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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Tigers Head South For Wednesday Night Matchup With Gamecocks
December 18, 2006 | Men's Basketball
The Princeton men's basketball team plays a Southeastern Conference opponent for the first time since the 1996 NCAA tournament when the Tigers visit the Gamecocks of South Carolina Wednesday night for a 7 p.m. game at The Colonial Center.
The game will be televised by Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast, available on many cable outlets throughout the Southeast. Dan Loney and Ahmed El Nokali will provide the radio broadcast on WPRB-FM 103.3 and at GoPrincetonTigers.com.
Princeton (7-3), which defeated Marshall 61-45 at home Saturday afternoon, begins a stretch that will see seven of its next eight games played on the road. The Tigers, off to their best start since the 1997-98 season, will play just once at home (Jan. 6 vs. Rice) before a Feb. 9 Ivy League game against Harvard.
Kyle Koncz had a Princeton season-high 20 points in the win over Marshall and was named to the Ivy League Honor Roll on Monday. Koncz is Princeton's leading scorer at 10.7 points per game and is shooting better than 45% from three-point range.
South Carolina (6-2) will be playing its first game since Dec. 9 after a 10-day break for first-semester exams. The Gamecocks won at Baylor Dec. 9 and are led by Tre Kelley, one of three players averaging in double figures at 15.9 points per game.
The Gamecocks have won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in each of the last two seasons.
Princeton last's SEC opponent was Mississippi State in the second round of the 1996 NCAA tournament, two days after the Tigers' stunning upset of defending national champion UCLA in Indianapolis. The Tigers last played an SEC team in the regular season in 1993, when they faced Vanderbilt in the Carrier Classic at Syracuse.
FACT OF THE DAY
W's and L's In Princeton's seven victories this season, the Tigers have held their opponents to 39% shooting overall and 27% shooting from three-point range. In the team's three losses, Tiger opponents have combined to shoot 53% from the field and 37% from three-point range.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
Lucky Number Seven Princeton's 7-3 start is the team's best since the 1997-98 team started 9-1. Both the 1995-96 and 1996-97 teams also started 7-3.
Accepting Charity The Tigers have shot 164 free throws this season compared to 157 for their opponents. Princeton last shot more free throws than its opponents in a full season in 1997-98.
Back On Track Junior Kyle Koncz scored a Princeton season-high 20 points in the win over Marshall Saturday. Koncz, the Tigers' leading scorer, had not scored in either of the previous two games.
Start Me Up Princeton's starting lineup features two freshmen and a senior former walk-on who had played one career minute prior to last January. Luke Owings' 47 career starts are the most on the team.
Tempo Time Princeton has averaged 39 field goal attempts per game this season; South Carolina has averaged nearly 56 field goal attempts per game.
Arc De Triomphe Princeton has attempted 207 three-point shots and 183 two-point shots through 10 games this season.
Conference Call Wednesday's game is Princeton's first against an SEC opponent in the regular season since 1993, when the Tigers played Vanderbilt at Syracuse's Carrier Classic.
75 Percenters Princeton has won three of its four all-time meetings with South Carolina. All three of those wins have come at neutral sites.
MORE ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF 2006-07
Turnarounds Princeton already has seven non-conference wins and could win as many as 11 non-league games this season. The Tigers had just two non-conference wins in 2005-06.
On the Rebound Princeton has outrebounded its opponents 180-174 in its seven wins but has been outrebounded 101-50 in its three losses.
On The Defensive The Tigers are ranked third nationally in Division I in scoring defense, allowing their opponents an average of 51.1 points per game.
Time Passages Princeton freshman point guard Marcus Schroeder has played an average of 38.2 minutes per game this season, tied for fifth among all players in Division I.
Nice To Meet You South Carolina is the eighth opponent in Princeton's first 11 games that the Tigers had either never played or had not played this decade prior to this season.
Test Me Princeton takes its first semester exams in mid-January. Princeton students are currently in a three-week break before returning for a pre-exam reading period in early January.
TEAM NOTES & ANECDOTES
Injury Report Center Justin Conway returned to the starting lineup against Marshall after missing two games due to a torn abdominal muscle suffered Dec. 1 against North Dakota State.
The 60's Princeton has won 36 of its last 38 games (2003-04 to present) in which it has scored 60 or more points in regulation time, including Saturday's 61-45 win over Marshall.
