January 5, 2011 at 10:06 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, Princeton, Recruiting, Richmond, Today's News
Today's Game: Marist (3-11 / 2-1) vs. Princeton (10-4 / 0-0)
Location: Jadwin Gym - Princeton, NJ
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Radio: 103.3 fm WPRB
TV: N/A
Internet: goprincetontigers.com
Series History: Princeton leads 1-0.
Last meeting: Princeton 77 Marist 58 - 1/6/10.
|
| Marist |
|
Princeton |
| 3-3 |
Home Record |
3-0 |
| 0-6 |
Away Record |
5-3 |
| 0-2 |
Neutral Record |
2-1 |
| 318 |
RPI |
29 |
| 320 |
Sagarin |
56 |
| 313 |
Pomeroy |
109 |
| 62.1 |
Points / Game |
71.0 |
| 75.9 |
Points Allowed / Game |
68.4 |
| .379 |
FG% |
.471 |
| .737 |
FT% |
.705 |
| .295 |
3PT FG% |
.391 |
| 33.9 |
Rebounds / Game |
33.4 |
| 8.6 |
Off. Rebounds / Game |
9.1 |
| -5.5 |
Rebounding Margin |
+1.0 |
| 9.6 |
Assists / Game |
13.6 |
| 15.7 |
Turnovers / Game |
13.4 |
| 2.6 |
Blocks / Game |
3.7 |
|
|
|
| Hall: 10.0 |
Points |
Hummer: 14.6 |
| Kemp: 4.6 |
Rebounds |
Hummer: 6.5 |
| Hall: 2.7 |
Assists |
Maddox, Mavraides: 2.5 |
| Prescott, Hall: 0.9 |
Steals |
Mavraides: 1.4 |
| Kemp: 1.4 |
Blocks |
Maddox: 1.5 |
| Watson: .482 |
FG% (Min: 10 FGM) |
Hummer: .574 |
| Rusin: .893 |
FT% (Min: 10 FTM) |
Mavraides: .794 |
| Hall: .448 |
3PT FG% (Min: 10 3FGM) |
Davis .448 |
Charlotte vs. Richmond - 7:00 pm ET
Yale vs. Holy Cross - 7:00 pm ET
Harvard vs. Boston College - 7:00 pm ET
Columbia vs. Lafayette - 7:00 pm ET
The Daily Princetonian summarizes the Tigers' games over Winter Break.
Buster Olney reports that Chris Young has been offered a guaranteed package worth over $1,000,000 by the Mets. New York is denying any proposal.
KenPom ran 10,000 simulations for each DI conference. The nation's most improved league was also the sixth-most competitive.
Princeton recruit Denton Koon and Liberty defeated Blue Springs, 63-40.
Richmond hosts Charlotte in the Spiders' Atlantic 10 opener.
December 5, 2010 at 9:49 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, Denver, Georgetown, Mason Rocca, Oregon State, Princeton, Richmond, Today's News, Will Venable
Today's Game: St. Joe's (3-4 / 0-0) vs. Princeton (4-3 / 0-0)
Location: Jadwin Gym - Princeton, NJ
Time: 5:00 pm ET
Radio: 103.3 fm WPRB
TV: N/A
Internet: goprincetontigers.com
Series History: Princeton leads 7-6.
