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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Princeton Hosts Rutgers in Men's Basketball Saturday Matinee
December 08, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Princeton and Rutgers will meet for the 113th time in men's basketball Saturday afternoon at Jadwin Gym. It's likely that very few of the previous 112 meetings have featured the same kind of unfamiliarity between the teams.
The Tigers could start three freshmen against the Scarlet Knights and only one player who started at Rutgers last season. Only three of the 10 combined starters from that game started for Princeton and Rutgers in their most recent games on Wednesday night.
Game time from Jadwin is 4:05 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised live by Patriot 8, can be seen live at the TigerZone on GoPrincetonTigers.com and heard on the radio on WBUD-AM 1260 and GoPrincetonTigers.com.
Princeton (6-2) will look for its second straight win over Rutgers at Jadwin Gym. The Tigers made 11 three-pointers and held the Scarlet Knights to 33% shooting in a 53-40 win two seasons ago.
The Tigers, who defeated Lehigh 44-43 Wednesday thanks to Marcus Schroeder's free throw with no time left, have allowed an average of just 46.2 points per game in their last six games, five of which have been wins.
Rutgers (3-5) won its second straight game Wednesday, defeating New Hampshire at the RAC by a 55-48 score. The Scarlet Knights, under first-year head coach Fred Hill, beat previously-undefeated Nebraska at the RAC on Saturday.
Head coach Joe Scott's team, playing the second of three straight games at Jadwin Gym, has won six straight home games dating back to last season. Scott has a 6-3 record against Rutgers in 10 seasons as the head coach or an assistant coach for the Tigers.
FACT OF THE DAY
Some Fresh New Jerseys Princeton's starting lineup the past two games has featured three freshmen. Rutgers' starting lineup against New Hampshire featured a freshman, a transfer in his first year and three sophomores.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
Knight Games Rutgers has won six of the last seven meetings with Princeton after the Tigers won five of the six meetings prior to that.
For Starters Princeton's 6-2 start is its best since the 1997-98 team started 7-1 on the way to a 26-1 regular season. The last Princeton team to be 7-2 through nine games was the 1995-96 Ivy title team.
One & Done Marcus Schroeder made a free throw with no time left to give Princeton a 44-43 win over Lehigh Wednesday. Schroeder was fouled on a jumper off an offensive rebound as time expired.
On The Defensive Princeton has allowed an average of 46.2 points in its last six games, five of which have been wins. Those six opponents have combined to shoot 27% from three-point range.
Margin Calls Princeton's last three wins have come by a combined five points. The Tigers' first three wins came by a combined 34 points.
Passing It Around With 12 points against Lehigh, Lincoln Gunn became the fifth Princeton player in eight games this year to lead his team in scoring in a game.
Accepting Charity Princeton has attempted 137 free throws compared to 123 for its opponents. The Tigers last attempted more free throws than their opponents in a season in 1997-98.
Arc De Triomphe Princeton has attempted 162 three-point shots (20.2 per game) and 146 two-point shots (18.3 per game) this season.
MORE ABOUT PRINCETON & RUTGERS
A Couple Years Back Princeton's 53-40 win over Rutgers in December 2004 was the first win for the Tigers over the Scarlet Knights at Jadwin Gym since the 1996-97 season.
Jersey Boys Both Princeton's Joe Scott (Pelican Island) and Rutgers' Fred Hill (Verona) are New Jersey natives who played college basketball in New Jersey (Princeton and Montclair State respectively).
Old School Princeton and Rutgers have played at least once a season in 61 of the past 62 seasons and 78 of the past 80 seasons.
Scarlet Fever Princeton head coach Joe Scott has a 6-3 record against Rutgers in 10 previous seasons as the head coach or an assistant coach at Princeton.
Winning Numbers Princeton has a 12-6 record against Rutgers in Jadwin Gym and a 43-14 all-time record against Rutgers in games played in Princeton.
Home And Home Princeton played its first seven games away from Jadwin Gym. Rutgers has played five of its first eight games at home.
TEAM NOTES & ANECDOTES
Injury Report Starting center Justin Conway may not play Saturday after suffering a torn muscle in his abdomen against North Dakota State last week. Conway dressed against Lehigh but did not play.
Advantage Regained Princeton has won its last six home games after starting the 2005-06 season 2-6 in its first eight home games.
557 & 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 game since the rule took effect in 1986-87. The Tigers have now made at least one three-pointer in 557 straight games.
The 60's Princeton has won 35 of its last 37 games (2003-04 to present) in which it has scored 60 or more points in regulation time.
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 38 for 88 (42%) from three-point range. They combined to shoot 139 of 368 (38%) from three-point range last season.
More From Downtown Princeton made 10 or more three-point shots in a game nine times in 27 games last season, including five times in the last 12 games of the 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 nine points, four rebounds and three assists in 19 games as a starter beginning last Jan. 29.
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 14 of his last 29 games.
Buckets & Buckets Kyle Koncz made at least three three-point shots in each of Princeton's first six games this season.
More Bombs Away 170 of Kyle Koncz's 208 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 85 career games entering today's game, 22 more than any other Princeton player (Noah Savage with 63).
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 six of Princeton's eight games and has played 302 of a possible 320 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 18 of his 30 shots and eight of his 11 three-point attempts in Princeton's first eight games this season
Buffed Up Edwin Buffmire has gone to the free throw line 20 times, second on the team, despite averaging just 16 minutes per game, eighth 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.