Princeton

Princeton Preview: 2008-09

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:33:19 -0500

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2008-09 Princeton Basketball Preview

Tigers look to escape Ivy League cellar

By Raphielle Johnson

Last season brought the return of a school hero, with former Ivy League Player of the Year Sydney Johnson back as head coach of his alma mater. But things didn’t go as planned, with a return to Ivy dominance being replaced by a last-place finish thanks in large part to a struggling offense. But with just two starters back this season, how much better can the Tigers be on offense? One player expected to be back when last season ended, guard Lincoln Gunn, left the team for personal reasons and won’t be back. And with Noah Savage, Kevin Steuerer and Kyle Koncz out of eligibility Coach Johnson will have to hope that some of the newcomers are ready to contribute now. It looks like another tough year for the Tigers in the Ivy League.

General Information

2007-08 Record: 6-23 (3-11 Ivy; t-6^th)

Head coach: Sydney Johnson (6-23 in one season)

Assistant coaches: Tony Newsom, Brian Earl, Scott Greenman

Home court: Jadwin Gym

Website: www.goprincetontigers.com

Leading Returnees

PPG: Zach Finley (10.2)

RPG: Finley (4.4)

APG: Marcus Schroeder (1.7)

FG%: Finley (51.9%)

FT%: Kareem Maddox (83.3%)

3PT%: Nick Lake (38.9%)

Assist/TO ratio: Schroeder (1.67)

Backcourt

Lincoln Gunn was a guy who would have been the Tigers’ first option when it came to the perimeter. But with him gone, the backcourt has to deal with an overall lack of experience combined with the absence of a consistent offensive option. Marcus Schroeder, who played around twenty-five minutes per game last season, becomes the leader for the Tigers. Not much of a threat as a scorer, Schroeder does a good job of taking care of the basketball for a team that was last in both turnover margin and assist-to-turnover ratio. The only other guard with credible experience last season was Jason Briggs, who played in twenty games and started four.

Other returnees looking to crack the rotation include junior Nick Lake and sophomores Bobby Foley and Dan Mavraides. The trio averaged a combined 21.9 minutes per game, with Lake getting a little more than twelve of those minutes. So while they’ve been in the program, the three newcomers in the backcourt will have ample opportunities to earn some serious playing time. Max Huc (Rosemont, PA) and Doug Davis (Philadelphia, PA) should be a part of the point guard rotation this season, and John Comfort (La Grange, Ill.) possesses the range to contribute on the wing. Whether or not these three help out isn’t the concern; it’s how much will they contribute since the Tigers lack depth at the guard positions.

Frontcourt

Luckily for the Tigers they do return senior center Zach Finley, the leading returning scorer and rebounder. Finley also led the Ivy League in field goal percentage and was fifth in blocked shots per game. And with the lack of consistent threats from behind the arc, look for Finley to be the focal point of opposing defenses. But just like the backcourt, the Tigers lack experience up front and will look to returnees that haven’t played much to fill in the gaps left by the departure of some key contributors. Kareem Maddox, who only played twelve minutes per game, is the likely candidate to start alongside Finley.

Upperclassmen Michael Strittmatter and Pawel Buczak will also be in the running for playing time but both prefer to play on the perimeter, something that is more than acceptable in the Princeton offensive system. And since the Tigers lack significant bulk beyond Finley and Maddox, freshman Zane Ma (Los Angeles, CA) becomes even more important for Princeton this season. Classmate Patrick Saunders (Gilford, NH) is in the mold of Strittmatter and Buczak, preferring to play on the perimeter than locked down to the blocks.

In an ideal situation, the newcomers and returning players who haven’t played much would have some time to grow into their new roles. But with an overall lack of experience those guys won’t have that kind of grace period this season. How much the Tigers improve this season will depend upon the development of the newcomers and the emergence of options at the point and inside alongside Finley. But in an Ivy League that’s essentially Cornell and then a traffic jam in the midsection, it may be tough for the Tigers to claw their way out of the cellar this year.

