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Princeton University Athletics
Men's Basketball Travels to Lafayette Saturday Afternoon
November 24, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2004
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With games each of the last 15 years, including Saturday at Easton's Kirby Sports Center (1 p.m., WHWH-AM 1350, GoPrincetonTigers.com), the Princeton-Lafayette men's basketball rivalry has become an intense one.
Last year's meeting with the Leopards may even provide extra motivation for a Princeton team (1-2) looking to get back on the winning track after two tight losses on the road to major-conference opponents in Syracuse and Wyoming. In that meeting, at Jadwin Gym last December, the Tigers let a 13-point second-half lead slip away in a 47-44 loss to Lafayette.
Lafayette opened the season with a victory at the Atlantic 10's Duquesne last weekend, but fell at Saint Peter's by an 81-64 score Tuesday night.
Princeton has been terrific on the defensive end in the early season, holding its opponents to just 36% shooting in three games and 28% shooting from three-point range. On the offensive end, senior guard Will Venable has come out hot in his first three games, averaging 14.3 points and shooting nearly 70% from the field.
The Tigers will play another Patriot League opponent, Holy Cross, next week before playing their first home game of the season Dec. 8 against Rutgers.
NOTE OF THE DAY
On the Defensive Princeton has held its opponents to just 36% shooting overall from the field and 28% shooting from three-point range in its first three games this season.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
More Defense Princeton has allowed just 103 points from the field (34 per game) in its first three games. 65 of the 168 points allowed by the Tigers (39%) have come from the free-throw line.
Cat Fights Princeton has now played Lafayette 15 consecutive seasons, its longest current streak among non-conference opponents. The Tigers are 10-4 against the Leopards in the last 14 years.
Patriot Games The Tigers defeated the Patriot League preseason favorite, Bucknell, at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Nov. 11. Lafayette was picked sixth in the Patriot League in that poll.
Not the Usual Princeton shot a season-low 29.8% in a 47-44 loss to Lafayette last year. The Tigers shot better than 49% from the field in their other 27 games a year ago.
For Starters Princeton has four of its five starters returning from the Lafayette game a year ago. The Leopards have just one starter from that game returning, junior guard Pat Betley.
Out of the Gate Princeton has jumped out to an 11-4 lead against Bucknell, a 14-5 lead at Syracuse and a 17-10 lead at Wyoming in its first three games this season.
60-60 Proposition The Tigers have won their last 18 games when scoring 60 or more points. Princeton was 17-0 last season when reaching the 60-point mark.
Young & Old Five of the nine Princeton players that have seen action this year are either freshmen or sophomores, but Princeton also has five senior players for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
TEAM NOTES & ANECDOTES
Injury Report...Andre Logan had surgery on his left knee on Nov. 5 for the third time since 2002 and will be out several weeks. Logan started 21 games a year ago and averaged 8.2 points per game.
Numbers Game Princeton needs just four victories to reach the 1,500-win mark as a program. Only 13 other schools in Division I have reached 1,500 wins.
Arc de Triomphe 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 497 games.
Coach Speak Joe Scott returned to Princeton in April after four years as head coach at Air Force. Scott was the Mountain West Conference "Coach of the Year" last season after leading the Falcons to their first NCAA tournament in 42 years.
More Coach Speak Joe Scott finished fourth in the Associated Press National Coach of the Year voting in 2003-04. UConn's Jim Calhoun won the award.
Even More Coach Speak Joe Scott was a Princeton assistant coach for eight seasons (1992-2000). The Tigers had a 163-61 record in those eight seasons and advanced to the postseason five times.
We're Honored Princeton has two returning first-team All-Ivy players (Judson Wallace, Will Venable) for the first time since the 1996-97 season, when Steve Goodrich and Sydney Johnson returned.
Election Year Princeton was among 46 teams receiving at least one vote in the preseason USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll that was released in late October.
Exit Polls The Tigers were chosen to win the Ivy League for the second straight year in a preseason media poll. Princeton was chosen first on 14 of 16 ballots in the poll.
More Patriot Games Princeton plays Holy Cross in Worcester on Wednesday. The Tigers were 2-1 against Patriot League teams last year, defeating Colgate and Holy Cross and losing to Lafayette.
