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Princeton University Athletics
Tigers, Scarlet Knights Meet for 110th Time Saturday at the RAC
December 11, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2003
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The Princeton men's basketball team is just one play away from a 5-0 start to the 2003-04 season. And a perfect way to continue that early-season success would be a victory over a Rutgers team that hasn't lost to the Tigers since the 1999-2000 season.
The Tigers and Scarlet Knights, both 4-1, meet for the 110th time Saturday afternoon in Piscataway (2 p.m., MSG-TV, WPRB-FM 103.3, GoPrincetonTigers.com). Rutgers, which has won four straight against Princeton, won at Penn State 60-47 Wednesday night behind 17 points apiece from Ricky Shields and Quincy Douby. The Tigers last played this past Saturday, defeating host Fresno State 72-67 at the McCaffrey Classic behind 26 points from junior center Judson Wallace.
Wallace is ranked eighth in the country in scoring (22.8 ppg) for a Princeton team that is shooting an impressive 53.2% from the field overall and 40% from three-point range. The Tigers have shot better than 47 percent in nine of 10 halves this season and have made at least 10 three-pointers in three of their five games.
While Wallace has been both an inside and outside threat in the early season, sophomore Scott Greenman leads the Tigers with 11 threes in just 20 attempts. Greenman, who scored a career-high 14 points against UC Irvine last week, is second on team in scoring (10.2 ppg) and needs just four points to surpass his scoring total from all of last season. Shields leads Rutgers in scoring (14.2 ppg) in the early season, while Herve Lamizana is shooting 52% from the field and averaging 13.8 ppg. The Scarlet Knights have been outstanding on the defensive end this year, holding opponents to just 36 percent shooting overall and 24 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
NOTE OF THE DAY
Center of Attention - Princeton center Judson Wallace has scored 26 or more points three times in five games this season. Only four other Tiger players in the last 31 years (Kit Mueller, Kevin Mullin, Frank Sowinski, Ted Manakas) have scored 26 or more points in three or more games for an entire season.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
Shooting It - Princeton is shooting 53.2% from the field this season. The Tigers have shot at least 47% from the field in nine of 10 halves this year.
Takin' ?Em and Makin' ?Em - Princeton's top three scorers this season (Judson Wallace, Scott Greenman, Konrad Wysocki) have combined to shoot 61% from the field (74 for 121).
Shooting It from Deep - Princeton has made at least 10 three-point shots in three of its five games this season. The Tigers made a season-high 11 threes in 22 attempts in a win at Fresno State last Saturday.
Deep Thoughts - Seven different players made at least one three-pointer for Princeton against Fresno State. Five players have at least four three-pointers for the Tigers through five games this year.
More Deep Thoughts - Princeton has taken 107 three-point shots and 111 two-point shots. Princeton's opponents have taken 58 three-point shots and 177 two-point shots.
Taking Care of It - The Tigers have 80 assists and just 57 turnovers this season. Princeton's starting backcourt of Will Venable, Ed Persia and Scott Greenman has combined for 52 assists and just 25 turnovers.
Passing It - Princeton has assists on 80 of its 116 baskets (69%) this season.
Bench Marks - Princeton's first two frontcourt players off the bench (Luke Owings, Mike Stephens) have combined to shoot 16 for 21 from the field and 6 for 9 from three-point range this season.
MORE FROM THE Judson Wallace FILE
Chart Topper - Judson Wallace is tied for eighth in NCAA Division I in scoring at 22.8 points per game.
A Judson Come Lately - Judson Wallace is averaging 21.9 points per game over his last 10 games dating back to Feb. 28 of last season. In his previous 42 games, Wallace averaged 5.5 points per game.
It's Been a While - Judson Wallace is the first Princeton player to record three career games of 26 points or more since Kit Mueller '91. Mueller had seven 26-point games in his career.
Making History - Judson Wallace has at least 26 points three times in five games this season; every other Princeton player combined has had at least 26 points in a game 15 times in the last 14 seasons.
Steppin' Out - Judson Wallace is shooting 24 for 51 from three-point range (47%) in his last 10 games dating back to last year. He shot 6 for 11 from three-point range in Princeton's two games at Fresno State.
Steppin' Up - Judson Wallace scored 10 of Princeton's final 14 points against Fresno State Saturday, including a hook shot with 20 seconds left that put the Tigers ahead 70-65.
30-30 Vision - Judson Wallace's 31-point performance against Holy Cross was the highest-scoring game at Princeton since Spencer Gloger scored 34 against UAB Dec. 18, 1999.
I'm Honored - Judson Wallace was named the Ivy League Player of the Week for games ending Nov. 30 after scoring 28 points against Colgate to open the season and 31 points a week later against Holy Cross.