Team Stats (conference ranking in parentheses)

PPG: 57.7 (8^th)

PPG allowed: 64.2 (2^nd)

FG%: 42.5% (7^th)

FG% defense: 46.8% (7^th)

3PT%: 32.9% (5^th)

3PT% defense: 32.9% (2^nd)

FT%: 69.8% (5^th)

Rebound margin: -2.6 (8^th)

Assist/TO ratio: 0.84 (7^th)

Ivy Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:21:12 -0500

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Conference Rank: 22nd

10 year average: 24th

Conference Page

All-IVY Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Louis Dale	Cornell	Jr
G	Jeremy Lin	Harvard	Jr
G/F	Tyler Bernardini	Penn	So
F	Ryan Wittman	Cornell	Jr
F	Alex Barnett	Dartmouth	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Louis Dale Ryan Wittman		Points: Alex Barnett 15.6 Rebounds: Alex Barnett 7.3 Assists: Chris Skelja (Brown) 4.4

IVY LEAGUE Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

87	Cornell* **	Ivy	1	NCAA
153	Penn	Ivy	2
171	Brown	Ivy	3
195	Harvard	Ivy	4
233	Princeton	Ivy	5
263	Yale	Ivy	6
290	Dartmouth	Ivy	7
329	Columbia	Ivy	8

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Ivy League?

Other Ivy League Content

Conference Media Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: Ivy

State of 08: New York

State of '08: New Jersey

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:13:42 -0400

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

NEW JERSEY

SETON HALL - Despite producing legendary prep talent, New Jersey has never been a collegiate powerhouse. Seton Hall is tops in the state, but the Pirates are in the midst of a very mediocre run. Louis Orr led the Pirates to NCAA Tournaments in 2004 & 2006 (and the NIT in 2003). Despite that decent record, Orr was sacked after five seasons and replaced by Bobby Gonzalez. In two years, Gonzalez does not have a postseason trip under his belt, but an NIT bid is possible in 2009. If the Hall miss out on the NIT, which is more likely than not, Gonzalez might be writing for Collegehoops.net next year..

RUTGERS - Like Bobby Gonzalez above, Fred Hill has done little to quiet the skeptics. Gary Waters led Rutgers to three NIT trips, but like Orr, he was sacked after five years. Rutgers has finished below 200th in the RPI the previous two years (60 spots worse than any of Waters' teams), and has just six Big East wins combined. The Knights lost to in-state rivals Saint Peter's & Rider, and barely avoided an embarrassing loss to lowly Dartmouth. But hope seems to spring eternal at Rutgers, and fans are hoping highly rated freshmen Rosario and Echenique actually pan out.

MONMOUTH - Like NEC rival FDU, Monmouth is coming off a down season with just 7 wins and a 4-14 league record. But from 2001 to 2006, this was the NEC's best team with tourney trips in 01, 04, and 06.

RIDER - The Broncs set a record with 23 wins in 07-08, and advanced to the newly created CBI, losing to Old Dominion. Now that Jason Thompson has graduated, a more typical 10-8 type finish in the MAAC should be expected. Rider hasn't been to one of the long-time postseason tournaments since the 1998 NIT.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON - Veteran head coach Tom Green is still chugging along. Every few seasons, when you least expect it, FDU makes a serious run in the Northeast Conference. Last year, unfortunately, was not one of those good runs, as the Knights limped to a 4-14 league record (the 2nd worst in Green's 20+ year career). In 2005 FDU made the Tournament, which was followed up by the program's first NIT trip in 2006.

6. PRINCETON - Its amazing to think that Princeton dominated the Ivy League up until a few short seasons ago. The Tigers finished 331st in the RPI last year, the 2nd season in a row they finished at the bottom of the conference. Second-year coach Sydney Johnson will have a hard time cleaning up the mess left by Joe Scott.

7. SAINT PETER'S - Outside of Keydren Clark's legendary career which peaked from 2004-2006, Saint Peter's has been one of the country's worst programs in the last decade. The last two seasons have been particularly bad, with just 11 combined D1 wins (though they did beat Rutgers as noted above). Unfortunately, many expect SPC to finish near the bottom of the MAAC once again.

* NJ Tech is not included, as all provisionals were not included in the State of '08 articles.

