2023 Sweet Sixteen Team
Princeton's March to Magic: The 2023 Sweet 16 Run
Quick Facts
- Princeton became just the fourth No. 15 seed to make the Sweet 16
- The Tigers became 11th No. 15 seed in NCAA tournament history to defeat a No. 2 seed
- When Princeton beat No. 7 seed Missouri, 78-63, in the Round of 32 it became the largest victory margin by a 15-seed in NCAA Tournament history
- Arizona was ranked No. 8 and Missouri No. 23 in the AP Top-25 at the time of the Tigers’ victories over them
- Princeton captured the Ivy League Tournament title along with a share of the regular season championship
- Tosan Evbuomwan ‘23 was named Most Outstanding Player of the Ivy League Tournament
- Princeton entered the game against Arizona as massive 15-point underdogs with only a 9.3% implied probability of winning
- Mitch Henderson has been either a player or a coach for the last four Princeton NCAA tournament victories
- The Tigers went 23-9 overall and 10-4 in Ivy League play in 2022-23
Chapter One: Bring It Home
In the 2023 Ivy League Tournament, hosted on Princeton’s home floor at Jadwin Gymnasium, Princeton entered as the No. 2 seed after finishing tied with Yale for the regular-season title (10–4 Ivy record). The Tigers defeated the University of Pennsylvania 77–70 in the semifinal, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the second half. In the championship game on March 12, 2023, Princeton faced Yale, a team they had lost to in the Ivy League Tournament the previous year. Princeton went on to beat Yale 74–65 to claim the program’s first Ivy League Tournament title since 2017. Forward Tosan Evbuomwan ’23 was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 21 points in the final.
Chapter Two: A Team of Destiny
The NCAA Tournament selection committee placed Princeton as the No. 15 seed in the South Region, facing No. 2 seed Arizona. On March 16, 2023, Princeton defeated Arizona 59–55 in Sacramento, California. It was Princeton’s first NCAA Tournament victory since 1998 and just the 11th time a No. 15 seed had defeated a No. 2 seed since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Evbuomwan reached 1,000 career points in the game and led the team with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Princeton held Arizona, ranked fourth nationally in scoring offense, to a season-low point total. The Tigers outrebounded Arizona 38–36, recorded a 6–1 advantage in blocked shots, and saw each of their first seven field goals come from different players. Princeton trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half and did not take its first lead until 2:03 remained, closing the game with a 9–0 run.
Chapter Three: More History
Two days later, Princeton faced No. 7 seed Missouri and won 78–63, marking the largest margin of victory by a No. 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history. The Tigers led for 39:09 of game time and by as many as 21 points in the second half. Ryan Langborg ’23 scored 22 points and added six rebounds, while Blake Peters ’25 scored a career-high 17 points, shooting 5-for-8 from three-point range in 15 minutes off the bench. Princeton became the first Ivy League program to defeat an SEC opponent in the NCAA Tournament since Dartmouth beat Kentucky in 1942. The Tigers improved their three-point shooting percentage to 36% (12-for-33) from 16% (4-for-25) in the Arizona game and had a 16-to-9 assist-to-turnover ratio against a Missouri team ranked in the top 10 nationally in turnovers forced per game. Only 1.86% of ESPN Tournament Challenge brackets predicted Princeton to advance to the Sweet 16.
Princeton became the fourth No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16, joining Florida Gulf Coast (2013), Oral Roberts (2021), and Saint Peter’s (2022). The win over Missouri also marked Princeton’s fifth straight win overall, including Ivy League Tournament play.
This win marked the fourth consecutive NCAA tournament victory for Princeton where Coach Mitch Henderson was either a coach or a player for the Tigers.
Chapter 4: The End of Magic
On March 24, Princeton lost to No. 6 seed Creighton 86–75 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The Tigers trailed by 16 points in the second half before reducing the deficit to seven with under three minutes remaining. Evbuomwan recorded 24 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, while Langborg scored 26 points. The pair combined for 50 of Princeton’s 75 points.