Last meeting: Princeton 70 St. Joe's 62 - 1/2/10
|
| St. Joe's |
|
Princeton |
| 1-1 |
Home Record |
2-0 |
| 1-3 |
Away Record |
1-2 |
| 1-0 |
Neutral Record |
1-1 |
| 111 |
RPI |
104 |
| 165 |
Sagarin |
125 |
| 169 |
Pomeroy |
129 |
| 63.3 |
Points / Game |
71.9 |
| 69.0 |
Points Allowed / Game |
71.4 |
| .404 |
FG% |
.473 |
| .708 |
FT% |
.698 |
| .271 |
3PT FG% |
.398 |
| 33.9 |
Rebounds / Game |
34.9 |
| 9.1 |
Off. Rebounds / Game |
9.6 |
| -5.4 |
Rebounding Margin |
+3.2 |
| 11.9 |
Assists / Game |
15.4 |
| 13.7 |
Turnovers / Game |
14.4 |
| 5.7 |
Blocks / Game |
3.4 |
|
|
|
| Jones: 16.6 |
Points |
Hummer: 15.9 |
| Galloway: 5.7 |
Rebounds |
Hummer: 6.9 |
| Galloway: 2.9 |
Assists |
Maddox: 3.1 |
| Jones, Galloway: 1.0 |
Steals |
Maddox: 1.1 |
| Aiken: 3.6 |
Blocks |
Maddox: 1.7 |
| Hilliard: .564 |
FG% (Min: 5 FGM) |
Hummer: .625 |
| Galloway: 1.000 |
FT% (Min: 5 FTM) |
Mavraides: .875 |
| Quarles: .538 |
3PT FG% (Min: 5 3FGM) |
Mavraides .500 |
Richmond vs. Arizona State - 2:00 pm ET - FSN Arizona
The Trenton Times previews today's game.
Kareem Maddox is the subject of a piece in the Ventura County Star.
Georgetown (8-0) found a different way to win on Saturday against Utah State. HoyaHoops has postgame audio from John Thompson III, Chris Wright and Henry Sims.
Mercer (3-5) dropped a tough 68-62 decision to Delaware Tech Stanton.
A 66-63 win over Cal State Northridge returned Denver (2-6) to the win column.
Oregon State (3-4) was outclassed by Colorado, 83-57.
Richmond heads west to face Arizona State.
Rush The Court checks in on the Ivy League.
Chris Young and Will Venable comment on San Diego's decision to trade Adrian Gonzalez.
Mason Rocca scored six points and had nine rebounds in AJ Milano's 82-75 Euroleague loss to Union Olimpija.
Around the Ivy League: Penn (4-3) pulled away from Army in the second half for a 68-52 victory. Yale (3-4) lost by four at Vermont. A 19-1 second half run helped Michigan achieve a 65-62 win over Harvard (5-2). Brown (4-3) scored the last eight points of a 62-54 decision versus Maine. A John Daniels free throw broke a tie with 2.7 seconds left as Columbia (4-4) rallied to beat Stony Brook, 73-72. Cornell (2-6) fell 71-66 at Minnesota.
December 2, 2010 at 8:38 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, Denver, Judson Wallace, Oregon State, Princeton, Richmond, Today's News
Brown vs. Hartford - 7:00 pm ET - CTSN
One recap of Tuesday's game I initially missed came from Hoop Time.
Watch the Lafayette Sports Network postgame show from just after Princeton defeated the Leopards.
Town Topics has published their story on the Tigers' victory over Siena.
Richmond (6-2) was edged down the stretch by Old Dominion, 77-70.
Utah State won 61-53 at Denver (1-6). The recently minted Pioneer Pulse has more on the game.
Oregon State (3-3) players were dejected and misty-eyed after the Beavers lost 70-68 to Utah Valley on two free throws with three seconds remaining.
Judson Wallace scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Gran Canaria's Eurocup victory over Siauliai.
New Mets manager Terry Collins says his team is "looking pretty heavy into" signing Chris Young.
Eighth place is Princeton's location in this week's Schuylkill 16.
Around the Ivy League: Harvard (5-1) took care of Fordham, 80-57. Bucknell held off Columbia (3-4) in the second half of a 73-68 Bison win. Dartmouth (2-5) lost 80-53 at Vermont.
December 1, 2010 at 10:03 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, Denver, Georgetown, MCCC, Northwestern, Oregon State, Princeton, Richmond, Today's News
Richmond vs. Old Dominion - 7:00 pm ET
Utah State vs. Denver - 9:00 pm ET - FSN Rocky Mountain
Utah Valley vs. Oregon State - 10:00 pm ET
Fordham vs. Harvard - 7:00 pm ET
Columbia vs. Bucknell - 7:00 pm ET
Dartmouth vs. Vermont - 7:00 pm ET
In addition to our recap, read about Princeton's second straight victory on goprincetontigers.com, in the Morning Call, in the Express Times, in the Daily Princetonian, courtesy of the Associated Press and on goleopards.com.
