The Princeton Tigers men’s basketball team opened the 2023-24 season with a statement win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 68-61, in front of more than 6,000 fans at CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton in what was dubbed the “Jersey Jam.” Here are four observations about the Tigers’ triumph over their in-state rival:
1. Princeton’s dominance over Rutgers continues. After giving up the first basket of the game to Rutgers, the Tigers took command, racing out to a 14-7 lead at the 14:33 mark of the first half. The Scarlet Knights fought back and briefly led for a few minutes until the Tigers retook the lead on a Xaivian Lee three-pointer with 54 seconds left in the half. The Tigers never trailed again and led by as many as 10 late in the second half. With the win, Princeton now leads the all-time series against Rutgers 76-45, and has won four of the last five contests with its in-state rival.
2. Princeton basketball continues to thrive in the afterglow of the Sweet 16 run. With the win over Rutgers, Princeton has now defeated three straight power-five opponents, the longest such streak in nearly 25 years. The current streak began last March when Princeton defeated No. 2-seeded Arizona, a Pac-12 opponent, in a historic upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Two days later, the Tigers stomped Missouri of the SEC in the second round of the Tournament. The Monday win over Rutgers represents the first time that Princeton has defeated a Big Ten opponent since 1985 when the Tigers defeated Wisconsin at the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tucson, Ariz. Unfortunately, Princeton won’t have another opportunity to face a power-five opponent until 2024 at the earliest, as the remainder of the nonconference schedule this season features nothing but mid-major foes.
3. Princeton remains potent even without last year’s super seniors. After last season’s historic run in the NCAA Tournament, many pundits, myself included, thought Princeton would regress after losing Tosan Evbuomwan, Ryan Langborg and Keeshawn Kellman to graduation. But the returning Tigers showed yesterday that they are ready to carry forward the tradition of winning at Old Nassau.
Matt Allocco, who led all scorers with 21 points against Rutgers and was named the MVP of the game, looks poised to make a run for first team All-Ivy after winning second team honors last season. Super sophomores Xaivian Lee and Caden Pierce also look bigger, stronger and more confident, with the latter pulling down a ridiculous 15 rebounds against a much bigger Rutgers team. Lee set personal highs yesterday with 16 points and five assists in 29 minutes of court time.
Princeton’s other two starters, Blake Peters and Zach Martini, looked solid, especially Martini, who drew the daunting task of defending Rutgers’ 6-foot-11 center, Clifford Omoruyi. But Martini more than held his ground, surrendering only 12 points to Omoruyi. Give credit to Mitch Henderson and his staff for coming up with a winning defensive scheme, which included a healthy dose of collapsing and double-teaming in the paint, to contain Rutgers’ inside game.
4. Depth could be an issue going forward. As gratifying as it was to beat Rutgers, the Tigers revealed yesterday that they likely will rely on an iron-man group of starters to win games against tough opponents. Princeton’s bench provided only four points in the win over Rutgers – two free throws by freshman Dalen Davis and a layup by sophomore Jack Scott. The Tigers will need steadier play and stronger contributions from its talented freshman class if they intend to make a run at a third straight Ivy League title.
Another big factor is the uncertain health of sophomore Deven Austin, who continues to rehabilitate after missing the stretch run of last season’s campaign due to injury. Prior to getting hurt, Austin flashed brilliance as a swing guard, winning Ivy Rookie of the Week honors in early February. News of his recovery has been hard to come by, but a return by Austin to the Princeton lineup would go a long way toward shoring up Princeton’s depth as they prepare to defend their Ivy League crown.