Last: Missouri - Next: New York

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Metro Review Part 4: All-Rookie & Bottom Teams

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:56:27 -0400

Now we come to the bottom of the poll, where there wasn’t much in the way of positives to be found this season. NJIT (0-29) completed a historically bad season, the worst winless campaign in the history of Division I basketball. With head coach Jim Casciano stepping down at season’s end the Highlanders are also in need of a head coach. Whoever steps into that opening will have a lot of work to do in terms of talent along with the confidence level of the returning players. Princeton (5-22) also made history for the wrong reasons, with year one of the Sydney Johnson regime coming in as the worst in school history. Add to this the fact that their two leading scorers (Noah Savage and Kyle Koncz) are both seniors, and you have to hope that guys like Lincoln Gunn can step into those holes next season.

Stony Brook (7-23) once again had a tough season in America East, but they were able to win their first round conference tournament game before falling to eventual champion UMBC. Their top two scorers from this year, Ricky Lucas and Mitchell Beauford, are both out of eligibility so any improvement made will most likely rest upon the shoulders of returnees such as Demetrius Young and Michael Tyree. Monmouth (7-24) was the benefactor of some help on the season’s final weekend, resulting in a trip back to the Northeast Conference Tournament after a one-year hiatus. However, for Dave Calloway’s team to improve upon their seven wins they must improve on the offensive end of the floor.

St. Francis (7-22) came into 2007-08 feeling optimistic about their chances at competing in the NEC, and instead was one of the area’s more disappointing teams as they didn’t even qualify for the conference tournament. The loss of a few key seniors, most notably Robert Hines and Marcus Williams, will put Brian Nash’s program into rebuilding mode heading into next season. Finally, St. Peter’s (6-24) says goodbye to a trio of seniors in Todd Sowell, Raul Orta and Tim Spitler. They had the unenviable task of trying to get the program moving in a positive direction after the graduation of Keydren Clark and the retirement of Bob Leckie. But with youngsters such as Wesley Jenkins, Darrell Lampley and Nick Leon due back, John Dunne won’t have an empty cupboard in 2008-09.

Before the actual ranking of these last six teams, here are the members of the Metro All-Rookie team.

Metro All-Rookie Team

G Jay Gavin (Marist) – 12.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 77.1% FT

With Louie McCroskey missing a good chunk of the season due to injury, things could have headed downhill in a hurry for the Red Foxes. But they didn’t, thanks in large part to the play of Gavin, who’s been racking up the honors this off-season. He’s also been named MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year, CollegeHoops.net Honorable Mention Mid-Major All-Freshman, and CollegeInsider.com Freshman Mid-Major All-American. And with a number of key contributors out of eligibility, this young sharpshooter is capable of even more in 2008-09.

G Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall) – 12.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.4 spg

The word explosive would be an accurate one to use in describing the scoring ability of Jeremy Hazell. The freshman from the Bronx, named to the Big East’s All-Rookie Team, was able to put on clinics at times this season. He lit up Louisville for twenty-nine points, and was also hot in losses to Connecticut (28 points) and West Virginia (30). But to underscore his streakiness, Hazell also have seven games in which he made no more than one field goal. Improved consistency could result in Hazell making one of the two All-Big East teams next season.

G Charles Jenkins (Hofstra) – 15.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.1 apg

Jenkins, named CAA Rookie of the Year, was the man to step into the role of being Hofstra’s number two scoring option. The freshman from Queens reached double figures in every game except for two: the season opener against Holy Cross, and their game at VCU January 12^th. And those are two teams who tend to do pretty well on the defensive end so there shouldn’t be much shame in that. His most impressive effort came in their BracketBusters win at Iona, a game in which he recorded his first career double-double (28 and ten rebounds). With Antoine Agudio moving on, more of the scoring load falls upon his shoulders. But Charles has shown this season that he can get it done.

G Wesley Jenkins (St. Peter’s) – 13.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 41.7% 3PT

Named to the MAAC’s All-Rookie Team, Jenkins led the Peacocks in scoring this season. Hailing from Newark, Wesley was one of three St. Peter’s freshmen among the team’s top four scorers, which should mean good things in the future. The first sign of thing to come from Jenkins came in the fourth game of the season, one in which he scored twenty-six in a loss to Rutgers. This remained his career-high until the BracketBusters game with Boston University in which he scored twenty-seven.

