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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton To Play At Louisville In NIT Opening Round
March 10, 2002 | Men's Basketball
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PRINCETON vs. LOUISVILLE
The site Freedom Hall * Louisville, Ky.
The date Tuesday, March 12, 2002 * 9:05 p.m. EST
Radio/TV WHWH AM 1350, www.GoPrincetonTigers.com/ESPN
The records Princeton: 16-11 (11-3 Ivy League), Louisville: 18-12 (8-8 Conference USA)
The coaches Princeton: John Thompson (second season, 32-22), Louisville: Rick Pitino (16th season, 370-136)
The series Louisville leads 2-0
Last meeting Louisville defeated Princeton 64-53 at the Rainbow Classic *?Dec. 28, 1979
It's madness - Princeton is making its program-record seventh-straight postseason appearance (four NCAA tournaments, three NITs).
More madness - Princeton is one of 19 teams to play in the postseason each of the last seven seasons.
Last madness - John Thompson has been to the postseason each of his seven years as a coach at Princeton (five as assistant coach, two as head coach).
NIT-picking - Princeton is making its fifth NIT appearance. The Tigers are 7-3 all-time in the NIT.
More NIT-picking - Princeton won the 1975 NIT, defeating Holy Cross, South Carolina, Oregon and Providence to win the title.
Still more NIT-picking - Princeton advanced to the 1999 NIT quarterfinals, defeating Georgetown and North Carolina State before losing to Xavier.
Last NIT-picking - Princeton lost in the opening round of the 2000 NIT at Penn State. A league of their own - Princeton has won nine Ivy League championships in the last 14 years.
More league - Princeton, Penn and Yale tied for the Ivy League championship this season, giving the league its first-ever three-way tie for the title.
Still more league - The Ivy League is the only league in Division I that does not have a postseason conference tournament. Penn won the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by virtue of a playoff between the three tri-champions that saw Yale defeat Princeton and Penn defeat Yale (Penn earned the No. 1 seed by virtue of better head-to-head-to-head record).
Don't mess with the Ivy League - The Ivy League is the 13th-highest rated Division I conference by RPI.
Just make shots - Princeton is 13-0 when it shoots at least 46% from the field and 3-11 when it shoots less than 46% from the field.
Strength of schedule - Princeton has lost 11 games this season. Of those 11, nine have come against teams in the postseason: Kansas, Maryland, California, Penn twice in the NCAA tournament, Yale twice, Rutgers and St. Joe's in the NIT.
More schedule - Princeton played two of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. Princeton led Maryland by 13 at halftime and trailed Kansas by six at halftime.
Dissed - Princeton did not have an Ivy League Player of the Week or Rookie of the Week this season.
More dissed - For the first time since 1987, Princeton did not have a first-team All-Ivy League selection this year.
Spread it around - No Princeton player is averaging more than 9.7 points per game, but eight players average at least 5.3 points per game.
More spread - Princeton has had nine different players lead the team in scoring in at least one game.
Inside, outside - Princeton has attempted 606 three-pointers and 634 two-pointers.
Foul ball - Princeton has attempted 415 free throws. Louisville has made 438 free throws.
History lesson - Princeton and Louisville have met twice previously, in the 1966 Quaker City Invitational and the 1979 Rainbow Classic. Louisville won both.
No place like home - Princeton went 11-2 at home and 5-9 on the road this season.
What might have been - Princeton has played the last two seasons without All-America center Chris Young, who signed a professional baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates after his sophomore year. Young, who will graduate this June with his class, became ineligible for all sports by Ivy League rules.
Coach speak - John Thompson is 22-6 in Ivy League games in his first two seasons as Princeton. He ranks fourth among Princeton's last four head coaches in Ivy wins in his first two seasons: Bill Carmody (1997, 1998) 28-0 Pete Carril (1968, 1969) 26-2 Butch van Breda Kolff (1963, 1964) 23-5 John Thompson (2001, 2002) 22-6
More coach - John Thompson's father (longtime Georgetown coach John Thompson) and college coach (Pete Carril) are both in the Hall of Fame.
D plus - Princeton leads Division I in scoring defense (57.0 points per game). Princeton has led the nation in scoring defense 14 times in the last 15 years.
Young guns - Princeton has nine freshmen and sophomores and six juniors and seniors.
Three for all - Princeton has made at least one three-pointer in every game since the rule was enacted in the 1986-87 season (440 games).
On the one hand ... - Princeton has the longest current streak in Division I of consecutive games without allowing at least 100 points (913 games, dating to 1968 vs. North Carolina).
... on the other hand - Princeton has not scored at least 100 points in a game in 849 games, dating to a 108-64 win over Yale in 1971.
What can you say about ...
