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Princeton University Athletics
Who Needs A Conference Tournament?
February 26, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2001
Princeton vs. Yale
The site John J. Lee Amphitheatre * New Haven, Conn.
The date Friday, March 2, 2001 *?7:00 p.m.
Radio/TV WHWH AM 1350, www.goprincetontigers.com/no TV
The records Princeton: 13-10 (8-3 Ivy League), Yale: 10-14 (7-4 Ivy League)
The coaches Princeton: John Thompson (first season, 13-10), Yale: James Jones (second season, 17-34)
The series Princeton leads 127-76
Last meeting Princeton defeated Yale 62-49 * Feb. 3, 2001
Who needs a conference tournament? - Princeton and Penn are tied for first place in the Ivy League at 8-3, one game ahead of Yale and Brown (7-4). Each of the four teams plays each other one time in the final six days of the season. The other four league teams have all been mathematically eliminated.
Imagine the possibilities - Should Princeton and Penn sweep this weekend, then the teams would play for the league championship Tuesday night at Jadwin Gym. Should Yale and Brown sweep this weekend, then those two would play for the league championship Wednesday night at Brown. More possibilities - It is possible for there to be an outright champion, a two-way tie for the championship or a four-way tie for the championship. It is mathematically impossible for there to be a three-way tie for the championship.
Still more possibilities - Should Princeton and Penn both win Friday night, then Yale and Brown would be eliminated.
Even more possibilities - Should Princeton or Penn sweep this weekend and the other get swept, then the team that sweeps would be the champion. It is the only way the championship can be decided this weekend.
While we're on the subject - It is possible for Yale and Brown to meet next Wednesday where if one team won it would win the championship and if the other team won it would force a four-way tie.
Probability and statistics - Assuming each of the remaining six games is a 50-50 proposition, then the percentages of each possible outcome are:Princeton wins outright 25%, Penn wins outright 25%, Yale wins outright 6.25%, Brown wins outright 6.25%, four-way tie 3.125%, two-way tie 34.375%
No place like home - Princeton is 6-0 at home and 1-3 on the road in Ivy League games.
More home - Princeton, Brown, Penn and Yale are a combined 20-2 at home and 10-12 on the road in league games.
Still more home - Princeton has swept its home weekend against Yale and Brown each of the last eight years. Princeton has swept at Yale and Brown three times in the last eight years and split in five of the last eight years.
Last home - Princeton defeated Yale in double figures at home and lost at Yale by two points each of the last two seasons. Princeton defeated Yale by 13 (62-49) at Jadwin Gym this season.
Ol' reliable Nathan - Nate Walton currently leads Princeton in scoring, rebounding and assists. The only Princeton players ever to do so in a full season are Kit Mueller (1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91) and Bob Roma (1978-79).
In case it comes up - In the event of a two-way tie for the title, the teams would be declared co-champions and would play a one-game playoff to determine the league's representative to the NCAA tournament. In the event of a four-way tie for the league title, the teams would be seeded first through fourth. The seeding process would be first, collective head-to-head record versus the other three, second, record versus the next place in the standings (any tie would mean collective record against the tied teams), third, coin flip or drawing of names. First would play fourth, second would play third and the winners would meet.
The first time around - Princeton went 3-0 against Yale, Brown and Penn in the first meetings this season. The other records: Penn 2-1, Yale 1-2, Brown 0-3.
Swish - Princeton leads the Ivy League in team field goal percentage and team free throw percentage.
Foul ball - Princeton has attempted fewer free throws than any other team in Division I (309). Missouri-Kansas City, who has attempted the second-fewest, has taken 71 more free throws than Princeton.
More foul - Ahmed El-Nokali leads the Ivy League in free throw shooting percentage (85.4%, 41 for 48).
Still more foul - Ahmed El-Nokali has made 33 of his last 34 free throw attempts.
History lesson - No Ivy League team has fewer than three losses. No team since Princeton in 1990 has won the league with at least three losses, though the league champion had at least three losses every year from 1984-1990.
More history - No team has ever won the Ivy League title with more than four losses.
Highly offensive - Ahmed El-Nokali has averaged 13.8 points per game for the last five games and had one game of 17 and one of 23. Prior to that, his career scoring average was 5.2 points per game and his career high was 15.
Double play - Nate Walton is the only Princeton player averaging in double figures (10.0, 210 points in 21 games). The last time Princeton played an entire season without a player averaging in double figures was 1945-46.
D plus - Princeton ranks third in Division I in scoring defense (57.5 points per game), two points behind first-place Wisconsin. Princeton has led the nation in scoring defense 12 straight years.
Special K - Princeton is 7-0 in Ivy League games when Konrad Wysocki plays at least 20 minutes and 1-3 in Ivy League games when he plays 19 minutes or fewer.
Welcome back - After being slowed by a foot injury for almost the entire Ivy League season, Mike Bechtold scored 13 points in 14 minutes against Dartmouth. Bechtold had scored 14 points for the entire Ivy League season prior to that.
More welcome back - Mike Bechtold was 2 for 4 on three-pointers against Dartmouth. He had made four of his previous 25 since injuring his foot, prior to that, he had been 25 for 57 on the season.
You need a TO - Princeton is 7-0 in Ivy games played with the 16-12-8-4 media timeout format and 1-3 in Ivy games played with the 14-7 media timeout format. Princeton's remaining home game will be played with the 16-12-8-4 format, its two remaining road games will be played with the 14-7 format.
The last whammy - Princeton has won 48 straight home games against Ivy League teams other than Penn.
Inside, outside - Princeton has attempted 492 two-pointers and 526 three-pointers.
Minute man - C.J. Chapman leads Princeton in minutes played (650).
More minutes - Ahmed El-Nokali has played 499 of Princeton's last 520 minutes (96%).
Hey, stranger - Ahmed El-Nokali and Mike Bechtold have both played more than 20 minutes in the same game twice this season (vs. Texas Christian and the College of New Jersey).
Can you spare a dime? - Nate Walton has 250 career assists, eighth-best all-time at Princeton. Walton needs 10 to tie Armond Hill for seventh and 13 to tie Brian Earl for sixth.
More dimes - Nate Walton has 93 assists this season. He needs seven to become the fourth Princeton player ever with two seasons of at least 100 assists, along with current Tiger head coach John Thompson, current Columbia coach Armond Hill and Kit Mueller.
Last dimes - Nate Walton has played fewer career minutes than any other player among Princeton's top 10 all-time leaders in assists.
Long range thinking - C.J. Chapman has 130 career three-pointers, seventh-best all-time at Princeton. He needs nine to tie Chris Mooney for sixth.
More long range - C.J. Chapman has played fewer career minutes than any other player among Princeton's top 10 three-pointers made leaders.
Lineup card - No Princeton player has started every game this season.
More lineup - Princeton has had 10 different players start at least one game this season.
Logan's run - Andre Logan started one non-league game, he has started all 11 Ivy League games.
Senior citizen - Nate Walton is the only player in Princeton history to appear in five different seasons.
More senior - Nate Walton has played with 35 different teammates at Princeton.
In case you forgot - Since the end of last season, Princeton lost head coach Bill Carmody (to Northwestern), assistant coach Joe Scott (head coach at Air Force), All-America center Chris Young (signed professional baseball contract), starting guard Spencer Gloger (transferred to UCLA), starting forward Ray Robins (taking year off), center/forward Chris Krug (leave of absence from team) and starting forward Eugene Baah (left team).
Century city -- Princeton has the longest current streak in Division I of consecutive games without allowing 100 points (882 games, dating to 1968 vs. North Carolina).