WFMZ offers up some video highlights.
Tuesday was a prolific night of scoring for three of Pete Carril's disciples. Princeton scored 82 at Lafayette, Northwestern had 91 versus Georgia Tech and Georgetown went for 111 in their game against Missouri.
Shooting 12-19 from three point range and 64.6% from the floor, Northwestern (5-0) blew out Georgia Tech, 91-71.
Chris Wright hit a three point shot at the buzzer to force overtime as Georgetown (7-0) topped number nine Missouri. Jason Clark made three straight treys to open up a seven point lead for the Hoyas in the extra frame.
Mercer (3-4) fell 80-71 at Raritan. Gary Carthan had 10 points and 10 rebounds in defeat.
Princeton recruit Clay Wilson scored 47 points in his first game of the season. Wow.
The Princeton Packet writes about the Tigers win over Siena.
At the Times Union Tribune they're still discussing Mitch Buonaguro's decision not to foul in the final seconds of regulation on Sunday.
Chris Young says he is "not close to a deal with anyone at the present time."
A great matchup tonight when Richmond travels to ODU.
Denver welcomes Utah State.
Another school from the Beehive State, Utah Valley, visits Oregon State.
Around the Ivy League: Penn (3-3) defeated UMBC, 71-59. Cornell (2-5) fell 78-58 at Syracuse. Yale (3-3) held off Hartford, 81-76.
November 30, 2010 at 9:21 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, Georgetown, Northwestern, Princeton, Recruiting, Richmond, Today's News
Today's Game: Princeton (3-3 / 0-0) vs. Lafayette (1-5 / 0-0)
Location: Kirby Sports Center - Easton, PA
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Radio: 103.3 fm WPRB
TV: Lafayette Sports Network (DirecTV channel 610)
Internet: goprincetontigers.com
Series History: Princeton leads 44-18.
Last meeting: Princeton 62 Lafayette 48 - 1/6/09
|
| Princeton |
|
Lafayette |
| 2-0 |
Home Record |
1-1 |
| 0-2 |
Away Record |
0-4 |
| 1-1 |
Neutral Record |
0-0 |
| 113 |
RPI |
305 |
| 130 |
Sagarin |
308 |
| 143 |
Pomeroy |
264 |
| 70.2 |
Points / Game |
62.2 |
| 72.7 |
Points Allowed / Game |
73.0 |
| .451 |
FG% |
.414 |
| .689 |
FT% |
.808 |
| .379 |
3PT FG% |
.339 |
| 35.8 |
Rebounds / Game |
27.2 |
| 10.0 |
Off. Rebounds / Game |
6.3 |
| +3.8 |
Rebounding Margin |
-7.1 |
| 14.5 |
Assists / Game |
14.3 |
| 14.5 |
Turnovers / Game |
15.2 |
| 3.3 |
Blocks / Game |
1.2 |
|
|
|
| Hummer: 14.8 |
Points |
Mintz: 16.3 |
| Hummer: 7.0 |
Rebounds |
Johnson: 5.3 |
| Maddox: 3.3 |
Assists |
Johnson: 3.8 |
| Hummer, Mavraides, Davis: 1.0 |
Steals |
Mower: 1.5 |
| Maddox: 1.8 |
Blocks |
Willen: 0.3 |
| Hummer: .583 |
FG% (Min: 5 FGM) |
Mintz: .508 |
| Davis: .864 |
FT% (Min: 5 FTM) |
Willen: .885 |
| Mavraides: .516 |
3PT FG% (Min: 5 3FGM) |
Mower .424 |
Georgia Tech vs. Northwestern - 7:00 pm ET - ESPN2
MCCC vs. Raritan - 7:00 pm ET
Georgetown vs. Missouri - 9:00 pm ET - ESPN
UMBC vs. Penn - 7:00 pm ET
Cornell vs. Syracuse - 7:00 pm ET
Hartford vs. Yale - 7:00 pm ET
The Daily Princetonian has a piece on Brendan Connolly.
