Cornell Up Next For Men's Basketball

Game 17: Princeton (15-1, 3-0) vs. Cornell (14-3, 3-0) – 2 p.m., 1/27
Watch: ESPN+ | International Feed
Live Stats
Listen
Tickets
Game Notes

PRINCETON, N.J. – Ivy League play continues for the Princeton University men's basketball team against Cornell inside Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York, at 2 p.m. on Jan. 27.

A Year Of Success
Since Feb.19, 2023, the Tigers have compiled a 21-2 record for a .913 winning percentage. That percentage is currently first in the nation in that span. UConn is second.

Road Warriors
Princeton's seven road victories are second to only Western Carolina and UMass Lowell, who both have eight, for the most in the nation.

A Historic Accomplishment
With 81-70 its victory over Drexel on Dec. 5, Princeton moved to 9-0 and tied its best start in school history. The Tigers also started 9-0 in 1919-20 and 1914-15.

National Notice
The Tigers rank No. 19 in the RPI. Princeton also checked in at No. 8 in the first NET rankings of the 2023-24 season announced on Dec. 3. Currently, the Tigers rank No. 29 in the NET Rankings.

Receiving Votes
Princeton received 21 votes in the Jan. 21 Associated Press (AP) Poll and 13 votes in the Jan. 15 USA Today Coaches Poll. The Tigers also received 35 votes in the Dec. 4 AP Poll and 38 votes in the Dec. 4 USA Today Coaches Poll. The 2023-24 season marks the first time the Tigers have received votes since 1997-98, when Princeton ended the season ranked No. 8.

A 15-Year First
The Tigers were the first DI team in the last 15 years to start 5-0 with four road wins.

Seven Games. Seven Venues. Seven Wins.
Each of the Tigers' first seven wins of the season took place in different venues. Princeton was the only team in the nation to win its first seven games in such fashion.

Fortress Jadwin
Princeton has always been tough at home, especially over the past two seasons where the Tigers have won 89.19% of their games and compiled a 33-4 record.

Last Time Out
Princeton moved to 3-0 in Ivy League play with a 70-62 victory over Columbia in Jan. 20 inside Levien Gymnasium.

The Brian Earl Connection
Cornell Head Coach Brian Earl won three Ivy League titles with the Tigers as a player and graduated in 1999. Along with being a teammate of Mitch Henderson, Earl also served as an assistant coach at Princeton from 2007 – 2016.

All-Time Against Cornell
The Tigers have a 153-84 record against the Big Red in a series that began in 1902.

Accurate From The Line
The Tigers have been one of best free throw shooting teams so far in 2023-24, currently shooting 79.83% which ranks No. 3 in the nation.

Efficient Offense
Princeton's two-point percentage of 59.0 ranks No. 7 in the nation. The Tigers' adjusted offensive efficiency of 118.6 also ranks 21st nationally. Raw offensive efficiency is points scored per 100 offensive possessions. The adjusted version adjusts for the quality of opposing defenses, the site of each game, and when each game was played (recent games get more weight.) Additionally, Princeton ranks No. 13 in effective field goal percentage (56.6).

Drillers
Princeton's 10.6 three-pointers per game ranks No. 8 nationally.

Taking Care Of The Ball
The Tigers rank No. 15 in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.62). Princeton also ranks No. 12 in turnover percentage (13.8). Turnover percentage is turnovers divided by possessions.

Get Stops
Princeton's scoring defense (63.2) currently ranks 14th nationally.

Lute Olson Award Mid-Season Watch List
Sophomore Xaivian Lee was named to the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award mid-season watch list on Jan. 10. The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.

Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List
Lee and sophomore Caden Pierce were named to the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award mid-season watch list by College Insider. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the top mid-major player in Division I college basketball and honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.

Offensive Leader
Of players who have played at a minimum of 40% of the team's minutes, Lee's offensive rating of 122.6 ranks second in the nation.

X-Factor
Lee leads the Ivy League in assist/turnover ratio (2.4). He leads the conference in made field goals (101), No. 2 in free throw percentage (86.4), No. 4 in scoring (17.8), No. 4 in assists (3.6), No. 9 in blocks (11) and No. 10 in three-point field goals-per-game (1.9). He is also shooting 48.3% shooting from the field and 37.3% shooting from three.

