Journey to Jadwin: The Class of 2022
3/16/2022
Instead of separating us, it brought us together more than ever.Elijah Barnes
Despite missing a season and dealing with more physical separation than most senior classes around the country, the Princeton men’s basketball Class of 2022 share an unbreakable bond. From clinching an outright Ivy League Championship, to cutting down the nets in Jadwin Gymnasium, to beating power five schools, to buzzer beaters, to missing the 2019-2020 postseason and entire 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Class of 2022 have shared the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Through it all, the one constant has been each other. The strength of the relationships they've formed with one another have made the good times even better, and they've been there to pick each other up during the challenges.
“We've added Elijah and Charlie, so that makes it special in itself,” said Ethan Wright. “All six of us are so different, but we love each other so much. We get along so well together, that's really the best thing about us, everybody is so positive all the time, and so positive to be around."
The Tigers’ Class of 2022 have endured a roller-coaster ride throughout their careers at Princeton. During the 2020-21 year, Barnes, Charlie Bagin, and Jaelin Llewellyn were not on campus at all. Barnes lived in a house off campus with teammates Drew Friberg, Konrad Kiszka, and Jacob O’Connell, while Bagin stayed home in north Jersey. Llewellyn stayed in Virginia, working and working out at his high school.
“We all made efforts to go see each other if we weren't at Princeton,” said Elijah Barnes. “If someone was further away, they would always make an effort to come visit for a couple days. It made us appreciate each other a lot more, and appreciate what we have as a team. That's what's led to this year being so special.”
Barnes was originally part of the Class of 2021, not the Class of 2022. When the Ivy League announced there would be no basketball season in 2020-21, Barnes and Bagin chose to take the year off and join Jaelin Llewellyn, Drew Friberg, Max Johns, and Ethan Wright as members of the Class of 2022.
Barnes and Bagin could have transferred and played at another school. They could have taken classes at Princeton and graduated with the Class of 2021, moved onto the real world, and started making real money a year earlier. The chance to be a Princeton men’s basketball player for one more season proved too valuable to pass up.
“I wanted to be able to have a normal senior year, play basketball, and experience what school is like,” said Barnes. “I didn’t want to have this distorted picture or memory of what college was for me.”
Bagin notes that he was already close friends with all members of the Class of 2022. Amongst the six of them, getting to have another year with such an unselfish group who regularly made him laugh was too good to pass up.
“We’ve got a really good sense of humor as a class,” said Bagin. “We’re willing to laugh at each other, and with each other. Those two go hand-in-hand, not having an ego and being willing to laugh at yourself."
The Class of 2022 welcomed the addition of Barnes and Bagin with open arms. Being a year older, they brought a calming presence to the group. Given that Llewellyn, Wright, Friberg, and Johns made the jump from sophomores to seniors, the added experience has proven helpful.
For Llewellyn specifically, this meant the resumption of his battles at practice with Bagin. Llewellyn has been the Tigers’ starting point guard since his freshman year, and Bagin typically runs the point for the scout team. According to Llewellyn, Bagin is the hardest worker he knows. Bagin’s willingness to come in everyday and do anything and everything asked of him has helped push Llewellyn to become a better player.
“He gives one hundred percent every time he steps on the court,” said Llewellyn. “Having him guard you, or having to guard him in a scout situation is sometimes annoying because he's so good and knows the scout so well. He knows how to get you to mess up, but I appreciate it so much because it helps me be the best I can be when it's time for games.
I just have the utmost appreciation for him, because I know it takes a lot to go out there and do everything that we do in practice, and he's doing it without the expectation of getting major minutes. He just does it because he loves the sport, and he wants to help and see us all get better as a team, and individually. This year, he'll be there three hours early working out with all the freshmen, helping them get better offensively and defensively.”
Unselfishness, sacrificing for your teammates, and not caring who gets the credit are hallmarks of the Class of 2022. It’s a trait they take great pride in, and one that its actively passing on to the Tigers’ underclassmen.
“If it's Jaelin scoring 35 points, that's fine. If he's scoring three points and everyone else is carrying the load, that's fine too,” proclaimed Johns. "We really don't care, and we really don't judge each other. Not only ourselves, but anyone else on the team. We want people to grow and get better, we want to win games. If that's at the top, then nothing else really matters.”
Along with their unselfishness on the court, the six display an admirable humility and sense of humor.
The Class has been influential to one another, and Llewellyn acknowledges it’s his classmates on the team who have been his biggest influences at Princeton.”
