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Princeton University Athletics
A New Jersey Rivalry on New Year's Eve
December 30, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 30, 2005
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The Princeton men's basketball team looks for its first victory at Rutgers since the 1999-2000 season Saturday afternoon when the New Jersey rivals meet for the 112th time. Game time is 2 p.m. at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway.
The Tigers broke a five-game losing streak against the Scarlet Knights with a 53-40 win at Jadwin Gym last December. The long-time rivals have met in every season but two since 1926, at least once in 78 of the past 80 seasons.
Princeton (2-8) has struggled offensively during its current four-game losing streak, having averaged 36 points per game in losses to Monmouth, Wake Forest, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon. The Tigers are shooting 29% from the field overall in their last four games.
Junior guard Edwin Buffmire made the most of his first career start for the Tigers Wednesday against Carnegie Mellon, scoring a career-high 11 points in a career-high 34 minutes. Buffmire became the ninth Princeton player this season to start a game.
Rutgers (9-3) had won three straight before an 85-82 loss to Charlotte at the RAC last Thursday. Junior guard Quincy Douby is averaging nearly 23 points per game, but he is the only Scarlet Knight player averaging in double figures. Saturday's game will be the Scarlet Knights' ninth home game in their first 13 games.
The Knights held on for a 51-49 win over Princeton at the RAC two seasons ago when Princeton's Andre Logan missed a short jumper at the buzzer. Princeton leads the all-time series with Rutgers 72-39.
FACT OF THE DAY
Success Against the Scarlet Princeton head coach Joe Scott has a 6-2 record against Rutgers in eight games as either an assistant coach or the head coach for the Tigers.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
Knight Games Princeton's win over Rutgers a year ago broke a five-game losing streak against the Scarlet Knights. The Tigers' last win over the Scarlet Knights before last season came in 1999.
Way Back Machine Princeton and Rutgers have played at least once in all but two seasons since 1926. The teams did not play in 1995-96 and in 1943-44.
For Starters... Princeton used its fourth different starting lineup in 10 games Wednesday night, with junior Edwin Buffmire making his first career start. Nine players have started at least one game and eight players have started at least three games.
Put Me In, Coach All 12 active Princeton players are averaging at least 12 minutes per game, and only one player (Noah Savage) is averaging more than 30 minutes per game.
Arc Madness Princeton attempted 35 three-point shots against Rutgers in 2004, just four shy of the team record of 39 set against Fresno State in 1995. The Tigers attempted just 12 two-point shots.
More Arc Madness Princeton has attempted 227 three-point shots and 195 two-point shots this season. The Tigers have made 77 three-point shots and 74 two-point shots.
Numbers Game... Princeton has not lost five straight games since the 1979-80 season.
...To a Playoff Game 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 epic Ivy playoff game.
MORE THINGS TO KNOW
Start Me Up Four of Princeton's five starters Wednesday night against Carnegie Mellon had never started a game prior to this season. Three of the five had never played more than 15 minutes in a game prior to this season.
More Start Me Up Of the nine Princeton players who have started at least one game this season, six had never started a game before this year.
Hittin' the Road Princeton has played just three of its first 10 games on opponents' home courts. The Tigers won at Lehigh but lost at Colgate and at Wake Forest.
Long Way Back The Tigers have met Rutgers 111 times in men's basketball, more than any other non-Ivy League opponent.
Not So Long Ago Princeton fell to Rutgers by a 51-49 score at the RAC two seasons ago when Andre Logan's jumper in the lane missed as time expired.
TEAM NOTES & ANECDOTES
Injury Report Scott Greenman has not dressed in the last three games due to a back injury. Matt Sargeant has missed five games due to a groin strain. Alex Okafor injured a tendon in his right hand Dec. 16 but has played in the last three games.
Roster Report Junior guard Max Schafer left the team for personal reasons in early December. Freshman center Noah Levine left the team this past week.
The 60's Princeton has won 30 of its last 31 games when it scores 60 or more points in regulation. The Tigers were 10-1 last year and 19-0 in 2003-04 when scoring 60 or more points.
Three's Company Princeton has made at least 10 three-point shots four times this season and is averaging nearly eight three-pointers per game this season.
Downtown Duo Noah Savage and Kyle Koncz have combined to make 44 of 113 attempts (39%) from behind the arc this season.
532 & 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 532 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 16th 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 eight of 42 shots in the team's last five 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 58 points in his last five games (11.6 ppg). Koncz entered the Wyoming game on Dec. 10 with 19 career points in 11 career appearances.
Stepping Out 60 of Kyle Koncz's 71 career field goal attempts have come from three-point range, including 55 of 66 field-goal attempts this season (83%).
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 32 minutes per game in Princeton's last six 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.
In the Buff Edwin Buffmire scored a career-high 11 points against Carnegie Mellon in his first career start Wednesday. Buffmire also played a career-high 34 minutes in that game.
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 Dec. 21.
Sure as Schaen Harrison Schaen's 10 points against Wake Forest tied a career high, previously set against Southern Vermont in Jan. 2004.
Quick Starts Geoff Kestler started each of Princeton's first nine games. Kestler had a season-high eight points against Colgate Dec. 3.
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 10 games this year and is averaging two rebounds per game.