The Trenton Times counters with focus on Kareem Maddox.
ESPN is reporting that Chris Young is "deep into talks" with the New York Mets. However, the New York Daily News says nothing is close between the Mets and Young.
Northwestern hosts Georgia Tech as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Missouri and Georgetown meet in Kansas City for the John McLendon Classic, the first game in a challenging stretch for the Hoyas.
SportsProf took in the Siena/Princeton game and shares his observations.
Ian Hummer represents Princeton on the Honor Roll of the latest Ivy Men's Basketball Weekly Release.
Bleacher Report awards Kareem Maddox with the title of Sunday's best performance.
Richmond's Kevin Anderson is the Atlantic 10 Player Of Week.
The radio show Terp Talk had Keith Cavanaugh from Terrapin Times on to talk about senior big man Desmond Hubert, who is deciding between Princeton, Maryland and Wake Forest. The pertinent portion of the conversation is 27:30 in. It is my understanding that the divide between Hubert and "a couple other people in his camp" is not as Cavanaugh describes.
Read a transcript of a live chat with Spider head coach Chris Mooney on the Richmond Times-Dispatch site.
November 29, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Filed under Basketball, Brian Taylor, Chris Young, Gabe Lewullis, Kevin Mullin, Kit Mueller, Princeton, Steve Goodrich
With his 30 points on Sunday against Siena, Kareem Maddox became just the ninth Princeton player in the three point shot era to reach this elusive total.
As the Princeton athletic department pointed out, Maddox is also the first player since Kit Mueller in 1990 to go for 30 without converting a three pointer.
Mueller had 14 baskets and four free throws. Maddox's line was 10 field goals, 10 free throws.
Read the rest of this entry »
November 29, 2010 at 6:00 am
Filed under Basketball, Bill Bradley, Chris Young, Craig Robinson, Georgetown, Princeton, Will Venable
Happy Thanksgiving! Hard to believe, but Christmas and Hanukkah are both on the immediate horizon. Looking for something special to buy for the basketball fan in your life? Don't go for what's in the mystery box! Try one of the following items from the 2010 princetonbasketball.com Holiday Gift Guide instead. A percentage of all purchases support this site. Something missing that you think people would enjoy? Please drop a line.
Reading Materials:
This summer I interviewed Oregon State coach Craig Robinson about his autobiographical work A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond. It is a worthwhile read, with many new stories about Robinson's time as a Princeton undergraduate.
Many times over the course of a season I'm delighted to run into Kyle Whelliston from Mid-Majority on press row. Two of Kyle's tomes are Sports Bubble Blues and One Beautiful Season.
I am eager to check out John Reagan's comprehensive Georgetown Basketball Vault.
Last year I spoke with author Kathy Orton about her book Outside the Limelight: Basketball in the Ivy League, which follows the league through the highs and lows of the 2005-06 season.
A companion to Orton's book is Playing the Game: Inside Athletic Recruiting in the Ivy League by Chris Lincoln, the first book to detail the Academic Index and the ins/outs of recruiting in the Ancient Eight.
Alexander Wolff's Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure starts at Jadwin Gym and then circles the globe, from remote mountaintops to the Palestra and across to China. The first book this web site was ever thanked in!
There's always The Smart Take from the Strong: The Basketball Philosophy of Pete Carril, the second book about the legendary Princeton coach.
I've read it hundreds of times, but if you've never enjoyed John McPhee's A Sense of Where You Are: Bill Bradley at Princeton, give it a go this year.
Coach: 25 Writers Reflect on People Who Made a Difference features an introduction by Bill Bradley and has a wide range of scribes (George Vecsey, John Irving, Frank Deford...) telling tales of coaches that impacted their lives.
Bradley is also the author of Values of the Game, The New American Story and Life on the Run.
There was no better, more beautifully detailed basketball book I read last summer than When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball, about Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and the 1978-79 college basketball season. No direct Princeton content, but well worth your time.
