3 Ivy)
3 Sat. at Brown - 7:00 pm ET - 63-48 L (9-9/0-4 Ivy)
9 Fri. vs. Harvard - 7:30 pm ET - 74-68 2OT W (10-9/1-4 Ivy)
10 Sat. vs. Dartmouth - 7:30 pm ET - 45-44 L (10-10/1-5 Ivy)
13 Tue. at Penn - 7:00 pm ET - 48-35 L (10-11/1-6 Ivy)
16 Fri. vs. Cornell - 7:30 pm ET - 57-50 L (10-12/1-7 Ivy)
17 Sat. vs. Columbia - 7:30 pm ET - 54-49 W (11-12/2-7 Ivy)
23 Fri. at Dartmouth - 7:00 pm ET - 53-43 L (11-13/2-8 Ivy)
24 Sat. at Harvard - 7:00 pm ET - 50-43 L (11-14/2-9 Ivy)
March 2007
2 Fri. vs. Brown - 7:30 pm ET - 64-55 L (11-15/2-10 Ivy)
3 Sat. vs. Yale - 7:30 pm ET - 52-51 L (11-16/2-11 Ivy)
6 Tue. vs. Penn - 7:00 pm ET - 64-48 L (11-17/2-12 Ivy)
March 13, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Filed under Basketball, Coach Scott Interview, Princeton
interview audio - 26:37
In their fifteenth interview of the year, Princeton head coach Joe Scott and princetonbasketball.com editor Jon Solomon sat down at Jadwin Gym to discuss the Tigers' final three games and to wrap up the 2006-07 season. This interview is 26:00+ in length.
Some of the topics discussed include:
-The loss to Brown and the similarities between this game and so many other games in Ivy play this season.
-The final minutes of a tough loss against Yale. Was this defeat harder to take than others?
-The lineup used for the game’s final defensive possession. Was speed more important than size?
-The season finale against Penn on Tuesday.
-Zach Finley’s offensive assertiveness in the stretch run of the season.
-Playing Kyle Koncz and Noah Savage on the floor at the same time.
-Does finishing with five consecutive losses effect how you the team moves forward?
-Where does the focus of the coaching staff turn?
-At what point does the staff reflect on the season as a whole?
-How Coach Scott would respond to people who ask “What is wrong with Princeton?”
This interview is donor-only.
RealPlayer required.
We'll be back in late April to talk with Coach Scott about the incoming recruiting class, the 07-08 schedule and more.
March 11, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Filed under Basketball, Georgetown
Small moments, in nonsequential order, collected over three days and nights at Madison Square Garden:
-Coach Thompson walking down the line and giving a fist pound to every one of his players, the student managers and even the Georgetown mascot before the playing of the national anthem.
-The drunk Georgetown fan in the Jeff Green jersey who was whisked past me by security for trying to run on the court immediately after the Hoyas won the Big East Tournament championship.
-This same fan showing up in my life a second time an hour later, surprised to discover shortly after being released that the same man who arrested him was in his train car as both made their way back to New Jersey.
-The drunk fan's friend trying to buy my media credential, thinking it would get him in to the NCAA Tournament.
-A sign that read "Roy Hibbert got my cat out of a tree."
-Jonathan Wallace's head shake of bemusement after banking in his first three point shot on Saturday.
-Villanova booing the Georgetown's commercial and Georgetown booing Villanova's commercial when each played on the jumbotron during a media time out.
-Waiting three days for anyone to sit in the two press row seats next to mine reserved for the NY Times style section. Is Paul Lukas branching out?
-A sign that read "Only one man can stop Jeff Green...and Levon Kendall is not Jack Bauer."
-Spotting three different former Princeton players in the stands behind the Georgetown basket.
-Celtics coach and former New York Knick Doc Rivers trying to talk his way past two MSG security guards to use the media bathroom, eventually explaining that the reason he knew the guard who sent him their way in the first place was because he used to play basketball in the building.
March 11, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Filed under Basketball, Georgetown
East region - Thursday in Winston Salem, NC
(15) Belmont vs. (2) Georgetown - 2:55 pm ET
South region - Thursday in Lexington, KY
(14) Penn vs. (3) Texas A&M - 3:10 pm ET
Full bracket here.
March 11, 2007 at 12:08 am
Filed under Audio, Basketball, Georgetown
box score
audio - coach john thompson, jeff green & roy hibbert
audio - coach john thompson (second interview)
The only other time Georgetown coach John Thompson III had the good fortune to cut down the nets after a championship victory, he did not get to take the net home with him. It was 2001 and his Princeton team had defeated Penn by 17 points at Jadwin Gym to secure the first Ivy League title of Thompson's coaching career.
"His" net ended up locked behind glass in the lobby of Princeton's Jadwin Gym.
This time, Coach Thompson wasn't going to let the net get away from him.
He gave it to his wife for safekeeping.
Mixing efficient offense with smothering, constantly switching defense, Georgetown defeated Pittsburgh 65-42 to win the 2007 Big East Tournament championship game. Pittsburgh's 42 points were the lowest total in championship game history. Their 26.2% shooting percentage was also the lowest number in the history of this tournament's final.
According to another member of Coach Thompson's family - his father John - a good memory is shared with a hug.