Mike Bechtold (No. 23, Sr., Lebanon, Pa.) * a second-team All-Ivy League selection * leads team in scoring, rebounding and three-pointers * ranks eighth all-time at Princeton with 114 three-pointers * had his first three seasons all end with stress fractures in his legs but has remained healthy this season * has averaged 13.6 points per game for the last seven games * had career-high 25 (of Princeton's 49) in 49-48 win at Columbia March 2 that clinched share of league title ... hit the game-winning three-pointer in that game with 33.5 seconds remaining to give Tigers first lead of night * had 21 points in home win against Harvard, including 18 in the second half * had 19 points and six rebounds in Ivy playoff loss to Yale * has been in double figures in scoring 13 times * started every game this season
Ahmed El-Nokali (No. 15, Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) * a Verizon District II Academic All-America * a second-team All-Ivy League selection for the second year in a row * four-year starter as point guard * equalled season-high with 18 points in loss to Penn at Palestra * also scored 18 against Lafayette * leads teams with 66 assists * has 49 turnovers in 880 minutes, one every 18.0 minutes * has played 880 minutes, 98 more than any other player on team * has played all 40 minutes 21 times in his career, though not in any game this year * played all 40 minutes in 1999 NIT win over Georgetown * will be starting his sixth career postseason game
Pete Hegseth (No. 12, Jr., Forest Lake, Minn.) * has played in nine games * is 4 for 12 from the field, including 3 for 10 from three-point range * hit three-pointer in final minute against George Washington to keep Princeton in game * on an ROTC scholarship
Chris Krug (No. 44, So., Philadelphia, Pa.) * played in six games * started 27 games as a freshman * took last two years off from team
Andre Logan (No. 25, So., Brooklyn, N.Y.) * tore ACL 14 minutes into first Ivy League game of the year Jan. 11 against Harvard and has missed remainder of season * underwent surgery Jan. 24 * is expected to make full recovery * had started every game of season prior to that * started final 15 games of freshman year, including NCAA tournament game against North Carolina * was leading team in scoring at time of injury * averaged 9.3 points per game * was shooting 56.2% from field at time of injury * shot 42.1% from three-point range * had 18 points and seven rebounds against MAAC regular-season champion Rider * had 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists against Maryland
Dominick Martin (No. 35, Fr., Asheville, N.C.) * started 20 games, including final 19 * had 10 points and 10 rebounds in home win over Harvard * had 11 points and six rebounds against Lafayette * had 10 points and five rebounds in Ivy playoff loss to Yale * shot 50% from the field (36 for 72)
Tom McLaughlin (No. 21, Fr., Andover, Mass.) * played in six games * had 16 points, all against Western Maryland * had nine rebounds * missed entire senior year of high school with knee injury * missed all of preseason and didn't begin practicing until early December this season due to injury
Conor Neu (No. 32, Sr., Danville, Calif.) * played in seven games * had a three-pointer in home win over Brown
Ed Persia (No. 10, So., Beaumont, Texas.) * averaged 17.8 minutes per game as first guard off bench * averaged 21 minutes per game for final 13 games * made 25 of final 66 three-pointers (38%) after making two of first 14 (14.3%) * shot 80.4% from the foul line * had 18 points in home win over Dartmouth * had 16 points in home win over Yale * shot 3 for 6 from three-point range against Kansas
Ray Robins (No. 31, Jr., Paso Robales, Calif.) * started every game since Andre Logan's injury * also started Kansas game * had career-high 28 points on 10 of 13 shooting in home game against Cornell * scored 20 points against Monmouth * had 33 points in two games against Brown * shot 87.1% from the foul line * is an 88.7% career free-throw shooter ... Princeton's career record is 88.8% * averaged 10.5 points per game as starter two years ago before taking last year off from school
Mike Stephens (No. 33, Fr., Napa, Calif.) * played in nine games * played 19 of his 43 minutes against Rutgers * had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists
Will Venable (No. 22, Fr., San Rafael, Calif.) * played in 26 games, missing only Florida International * was in double figures seven times * had season high 18 against Lafayette * averaged 10.5 points per game against Penn * had 11 points against Kansas * made eight of final 14 three-point attempts (57%) after making two of first 16 (12.5%)
Judson Wallace (No. 30, Fr., Atlanta, Ga.) * played in 20 games * had 10 points against Kansas * had 13 points against Western Maryland
Kyle Wente (No. 3, Jr., Effingham, Ill.) * an honorable mention All-Ivy selection for the second straight year * started all 27 games * led team in rebounding 11 times in final 18 games after not leading team in rebounding at all in first nine games * had at least five rebounds eight times in final 18 games * has 65 assists and 28 turnovers * has 33 steals and 28 turnovers * has 64 steals and 58 turnovers for his career * had season-high 17 points in home win over Columbia * played all 40 minutes in both games against Columbia
Konrad Wysocki (No. 34, So., Greensboro, N.C.) * the 2001 Ivy League Rookie of the Year * started the first six games and has been first man off the bench since * has averaged 24.5 minutes per game * shooting 48.8% from the field * has 59 assists and 41 turnovers this season after having 22 assists and 37 turnovers * had 17 points and five rebounds against California * had 13 points and four rebounds against Maryland * had 13 points and six rebounds against Rider * had 17 points on 5 for 5 shooting, 3 for 3 from three-point range, in home win over Dartmouth