F Justin Burrell (St. John’s) – 10.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 73.5% FT

Of all the youngsters to enter the St. John’s program this season, Burrell was the most impressive. Leading the team in rebounding and ranking second in scoring, the Big East All-Rookie Team selection showed he was more than capable of banging inside with some of the more established post presences in the league. With some of the other post players around him gaining some experience as well, look for him to improve his numbers with additional help from the likes of Sean Evans, Dele Coker and Rob Thomas.

Honorable Mention All-Rookie

G Corey Chandler (Rutgers)

G David Devezin (Marist)

G Kyle Johnson (Long Island)

F D.J. Kennedy (St. John’s)

F Mike Ringgold (Rider)

Final Rankings 18-23

18. St. Francis (7-22)

Maybe I went into this season expecting a little too much from the Terriers, but is reaching the middle of the pack in the NEC too much to ask? When relying too much on the three, St. Francis struggled to win games. But when they got the ball inside to Robert Hines and resolved to attack the basket they were capable of doing some things, most notably their win at Sacred Heart. Five seniors, including three starters, now leave the program and it should be interesting to see whether or not the Terriers can make a move up the standings next season.

19. St. Peter’s (6-24)

Like the Terriers, St. Peter’s will have to replace some senior leaders. However, they should look forward to next season with some optimism since three of their top four scorers will be back. Oh, those three were all freshmen this season. Nick Leon will take over full-time at the point, and while talented he has a tendency to speed up a little too much at times. The key to the Peacocks improving upon their six wins will be finding a replacement inside for Todd Sowell. And that will not be an easy task for John Dunne and his coaching staff.

20. Monmouth (7-24)

The Hawks scuffled at times on the offensive end, averaging an NEC-worst 59.2 points per game. Jhamar Youngblood and Whitney Coleman both averaged double figures, but when your top two scorers both hover around twelve points per game you’d better be getting it done by committee. Dave Calloway had no such luck this season. The good news is that Monmouth didn’t have one senior on the roster, and Coleman was one of just two juniors (Alex Nunner the other). So inexperience was a factor, and this should mean that next year the Hawks will move up in the NEC pecking order.

21. Stony Brook (7-23)

Steve Pikiell will have to replace his starting backcourt of Ricky Lucas and Mitchell Beauford heading into next season. And how well players such as Demetrius Young and Michael Tyree do in expanded roles will determine if the Seawolves can get out of that 8/9 game in the America East Tournament. But along with Emanuel Neto, Lucas and Beauford are the only players who won’t be returning so some progress is possible. But in order for Stony Brook to improve their standing, they’ve got to shoot the ball better. 39% from the field and 32.6% from behind the arc will make it tough on just about anyone to win games.

22. Princeton (5-22)

Year one under Sydney Johnson was a tough one and it may not have been a good year in which to make the trip out to the Maui Invitational. Senior forward Noah Savage was named Second Team All-Ivy League due to his play, but the Tigers struggled mightily on the offensive end of the floor. Lincoln Gunn will be the team’s leading returning scorer in 2008-09, but their style of play is one that will light up the scoreboard. So the assist-to-turnover ratio, which was tied for last in the conference, and rebounding margin (last in the Ivy) must improve next year.

23. NJIT (0-29)

The best way for the Highlanders to get over this season is to erase it from memory. Secondly, they’ll need to find a new head coach who understands the challenges that come with leading a provisional program. Forward Nesho Milosevic was a bright spot this season, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding in his first season on campus. So the question remains: how much better can this team be in 2008-09? Hate to say it, but unless the new coach is a miracle worker they should be right back at the bottom of this poll again next year. Just hope that the Highlanders win a couple in the process.

More:

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part One

All-Metro Team & Ranking 1-5

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Two

Ranking 6-11

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Three

Ranking 12-1

NYC Metro Ranking & Report: New Teams Added

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:35:05 -0500

After last week’s article I received an email from a Rutgers fan who wanted to know why his Scarlet Knights weren’t in the poll. Fair enough, but we’ll just ignore the fact that my inbox was empty with these requests when RU was 0-6 in Big East play. A home win over then-#18 Villanova will do that to people, and rightfully so. But to be fair, Rutgers is not the only team added. Say hello to Monmouth, Princeton and Rider, which rounds this list out at twenty-three teams. I hope that’s all, but if there’s someone else, email me at raphiellej@aol.com. Now, let’s move on to the week that was in the New York metropolitan area.