A Second Ivy Player of the Week Honor For Lee
Lee was named Ivy League Player of the Week on Jan. 8 and Nov. 27.

Offensive X-Plosion
With two 30-point games in 2023-24, Lee became the first Tiger to accomplish the feat since Myles Stephens '19 in the 2017-18 season. Should he have one more 30-point game, he'll become the first Tiger to record three since Brian Taylor '84 in the 1971-72 season when he recorded six.

Lee's Development
Lee scored 152 points total his freshman season. It took just eight games for Lee to score 195 points in 2023-24. Lee has had five games of at least 20 points in 2023-24.

First 30-Point Game Since 2020
Lee became the first Tiger since Jaelin Llewellyn '22 on Mar. 7, 2020, against Cornell to score 30 points in a game when he recorded 30 in Princeton's win over Northeastern on Nov.

Five Weekly Awards For Caden Pierce
Pierce was honored as Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Player of the Week on Jan. 23 and Dec. 5. Pierce was also named Ivy League on Jan. 2, Dec. 4 and Nov. 13.

A Historic Performance
Pierce's 26 points and 15 rebounds against Hofstra marked the first time a Princeton player recorded at least 26 points and 15 rebounds since Bob Roma '79 on Dec. 6, 1978, in a 67-65 loss to Seton Hall inside Jadwin Gymnasium. In that game, Roma had 29 points and 18 rebounds.

Rebounding Machine
Pierce's 9.3 rebounds-per-game currently ranks No. 38 in the nation while his 7.31 defensive rebounds rank No. 15. Pierce's defensive rebound percentage of 28.3 also ranks No. 11 nationally.

Top Ten In Everything
Pierce currently ranks second in the Ivy League in rebounding (9.3) and ranks No. 4 in field goal percentage (56.7), No. 6 in assist/turnover ratio (1.7), No. 6 in scoring (15.1), and No. 10 in blocks (11).

Caden Pierce Double-Double Tracker
With 21 points and 11 rebounds in Princeton's win over Columbia on Jan. 20, Pierce recorded his fourth-straight double-double, his eighth of the season and the 15th of his career. Nationally, his eight double-doubles rank 33rd.

Double-Digit Pierce Rebounds = A Princeton Win
Dating back to the 2022-23 season, the Tigers have won 18-consecutive games when Pierce has had 10 rebounds or more in a game. When Pierce grabs at least 10 rebounds, Princeton is 18-1.

Martini In The Middle
Senior Zach Martini has provided valuable senior leadership for the Tigers, averaging 8.1 points on 53.5% shooting from the field and 46.0% from three along with 3.5 rebounds.

One Of The Nation's Most Accurate
Martini's offensive rating of 141.9 ranks No. 3 in the nation, his eFG% of 67.5 No. 15 and his TS% of 68.8 No. 15. In the Ivy League, his three-point percentage of 46.0 ranks fourth and his field goal percentage of 54.2 seventh.

Strong Start For The Senior
A Second Team All-Ivy honoree in 2022-23, senior Matt Allocco is averaging 13.8 points-per-game. He ranks second in the Ivy League in assist/turnover ratio (2.1), second in three-point percentage (49.1), fifth in assists (3.6) and seventh in field goal percentage (55.2).

Elite Shooting
Allocco's true shooting percentage of 68.0 ranks No. 18 in the nation, his three-point percentage of 49.10 ranks No. 10 and his eFG% of 64.6 ranks No. 24.

A Career Night For Mush
In Princeton's win over Dartmouth on Jan. 15, Allocco led the way with a game and career-high 25 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field, 5-for-6 shooting from three and 4-for-4 shooting from the free throw line. His five made three-pointers were a career-high and in addition, Allocco handed out a game-high five assists.

A Weekly Honor For Matt Allocco
The Ivy League honored Allocco as Player of the Week on Dec. 5.

MVP Mush
Allocco was named MVP of the Jersey Jam after finishing with 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting and nine rebounds.

Mush Milestone Watch
With 93 made three-pointers in his career at Princeton, Allocco needs to make seven to reach 100 makes from deep.