Oh, That Guy... - Judson Wallace averaged 10.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season on the way to honorable mention All-Ivy honors.
MORE NOTES & ANECDOTES
Knight Games - Rutgers has defeated Princeton four straight times. No current Tiger player has played on a team that has defeated the Scarlet Knights.
Road Warriors - Princeton has won both of its true ?road? games this season, at UMBC and Fresno State.
The Streak Continues! - Princeton, along with Vanderbilt and UNLV, are the only teams to have made at least one three-point shot in every game since the rule came into effect for the 1986-87 season. The Tigers' streak currently stands at 471 games.
From Way Downtown... - Ed Persia ranks ninth all-time at Princeton with 118 three-pointers. He needs three three-point shots to pass Mike Bechtold and move into eighth place on the all-time list.
Iron Man... - Ed Persia has played all 40 minutes twice this season and leads the Tigers in minutes played.
I'm Your Captain - Ed Persia is a Tiger co-captain this season along with Judson Wallace. Persia is one of just two Princeton players (along with fellow senior Konrad Wysocki) in his final year of eligibility.
Not Green Anymore - Sophomore Scott Greenman needs just four points to surpass his total number of points for his entire freshman season. Greenman is second on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg).
Shooting Star - Scott Greenman is shooting 11 for 20 (55%) from three-point range this year. Greenman had 10 three-pointers his entire freshman season.
More Shooting Star - Scott Greenman is shooting 21 for 45 (47%) from three-point range for his career.
Where There's A Will... - Will Venable leads the Tigers in assists (25) and ranks third in the Ivy League in that category. Venable had a career-high nine assists in a win over Fresno State Saturday.
From Court to Field - Will Venable also is an outfielder for the Ivy League champion Princeton baseball team. Venable played amateur baseball this past summer in California, hitting .460 for the Novato Knicks.
MORE FROM THE HARDWOOD
I Wanna Go First - Konrad Wysocki has scored 32 of his 43 points this season in the first half.
Start Me Up - Konrad Wysocki has started all five games this season. In his previous three seasons combined, he started eight games.
A 50-50 Proposition - Konrad Wysocki is shooting 168 for 329 from the field (51.1 percent) for his career.
Special K - Konrad Wysocki was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2000-01. Wysocki averaged 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game that season.
Good to Have You Back - Andre Logan returned to the court at UMBC for the first time since Nov. 30 of last season. Logan played a season-high 15 minutes against UC Irvine Friday.
All about Andre - Andre Logan has played in just six of Princeton's last 48 games over the past three seasons.
One More Year - Andre Logan is a junior in eligibility. Logan withdrew from school for the spring semester last year after playing in just three games early in the season.
Filling It Up - Andre Logan was leading Princeton in scoring in 2001-02 (9.3 ppg) before tearing a knee ligament in Princeton's Ivy League opener at Harvard on Jan. 11, 2002.
The Big Fella - Mike Stephens is shooting 8 for 9 from the field this season. He made his second career three-pointer in the first half against Fresno State Saturday.
Thanks for the Help - Mike Stephens had 10 assists against Ursinus last year. He was the first Princeton player to record 10 assists in a game since Kit Mueller had 11 against Brown in 1991.
Rookie Report - Luke Owings has 21 of the 26 points scored by Princeton freshmen this season. He scored 11 points against Holy Cross, hitting three of his four three-point attempts.
Jersey Guy - Max Schafer scored his first career points on a first-half three-pointer at Fresno State. Schafer averaged 21 points, seven assists and three steals as a senior at De Paul Catholic High School and earned first-team all-New Jersey and all-area honors.
Super Schaen - Harrison Schaen saw his first action of the season at UMBC. Schaen won California state championships in 2003 and 2001 at Mater Dei High School and was a four-time all-league selection.
Two-Way Player - Patrick Ekeruo (pronounced e-CARE-oh) played 15 minutes and had two rebounds against Colgate in his first collegiate game.
In the Buff - Edwin Buffmire was named the Maricopa County Player of the Year as as a high school senior after averaging 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds per game.
The Reynolds Wrap - John Reynolds won a Journalism Award for Excellence in sportswriting from The Greenville News as a junior in high school.
The All-American Boy - Michael Rudoy earned honorable mention All-America honors from Street & Smith's Magazine as a senior in high school at the Latin School of Chicago.
By the Numbers - Three Princeton returning players have switched numbers from last season. Konrad Wysocki now wears No. 1 after wearing No. 34 his first three years. Scott Greenman is wearing No. 3 this season after wearing No. 15 as a freshman. Jon Berger is No. 11 this year; he wore No. 32 in 2002-03.