Team of the Week: Rutgers

Results: W 80-68 vs. #18 Villanova, W 77-64 @ #17 Pittsburgh

After looking as if they would go through the first month of conference play without a Big East win, the Scarlet Knights beat ranked teams in back-to-back games for the first time since the 2001-02 season when RU beat Connecticut and Syracuse. The more impressive effort has to be Saturday’s win in front of the “Oakland Zoo”, one in which five Scarlet Knights reached double figures, led by Corey Chandler’s eighteen. Against a program that is traditionally one of the Big East’s best on the defensive end of the floor, RU shot 53.7% from the field, helping to offset their nineteen turnovers. The Panthers, on the other hand, shot a mere 38.6% for the game in what turned out to be the worst margin of defeat at home in the Jamie Dixon era.

The Pitt win followed a home victory over a Villanova team that to be fair has been scuffling of late. Guards Mike Coburn and Anthony Farmer both scored twenty-three, clearly outperforming Nova’s talented backcourt unit in the process. The wins move Rutgers to 2-6 in league play, still leaving them on the outside looking in when it comes to the Big East Tournament. But you can’t ignore what two wins over ranked teams can do for the growth of Fred Hill’s young program.

Honorable Mention: Marist (wins over Niagara, Iona and Canisius to move into a tie for first in the MAAC with Rider); Rider (3-0 week to move to 8-2 in the MAAC); Seton Hall (2-0 week to move to 4-3 in the Big East).

Player of the Week: Brian Laing (Seton Hall)

Numbers for the Week: 23 points, 8 rebounds in win at Providence; 22 points, 13 rebounds in win over Cincinnati.

Yes, I picked a Pirate last week as well, going with Jeremy Hazell last week. But Laing, who has been one of the mainstays for Bobby Gonzalez all year, had an outstanding week. On a team that lacks consistent frontcourt help from its actual big men, Laing took on all comers this past week, playing all eighty minutes in the Pirates’ two wins. Thanks in large part to Laing, a team that when conference play began had the look of a team destined to miss the Big East Tournament is right in the middle of a logjam in the conference standings. And at 14-6 overall, who knows what another six or seven wins could get them at season’s end. But for now, it’s time to acknowledge the effort put forth by the senior from the Bronx, one of the Big East’s most versatile players.

Honorable Mention: Sean Baptiste (FDU): 23 and 10 @ Monmouth, 23 and 5 vs. Wagner; Jarell Brown (Army): 24 points vs. American, 35 and 7 @ Navy; Jamar Nutter (Seton Hall): 19 and 4 @ Providence, 20 and 4 vs. Cincinnati.

The “Where Did That Come from” Performance of the Week: Lamar Johnson (Rider) vs. Manhattan (23 points in 21 minutes)

With the addition of teams to the poll, I decided to add this category after checking out the stats in Rider’s last three victories. To say the least, the stat line for Johnson caught my eye. Sandwiched in between scoreless efforts against Iona and St. Peter’s was a scoring outburst against Manhattan on Thursday night. Johnson, a junior guard from Scranton, PA who ranks fifth on the Broncs in points per game (6.3 ppg), went 8-for-9 (7-for-8 on threes) from the field in the win over the Jaspers. You know what you’re going to get from the likes of Jason and Ryan Thompson, as well as long-range threat Harris Mansell. But if Tommy Dempsey can get this kind of help from his bench, they’ll be a tough out in Albany during the MAAC Tournament.

Other Observations from las

Jason Thompson has been named one of the “Midseason Top 30” candidates for the John R. Wooden Player of the Year award.

Thompson, who is arguably the best big man in the nation not talked about every waking moment on ESPN, is on the recently released list of the thirty midseason candidates for the prestigious award given out at the end of the season. The primary reason why the Broncs have won seven in a row and currently lead the MAAC with an 8-2 record (15-6 overall), Thompson currently averages 19.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, putting him on pace to duplicate (if not exceed) his 20-and-10 numbers from a year ago.