There were a lot of good memories for Hoya fans late Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, but the best may have come with 1:28 left in regulation. The championship was far decided, the Hoyas out in front of Pittsburgh by 23. With tournament Most Outstanding Player Jeff Green at the free throw line, it started to set in on Coach Thompson that victory was secure. Thompson began to clear his bench, first removing center Roy Hibbert and point guard Jonathan Wallace. Each player had the wide arms of Thompson greeting them as the crowd gave them well-deserved waves of applause, a bear hug the final stop from the court to the sidelines.
As Green converted the second of his two free throws, fellow co-captain Tyler Crawford replaced him in the lineup. The loudest ovation of the night was followed by the biggest of these hugs, Thompson standing smiling with arms extended as far as they could go and a grin on his face nearly as wide, waiting in front of his bench for Green to share his embrace.
Jeff Green had a game-high 21 points for the Hoyas. Roy Hibbert dominated this rubber game inside against the Panthers, with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Hibbert's counterpart, Aaron Gray, was 1-13 from the field and missed his first nine field goal attempts including many at point-blank range.
An 13-0 Georgetown run starting with eight minutes to go in first half turned a 15-13 Hoya lead into a 15 point advantage. Roy Hibbert dunked around Levon Kendall to cap this spurt. When Grey was on the bench it was surprising that Pitt did not double Hibbert in the post as he was able to score at will over smaller, weaker defenders.
The Hoyas went into the break up 15 as Hibbert stuffed an offensive rebound after Jessie Saap's three point shot right before the shot clock buzzer bounded high off the iron.
Back-to-back three point shots from Jonathan Wallace made the score 51-32 Georgetown with 9:32 to go in regulation and the Panthers did not ever make the push everyone felt was still to come.
When time ran out, Coach Thompson and his father had become the first father-son pairing to each win a Big East title. Another good memory, with a hug sure to follow.
March 9, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Filed under Audio, Basketball, Georgetown
box score
audio - coach john thompson, jeff green, dajuan summers & patrick ewing jr
audio - jonathan wallace
Jonathan Wallace tracked down the loose ball as it was heading out-of-bounds and hurled it towards the rafters. By the time gravity brought it back down near center court the final buzzer had sounded and Georgetown was advancing to the Big East Tournament championship game. The Hoyas and Notre Dame gave a sold out Saturday night Madison Square Garden crowd a treat, Georgetown coming out on top 84-82.
Behind Jeff Green's critic-silencing 30 points and 12 rebounds, Georgetown rallied from a 14 point first half deficit. Green scored on a hook shot and was fouled with thirteen seconds to play, providing the Hoyas with a lead that would survive an open three point shot by Notre Dame's Russell Carter with six ticks on the clock.
The Hoyas did a good job of sticking with their stuff as Notre Dame tossed in eight three point shots in the first half. Georgetown never lost composure, making defensive adjustments and knowing that the law of averages would not allow the Fighting Irish to shoot this well all game. Notre Dame was 2-14 from behind the arc after starting 8-12.
Patrick Ewing Jr. had 15 points in 28 minutes off the bench, including six straight to open the second half as the Hoyas took their first lead of the night, a short-lived 50-49 advantage. Freshman DaJuan Summers tallied 18 and Jon Wallace recorded 10 points along with a game-high 5 assists.
Notre Dame grabbed a remarkable 24 offensive rebounds in defeat.
For the second consecutive postgame press conference Coach John Thompson's opening statement was not a word but the same sound - "whew."
princetonbasketball.com will be back courtside at MSG later tonight as Georgetown goes for their first Big East Tournament title in 18 years and we'll be in the locker rooms after the game for more exclusive postgame interview audio.
March 9, 2007 at 10:48 am
Filed under Basketball, Luke Owings, Princeton
Two corrections to Wednesday's New York Times article on Princeton basketball...
A sports article on Wednesday about Princeton’s struggling men’s basketball team misattributed a quotation by a player who supports Coach Joe Scott. It was Justin Conway — not his teammate Luke Owings — who said during a postgame news conference on Tuesday: “I respect Coach Scott a lot. He is the most passionate guy I have ever met, and his passion is directed toward making Princeton basketball as great as it possibly can be. I want to be with a guy who is doing everything he can and is pouring everything into what his goal is. Coach Scott definitely does that.” Although both players spoke during the news conference, Owings made no comments about the coaching.
The article also referred incorrectly to a former player, Scott Greenman, who was the team’s leading scorer as a senior in the 2005-6 season. He missed 4 of the team’s 27 games with a back injury, according to N.C.A.A. statistics — not “much” of that season. Because of an editing error, the article also referred incorrectly in some copies to the time of Greenman’s injury. It was last season, not this season. (He graduated last year.)
March 8, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Filed under Audio, Basketball, Georgetown
box score : audio - coach john thompson, roy hibbert & jeff green
Georgetown scored the first 14 points of their Big East Tournament quarterfinal game and raced out to a incredible 26-2 lead versus Villanova. The points were coming too easy for his team and Coach John Thompson III knew it. With thoughts of last season's semifinal comeback by Syracuse in the back of their minds, the Hoyas needed every bit of their lead down the stretch. Nova rallied in the game's final 25 minutes and closed within five on a three point shot at the final buzzer. Roy Hibbert, who was unable to get touches matched up against smaller and quicker defenders in the teams' first two meetings, led Georgetown with a team-high 14 points. With four starters in double figures, the Hoyas advanced to the Big East Tournament semis against Notre Dame tonight. princetonbasketball.com will be live courtside with bonus coverage.
"World's Most Famous Arena" does not mean the same thing as "World's Best Arena."
I sat next to the official Big East stenographer. Neat.
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