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Princeton University Athletics
Tigers Return to Jadwin, Face Carnegie Mellon Wednesday Night
December 27, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 27, 2005
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The Princeton men's basketball team has 27 wins in 27 games against NCAA Division III competition the past 21 seasons, but the Tigers will certainly get a test Wednesday night when unbeaten Carnegie Mellon visits Jadwin Gym for a 7:30 p.m. game.
The Tartans, 9-0 and ranked No. 23 nationally in Division III, head to Princeton averaging 91.6 points per game this season. The Tigers, who last played a week ago against Stanford, are looking to end a three-game losing skid.
Though the Tigers are playing a Division III opponent for the 22nd straight year, Wednesday's game is Princeton's first against a Division III team since 1993 at a time other than the end of the University's January intersession.
CMU will be playing its first game since Dec. 10, when the Tartans defeated Union to improve to 9-0 on the season. Princeton and Carnegie Mellon haven't met since 1932.
The Tigers have averaged better than 75 points per game in those 27 wins against Division III competition since 1984 and have won those games by an average margin of nearly 28 points per game.
FACT OF THE DAY
A Yearly Occurrence Princeton has now played at least one game against an NCAA Division III opponent in each of the last 22 seasons. Those 28 games have come against 17 different opponents.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
Spotless Princeton has a 27-0 record against NCAA Division III opponents in the past 22 seasons. Those 27 wins have come by an average of 27.6 points per game. Time Difference The Tigers have not played a Division III opponent at a time other than the end of the school's intersession break (late January) since the 1993-94 season, when Princeton met Washington & Jefferson on Dec. 18.
Been a Long Time Princeton and Carnegie Mellon are meeting for the first time since 1932. The teams also played in 1920 and in 1924.
Time Off Princeton hasn't played since meeting Stanford in Oakland last Wednesday. Carnegie Mellon hasn't played since defeating Union Dec. 10.
Terrific Tartans Carnegie Mellon is 9-0 this season and is ranked No. 23 in NCAA Division III by D3Hoops.com. The Tartans are averaging 91.6 points per game this season.
It's Almost Time Princeton's next home game is its Ivy League opener. The Tigers host Columbia at Jadwin Gym at 9 p.m. Jan. 13.
It's How You Finish Princeton began the season 2-11 in 1979-80, but then won 13 of its final 16 regular-season games and tied for the Ivy League title before losing to Penn 50-49 in an Ivy playoff game.
It's How You Start Princeton has won both games it has led at halftime this year and lost all seven games in which it has trailed at halftime.
MORE THINGS TO KNOW
Deep Thoughts Princeton has attempted 207 three-point shots and 172 two-point shots this season. The Tigers have made 72 three-pointers and 67 two-point shots.
More From Deep Princeton has made 10 or more three-pointers in a game four times this season and is averaging eight three-pointers per game.
Even More From Deep Sophomore Kyle Koncz has made 17 three-point shots in his last five games (3.2 per game).
Minutes Men Every active Princeton player is averaging at least 13 minutes per game this season. No player is averaging more than 31 minutes per game.
On the Rebound In its two wins this year, Princeton has been outrebounded 47-45, In their seven losses, the Tigers have been outrebounded 233-144.
TEAM NOTES & ANECDOTES
Injury Report Scott Greenman has not dressed in the last two games due to a back injury. Matt Sargeant missed four games due to a groin strain but has dressed the past three games. Alex Okafor injured a tendon in his right hand Dec. 16 but has played in the last two games.
Start Me Up Eight players have started at least three games for Princeton this season, including five players who had never started a game prior to this year.
Home, Sweet Home Princeton is playing its sixth home game of the season tonight. The Tigers had just two home games prior to Jan. 1 last season.
Downtown Duo Noah Savage and Kyle Koncz have combined to make 41 of 102 attempts (40%) from behind the arc this season.
Roster Report Junior guard Max Schafer left the team for personal reasons three weeks ago. Schafer played in 56 games in three seasons and averaged 2.5 points per game.