First Off...Princeton played the first official game of the 2004-05 season Nov. 11, when it defeated Bucknell 61-48 at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Syracuse.
Senior Moments Princeton has five seniors this season (Berger, Logan, Stephens, Venable, Wallace), its largest senior class since the 1997-98 season, when the Tigers finished 27-2.
By the Numbers Princeton finished third nationally in scoring defense and 14th nationally in team field-goal percentage last season.
Conference Call Princeton finished its 2003-04 conference season with at least a .500 record for the 51st straight year, a current streak more than twice as long as any other team in NCAA Division I.
The Sweet 15 Princeton has won at least 15 games in each of the last 18 seasons and has not finished below .500 in a season since 1984-85.
Who's Back? Princeton returns 12 letterwinners from a year ago, including seven players who played in at least 26 games last year. All seven of those players averaged at least 12 minutes per game.
Who's Not Back? Princeton lost sharpshooting guard Ed Persia to graduation, while sophomore forward Harrison Schaen is taking the year off from school for personal reasons.
New Faces Tony Newsom is in his first year as a Princeton assistant coach after three seasons at Holy Cross. John Fitzgerald is in his first year in the new position of Director of Basketball Operations.
TV Stars Princeton will appear on ESPN2 against Temple Dec. 20 and ESPN at Duke Jan. 5. The Tigers also have two nationally-televised games on CSTV--against Rutgers Dec. 8 and Penn March 8.
On Schedule Princeton has played a team that eventually reached the Final Four in each of the last four seasons (Duke in 2001, Maryland in 2002, Texas in 2003 and Duke in 2004).
PLAYER NOTES & ANECDOTES
Lights Out In his last 18 games dating back to last year, Will Venable is shooting 87-for-140 (62.1%) from the field. Venable is averaging 13.2 points per game in those 18 games.
Streakin' Will Venable scored 13 consecutive points for Princeton in the second half at Wyoming. All of his 17 points came in the second half or overtime.
National Pastime Will Venable also helped the Princeton baseball team to the NCAA tournament in 2004, hitting .344 in 96 at-bats after the conclusion of basketball season.
Second Chances 17 of Judson Wallace's 26 points this season have come in the second half or overtime.
Milestone Year? Judson Wallace needs 225 points to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career. Wallace scored 413 points as a junior in 2003-04.
Helping Out Judson Wallace leads Princeton with nine assists this season. He tied a career high with six assists against Bucknell despite playing just 18 minutes.
21-Point Salute Luke Owings scored 21 points in his first career start, Princeton's 61-48 season-opening win against Bucknell Nov. 11.
Smart Guy Luke Owings was the valedictorian of his high school class at Washington, D.C.'s, Gonzaga College Prep, the same high school attended by former Princeton coach John Thompson.
Taking Care of It Scott Greenman has just 29 turnovers in 31 games the last two seasons despite averaging better than 31 minutes per game.
From Way Downtown Scott Greenman led the Tigers with 42 three-point shots last season. Greenman has at least two three-pointers in 16 of Princeton's last 31 games over the last two years.
Battling Through Mike Stephens injured his left shoulder in practice last Friday but still played 14 minutes at Wyoming, scoring five points.
Steppin' Out 6-10 center Mike Stephens has made eight of his 17 three-point attempts over the last two years, including four of six attempts this season.
Notes on Noah Freshman Noah Savage scored a season-best 12 points at Wyoming Tuesday, shooting a perfect 3 for 3 from three-point range. Savage has started all three games this season.
Home Games Noah Savage is a Princeton resident who played basketball at The Hun School, just a mile or so down the road from the Princeton campus.
Time Chart Guard Max Schafer has played more minutes than any Princeton reserve this season, averaging 24 minutes per game through three games.
Was Back on Court Andre Logan played in 26 of 28 games last year after missing 40 of the previous 43 Princeton games due to knee injuries
Logan's Run Andre Logan is in his fifth year of eligibility. He was awarded a fifth year after missing all but three games in 2002-03 due to injury.
On the Board Freshman guard Matt Sargeant had his first career points at Wyoming Monday, converting a three-point play in the first half.
More Honors Senior Jon Berger won the team's Paul Richard Friedman Memorial Award as a junior. The award is given to the member of the program "who has done his very best every day in every way."