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LOCATION: Princeton, NJ
CONFERENCE: Ivy League
LAST SEASON: 22-8 (.733)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 11-3 (2nd)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Tigers
COLORS: Orange & Black
HOMECOURT: Jadwin Gym (6,854)
COACH: Bill Carmody (Union '75)
record at school 73-14 (3 years)
career record 73-14 (3 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Joe Scott (Princeton '87)
John Thompson III (Princeton '88)
Howard Levy (Princeton '85)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 16-22-24-27-22
RPI (last 5 years) 153-55-40-22-84
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in third round of NIT.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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For about three days last season, Princeton was in the driver's seat. The Tigers had just beaten Penn in one of the most bizarre games since Dr. Naismith hung his peach baskets. Penn was up by two dozen at halftime and led by almost 30 with just under 15 minutes to go. But Princeton outhustled, outplayed and outscored the Quakers in those final minutes to win and take first place in the Ivy. Tiger fans' euphoria lasted exactly three days. In one of those textbook examples of the adage "That's why they play the game . . ." the Tigers traveled to league doormat Yale and lost in double overtime. The advantage went back to Penn which wouldn't let it go. Princeton lost to Harvard and Penn again before the season was out, giving Bill Carmody three more league losses than he had in his first two years. But that may have been a blessing for the Tigers, as they went to the NIT instead of losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the NIT, Princeton beat Georgetown and North Carolina State before falling to Xavier in a thriller. Princeton lost some major talent from that team. Brian Earl and Gabe Lewullis were four-year starters and two of the great players in this storied program's history. Both were first-team all-Ivy selections and will be hard to replce. What Carmody has is the best sophomore in the league. Six-foot-11 center Chris Young (12.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 55 blocked shots, .540 FG) was the Ivy Rookie of the Year and a second-team all-league selection.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B+ BENCH/DEPTH B
FRONTCOURT B+ INTANGIBLES B
Princeton lost a lot, that's for sure. But being Princeton, the Tigers will be good. Very good. Chris Young, Spencer Gloger and Mason Rocca are among the best players in the league and will help the Tigers stay in the hunt with Penn. And with Bill Carmody coaching, the Tigers should challenge the Quakers yet again. What will be of some concern to the other seven programs in the Ivy is the relative youth of this team. Young and Gloger will probably play three seasons together. Princeton has the talent to really do damage in the early part of the next millenium. It will not be enough for the Tigers to catch Penn this season, but the next two years could be magical. |
Young all but retired the Ivy Rookie of the Week Award, winning it seven times, including the last six weeks. Young is versatile: He passed for 86 assists and made 22 three-pointers (22-for-56). Carmody obviously thinks much of Young, having made him a co-captain He's only the second Princeton sophomore to be so honored. Further proving his athleticism, Young was also an outstanding baseball player, becoming the first male athlete in league history to earn rookie-of-the-year honors in two sports. Also returning are frontcourt players Mason Rocca (7.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg), a 6-9 senior who's a very good rebounder, and 6-9 sophomore Chris Krug (2.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg), who started most of the season at forward. Rocca has been chosen the other team captain. Two other returning players also started games a year ago. Six-foot-one junior C.J. Chapman (4.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg) was the starting two-guard for most of the season and gave Princeton some outside shooting. And 6-4 sophomore Ahmed El-Nokali (4.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg) started the rest. But he's mostly a passer who rarely shoots and is almost a non-factor on offense. The biggest impact may come from 6-6 freshman guard Spencer Gloger (Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita HS). Gloger's mind has been criss-crossing the country, as changed his mind twice while deciding between Princeton and UCLA. Originally, he committed to Princeton but then signed a non-binding letter of intent with UCLA. At the end of August, he changed his mind again and decided to enroll at Princeton. Gloger is a big, athletic guard who can do it all. He averaged 23.5 points in high school and may be the second Tiger to win Ivy all-rookie honors in as many years. Also at guard is 6-5 sophomore Eugene Baah (2.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg), a good defender who may challenge for a starting role. Six-foot-seven sophomore Ray Robins (1.2 ppg, 0.7 rpg) is a decent outside shooter who is extremely athletic. Princeton's preseason prospectus lists him as the program's "best dunker." Six-foot-five junior Anthony Taylor (0.8 ppg, 0.4 rpg) is a solid bench player and 6-4 freshman Kyle Wente (Effingham, Ill./St. Anthony HS) will add some depth to the backcourt. The forwards corps includes 6-6 sophomore Mike Bechtold (1.9 ppg, 0.3 rpg), a player who struggled with a leg injury for most of the year; 6-7 junior Terence Rozier-Byrd, who returns after a year at the junior varsity level; and 6-8 freshman Cameron Carr (West Linn, Ore./West Linn HS). Also in the frontcourt is 6-7 junior forward/center Nate Walton (San Diego, Calif./University HS).
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