“We're very close and even though we're mostly all the same age and going through the same things, they're pretty influential,” explained Llewellyn. “When I don't know what to do someone in that group might and they may be able to help me know what to do.”
ON-COURT ACCOLADES
Along with winning the 2022 Ivy League Regular Season Championship and earning an automatic bid to the NIT, the group has defeated four power five schools; USC, Arizona State, South Carolina, and Oregon State The quartet of Llewellyn, Wright, Friberg, and Johns have also never missed out on a spot in the Ivy League Tournament. The Class of 2022 helped the Tigers set four new program records in 2021-22; highest scoring average (79.8), most points scored in a season (2395), most field goals made in a season (910), and the most three-pointers made in a season (327).
Llewellyn earned First Team All-Ivy League and Second Team All-District in 2022, and was named Second Team All-Ivy League in 2020. Along with being named to the 2021-22 Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Award Mid-Season Watch List, he is a two-time Ivy League Player of the Week, and was named to the 2021 Asheville Championship All-Tournament Team, along with being named MVP of the Air Force Reserve Hall of Fame Boardwalk Classic in 2018. In less than three full seasons, Llewellyn ended his Princeton career with 1064 points, which ranks tied for 27th all-time in school history, and his 136 made three-pointers rank 14th all-time in school history for most career made threes. In 2021-22, Llewellyn made 64 three-pointers, which stands at No. 15 all-time on the Tigers' all-time list for most threes made in a season.
A Second Team All-District and Second Team All-Ivy League honoree in 2022, Wright was honored as the Ivy League Player of the Week on three occasions. He made 119 career three-pointers, which ranks 18th all-time in school history. In 2021-22, he made 70 three-pointers, which is tied for 11th all-time at Princeton for threes made in a season.
An Academic All-Ivy League honoree in 2022, Friberg’s 136 made three-pointers rank 13th all-time in school history. His 75 made three-pointers in the 2021-22 rank seventh all-time for most threes made in a season at Princeotn, and his 52 in the 2019-20 seasons rank 18th all-time.
The Princeton Men’s Basketball Class of 2022
Jaelin Llewellyn
Llewellyn, a History major from Mississauga, Ontario, was introduced to the game on a little tikes hoop by his father, Cordell, a star at the University of Rhode Island and member of the Canadian National Team. He idolized Chris Bosh, Tracy McGrady, and LeBron James growing up, and won back-to-back Rec League titles at the Mississauga Valley Community Center. He rose through the Canadian junior basketball ranks, eventually settling at the Virginia Episcopal School. He represented Canada at the 2017 Adidas Nations Camp, finishing as the third leading scorer in a field loaded with NBA players including Zion Williamson, Cole Anthony, Ignas Brazdeikis, and R.J. Hampton. Turning down offers from Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, Georgetown, Purdue and Wake Forest, Llewellyn would choose Princeton the summer before his senior year.
Drew Friberg
Friberg, a politics major born and bred in State College, Pennsylvania, grew up battling his two brothers, first on a little tikes hoop and eventually on a hoop in his driveway. The sibling rivalry would eventually transform into camaraderie; they teamed up to the win the “Pennsylvania Middle School State Championship,” then, on his senior night in high school, Friberg would take the court with his two brothers, his cousin, and a close friend from his middle school team in what was a special moment for him and his family. Friberg on the AAU Circuit, teaming up with current Tiger teammate Konrad Kiszka on his first AAU Team, We Are One. Friberg would end up playing for the Jersey Shore Warriors, and eventually committing to Princeton.
Max Johns
A Neuroscience major inspired by a Lebron James highlight on ESPN, Johns, grew up in High Point, North Carolina. For part of his childhood, Johns lived on 14 acres. He first used basketball as an outlet, shooting hoops by himself at home as a way to relax. As he improved, he ended up playing AAU for Stackhouse Elite; he had the opportunity to learn under former NBA All-Star and current Vanderbilt Head Coach Jerry Stackhouse, and this helped show him what it took to play at a high level. With UVA nearby, Johns kept a close eye on Malcolm Brogdon, noting their similar body types and admiration for Brogdon’s commitment to winning, and styled his game after the current Indiana Pacer.
Ethan Wright
A Sociology major, Wright is the son of the legendary Ellen DeVoe ‘86, and grandson of John DeVoe ‘56, Wright learned the game from his mother. As a child, she taught him proper shooting mechanics and did not allow him to shoot three-pointers until he was older and strong enough to prevent the development of a hitch in his shot. His mother was his first basketball role model, and was highly influential in teaching him the game. While nervous starting as a freshman on his high school varsity team, the years of correct instruction on shooting form paid off, as he one made his first five three-pointers. This helped give Wright the confidence he could play at a school like Princeton.
