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Princeton University Athletics
Kit Mueller '91 and Heidi Nolte '79
Mueller '91 and Nolte '79 Named Legends of Ivy League Basketball
January 27, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
PRINCETON - The Ivy League is pleased to announce the fifth annual 16-member class of Legends of Ivy League Basketball. These Legends embody the unrivaled experience afforded Ivy League student-athletes and have left a lasting impact on their respective basketball programs, universities and chosen professions.
Each Ivy League institution is represented by one male and one female honoree, as selected by their institution's athletic department. Princeton will be represented this year by Kit Mueller '91 on the men's side and Heidi Nolte '79 on the women's side.
This year's class includes the winningest head coach in Ivy League women's basketball history, eight Ivy League Players or the Year or Defensive Players of the Year, two Ivy League Rookies of the Year, and 11 1,000-point scorers. The class combined for 37 All-Ivy selections (28 First Team, 9 Second Team) and eight class members went on to play professional basketball.
Each legend will be formally honored at the 2023 Ivy League Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments which will run March 10-12 at Jadwin Gym in Princeton, N.J. A variety of ticket offerings are on sale now via IvyMadness.com.
Kit Mueller '91
The Ivy League Player of the Year in 1991 and 1990, Kit Mueller was also a two-time Academic All-American and a three-time first-team All-Ivy League honoree. In 2009, an ESPN publication named him one of the five greatest players in Princeton men's basketball history.
Mueller helped continue the Tigers' winning tradition, leading Princeton to Ivy League Championships in 1989, 1990 and 1991, along with NCAA Tournament appearances in each of those seasons. During his senior season in 1991, he led the Tigers to a perfect 14-0 record in conference play.
His name is featured prominently in the Tigers' record book, as his 1,546 points rank fourth all-time at Princeton. In addition, he ranks third in made field goals (556), made free throws (411) and assists (381), while sitting fourth in field goal percentage (59.9%).
His 1989-90 season produced two of the program's all-time best marks as well, with his 140 assists ranking No. 3 in a season by a Tiger and his 64.9% field goal clip ranking No. 4 all-time.
On three occasions, Mueller had games with 11 assists – which is the third-highest single-game assist total by a Princeton player.
After Princeton, Mueller played professionally in Switzerland before becoming a professional hedge fund trader. He also became active in 3-on-3 basketball leagues, and in 2003 teamed with Mitch Henderson, Craig Robinson, Brian Earl and Arne Duncan and made the national championship. His daughter, Ellie Mueller, is currently a junior on Princeton's women's lacrosse team.
Heidi Nolte '79
Heidi Nolte played four seasons for Princeton Women's Basketball before graduating in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Nolte helped the Tigers to 61 victories during her career, posting a .642 winning percentage. Princeton won three Ivy League championships during Nolte's tenure on the court, also claiming the Eastern AIAW Small College Tournament in 1976 and the Eastern AIAW Mid-Atlantic title in 1978. She would go on to be selected by Dallas in the fifth round of the 1979 Women's Professional Basketball League college draft.
In her post-Princeton career, Nolte has worked in IT consulting. A dedicated alumna, she has previously served as the vice president of the Princeton Basketball Friends Group and is a regular and passionate presence with the program as a mentor to the current group.
Each Ivy League institution is represented by one male and one female honoree, as selected by their institution's athletic department. Princeton will be represented this year by Kit Mueller '91 on the men's side and Heidi Nolte '79 on the women's side.
This year's class includes the winningest head coach in Ivy League women's basketball history, eight Ivy League Players or the Year or Defensive Players of the Year, two Ivy League Rookies of the Year, and 11 1,000-point scorers. The class combined for 37 All-Ivy selections (28 First Team, 9 Second Team) and eight class members went on to play professional basketball.
Each legend will be formally honored at the 2023 Ivy League Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments which will run March 10-12 at Jadwin Gym in Princeton, N.J. A variety of ticket offerings are on sale now via IvyMadness.com.
Kit Mueller '91
The Ivy League Player of the Year in 1991 and 1990, Kit Mueller was also a two-time Academic All-American and a three-time first-team All-Ivy League honoree. In 2009, an ESPN publication named him one of the five greatest players in Princeton men's basketball history.
Mueller helped continue the Tigers' winning tradition, leading Princeton to Ivy League Championships in 1989, 1990 and 1991, along with NCAA Tournament appearances in each of those seasons. During his senior season in 1991, he led the Tigers to a perfect 14-0 record in conference play.
His name is featured prominently in the Tigers' record book, as his 1,546 points rank fourth all-time at Princeton. In addition, he ranks third in made field goals (556), made free throws (411) and assists (381), while sitting fourth in field goal percentage (59.9%).
His 1989-90 season produced two of the program's all-time best marks as well, with his 140 assists ranking No. 3 in a season by a Tiger and his 64.9% field goal clip ranking No. 4 all-time.
On three occasions, Mueller had games with 11 assists – which is the third-highest single-game assist total by a Princeton player.
After Princeton, Mueller played professionally in Switzerland before becoming a professional hedge fund trader. He also became active in 3-on-3 basketball leagues, and in 2003 teamed with Mitch Henderson, Craig Robinson, Brian Earl and Arne Duncan and made the national championship. His daughter, Ellie Mueller, is currently a junior on Princeton's women's lacrosse team.
Heidi Nolte '79
Heidi Nolte played four seasons for Princeton Women's Basketball before graduating in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Nolte helped the Tigers to 61 victories during her career, posting a .642 winning percentage. Princeton won three Ivy League championships during Nolte's tenure on the court, also claiming the Eastern AIAW Small College Tournament in 1976 and the Eastern AIAW Mid-Atlantic title in 1978. She would go on to be selected by Dallas in the fifth round of the 1979 Women's Professional Basketball League college draft.
In her post-Princeton career, Nolte has worked in IT consulting. A dedicated alumna, she has previously served as the vice president of the Princeton Basketball Friends Group and is a regular and passionate presence with the program as a mentor to the current group.
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