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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
"14-Game Tournament" For Men's Basketball Begins Friday at Columbia
January 10, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Princeton and Columbia each have nine non-conference wins, most among Ivy League teams to date in 2006-07. Just how much those 18 wins have prepared the teams for their Ivy League schedules will begin to unfold Friday when the teams meet in their Ivy League opener at Levien Gym in Manhattan.
Game time is 7 p.m. for the Tigers and Lions, meeting for the 216th time in Princeton's longest-running basketball rivalry. The game can be heard on WPRB-FM 103.3 and at GoPrincetonTigers.com and also seen, on a live video stream, as part of the TigerZone at GoPrincetonTigers.com.
The Tigers (9-4) have won 24 of their 26 games against Columbia (9-5) in the last 13 seasons, but their last memory of Levien Gym isn't a happy one. Justin Armstrong's baseline jumper with 11 seconds left gave the Lions a 65-64 win over Princeton last February 18, breaking a nine-game Princeton winning streak in the series.
Princeton, which was chosen second in the preseason Ivy media poll, has won two straight after an impressive 51-28 win against Rice at Jadwin Gym Saturday. The Tigers limited Rice's Morris Almond, who entered the game leading the nation in scoring at 31.4 points per game, to just nine points, and Princeton allowed its fewest points against a Division I opponent since a 55-27 win over Yale in 1991.
The Tigers enter Friday's game with a 3-1 record on the road, allowing an average of just 44 points per game in those three road wins. Princeton leads the nation in points allowed per game (49.2) and has allowed just 45.7 points per game in its last 11 games after allowing 68 to Loyola and VMI in its first two games.
Columbia, chosen fifth in the preseason poll, defeated Division III Marywood 87-38 this past Saturday. The Lions are led by junior forward John Baumann, who averages 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and is shooting better than 54% from the field.
The 2006-07 Ivy League season begins with either Princeton (nine times) or Penn (nine times) having earned the league's automatic NCAA tournament berth in each of the last 18 seasons. Cornell, Princeton's Saturday night opponent, was the last Ivy team besides the Tigers or Quakers to earn that berth (1988).
FACT OF THE DAY
Getting Defensive Princeton 13 non-conference opponents have combined for 96 assists (7.4 per game) and 194 turnovers (14.9 per game). The Tigers' last two opponents have combined for 11 assists and 33 turnovers.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
Orange & Blue Princeton has won 24 of its last 26 games against Columbia, losing only on the road last season and in 2001 since the beginning of the 1993-94 season.
For Starters... Princeton has lost its Ivy League opener only once (2005 to Brown at Jadwin Gym) in the last 10 seasons.
Deep Thoughts Princeton and Columbia have five of the top 10 three-point shooters by percentage in the Ivy League (Strittmatter, Koncz and Owings for the Tigers; Loscalzo and Scott for the Lions).
More Deep Thoughts Princeton has made 41 three-point shots in its last four games and at least 10 “threes” in each of its last three games.
More Defensiveness Princeton's 28 points allowed against Rice Saturday were its fewest allowed to a Division I opponent since a 55-27 win over Yale on Jan. 11, 1991.
Even More Defensiveness Princeton, leading Division I at 49.2 points allowed per game, has allowed 45.7 points per game in its last 11 games after giving up 68 points in each of its first two games.
Road Warriors The Tigers have won three of their four road games this season, holding their opponents to an average of 44.3 points per game in the three wins.
The 14-Game Tournament Either Princeton (nine times) or Penn (nine times) has earned the Ivy League's automatic NCAA tournament berth in each of the last 18 seasons.
MORE ABOUT PRINCETON AND COLUMBIA...
History Lesson Princeton has won 36 of its last 40 games against Columbia dating back to the 1986-87 season.
The End Comes Columbia's 65-64 win over Princeton at Levien Gym last year broke a nine-game Princeton winning streak in the series.
Close Ones Princeton's home win against Columbia in 2006 came in overtime. The Columbia victory at Levien Gym came on a jump shot in the final 15 seconds.
To The Nines Princeton and Columbia each have nine non-conference wins, most among Ivy schools to date. Princeton still has one non-conference game, Jan. 29 at Seton Hall.
Poll Positions Princeton was picked second in the Ivy League Preseason Media Poll; Columbia was chosen to finish fifth.
Some More History Princeton has played Columbia more than any other opponent (215 times). The Lions were the first intercollegiate opponent for Princeton in 1901.
MORE NOTES & ANECDOTES
Minute Man Freshman guard Marcus Schroeder ranks third in Division I in minutes played per game. Schroeder averages 38.5 minutes per game.
Numbers Game Princeton has taken 285 three-point shots (21.9 per game) and 235 two-point shots (18.1 per game) this season.
More Numbers Game Princeton is ranked in the top 60 nationally in four statistical categories (scoring defense, three-pointers per game, fewest fouls per game and fewest turnovers per game).
Charity Cases In Princeton's nine wins, the Tigers have averaged nearly 17 free-throw attempts per game. In Princeton's four losses, the Tigers have averaged 10 free-throw attempts per game.
562 & 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 for the 1986-87 season. The Tigers have now made at least one three-pointer in 562 straight games.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 8.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 23 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 17 of his last 34 games.
Buckets & Buckets Kyle Koncz made at least three three-point shots in each of Princeton's first six games this season and nine times in 13 games overall.
More Bombs Away 201 of Kyle Koncz's 244 field-goal attempts (82%) the last two seasons have come from three-point range.
Experience Luke Owings has played in 90 career games entering today's game, 22 more than any other Princeton player (Noah Savage with 68).
Conference Call Luke Owings earned honorable-mention All-Ivy honors as a junior. He averaged almost 11 points and five rebounds in conference play.
Arc Madness Noah Savage needs two three-point shots to move into the top 15 all-time at Princeton and six 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 nine of Princeton's 13 games and has played 500 of a possible 520 minutes overall.
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 five three-point shots against South Carolina Dec. 20. His 15 points were a season high.
Handling It Lincoln Gunn and Marcus Schroeder have combined for 65 assists and 47 turnovers this season.
Old School Marcus Schroeder and Lincoln Gunn have known each other and played basketball together since elementary school.
Stritt Talk Michael Strittmatter has made 23 of his 45 shots and 13 of his 24 three-point attempts in Princeton's first 13 games this season.
Foul Play Edwin Buffmire has gone to the free throw line 32 times, most on the team, despite averaging just 17 minutes per game, sixth 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.