Elijah Barnes
A history major, Barnes, who settled in Freehold, New Jersey, with his family, initially didn’t think an Ivy League school was for him. Little did he realize what the future held. A teacher and assistant coach of his went to Rutgers with Associate Head Coach Brett MacConnell, who became a regular fixture at Barnes’ games, and becoming a Tiger started to become more of a reality. Recognized as one of the best high school players in New Jersey while also excelling in the classroom, Barnes eventually landed at Princeton and has made invaluable contributions to the program.
Charlie Bagin
An Operations Research & Financial Engineering major, Bagin, who still bears a scar near his eye from running into the underside of a desk while diving for a loose ball in his basement at age four, grew up 30 minutes outside of New York City in Glenridge, New Jersey. Bagin would attend a camp in the Poconos during the summers, and was a self-described “super fundamental kid who would always try to run the offense, pass the ball, and play really scrappy defense that the other kids probably hated.” His approach paid off, as he made the varsity his junior year at Don Bosco High School. It was here he truly learned how to play alongside great players, a skill that paved the way for him to play at Princeton.
The paths taken by Bagin and Wright are intertwined; each attended a summer basketball camp in the Poconos, where they once roomed together. Their paths would not cross until 10 years later, when both were Tigers.
The Princeton Years
The Class of 2022’s time at Princeton began in the 2017-18 season, with Barnes and Bagin as freshmen on the team. They got experience playing and winning on big stages, beginning the year with a game in Hinkle Fieldhouse then defeating USC, a preseason national top-15 team, in overtime on the road in December, 103-93. Following the win over the Trojans, the Tigers made the trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Hawaiin Airlines Diamond Head Classic. The team went 2-1 overcoming Akron 64-62 on a game-winning shot by Myles Stephens ’19 on Dec. 23, before taking down Hawai’i, 77-63, on Christmas Day. While the trip saw its share of successes on the court, the bonding experiences off the court were invaluable. On an off day, the team rented mopeds and took them up the coast.
We're driving them up the coast, the wind was in our hair. When we were coming back, we were racing the sun and the dinner deadline. We were going as fast as we could, the sun was setting, it was getting dark, and we just kind of ditched them right outside the hotel when we got back so we could get into dinner on time.Charlie Bagin
The 2018-19 season was the first time all six members of the team were together, and it was highlighted by a 67-66 win at No. 17 Arizona State on Dec. 17, along with games at Madison Square Garden and Cameron Indoor Arena
It was at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 9 that Llewellyn debuted as a Tiger; he wasted no time in making an impact in the black and orange. In the Mecca of Basketball, Llewellyn started in his first career appearance, scoring 17 points and handing out four assists against St. John’s. Llewellyn showed Tiger fans a glimpse of the force he’d become taking the ball to the basket, throwing down a thunderous reverse dunk that ignited the Princeton bench. The moment was captured via photo, and shows Llewellyn turning and screaming at the bench, as they screamed back.
I remember seeing that picture afterwards, then right after the game just staring at my teammates reactions because you can see how much every single one of them was supporting what I was doing out there. It meant so much to me that people cared about how well I was doing, and the things I was doing, as much as I care about them.Jaelin Llewellyn
Llewellyn would end the 2018-19 season as the first Princeton freshman to lead the team in assists since 2007, and earn MVP honors at the HoopHall Boardwalk Classic in Atlantic City on Dec. 15. He finished with 22 points on 10-for-15 shooting, eight assists, and three rebounds.
Friberg also flashed the shooting prowess he’s now known for as a freshman; on Dec. 15 he helped the Tigers defeat Iona, an NCAA Tournament Team in 2018-19, 85-81, at the HoopHall Boardwalk Classic in Atlantic City. He came off the bench and poured in nine points in nine minutes, going 3-for-4 from behind the three-point line.
“My playing time freshman year was a little up-and-down, so I hadn't gotten into the game yet,” said Friberg. “Right in the second half, Coach put me in and I hit three-straight threes, so that was my favorite memory from my freshman year.”
Wright would also start six games, including the Ivy League Tournament semifinal against Yale, and score 40 of his season’s 67 points over a seven-game stretch in late February and March. This stretch foreshadowed the scorer he would become as his career progressed.
Off the court, long card games ensued on the road as a way to kill time. This further enhanced the bond the Tigers shared with each other.