The natives are beginning to get restless at St. John’s.

Late in the Red Storm’s 81-57 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, there were chants of “Fire Norm” overheard in the near-empty Madison Square Garden. Fans seem to have heard enough about rebuilding and want some tangible results, which is fair. However, with eight newcomers on the roster, maybe giving Roberts an “honor” recently bestowed upon Isiah Thomas is a little harsh.

Justin Burrell has played well inside for St. John’s, but he hasn’t had much help and that’s one of their key issues right now. Rob Thomas hasn’t provided the lift many expected of him when he became eligible, and Tomas Jasiulionis doesn’t have the talent required to get it done on a nightly basis in the Big East. This season could end up being more about building for the future (most importantly 2008-09), which isn’t fair to vets such as Eugene Lawrence and Anthony Mason Jr., and the fans won’t care for it much either. But it may be the only way to go about finishing out the year at this point, as it is starting to become painfully clear that the Red Storm don’t have enough to make a run at a Big East Tournament berth.

This coming week is a big one for Hofstra if they want to turn their season around.

The Pride went 1-1 last week, losing by seventeen at home to VCU, then winning at Northeastern on Saturday 70-65. This coming week brings three games, all of which are winnable games for this team despite their struggles. First up is Longwood on Monday night, a young Division I program that has lost seven in a row. A trip to Towson follows, and the Tigers are a team that is currently only one game better than the Pride in CAA play at 4-5. The final contest of the week may be the toughest, but luckily for the Pride they get Delaware at home.

The question, as it has been all season long, is who will step up on the offensive end when opponents try to eliminate Antoine Agudio. Charles Jenkins scored eighteen against VCU, but there was little help elsewhere. And to be frank, the Rams are a far superior club at this point. Against Northeastern, Agudio was unstoppable, putting up thirty-two points in the Pride’s second road win of the year. If Tom Pecora can get something of consequence from Darren Townes or Nathaniel Lester, Hofstra can win all three. But it’ll be tough sledding if the burden rests solely upon the shoulders of Agudio and Jenkins.

Monmouth has the same issue as Hofstra on the offensive end of the floor and it could very well leave them watching the NEC Tournament in March.

In what has to be an amazing stat, the Hawks are 1-13 in games in which they’ve allowed at least sixty points. Not seventy, sixty. The Hawks currently rank dead last in the NEC in points per game, scoring a meager 56.9 points per contest. So, even though they lead the league in scoring defense (66.3 ppg allowed), it doesn’t mean a whole lot because other than Jhamar Youngblood (13.7 ppg) and Whitney Coleman (11.6 ppg) there isn’t a player who can consistently reach double figures.

In what could be a positive sign for the Hawks, R.J. Rutledge scored fifteen in their loss to FDU Friday night. With two of the best offensive teams in the NEC next up on the schedule (Robert Morris and Long Island rank second and third in scoring offense), they’d better hope they can achieve some offensive consistency.

Games to keep and eye on this week

- Loyola-MD @ NJIT (Tuesday 7 PM)

I’m surely not going to tell you that the Highlanders will get their first win of the season in this one. But you will get a chance to check out Loyola’s Gerald Brown, one of the best guards in the MAAC. Plus, no one else in the area is playing.

- Rider @ Marist (Wednesday 7:30 PM)

This has to be the game of the week in the area, as the combatants enter this game in Poughkeepsie tied atop the MAAC standings. While both were expected to compete in the top half of the league, most expected the top spot to belong to Siena, Niagara or Loyola (MD). Two good individual matchups in this one as well: Jason Thompson vs. Ryan Stilphen, and Ryan Thompson vs. Louie McCroskey. And pay close attention to Jay Gavin of Marist coming off the bench, a shooter who has shown an ability to put up points in quick bursts.

- Seton Hall @ Rutgers (Wednesday 9 PM, ESPN Full Court)

A rivalry game that will have an impact on more than just the Big East standings, as the recruiting advantage in the Garden State may also be up for grabs. Fred Hill already as commitments from St. Anthony guard Mike Rosario, and Bobby Gonzalez has a verbal from Paterson Catholic’s Jordan Theodore. But after last week’s results, both teams have designs on making a move up the conference standings this season, and this game will have a serious say in regards to that. The key players: Hamadi N’Diaye (Rutgers) and John Garcia (Seton Hall). Whichever starting big man gives his team more of a lift will be the winner.

