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Looking forward to a memorable year, Tigers!
Happy New Year!
— Princeton Tigers (@PUTIGERS) January 1, 2024
It’s been an extremely successful year for both the Princeton men’s and women’s basketball teams. As we turn the calendar from 2023 to 2024, here are three reflections on the state of both programs as we approach the beginning of the 2023-24 Ivy League regular season:
1. 2023 was an epic year for Princeton basketball
Both the men’s and women’s teams made history in 2023, winning back-to-back Ivy League championships and a combined 49 games, including three games in the NCAA Tournament.
The men’s team made the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history since the tournament adopted a 64-team format. And the women’s team won an unprecedented fifth consecutive Ivy League title.
Combined, the two teams have won seven Ivy League championships in the past five seasons, a level of success that has never been equaled in Ivy hoops history.
2. The talent level has never been better at Old Nassau
There have been many great student athletes to play basketball at Princeton, including the recently graduated Tosan Evbuomwan, an NBA-level talent currently playing in the G-League. But several current players rank among the best to ever don the orange and black.
Starting with the women’s team, senior co-captain Kaitlyn Chen has just surpassed the 1,000-point mark, making her only the 28th player to accomplish this feat in the history of the women’s program. Chen, a gifted playmaker, won recognition last season as the Ivy League Player of the Year and will be a contender to win that honor again this season if she continues to lead her team on the court the way she has during nonconference play.
Ellie Mitchell, Chen’s classmate and fellow co-captain, is set to become Princeton’s all-time leading rebounder. The two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year has 963 rebounds for her career, third best in Princeton history. Mitchell will very soon move into second place, surpassing Bella Alarie’s total of 964 rebounds. The all-time record is held by Margaret Meier, who corralled a whopping 1,099 rebounds during her Princeton career in the mid-1970s. Mitchell is averaging over 11 rebounds a game this season, meaning that she’s on pace to break Meier’s record in early March.
Other Princeton women appear to be on their way to having historic careers at Old Nassau. Madison St. Rose was voted the Ivy League Rookie of the Year last season and she appears to be on her way to earning All-Ivy status in her sophomore campaign. And the sky’s the limit for Skye Belker, Ashley Chea and Mari Bickley, three freshmen with terrific talent and fearless shooting instincts.
On the men’s side, Caden Pierce continues to look like a player worthy of NBA attention. The reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year is, like Mitchell, a rebounding machine, averaging nine caroms per game this season.
Xaivian Lee is enjoying a breakout season as a sophomore and likely will be recognized as an All-Ivy talent for the remainder of his collegiate career.
And then there’s Matt Allocco, affectionately known as “Mush” because he never stops talking. Or leading. Allocco has already established himself as one of the greatest floor generals in program history.
In some ways, Allocco reminds me of his head coach, Mitch Henderson. As a player, Henderson was also a multi-tool athlete and a gifted passer and playmaker. Allocco seems to have leadership instincts similar to Henderson. Perhaps he will consider entering the coaching world after he’s done playing basketball. If he does, I wouldn’t be surprised if he follows in Henderson’s footsteps and becomes Princeton’s head coach some day.
3. Outstanding coaching is the secret sauce behind Princeton’s success
Speaking of coaching, has Princeton ever enjoyed a better tandem of head coaches than Carla Berube and Mitch Henderson? Between them, they’ve won six Ivy League titles and elevated their programs into the national limelight.
Until last season, Berube had never lost a game against an Ivy opponent. Her current record in three and a half seasons at the helm stands at 85-15 for an incredible winning percentage of 85%. Henderson’s winning percentage isn’t too shabby either, with 220 wins against 117 losses for an overall winning percentage of 65%.
Both Berube and Henderson have proven to be elite recruiters, consistently attracting top talent to Old Nassau. They’ve accomplished all of this at the same time that the world of intercollegiate athletics has been convulsed with tectonic changes, including the advent of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives that effectively pay student-athletes to play college sports. Berube and Henderson have navigated this challenging environment with skill, sensitivity and integrity.
Best of all, both Berube and Henderson are in the prime of their coaching careers, meaning that if they choose to stay at Princeton, a very high level of program success is almost certain to continue.
Overall, 2023 was among the greatest years in the history of Princeton basketball. What will 2024 bring? The immediate task ahead for both teams is to repeat as Ivy champions.
For the women, currently ranked No. 47 in the NET rankings, the likely challenge in seeking a sixth straight Ivy title will be fending off former Princeton assistant Megan Griffith and her intrepid Columbia Lions, who are currently ranked No. 69 in the NET rankings.
For the men, currently ranked No. 27 in the NET rankings, at least two familiar Ivy foes – Cornell at No. 83 in the NET rankings and Yale at No. 117 in the NET rankings – likely will give the Tigers all they can handle during the upcoming Ivy League campaign.
For both programs, including the coaches, players, alumni and fans, hopes for continued success have never been higher.