“When I was rooming with Ryan (Schwieger), he would play the same Frank Ocean song as his alarm every morning at 7 a.m., make coffee, then he would read his Shakespeare books,” said Barnes. “We would argue about different philosophies, or sports, or random pop culture things. Those are the things I love and will miss the most.”
The Barnes-Schwieger debates became legendary, and a source of entertainment for all who were fortunate enough to witness them.
2019-20 saw things really begin to come together on the court for the Class of 2022. Llewellyn was named Second Team All-Ivy League, and was honored as the Ivy League Player of the Week on Jan. 6. He was unstoppable to close the season out, averaging 20.0 points per game on 46.2% percent shooting from the field, 44.0% percent from three and 88.0% percent from the free throw line along with 4.4 rebounds per game with a 1.5 assist/turnover ratio in the final seven games of the season.
Wright had six double-digit scoring games, including a then career-high 21 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 shooting from three, along with a career-high four assists in a 73-54 triumph over Brown on Feb. 15. He also drilled a behind-the-back, step-back-three pointer against Harvard on Feb. 1, a move that exemplified his growing confidence.
That year, the Tigers played in the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors. While in San Francisco, the team visited Alcatraz and connected with Princeton alumni at an alumni event. The Tigers also got to play in Assembly Hall, home of the Indiana Hoosiers, and had clinched a spot in the Ivy League Tournament prior to its cancellation.
While 2020-21 was a disrupted year basketball-wise, the Class of 2022 made the best of the situation as much as they could. Friberg, Wright, and Johns were back on campus in the spring, working out in Jadwin and getting to spend time with their teammates. Llewellyn was in Virginia working at his high school, and Barnes used the time to do more work in the community.
“I thought that having a year off would help me do more in the community, which I think it did that fall,” explained Barnes. “I was able to be a lot more interactive, and get some initiatives done that I wanted to. In the spring, I was able to be around my teammates, but also still be somewhat involved in the Princeton community by working at basketball camps and things like that.”
Bagin, along with Maddie Plank from the Tigers’ women’s team, rode bikes 3,504 miles from the Jersey Shore to the Pacific Coast in 68 days, raising money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The group was thrilled to finally be back together in the fall of 2021. Wright had not seen Llewellyn or Johns for over a year since they left campus, and the group was forced to miss a year of their college careers at Princeton.
Once everyone got back, we were just so excited to see each other and to get to play basketball again. This season, all the stuff that I used to dread like early morning workouts, I've come to appreciate a lot more because it was taken away. It’s made it so much easier for us to appreciate what we're doing, and that's definitely helped us on the court.Ethan Wright
2021-22 can be best summed up by Friberg’s description of the locker room after the Tigers’ 66-62 victory over South Carolina on Nov. 12 at the Asheville Championship. South Carolina, a Final Four team in 2017, presented an early challenge for the Tigers, who had not played a Division I opponent since March 2020.
Postgame Vibes! ????#MakeShots ???? pic.twitter.com/4De27HxpW7
— Princeton Men’s Basketball (@PrincetonMBB) November 13, 2021
We hadn't played in so long. We were preparing for a month for South Carolina and Coach told us every day that we were going to win the game, and we won the game. That locker room was just incredible, it was great being back on the court with my best friends.Drew Friberg
Princeton was unlucky not to bring back hardware from the Asheville Championship, falling in double overtime, 87-80, to Minnesota in the Championship game on Nov. 14. Playing in Asheville was a special experience for Johns, a North Carolina native.
Both of those games were really good, but getting a win over South Carolina put us on the map. It was a big win for us over an SEC school. My parents were really happy to see me as well, because they don't really get to come to a lot of my games. It was so good to see my family in that setting, and to be able to hang out with them during the downtime.Max Johns
Not deterred by the narrow loss, the Tigers would defeat another power five school on Nov. 21, this time it was Oregon State on the road, 81-80. Wright led the way with a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Friberg finished with 17 points and Llewellyn 14. Oregon State made the Elite Eight in the 2020-21 season, but were no match for the Tigers on Nov. 21. Wright (24 points, 10 rebounds, Friberg (17 points, four rebounds, four assists), and Llewellyn (14 points) led the way in an 81-80 victory in Corvallis, further showcasing that the Tigers could match it with the power fives.
The Tigers’ strong early-season play foreshadowed what was to come; starting with an 81-79 victory over Drexel on Dec. 4, Princeton rattled off 10-straight wins. By Jan. 28, this was the third-longest winning streak in the nation of any Division I men’s basketball program.