- Temple @ Fordham (Thursday 8 PM)

Both teams head into this one lodged in the middle of the Atlantic 10 standings. And strangely, Fordham is one loss away form becoming part of a dogfight to simply get to Atlantic City for the conference tournament, something that would have been unthinkable back when the season began. The Rams will need to slow down Temple’s high-scoring tandem of Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale if they are to move to .500 in conference play.

- Columbia @ Yale (Friday 7 PM)

Two of the more experienced teams in the Ivy League come into this one with hopes of competing for the conference title. With traditional powers Penn and Princeton struggling this season, there is a chance. But Columbia has already lost twice to preseason favorite Cornell, and Yale split in their first two conference games (both against Brown). Two of the league’s better players (Columbia’s John Baumann and Yale’s Eric Flato) will also be on display in this one. Oh yeah, the head coaches also happen to be siblings.

- Seton Hall @ #9 Georgetown (Saturday Noon, ESPN Full Court)

The Pirates follow up the rivalry tilt with a visit to the Big East’s best team in Georgetown. Roy Hibbert will pose quite a challenge inside, and guards Jonathan Wallace and Jesse Sapp have enough experience to handle any pressure the Pirates send their way. Should be a good indicator of just how good Seton Hall can be this season.

Updated Rankings (last week’s ranking in parentheses)

Seton Hall (1)
Marist (2)
Rider (-)
Wagner (4)
Sacred Heart (5)
Yale (3)
Rutgers (-)
Army (6)
Fordham (8)
St. John’s (7)
Long Island (9)
Columbia (10)
Iona (11)
Fairleigh Dickinson (13)
Fairfield (12)
Hofstra (15)
Monmouth (-)
St. Francis-NY (16)
Manhattan (14)
Stony Brook (17)
Princeton (-)
St. Peter’s (18)
NJIT (19)

Unthinkable: Princeton 1-5 in the Ivy League

CHN — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:32:25 -0500

Lincoln Gunn had a career-high 22 points, five assists and four rebounds to lead Princeton to a 74-68 win over Harvard in double overtime on Friday night. Noah Savage added 16 points for the Tigers (10-9, 1-4 in Ivy League) and went 4-for-4 from the foul line in the final 20 seconds of the second overtime to seal the win. Luke Owings added 10 points and seven rebounds for Princeton. Drew Housman had a career-high 33 points, four assists and four rebounds for the Crimson (10-11, 3-4), while Andrew Pusar(Seton Hall Prep) had 12 points and Evan Harris added 10.

Saturday night, Alex Barnett scored 23 points as Dartmouth held off Princeton 45-44. Dartmouth (8-12, 3-4 in Ivy League) snapped a 19-game losing streak in Princeton with the win, while the Tigers (10-10, 1-5) lost for the sixth time in seven games. Noah Savage led Princeton with 12 points and three assists.

Friday evening, it looked to this coach that Princeton coach Joe Scott was going to change his kill the clock philosophy and give his players some freedom and take the open look if they have it. Freshman Lincoln Gunn had a season-high 22 points, including a big shot that put Princeton ahead late in the first overtime. Noah Savage, making his first start of the season had a season-high 16 points for Princeton in his first start of the season, making five of nine shots from the field and all four of his free throws. They scored an almost unheard of 74 points!!

It started to look like coach Joe Scott finally "saw the light" and decided to give his guys the freedom they need to succeed in running the "Princeton Offense"! That wasn't the case on Saturday night. Back to the same "Prevent Offense" because it prevents them from scoring, Lincoln Gunn had 2 points, both free throws!

"They didn't make a three-pointer and our defense held them to 32% in the second half, but the Achilles heels that have been hurting us in our losses all year came back to haunt us again," said Joe Scott, "Rebounding, getting loose balls and making layups are some of those things, and doing those things better would have made a big difference tonight."

Hey Joe, change your offense to the type of talent on hand, smile once in a while to let the players know your on their side, not against them, and stop putting the blame on the players after a loss! Every post game interview is "we" didn't do this or "we" didn't do that....just admit, "I" didn't do this and "I" should have done that!!! You owe it to the program and the kids that go out and bust their tail for you every night!!

