The Ivy League held its Men's Basketball Preseason Media Teleconference this morning, with all eight coaches answering questions from media.
The portion of today's Q&A with Princeton coach Mitch Henderson is available above. A mp3 of the full event is available on the Ivy League web site.
A second teleconference will take place in January 2012.
I was deeply saddened to read about the sudden passing of Judson Wallace's father Charlie on Thursday at the age of 69. I got to know Mr. Wallace and his family better and better each season during the four years Judson was at Princeton and the friendship between the Wallaces and my parents developed independently to the point where they even came to my folks' home a couple times for brunch during Ivy basketball weekends.
Thinking about Charlie last night as this news sunk in I immediately recalled five unrelated memories:
1. The way he used to remind Judson "fingertips!" from the stands when #30 was at the free throw line. I fully admit I still mutter that word to myself when certain Tigers step up to the stripe in crucial situations.
2. Even in the cold Northeast winters there was something endearing about his insistence on wearing loafers with no socks wherever he went.
3. When I traveled to Atlanta to cover Georgetown in the 2007 Final Four, the Wallaces were adamant that Nicole and I stay at their home with them (despite the fact they were already hosting three of Judson's former teammates) or at least go out for a meal. While I felt uncomfortable accepting their first invitation and the subsequent onset of Passover made the latter offer impossible, I knew that their hospitality was genuine and that by being unable to swing either I had let them down. I was glad that we could reconnect at the Georgia Dome's open shoot-around like old times in Jadwin and beyond.
4. The Wallace family remains the only Princeton basketball parents to add me unsolicited to their annual Christmas card list. Each December it has been sweet to receive a new color picture of the four of them and put it with the other cards on our mantle.
5. A former Army officer, Charlie was convinced from the moment I became engaged that he had the authority to officiate a wedding ceremony between Nicole and I on a boat in the middle of Lake Carnegie. We were eventually married (on dry land) a year after the Wallaces' older son graduated from Princeton.
He was the good kind of character and he will be missed. My condolences to Beth, Stewart and Judson.
As mentioned in the article I linked above, a Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday in the main sanctuary of Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution to the Citadel School of Business Administration / Center for Financial Services Education has been requested by the family c/o Ron Green, The Citadel School of Business, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409.
In other news the 14-Game Tournament offers a 2011-12 preseason primer and the Pottstown Mercury has more on Saturday night's Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony that Pete Carril attended.
Pawel Buczak had a team high 16 points and five rebounds in Slask Wroclaw's most recent game.
Rush The Court's Ivy League preview is the first I've seen picking Princeton to finish in fourth place.
The Big East Preseason Coaches' Poll is out with Georgetown seen as the conference's 10th place team this season.
Pete Carril, who was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night, makes Bleacher Report's list of the 100 Greatest Coaches in College Basketball History.
As practice gets underway at Northwestern so does "life after Juice."
Here's the 2011-12 Mercer Vikings schedule, including games against both the Columbia and Princeton JV teams.
Princeton's Blue Ribbon team preview has been posted on ESPN's web site. You need Insider status to read.
ESPN also previews the Ivy League in 60 seconds.
Fairfield has uploaded their 2011-12 prospectus.
There's a Groupon that NC State is offering which includes the Wolfpack's game against Princeton. If you're thinking about heading to Raleigh, perhaps go in on this deal with a friend from the Research Triangle?
Kareem Maddox had 11 points and seven rebounds in Landstede Basketbal's overtime win against EiffelTowers Den Bosch. This article is some of Google Translate's finest work yet.
Play is underway in the PLK and Pawel Buczak has scored six points in his first two games with Śląsk Wrocław.
An Ivy League preview has been posted by CBS Sports.
A point guard from South Jersey chose Stony Brook over fellow suitors Princeton and Vermont yesterday.
I've added a "Member Count" to the right column of the site so you can see how many other folks you're interacting with when you're part of the princetonbasketball.com family. 177 as of this morning! There's still time to renew your lapsed subscription or join our community for the first time before the season gets underway. Read all about who we are and what we do here. Students, don't forget to request your 50% discount coupon!
Full team practices are underway at Jadwin Gym for the first time since March, which seems like an appropriate juncture to share many of the questions I've been collecting about the 2011-12 Princeton Tigers. Last year I approached this weekend on the calendar with a player-by-player wish list but I hope this alternative approach will encourage you to add your own questions (and answers) in the comments.
The past met the present at Georgetown for Midnight Madness.
A guard from Indianapolis who ranks in the top 50 in the eyes of all three primary recruiting services will join the Hoyas next season.
Seton Hall recently watched a point guard one site expects to choose between Princeton and Harvard.
Sticking with recruiting, here are some quotes from Edo Lawrence on his decision to attend Princeton.
I'd like to read more about word association with Chris Mooney.
Denver returned to the basketball floor on Friday night and the 2011-12 Fairfield Stags debuted at Red Sea Madness.
Happy birthday to Stephen Goldsmith!
Links to profiles and news on the Princeton class of 2012. That's Edo Lawrence pictured above.
Hans Brase - 6'9" : 220 lbs - The Hill School
Edo Lawrence - 7'2" : 225 lbs - Canterbury School
Mike Washington, Jr. - 6'3" : 190 lbs - Oak Harbor High School
Here's the latest collection of videos from various corners of the Princeton basketball family. Above, Chris Mooney answers questions at Richmond's media day.
Seven additional clips after the jump.
Princeton can start full team practices this evening and Mitch Henderson is ready to roll.
Henderson is also quoted in a piece encouraging recruits to contact coaches directly if they're interested in a specific school.
Two of the Tigers' non-conference games have been added to ESPN3's schedule.
More on the commitment to Princeton of Mike Washington, Jr.
The Washington Post and Washington Times have stories from Georgetown's media day.
Bill Carmody is not making any predictions for this season.
The Atlantic 10's preseason coaches/media poll is out. Richmond is picked fifth. The Spiders will ask Darien Brothers to play a different roll than he did last year.
Oregon State has launched a sharp-looking web site for their men's basketball team. The Beavers are shooting high in 2011-12.
In his first regular season game for Landstede Basketbal, Kareem Maddox scored five points in 19 minutes of play.
As the head coach at the Hill School the past 11 seasons - coaching in the Mid Atlantic Prep League against future Princeton players Douglas Davis and Noah Savage for a school located less than 90 minutes away from Jadwin Gym - Seth Eilberg has a decent understanding of what is required to be a standout Tiger.
In 2012 Eilberg will send the Blues' senior big man Hans Brase to Princeton and Eilberg feels the strong, physical 6'9" forward has what it takes to succeed in the Ivy League.
Brase joins Edo Lawrence and Mike Washington, Jr. in what is shaping up to be a quality initial recruiting class for Mitch Henderson.
Eilberg and I discussed Brase at length this afternoon. Exclusive quotes and analysis plus links to player evaluations and videos can be found after the jump.
Gabe Lewullis has joined the staff of a hospital in Delaware.
Former Princeton player Harrison Schaen is the terminal point of a piece on recruiting service rankings and how they play out in the Ivy League.
A one-time NC State commitment has decided to play for Fairfield instead.
College Sports Madness has posted their preseason All-Ivy teams.