No mention of the 2021-22 season would be complete without mention of the Tigers’ 72-70 win over Cornell on Jan. 8 following a buzzer-beater by Matt Allocco. The win, which saw Friberg leading the way with 16 points and eight rebounds, led the Saturday Night edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, and was also featured on the NCAA March Madness social media accounts.
The individual accolades also continued to roll in for the Tigers in 2021-22. Llewellyn was named First Team All-Ivy League, Second Team All-District, to the All-Tournament Team at the Asheville Championship, as well as the Ivy League Player of the Week on Nov. 15. Along with being named Second Team All-District and Second Team All-Ivy League, Wright was also named the Ivy League Player of the Week on Feb. 6, Dec. 20., and Nov. 22. Friberg would also collect Academic All-Ivy League honors.
Barnes would play a major role in the Tigers’ 89-77 victory over UMBC on Dec. 13, finishing with nine points on 4-for-4 shooting from the field and 1-for-1 shooting from the free throw line, along with two rebounds, and one block. He knocked down a jumper from the top of the key in the first half, then in the second proceeded to score in the post, drill a long three-pointer and throw down a powerful two-handed slam. The Tigers were elated for Barnes, someone who had always put the team first and embraced whatever role was given to him.
He also helped the Tigers clinch a share of the Ivy League Championship at Harvard on Feb. 25, scoring eight points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field, and 1-for-2 shooting from three, in nine minutes on the court.
Johns was an efficient and reliable performer off the bench for the Tigers. Typically given the most challenging defensive assignment, he shot 64.8% from the field and 45.0% from three in 2021-22. His ability to come into games and make an impact on both ends is highly-valued by his teammates.
“He (Max Johns) has a different level of grit and intensity. When he knows that we really need someone to come in and put a lot of focus on the defensive end, he likes to take that challenge. I know he has a great love and passion for defense, and he's an insane athlete so that helps as well.Jaelin Llewellyn
After defeating Harvard on Feb. 25, the Tigers were tasked with overcoming Penn inside the Palestra on Mar. 5 to win the Ivy League Regular Season Championship outright, and they came away with a resounding 93-70 victory over the Quakers. Llewellyn led the way for Princeton, scoring a game-high 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting, while Friberg went 5-for-8 from three and had 18 points of his own. After being presented the trophy and banner in the Palestra, the Tigers made the short trip back to Jadwin and cut down the nets, a just reward for their years of hard work and dedication to Princeton.
The Tigers' 28th Ivy League Championship guaranteed them an automatic bid to the NIT, which saw Princeton make its sixth appearance in school history in the annual postseason tournament. The Tigers traveled to Richmond, Virginia, for a match-up with No. 3 seed VCU.
Along with the group’s success on the court, which includes an Ivy League Championship and wins over four power five schools, it has created memories off the court that will last a lifetime. It continued to display the team-first mentality that’s needed to be part of the Princeton basketball team, and set it up for success in the future.
It should also be noted that the Class of 2022, and Barnes in particular, have taken pride in making an impact in the community and improving the lives of others. Between his sophomore and junior year, he spent the summer teaching kids in Shanghai. In Trenton, he has helped new citizens register to vote. In Philadelphia, he’s tutored immigrants in English. He’s helped lead and spoken at equality rallies. He helped oversee the distribution of over 5,000 books to his old school district in Freehold, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County. Johns has also been active in the community; beginning in April 2019, he began volunteering at the New Jersey Special Olympics, where he managed basketball event and worked closely with Special Olympic Athletes.
The Future
As for what’s next for the Class of 2022, postseason is on the horizon as the group looks to further its legacy at Princeton. Their final chapter at Princeton remains unwritten.
Beyond this season, Llewellyn, Wright, Friberg, and Johns have all discussed following in the footsteps of Ryan Schwieger ’21 and Jèrôme Desrosiers ‘21 by playing a grad year elsewhere, due to the Ivy League rule that does now allow student-athletes to play a fifth year. Barnes is interested in getting into sports broadcasting, and dreams of one day hosting an afternoon sports talk radio show along with continuing his community service initiatives. He'll be heading to the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, providing color commentary for Princeton's radio broadcast. Bagin’s future is currently up in the air, but he would like to be somewhere where he can help others. Johns is unsure of what lies ahead.
Character is an important in any recruit that wants to play at Princeton, and the Class of 2022 has exemplified this as much as anyone. This bodes well for their future endeavors.
“The past two years have taught me that you never have to do anything alone,” said Barnes. "No matter what you're going through, there's always someone there for you.”
