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Princeton University Athletics
Seeing Red
January 26, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 26, 2000
The site Newman Arena * Ithaca, N.Y.
The date Friday, Jan. 28, 2000 *?7:30 p.m.
Radio/TV Princeton radio network (WHWH AM 1350, WJHR AM 1040, WHTG AM 1410, www.goprincetontigers.com), WPRB (103.3 FM)/DirecTV
The records Princeton: 8-7 (0-0 Ivy League Cornell: 6-8 (0-2 Ivy League)
The coaches Princeton: Bill Carmody (fourth season, 81-21) Cornell: Scott Thompson (13th season, 146-200)
The series Princeton leads 121-67
Last year Princeton defeated Cornell 56-46 *?Jan. 30, 1999 Princeton defeated Cornell 65-45 * Feb. 26, 1999
The storyline Princeton opens its Ivy League schedule in search of an eighth championship in 12 years
Probable Starters
CORNELL
25 Ray Mercedes 15.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg Jr., 6-5, 230, The Bronx, N.Y.
44 Jake Rohe 2.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg Fr., 6-6, 215, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
50 Derek Kruse 4.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg Sr., 6-8, 230, Fremont, Neb. 11 Wallace Prather 13.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg So., 5-9, 185, Decatur, Ga.
55 David Muller 5.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg Fr., 6-6, 195, Bath, N.Y.
PRINCETON
22 C.J. Chapman 6.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg Jr., 6-1, 170, Aurora, Colo.
31 Ray Robins 4.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg So., 6-7, 195, Paso Robeles, Calif.
55 Chris Young 13.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg So., 6-11, 255, Dallas, Texas
15 Ahmed El-Nokali 5.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg So., 6-4, 180, Pittsburgh, Pa.
4 Spencer Gloger 12.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg Fr., 6-6, 195, Santa Margarita, Calif.
Tonight's Note of the Night
It's about time -- Princeton and Penn are the only two Division I teams who have yet to play a league game.
Five more notes no media person should be without
A league of their own -- Despite not having played a league game, Princeton is 1.5 games behind first-place Yale in the Ivy standings. It is the first time since 1995 and the third time since 1988 that Princeton has been this far behind an Ivy team other than Penn.
Sugar, sugar -- Ray Robins' 27 points against Catholic Monday night (in 20 minutes) were the most by a Princeton player in his first start since Bill Bradley scored 28 against Lafayette on Dec. 1, 1962.
More Sugar -- Ray Robins had 27 points, five rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes against Catholic Monday night. He had 16 points, seven rebounds and no assists in 61 minutes for his career prior to that.
Walking wounded -- Mason Rocca (ankle surgery Dec. 29) and Nate Walton (broken hand Jan. 19) are both out for this weekend and probably next weekend (at Brown/Yale) as well. In addition, Kyle Wente (ankle surgery early January) is out as well. Eugene Baah (thigh contusion) played against Catholic, and assistant coaches Joe Scott (torn calf muscle) and John Thompson (broken finger) coached against Catholic.
Career oriented -- Five Princeton players had their career highs in points against Catholic. In addition, six had their career highs in rebounds and five had their career highs in assists.
Others receiving votes
Strength of schedule -- Princeton's first 15 opponents are a combined 173-86. Princeton's remaining opponents are a combined 41-62.
Stat sheet -- All 10 healthy Princeton players had at least one point and at least one rebound against Catholic, and nine of 10 players had at least one assist.
The whammies-- Princeton has beaten Cornell 12 straight times and seven straight times by at least 10 points.
Windex -- Cornell has three more defensive rebounds than Princeton and 96 more offensive rebounds than Princeton.
More Windex -- Mason Rocca leads Princeton in offensive rebounds despite being seventh in minutes played.
Still more Windex -- Cornell has 540 rebounds, Princeton's opponents have 540 rebounds.
D plus -- Princeton is seventh in Division I in scoring defense (57.0 points per game). The Tigers have led the nation in scoring defense 11 straight years.
Oh say can you C.J. -- C.J. Chapman has 25 three-pointers in 336 minutes this season, Chapman had 25 three-pointers in 610 minutes all of last season.
More C.J. -- C.J. Chapman is 25 for 61 on three-point shots this year, Chapman was 25 for 85 on three-point shots a year ago.
Young guns -- Princeton's five starters in the Catholic game have combined for 106 games started in their careers. Princeton has had three players the last three years graduate with more career starts (Brian Earl, Steve Goodrich, Sydney Johnson, the last three Ivy League Players of the Year).
More young -- Of the 10 healthy Princeton players, eight are sophomores or freshmen.
Sold on Bechtold -- Mike Bechtold is 24th in Division I in three-point percentage (.500, 14 for 28).
More Bechtold -- Mike Bechtold is shooting 50% from three-point range. Only four Princeton players have shot at least 50% from three-point range for an entire season, and none has done so since Matt Henshon in 1991.
Block party -- Chris Young has 100 blocked shots in 45 career games.
More blocks -- Chris Young is the second player in school history to reach 100 career blocked shots. Only Rick Hielscher (159) has more.
Still more blocks -- Princeton has blocked 78 shots, Princeton has had 28 shots blocked.
Last blocks -- Chris Young set a school record with nine blocked shots against Ohio.
Spencer for hire -- Spencer Gloger's 10 three-pointers against UAB tied the all-time Ivy League record (with Matt Maloney) and are tied for the most in a Division I game this season (Jason Harris, Fordham vs. Quinnipiac Dec. 21, Marc Polite, Eastern Ill. vs. Arkansas St. Dec. 23).
More Spencer -- Spencer Gloger has 44 three-pointers, the Princeton freshman record is 55, set by Brian Earl.
Minute men -- Princeton has had a player play the entire game 16 times.
Long range thinking -- Princeton tied the school record with 17 three-pointers against UAB.
More long range -- Princeton has made at least 10 three-pointers in a game five times this season and at least eight three-pointers in a game 10 times.
Last long range -- Princeton is averaging 11 three-pointers per game in its last six games and has made at least eight three-pointers in each of the six.
Doing dishes -- Princeton's forwards and centers have 180 assists, Princeton's guards have 80 assists.
Foul ball -- Princeton has attempted 188 foul shots. Princeton's opponents have made 205 foul shots.
Half grand -- Chris Young has 585 career points. Bill Bradley, Brian Taylor and Kit Mueller are the only three Princeton players ever to reach 1,000 points as juniors.
Batter up -- Chris Young has a higher assists per game average (3.1), blocks per game average (3.0) and rebounds per game average (5.8) than he had earned run average (2.37) last spring.
Young gun -- At his current pace, Chris Young would finish his career first all-time at Princeton in blocked shots, second in points and steals, fourth in assists and sixth in rebounding.
Centers of attention -- Princeton has used five starting centers since the start of the 1987-88 season (Kit Mueller, Rick Hielscher, Jesse Rosenfeld, Steve Goodrich, Chris Young).
Score-boarding -- With his 27 points against Catholic, Ray Robins became the first player to lead Princeton in scoring this season other than Spencer Gloger, Chris Young or Mason Rocca.
Another Sugar -- Ray Robins missed his first two shots and made his final 10 against Catholic.
Ah, Ahmed -- Since beginning the season 9 for 39 from three-point range, Ahmed El-Nokali is 6 for 16.
More Ahmed -- Ahmed El-Nokali has 22 of his 33 assists in the last six games.
Coach speak -- Bill Carmody has a career Ivy League record of 39-3.
More speak -- Bill Carmody has three technical fouls in his last five games after having one in his first 97.