531 & Counting Princeton is one of only three Division I teams (Vanderbilt and UNLV are the others) that has made at least one three-point shot in every game since the rule took effect in 1986-87. The Tigers have now made at least one three-pointer in 531 straight games.
Ivy Talk Princeton (83 points) was chosen third in the Ivy League's Preseason Media Poll behind Penn (128) and Harvard (96).
Shutdown Mode Princeton led the nation in scoring defense in 2004-05, allowing opponents to score just 54.3 points per game.
Non-Conference Call Princeton finished 9-5 in non-conference play a year ago. Seven of those 14 games came against teams that reached postseason play.
Coach Speak Joe Scott is in his second season as Princeton's head coach and his 10th season overall as a Princeton coach. He was an assistant for eight seasons before spending four years at Air Force.
More Coach Speak Joe Scott was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2004 and finished fourth in the balloting for Associated Press National Coach of the Year.
More Ivy Talk Princeton has won or shared 25 Ivy League titles since official league play began in 1955-56, while Penn has won or shared 23. The other six schools have a combined total of nine titles.
Paradise Found Princeton is scheduled to play in the Maui Invitational in 2007 along with Duke, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, LSU, Marquette and host Chaminade.
Winning Numbers Princeton became the 14th Division I team to record 1,500 all-time victories early last season. The Tigers currently rank 15th on the all-time list with 1,512 victories in 106 seasons of varsity basketball.
PLAYER NOTES & ANECDOTES
Tale of Two Seasons Noah Savage shot 26 for 48 in Princeton's first five games (54%) but has made just six of 32 shots in the team's last four games (19%).
Leader of the Pack Noah Savage led Princeton in scoring in each of the team's first five games, including a career-best 21 points against Temple.
In the Neighborhood Noah Savage is a Princeton resident and attended The Hun School, about a mile down U.S. Route 206 from the Princeton campus.
End of the Line Scott Greenman started 61 straight games before a back injury kept him out of the Wyoming game.
Filling It Up Scott Greenman needs two three-pointers to pass Spencer Gloger and move into 10th place all-time at Princeton in that category.
Long-Range Predictions 293 of Scott Greenman's 432 career field-goal attempts (68%) have come from three-point range.
Doubling Up Kyle Koncz has 49 points in his last four games (12.3 ppg). Koncz entered the Wyoming game on Dec. 10 with 19 career points in 11 career appearances.
Stepping Out 54 of Kyle Koncz's 63 career field goal attempts have come from three-point range, including 49 of 58 field-goal attempts this season (85%).
Taking His Shots Luke Owings is a 51% career shooter from the field overall and a 44% career shooter from beyond the three-point arc.
Bombs Away Luke Owings led the Ivy League in three-point field goal percentage in league games in 2004-05. Owings made 17 of 28 three-point shots (60.7%) in 14 games.
Head of the Class Luke Owings was the valedictorian of his high school class at Gonzaga College Prep in Washington, D.C.
New Kid on the Block Sophomore Kevin Steuerer is averaging 35 minutes per game in Princeton's last five games. Steuerer had played three career minutes prior to that.
History Lesson Kevin Steuerer's father Mickey was a team captain for the 1975 Princeton team that won the NIT, the only Ivy League team to have won a postseason national tournament.
Not Standing Pat Patrick Ekeruo played all 40 minutes against Temple and had a career-best seven rebounds. Ekeruo had a career-high five assists against Stanford last week.
Start Me Up Geoff Kestler has started each of Princeton's first nine games. Kestler had a season-high eight points against Colgate Dec. 3.
Sure as Schaen Harrison Schaen's 10 points against Wake Forest tied a career high, previously set against Southern Vermont in Jan. 2004.
Welcome Back Harrison Schaen started Princeton's first three games in 2005-06. Schaen took the 2004-05 season off from school before returning in September.
Alexander Was Great Alex Okafor was an All-Bay Area selection by the San Francisco Chronicle in both his senior and junior years of high school. Okafor has averaged 13 minutes in nine games this year and is averaging two rebounds per game.