Peters Closing In On 100 Threes
With 95 made three pointers in his career, junior Blake Peters needs five to reach 100. Peters also ranks seventh in the Ivy League in three-point field goals-per-game (2.1).

Dalen Davis Named Ivy League Rookie Of The Week
Freshman Dalen Davis was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Dec. 10.

Power Five Wins
Since Mitch Henderson took over as Tigers' head coach in the 2011-12 season, the Tigers' 11 power five wins are the most of any Ivy program. In 2023 the Tigers took down Rutgers, Missouri Arizona and in 2021 Oregon State and South Carolina. The 2018 season saw Princeton defeat Arizona State while in 2017 the Tigers overcame USC. In 2013 the Tigers earned victories over Penn State and Rutgers, and in 2011 Florida State and Rutgers fell to Princeton.

Run It Back
The Tigers are coming off a historic 2022-23 season that saw the team become the fourth No. 15 seed to make the Sweet Sixteen and win the Ivy League Tournament and Regular Season Championships, along with the London Basketball Classic. The Tigers defeated a pair of nationally-ranked opponents (No. 8 Arizona & No. 23 Missouri), became the 11th No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2 seed after taking down Arizona 58-55 in the in the NCAA Tournament Round 64, and earned the largest ever margin of victory for a No. 15 seed thanks to a 78-63 win over Mizzou in the Round of 32.

The Athletic Pierce Family
Greg Pierce, Caden's father, played football at Northwestern and Stephanie Pierce, his mother, played volleyball at Northwestern. Alec Pierce, his brother, is a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts and was a second round pick in the 2022 NFL draft who played at University of Cincinnati. Pierce's other brother, Justin Pierce (brother) played three years of college basketball at William and Mary, graduated in three years and transferred to University of North Carolina for final year and played under Roy Williams, now plays professional basketball overseas.

Lee Leads The Canadian U19 Team
Xaivian Lee represented Canada over the summer in Hungary at the FIBA U19 World Cup. He averaged 14.1 points-per-game from the field along with 3.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds. Overall, Lee ranked 14th in scoring at the FIBA U19 World Cup.

Welcome, Luke Gore
Luke Gore joins the Tigers' coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2023-24. Gore joins the Tigers from Wichita State, where he served as the Director of Basketball Operations since April 2023. Prior to that, he was on staff at Valparaiso for 21 years, rising to Associate Head Coach in 2016. Gore served as an assistant coach from 2003 – 2016 and an administrative assistant from 2002 – 2003. During his time with the Beacons, Gore helped guide the program to 387 victories including a school record 30 wins in 2016. He led them to three NCAA Tournament appearances and four NIT appearances along with seven conference championships and three conference tournament titles.

The Newcomers
The Tigers welcome five freshmen in 2023-24; Dalen Davis, Jackson Hicke, Jacob Huggins, Derek Sangster and Ryan Duncan.

Princeton Alumni
Five alums are doing grad years at other institutions due to an Ivy rule that does not allow student-athletes to compete for a fifth year in the conference. Ryan Langborg '23 is at Northwestern, Keeshawn Kellman '23 at Florida Gulf Coast, Jacob O'Connell '23 at Merrimack, Konrad Kiszka '23 at NYU and Jaelin Llewellyn '22 at Michigan.

#PrincetonPros
10 Princeton men's basketball alumni are currently playing professional basketball. Tosan Evbuomwan '23 (Motor City Cruise), Devin Cannady '20 (Birmingham Squadron), Ethan Wright '22 (CSM Tárgu Jiu), Ryan Schwieger '21 (Rasta Vechta), Richmond Aririguzoh '20 (Rasta Vechta), Myles Stephens '19 (Dolomiti Energia Trento), Amir Bell '18 (Anwil Wloclawek), Spencer Weisz '17 (Hapoel Haifa), Henry Caruso '17 (Élan Chalon), and Ian Hummer '13 (Osaka Evessa).

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Matt Allocco

Dalen Davis

Ryan Duncan

Tosan Evbuomwan

Jackson Hicke

Jacob Huggins

Keeshawn Kellman

Konrad Kiszka

Ryan Langborg

Xaivian Lee

Zach Martini

Jacob O'Connell

Blake Peters

Caden Pierce

Derek Sangster

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Princeton University Athletics