Ivy League Conference Standings

Pennsylvania 5-1 14-8
Cornell 6-2 13-9
Yale 6-2 10-11
Columbia 4-4 13-9
Harvard 3-5 10-12
Dartmouth 3-5 8-13
Brown 2-6 7-16
Princeton 1-5 10-10

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Steve Mergelsberg has spent twenty-five years coaching professionally in the Atlantic Basketball Association, United States Basketball League (USBL), on the college level and on the high school level in New Jersey and Nevada. He is a constant contributor to coaching journals, including articles on the triangle offense, coaching philosophies, and amoeba defenses.

Lights Out: Princeton Off to 0-2 Start

CHN — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 13:28:23 -0500

"I see the light bulb going on for our players," Princeton coach Joe Scott told the local newspaper, The Princeton Packet. "Obviously, when you get into our league it is much more difficult. And when you go on the road in our league it is difficult. ...For 13 straight games I'm pretty happy with the consistency of our effort."

And happy he should have been! His Princeton Tigers were comming into the conference season with a 9-4 record and leading the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 49.2 ppg. In a 51-28 victory over Rice, they held Morris Almond, the nation's top scorer, to nine points. Almond entered that game leading NCAA Division I with a 31.4 average and was coming off a 44-point effort against Vanderbilt. Princeton held Almond to 3-for-8 shooting and 1-for-5 from 3-point range. Almond averaged 18.4 field goal attempts and 10.6 free throw attempts, but had just two foul shots.

Coach Scott was right when he said going on the road in the Ivy league is difficult. He found that out when the Tigers traveled to Columbia for their Ivy League opener Friday night. A much improved Columbia team beat the Tigers 64-56. Mike Strittmatter and Lincoln Gunn led the Tigers with 13 points each. Columbia won consecutive games against Princeton for the first time since sweeping the Tigers in the 1992-93 season.

Saturday night, Princeton traveled to Cornell and dropped a 55-35 Ivy League game to the Big Red. Cornell's Ryan Wittman scored a game high 17 points and Zach Finley led the Tigers with 12 points. Princeton fell to 0-2 in Ivy League play for the first time since the 1983-84 season. Princeton (9-6, 0-2 Ivy) led 14-9 midway through the first half before Cornell (8-8, 1-1 Ivy) scored the next 18 points, holding Princeton without a field goal for eight minutes. Princeton made just three of its 24 three-point attempts and was out rebounded 32-16. Princeton's 35 points were its fewest in an Ivy League game since falling at Cornell 63-30 on the final game of the 1984-85 season. The loss was Princeton's biggest in Ivy League play since a 24-point defeat against Penn at Jadwin Gym in 2002.

It is admirable that coach Scott has the ability to motivate and teach his players to play great team defense. However, the object of the game is to put more points on the board than your opponent! Coach Scott insists on running the time consuming "Princeton Offense" a series of passing, back door cuts and constant motion. Then after wasting 25-30 seconds, players are then expected to get a good shot with little time remaining. I call this offense the "Prevent Offense" because it prevents Princeton from scoring. This is why they are scoring a dismal 53.9 ppg!

It makes no sense to kill that much time off the clock against Ivy opponents to get a good look at the hoop. Sure it worked prior to conference play because teams like Rice do not have the opportunity to scout and see Princeton as much as the Ivy teams. I hope coach Scott realizes that teams do scout their opponents! Instead of playing "stall ball" Scott should take advantage of his speedy dynamic-duo freshman guards, Lincoln Gunn and Marcus Schroeder along with his other good shooters and give them the freedom to push the ball up the court and when they have an open shot, let them take it regardless of the time on the clock.

I believe with an up-tempo style of the "Princeton Offense" that is not so "scoutable" by Ivy opponents, someone may just turn that light bulb on once again!!

- Steve Mergelsberg has spent twenty-five years coaching professionally in the Atlantic Basketball Association, United States Basketball League (USBL), on the college level and on the high school level in New Jersey and Nevada. He is a constant contributor to coaching journals, including articles on the triangle offense, coaching philosophies, and amoeba defenses.