He's written a good deal about Princeton basketball over the ages, but Grant Wahl's true passion is soccer. The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America looks at the most famous player in the beautiful game's journey to the MLS.
I know I'm getting the latest iteration for Hanukkah every year, and I love traveling with books in this series. Best American Sports Writing always has incredible pieces written by well-known and newly discovered authors.
When I put the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide together, I forgot to include former Princeton player Rob Ryder's Hollywood Jock: 365 Days, Four Screenplays, Three TV Pitches, Two Kids, and One Wife Who's Ready to Pull the Plug.
Interested in the history of college hoops? Pick up the Official 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Records Book, full of information about every season.
Get lost in the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game or Sports Illustrated's The Basketball Book.
Diagrams and descriptions more your thing? Then perhaps Basketball's Princeton-Style Offense: A Simplified Approach for High School Coaches will interest you.
Someday I dream of having a web site that looks as good as FreeDarko presents The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today's Game or FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History does.
Video Games:
The best college basketball video game out there is EA's NCAA Basketball 10, available for the Playstation 3 and XBox. You can even run the "Princeton Offense" as one of the game's many sets. There won't be a 2011 edition of this game, so stick with last year's iteration.
Sporting Goods:
Actually want to play the game? The Wilson NCAA Solution Game Ball lets you use the same basketball as Division I players.
While dribbing, look sharp in this Princeton replica jersey by Nike, available in youth and adult sizes and emblazoned with Bill Bradley's #42.
A simple but effective Princeton basketball t-shirt by Adidas.
Various Northwestern basketball jerseys.
Various Georgetown basketball jerseys.
How about some Chris Young or Will Venable replica jerseys?
C. Young - Youth 2010 Majestic Road Khaki Replica #32
C. Young - Youth 2009 Majestic Road Khaki Replica #32
C. Young - Adult 2009 Majestic Road Khaki Replica #32
C. Young - San Diego Padres Home White MLB Replica Jersey
W. Venable - San Diego Padres Youth Home White #25
W. Venable - San Diego Padres Adult Home White #25
DVDs (NCAA tournament games):
Relive some of the great postseason moments in Princeton basketball history with these official NCAA videos.
1998 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball 1st Round - UNLV vs. Princeton
1996 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball 2nd Round - Mississippi State vs. Princeton
1996 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball 1st Round - Princeton vs. UCLA
1992 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Regionals - Syracuse vs. Princeton
1991 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Regionals - Villanova vs. Princeton
1989 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Regionals - Georgetown vs. Princeton
DVDs (instructional):
Want to teach the game? Look no further than the following.
Chris Mooney: Team & Individual Drills for the Princeton Style Offense
Chris Mooney: All Access Richmond Basketball Practice
Kevin Pigott: The Princeton Offense: Back Door to Success
Lee DeForest: Winning with the Princeton Style Offense
November 22, 2010 at 8:24 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, Georgetown, Oregon State, Princeton, Richmond, Sean Gregory, Today's News
Today's Game: Princeton (1-1 / 0-0) vs. James Madison (1-1 / 0-0)
Location: JMU Convocation Center - Harrisonburg, VA
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Radio: 103.3 fm WPRB
TV: N/A
Internet: goprincetontigers.com
Series History: This is the first meeting between the two teams.
Last meeting: This is the first meeting between the two teams.