559 & Counting Princeton is one of only three Division I teams (Vanderbilt and UNLV are the others) to have made at least one three-point shot in every one of its games since the rule took effect in 1986-87. The Tigers have now made at least one three-pointer in 559 straight games.
Freedom The Tigers have made 24 of their 27 free throws (.889) in their last two games. Princeton is shooting 71% from the line as a team compared to 62% for its opponents.
Accepting Charity Princeton finished fourth in the nation last season in free-throw percentage as a team, connecting on 77.3% of its free-throw attempts (266 of 344). Saint Joseph's, New Hampshire and Gonzaga finished ahead of the Tigers.
From Downtown Princeton's four returning starters from a year ago are shooting 47 for 123 (38%) from three-point range. They combined to shoot 139 of 368 (38%) from three-point range last season.
More From Downtown Princeton has made eight or more three-pointers six times this season and made 10 or more three-point shots in a game nine times in 27 games last season.
Coach Speak Joe Scott is in his third season as Princeton's head coach and his 11th season overall as a coach for the Tigers. He was an assistant for eight seasons at Princeton from 1992-2000.
More Coach Speak Joe Scott played point guard for the Tigers from 1983-87 and still ranks tied for fifth all-time at Princeton with 144 steals.
Even More Coach Speak Joe Scott was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2004 (at Air Force) and finished fourth in the balloting for Associated Press National Coach of the Year.
Final Coach Speak Assistant coaches Mike Brennan and Howard Levy also played basketball at Princeton for former coach Pete Carril, who was also Scott's head coach.
Branching Out Five Princeton graduates or former Princeton assistant coaches are currently Division I head coaches. (Bill Carmody, Northwestern; Chris Mooney, Richmond; Craig Robinson, Brown; Joe Scott, Princeton; John Thompson, Georgetown).
Wait 'Til Next Year! Princeton will play in the Maui Invitational in November 2007 along with Duke, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, LSU, Marquette and host Chaminade.
PLAYER NOTES & ANECDOTES
Captain, My Captain Senior Justin Conway is Princeton's team captain in 2006-07. Conway is a former walk-on to the program who had played one career minute prior to Jan. 29 of last season.
Numbers Game Justin Conway has averaged 8.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 20 games as a starter beginning last January.
More Honors Justin Conway earned honorable mention All-Ivy honors in 2005-06 despite not playing in Princeton's first two Ivy League games.
Bombs Away Kyle Koncz has made at least three three-point shots in 15 of his last 31 games.
Buckets & Buckets Kyle Koncz made at least three three-point shots in each of Princeton's first six games this season and seven times in 10 games overall.
More Bombs Away 182 of Kyle Koncz's 222 field-goal attempts (82%) the last two seasons have come from three-point range.
Conference Call Luke Owings earned honorable-mention All-Ivy honors as a junior. He averaged almost 11 points and five rebounds in conference play.
Experience Luke Owings has played in 87 career games entering today's game, 22 more than any other Princeton player (Noah Savage with 65).
Arc Madness Noah Savage needs four three-point shots to move into the top 15 all-time at Princeton and seven three-pointers to reach 100 for his career.
Point Man Noah Savage is Princeton's leading returning scorer from a year ago. He averaged exactly 10 points per game as a sophomore.
Iron Man Marcus Schroeder has played all 40 minutes in seven of Princeton's 10 games and has played 382 of a possible 400 minutes overall.
Start Here, Start There Marcus Schroeder and Lincoln Gunn were also the starting backcourt at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. in 2005-06, leading their team to a 32-1 record and a state title.
Helping Out Marcus Schroeder's seven assists against VMI Nov. 11 were the most by a Princeton player since Will Venable had seven assists against Harvard in March 2005.
Gunn-Er Lincoln Gunn made three second-half three-pointers against Lehigh and also made all three free throws after being fouled while attempting a three-pointer in the second half.
Old School 2 Marcus Schroeder and Lincoln Gunn have known each other and played basketball together since elementary school.
Stritt Talk Michael Strittmatter has made 21 of his 36 shots and 11 of his 17 three-point attempts in Princeton's first 10 games this season.
Foul Play Edwin Buffmire has gone to the free throw line 27 times, most on the team, despite averaging just 16 minutes per game, seventh on the team.
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.