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Princeton University Athletics
Cowboys Mosy Into Princeton for Saturday Night Duel at Jadwin
December 09, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2005
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For two programs located 2,000 miles apart and meeting for just the second time, Princeton and Wyoming actually have a lot of history. A new chapter in that history will be written Saturday night, when the Cowboys visit Jadwin Gym for the first time.
Most of the history comes on the bench, where former Air Force coach and current Princeton coach Joe Scott will be coaching against Steve McClain's Cowboys for the 11th time in the last six years. Some of the history comes on the court thanks to the double-overtime thriller the teams played in Laramie a year ago.
Wyoming won that one 64-59 in a tight affair where neither team had more than a seven-point lead throughout. The Tigers staved off game-winning attempts by the Cowboys at both the end of regulation and the first overtime period.
Princeton is looking to avoid just its third 1-5 start in the past 27 seasons, but the Tigers need look no farther back than the 2001-02 season for inspiration. That team started the year 1-5 but rebounded to win 15 of its final 21 regular-season games and advance to the 2002 NIT.
Sophomore Noah Savage has been a huge bright spot for the Tigers in the early going, ranking second in the Ivy League in scoring (16.8 ppg) and in the top eight in the league in four other categories. Savage scored a career-high 21 points in Princeton's loss to Temple Tuesday night. The Cowboys head to New Jersey with a 4-3 record and feature the nation's top shot blocker in 6-10 senior center Justin Williams, who is averaging better than six blocks per game. Williams also averages a double-double (13 ppg, 12.8 rpg). Australian Steve Leven, who scored 29 points against the Tigers a year ago, averages 12.1 points this year.
Saturday's game for Princeton begins a difficult stretch that sees the Tigers face three major-conference opponents in their next four games. After a game with local rival Monmouth Wednesday night, Princeton plays at Wake Forest next Saturday and against Stanford in the Pete Newell Challenge in Oakland, Calif., Dec. 21.
FACT OF THE DAY
Cowboy Up Princeton has played Wyoming just once before, last season in Laramie, but Tiger head coach Joe Scott has faced the Cowboys 10 times. He coached nine times against Wyoming while the head coach at Air Force from 2000-2004.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
Extra Time Princeton fell in double overtime at Wyoming last season by a 64-59 score in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Noah's Numbers Noah Savage is averaging 16.8 points per game through five games. The last Princeton player to average more than 16 points per game in a full season was Bob Scrabis '89 in 1987-88.
Helping Out Kevin Steuerer played 33 minutes off the bench against Temple Tuesday. Steuerer entered the game having played in two games and for a total of three minutes in his career.
You Gotta Finish Princeton also began the season 1-4 in 2001-02, but rebounded to win 15 of its final 22 regular-season games and advance to the 2002 NIT.
The Road Downtown Princeton has taken 118 of its 210 shots this season (56%) from three-point range.
More From Deep Princeton has made 42 three-point shots and 40 two-point shots this season.
Games People Play Princeton plays three games in seven days beginning today. The Tigers played just four games in 19 days to begin the season.
On Schedule Princeton plays three of its next four games against teams from the Mountain West (Wyoming), Atlantic Coast (Wake Forest) and Pacific 10 (Stanford) Conferences.
MORE THINGS TO KNOW
All-Around Player Noah Savage ranks in the top eight in the Ivy League in scoring, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Numbers Game Noah Savage is shooting 54% from the field, 52% from three-point range and 79% from the line. The rest of the Tigers are shooting a combined 35% from the field, 29% from three-point range and 64% from the line.
Arc Madness Noah Savage is averaging 3.4 three-pointers per game. The Princeton record is 3.5 per game, set by Sean Jackson in 1990-91.
20-20 Vision Noah Savage scored a career-high 21 points against Temple Tuesday. It was his first career game with 20 or more points.
Minute Man Noah Savage is the only Princeton player who is averaging more than 30 minutes per game (34.6).
TEAM NOTES & ANECDOTES
Injury Report Scott Greenman played only seven minutes against Temple due to a back injury suffered earlier in the day. Matt Sargeant is out with a right groin injury and has missed three games.
Depth Perception All 11 of the active players who have seen action this season for Princeton are averaging at least 12 minutes per game.
Faraway Places The Tigers are averaging more than eight three-pointers per game in five games this season. Princeton made seven or more threes in a game 19 times last season.
527 & Counting Princeton is one of only three Division I teams (Vanderbilt and UNLV) 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 527 straight games.
Ivy Talk Princeton (83 points) was chosen third in the Ivy League's Preseason Media Poll behind Penn (128) and Harvard (96) (see poll to left).
Shutdown Mode Princeton led the nation in scoring defense in 2004-05, allowing opponents to score just 54.3 points per game. The Tigers are allowing 57.4 points per game through four games this year.
Happy Returns Princeton has nine returning letterwinners from last year's team as well as sophomore Harrison Schaen, who was a freshman in 2003-04 before taking the last year off from school.
Numbers Game The Tigers return just 44% of their scoring and 43% of their rebounding from the 2004-05 season.
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 1,511 victories in 106 seasons of varsity basketball.
PLAYER NOTES & ANECDOTES
Dialing Long Distance Noah Savage is shooting 17 for 33 (52%) from three-point range and 9 for 15 (60%) from two-point range this season.
Accepting Charity Noah Savage is shooting 51 for 61 (83.6%) from the free-throw line for his career. Savage has made 14 of 18 free throws this season.
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.
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.
Ahoy, Captain Scott Greenman is Princeton's team captain and its only senior in 2005-06.
Long-Range Predictions 292 of Scott Greenman's 431 career field-goal attempts (68%) have come from three-point range.
Taking Care of It Scott Greenman has 120 assists and 66 turnovers in 61 starts the past three seasons.
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.
Not Standing Pat Patrick Ekeruo played all 40 minutes against Temple and had a career-best seven rebounds. Ekeruo earned his first career start Dec. 3 against Colgate.
Stepping Out Sophomore Kyle Koncz had a career-high nine points against Temple. 23 of Koncz's 25 career field-goal attempts have come from three-point range.
Steel City Guy Geoff Kestler is the all-time leading single-season scorer at Mt. Lebanon High School and led his team to the Pennsylvania AAAA district title game in 2005.
Start Me Up Geoff Kestler has started each of Princeton's first five games. Kestler had six points against Temple Tuesday.
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.
When We Saw You Last Harrison Schaen played in 25 of Princeton's 28 games during the 2003-04 season, averaging 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
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 18 minutes in two games this year.
Sargeant-At-Arms Matt Sargeant had a career-high four assists in 17 minutes at Lehigh, but has missed Princeton's last three games due to a groin injury suffered in practice two weeks ago.
In the Buff Edwin Buffmire averaged 18 minutes per game in Princeton's last three games of 2004-05. Buffmire entered those games having played 25 minutes the entire season.