|
| Princeton |
|
James Madison |
| 1-0 |
Home Record |
0-0 |
| 0-1 |
Away Record |
1-1 |
| 0-0 |
Neutral Record |
0-0 |
| 149 |
RPI |
184 |
| 149 |
Sagarin |
180 |
| 142 |
Pomeroy |
148 |
| 69.0 |
Points / Game |
67.5 |
| 85.0 |
Points Allowed / Game |
71.0 |
| .476 |
FG% |
.522 |
| .595 |
FT% |
.608 |
| .395 |
3PT FG% |
.381 |
| 33.5 |
Rebounds / Game |
35.0 |
| 11.5 |
Off. Rebounds / Game |
8.5 |
| +5.0 |
Rebounding Margin |
+3.0 |
| 15.5 |
Assists / Game |
11.5 |
| 21.5 |
Turnovers / Game |
21.5 |
| 2.0 |
Blocks / Game |
3.0 |
|
|
|
| Mavraides: 21.0 |
Points |
Moore: 16.0 |
| Connolly: 7.5 |
Rebounds |
Goins: 11.0 |
| Connolly, Maddox: 3.5 |
Assists |
Bowles, Jackson: 3.0 |
| Maddox: 2.0 |
Steals |
Hitchens: 1.0 |
| Hummer, Maddox, Darrow, Barrett: 0.5 |
Blocks |
Bowles: 1.5 |
| Mavraides: .636 |
FG% (Min: 5 FGM) |
Bowles: .737 |
| Davis: 1.000 |
FT% (Min: 5 FTM) |
Moore: .733 |
| Mavraides: .667 |
3PT FG% |
Goins .333 |
Cornell vs. Lehigh - 7:00 pm ET
A 15-0 second half run helped Georgetown (5-0) sprint past NC State for the Charleston Classic title. Hollis Thompson scored 18, one of four Hoyas in double figures in the 82-67 win.
Kevin Smith returned from an injury and Richmond (3-1) dropped Charleston Southern, 82-71.
Texas Southern surprised Oregon State (1-2) by a 66-60 score in Corvallis. The Beavers shot 1-13 from three point range in the second half against the Tigers.
Sean Gregory interviews Drew Brees at time.com.
Chris Young and his wife are hosting the first annual December Nights Winter Coat Drive on December 3rd in San Diego.
Around the Ivy League: Loyola (Md.) pulled away in the second half from Dartmouth (1-3) for a 73-59 decision.
November 17, 2010 at 10:11 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, Northwestern, Oregon State, Princeton, Today's News
Gloucester vs. MCCC - 6:00 pm ET
Northwestern vs. UT-Pan American - 8:00 pm ET
Oregon State vs. Seattle - 10:00 pm ET
Penn vs. Manhattan - 7:00 pm ET
Delaware vs. Cornell - 7:00 pm ET
Holy Cross vs. Harvard - 7:00 pm ET
Columbia vs. St. John's - 8:00 pm ET
Northwestern continues on the road at UT-Pan American.
Seattle hosts Oregon State. The Beavers are looking to avenge January's 51 point loss to the Redhawks.
The Princeton Packet has a story on the Tigers' season opener against Rutgers.
When Roy Halladay found out he had been voted this season's unanimous NL Cy Young Award winner, he was in Mexico golfing with Mike Sweeney, Chris Carpenter and Chris Young.
Around the Ivy League: Brown (1-1) was outclassed by in-state foe Rhode Island, 92-67. Dartmouth (0-2) saw a 17 point second half lead slip away and lost in the final seconds in controversial fashion to New Hampshire.
November 8, 2010 at 9:51 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, MCCC, Northwestern, Princeton, Today's News
Bleacher Report previews the Ivy League in slideshow form.
There was a special guest at Princeton practice over the weekend, former Tiger center Chris Young.
Chicago Sports Guru says this is the year Northwestern makes the NCAA tournament. Seriously.
Mercer (1-1) defeated Suffolk 75-64 for their first win of the season.
November 4, 2010 at 10:08 am
Filed under Baseball, Basketball, Bill Bradley, Chris Young, Northwestern, Princeton, Recruiting, Today's News, Trading Cards
The San Diego Padres officially declined their $8.5 million 2011 option on pitcher Chris Young. Now a free agent, Young told the Union-Tribune that he would like to remain with the team.
New Egypt (NJ) High School basketball coach Jay Corby says it is "down to crunch time" in the recruitment of star center Desmon Hubert. Corby talks about Princeton in comparison to Hubert's other four suiters in this Baltimore Sun piece. When he mentions the several visits Hubert has made to the campus over the years, I can add that one took place last season when the Tigers hosted Harvard.
Former Princeton standout Tim vanBlommesteyn unofficially collected two percent of the vote running as an independent candidate in the race for Congress in New Hampshire's second district.
