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Princeton University Athletics
Men's Hoops Opens 2002-03 Campaign Against Western Michigan
November 22, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2002
The two-time defending Ivy League champion Princeton men's basketball team opens its 2002-03 season today against Western Michigan in the first game of the Sooner Classic. The winner will face either California-Irvine or No. 7 Oklahoma Saturday afternoon.
Princeton-Western Michigan Game Notes in PDF Format
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Game Notes
Princeton vs. Western Michigan: Game Notes
Opening Night - Princeton opens its 103rd season of men's basketball Friday night against a new opponent, Western Michigan, in the opening game of the Sooner Invitational. California-Irvine will play No. 7 Oklahoma in the second game on Friday.
Battling The Big Boys - If Princeton plays Oklahoma, that might be a good thing for the Sooners. Princeton has played the eventual national champion in each of the last two years, losing 87-50 at Duke two years ago and falling 61-53 to Maryland last season. The Tigers led Maryland by 13 points at halftime.
Nice To Meet You - Princeton has never played Western Michigan, Oklahoma or California-Irvine.
Seventh Heaven - Princeton set a program record by reaching its seventh consecutive postseason (four NCAA tournaments, three NITs). It is one of 19 teams to reach at least seven consecutive postseasons.
Poll Position - Princeton was picked to finish third in the annual preseason media poll. Penn picked up 11 first-place votes and 123 total points, while Yale picked up the remaining five first-place votes and 116 points. Princeton received 90 points, five more than Brown. Each of the top three teams in this year's poll shared the Ivy League championship last season. It was the first time in league history when there was a three-way tie for the championship. Out Of The Gates - Princeton has lost four straight season openers, including contests to Duke, Syracuse and California. Each loss has come on the opposing team's home floor, either in a regular game or in the semifinal contest of a four-team tournament. The last time Princeton opened its season with a neutral-site contest, it defeated Texas 62-56.
I Know What You Did Last Summer - Princeton played seven games in Spain during the summer of 2002, going 6-1. The team spent 12 days in Spain and toured five cities during the stretch, including Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia.
Oh Captain, My Captain - Senior guard Kyle Wente will serve as the lone captain of this year's squad. Wente has earned All-Ivy honors each of the last two seasons.
Welcome Back, Pt. I - Junior Spencer Gloger will play his first game for Princeton in two years Friday against Western Michigan. Following his freshman season (1999-00), Gloger transferred to UCLA. He then transferred back to Princeton, where he had to sit out last season.
First Impression - Spencer Gloger averaged 12.1 points per game in his only season at Princeton and set freshman single-game records with 34 points and 10 three-pointers in a victory over Alabama-Birmingham. His 10 three-pointers against Alabama-Birmingham is also an Ivy League record. Gloger shot 42% from beyond the arc for the season (64 for 152).
Welcome Back, Pt. II - Junior Andre Logan is also returning to the basketball court for Princeton after missing nearly all of the Ivy League season last year with a torn ACL, which he suffered 17 minutes into the league opener. Logan, who had started each game of the season prior to his injury, averaged 9.3 points per game, and recorded a 15-point, eight-rebound night against eventual NCAA champion Marlyand.
Spreading The Wealth - Logan led all of Princeton's returning players in scoring last year with his 9.3 average, but five other returning players averaged at least 5.5 points per game.
Playing The Percentages - Senior forward Ray Robins has improved his shooting percentage in each of his three seasons at Princeton, going from .214 as a freshman to .470 as a sophomore and .475 last season.
Special K - Junior Konrad Wysocki, the 2001 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, scored in double figures in both games of Princeton's season-opening tournament in California last year. Wysocki was the fifth Princeton player to earn Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors.
Will The Thrill - Sophomore Will Venable, the son of former major league baseball player Max Venable, averaged 10.6 points per game in three contests against eventual NCAA tournament teams (both games against Penn, home against Kansas). Venable shot 53% from beyond the arc (eight of 15) following an early-season slump, when he made only two of his first 16 (13%).
D Plus - Princeton has led the nation in scoring defense in 14 of the last 16 seasons. One of the two seasons when Princeton wasn't first was last season, when the Tigers finished second by a total of 10 points to Columbia.
Three For All - Princeton has made at least one three-pointer in every game since the rule was enacted in the 1986-87 season (441 games).
Inside And Outside - Princeton attempted 654 two-point field goals and 631 three-pointers last year.
On The One Hand ... - Princeton has the longest current streak in Division I of consecutive games without allowing at least 100 points (914 games, dating to 1968 vs. North Carolina).
... On The Other Hand - Princeton has not scored at least 100 points in a game in 850 games, dating to a 108-64 win over Yale in 1971.
Spanish Armada - Princeton did score more than 100 points in one of its victories in Spain last summer. Spencer Gloger scored 23 to lead the Tigers to a 113-102 victory over Rayet Guadalajara
New Faces - Princeton welcomes two players in the Class of 2006. Scott Greenman is a 5-10 guard from New Jersey powerhouse St. Augustine Prep, where he was named South Jersey Player of the Year after averaging 17 points per game. He owns the school record for three-pointers and assists at the school. Michael Kawalek is a 6-5 guard from Flower Mound, Texas, where he averaged 12.5 points, 7.1 assists and 4.0 steals in leading Flower Mound to a conference title as a senior. He recorded 17 assists in one game.
Familiar Faces - Third-year head coach John Thompson returns to the sidelines with the same coaching staff of the last two seasons (assistant coaches Rob Burke, Mike Brennan and Howard Levy).
Elite Company - John Thompson has won Ivy League championships in both of his first two seasons. He has won 22 Ivy League games over that stretch, one fewer than Butch van Breda Kolff won in his first two seasons, and four fewer than Pete Carril in that same time period.
Even More Elite Company - John Thompson's father (longtime Georgetown coach John Thompson) and his college coach (Pete Carril) are both in the Hall of Fame.
The Crystal Ball - Princeton will play its home opener next Saturday, Nov. 30, when it plays host to Florida International at 7:30 p.m. The Tigers fell 49-44 in a road game to the Golden Panthers last year.
Home Sweet Home - Princeton went 11-2 at home last season, and has a record of 20-3 at Jadwin Gym under third-year head coach John Thompson.