The Princeton men’s basketball team staged a comeback for the ages in the Tigers’ thrilling, 81-80 triumph over the Iona Gaels at Jadwin Gym on Monday night.
Here are three thoughts about how the Tigers managed to claw their way back from a 16-point deficit to win their opening game of the season:
1. The Tigers are a different team with Jacob Huggins on the floor
Sophomore Jacob Huggins, a 6-8 power forward from Oak Park, Calif., was the difference maker when he was on the floor Monday night for the Tigers.
Huggins scored 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting in 24 minutes of playing time. Although he finished third in scoring on the team (behind Caden Pierce’s 18 points and Xavian Lee’s game-high 27 points), Huggins’ size and presence in the paint made all the difference for the Tigers.
Princeton coach Mitch Henderson deserves a lot of credit for the way he managed Huggins’ time on the court. Henderson carefully preserved Huggins’ energy, liberally subbing him in and out of the lineup to ensure that the big man was fresh enough to make plays during crunch time.
Indeed, Huggins made plenty of plays with the game on the line, scoring three huge baskets in the final 10:39, including a putback after he ripped down an offensive rebound at the 8:32 mark of the second half.
Without Huggins in the lineup, the Tigers looked small against the Gaels, as they did at times last season in losses to Yale, Brown and UNLV.
Freshman forward Malik Abdullahi had a very successful debut coming off the bench in relief of Huggins, scoring six points and grabbing two rebounds. But with only one game under his belt, Abdulahi isn’t as polished a player as Huggins.
One of Henderson’s biggest challenges this season will be managing his thin corps of forwards in games against bigger opponents. He rose to the challenge last night, and Princeton won the game as a result.
2. Caden Pierce and Xaivian Lee are going to have to carry the Tigers this year
Henderson got huge performances from his two stars, Pierce and Lee, who combined for 45 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. The Tigers needed every one of those points, rebounds, and assists to prevail at home over Iona, a team that has never won at Jadwin.
Pierce and Lee are incredibly fun to watch; their transcendent talents provide a feast for the eyes every time they suit up to play basketball.
And yet the Tigers came within a whisker of losing even with Pierce and Lee coming up big. This underscores the need for Henderson to milk as much as he can from his stars in nearly every matchup.
At this point in the season, it appears Princeton won’t have enough depth to survive against a quality opponent if either Pierce or Lee has an off night. In other words, the two superstars will have to continue playing like superstars every night for Princeton to live up to expectations this year. If Monday night was any indication, the two super juniors seem up to the task.
3. There are likely to be some growing pains this season for both the Princeton men’s and women’s teams
The opening games for both the men’s and women’s teams at Old Nassau revealed that both squads are likely to suffer some setbacks in the early part of the season as they adapt to the loss of senior leadership from a year ago.
On Monday night in Pittsburgh, the Princeton women’s team opened the season with a disappointing loss to Duquesne, 76-66, as the Tigers’ young roster struggled to contend with Duquesne’s pressing defense. The men’s team nearly suffered the same fate at the hands of a pressing Iona squad.
Both the men’s and women’s teams are going to look different this season with plenty of new faces entering the starting lineup and coming off the bench. It’s going to take time for the coaches to figure out what combinations work best and for the players to develop chemistry.
The good news for both the men’s and women’s programs is that they have plenty of time to experiment, improve, and grow as a team. But there are likely to be some bumps in the road and a frustrating loss or two as the new rosters take form.
Last season, Princeton’s men opened the season with nine straight wins, tying the school’s all-time record. Princeton’s women also enjoyed tremendous success in the early going, winning 20 of their first 23 games.
This season, it seems unlikely that either the men’s or women’s team will be able to match last year’s early success rate, but what really matters is how the teams are playing in February and March.
Using that standard as a guide, we shouldn’t read too much into one game for either the men’s or women’s team. Both squads are loaded with talent and potential, and both figure to round into shape nicely by the time conference play begins in January.
Buckle up for a thrilling ride, Orange and Black nation.