Northwestern hosts Robert Morris (IL) in an exhibition this evening. Head coach Bill Carmody tells ESPN his team is working on improving their defense and rebounding.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Wildcats can't mask their ambition for 2010-11.
Spend close to an hour with Bill Bradley by watching this 1987 video from the C-Span library.
November 3, 2010 at 10:35 am
Filed under Basketball, Chris Young, Ed Persia, Judson Wallace, Luke Owings, Mason Rocca, Princeton, Scott Greenman, Spencer Gloger, Will Venable
Above, the Jadwin Jungle waits for the opening tip of the 2005-06 season.
This post was originally penned on November 7, 2009 as "A Decade of Season Openers." I've added last season's game against Central Michigan and revamped these essays for the upcoming season.
Many of these pieces come from the listserv that predated this web site.
Read on for the stories of the past 11 Tiger tipoffs in sequential order...
November 12, 1999 - Syracuse 60 Princeton 43 - NABC Classic
Sophomore center Chris Young led three Princeton players in double figures, but the Tigers fell in an early 17 point hole at Syracuse and never closed within single digits. Here's what I wrote at the time:
Went to the usual sports bar to watch the game and was there 30 minutes before the dish guy told me the game was "blacked out" on their system [even though I called to confirm earlier in the day]. Jumped in the car and drove frantic across Chicago to another sports bar who had been phoned by the first sports bar to make sure they had the game. Listened to the five of the first seven minutes on WHWH over the car phone [thanks, dad!]. It was 5-2 Syracuse when I got in the car. What started as "first game of the season jitters" steamrolled into a 34-11 Syracuse halftime lead. For the record, I made it into the second sports bar at 23-6. Oy.
When I closed my eyes at the half, my nightmares were filled with an endless series of filled passing lanes and defenders with arms spread wide. Syracuse had played very good defense, Princeton had made some forced choices and missed any type of shot they had. It was not looking good. Then, as the second half started, you could see a bit of fire in this year's model of the Princeton Tigers.
Players cut harder.
Passes were smarter.
Defense was tighter.
By the middle of the second half, I was wondering how this game would have gone had Mason Rocca not had to sit out [with what I assume is a groin problem, even though I did not see him on the bench]. Sure, Etan Thomas missed the game for Syracuse as well, but I never thought any sort of "what ifs"would be close to crossing my mind at halftime. The Tigers dug a "Penn game hole" but could not climb all the way out of it.
This is what young teams do. They grow up. They make mistakes. Then they hit shots. They cut Syracuse leads to 49-36 with 6:15 left and don't get any closer, even with some good chances to do so. They throw the ball away and give up easy second chances at the other end. I think this team will grow up at a rate that pleases many. Sure, they will lose a good number of games, but by the time Ivy season rolls around, the schedule will have been worth it. I have been known to take a loss pretty hard in my day, but I feel better than I expected about a seventeen point opening night loss.
Watching Chris Young, who is now HUGE [esp. in his torso], be the stable force in the middle, kicking the ball out to players that will learn what to do with it in time, made me feel good about this coming season. Hell, Lafayette blew Princeton out to start last year, and if this season could mimic that one I'd be more than happy.
Some other thoughts:
Decent touch-passes on occasion from Young [drawing the double team] to Walton, including one pass that lead to a lay-up I'm pretty sure was goaltending. Nice play to create points working off of the attention Young draws. Young also hit two DEEP three-pointers. As predicted, it will take some outside shots and some hard cuts from the guards to keep Young from being double/triple teamed. By the time Princeton hit several three-pointers it was just too late.
Baah provided decent spark and a quick step to the basket, even if he still did look out-of-control from time to time. He caused several second chances and hit some nice shots however. Like the cornrows.
Chapman showed decent touch and great range. I hope his "practice shot" is back.
Tiger court spacing needs some work.
As does the speed in which they swing their passes around the arc.
Princeton will play Missouri @ 7:00 pm EST on Saturday night in Syracuse, NY.
I'll be back at this new sportsbar watching progress happen quickly.
Read the rest of this entry »
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