Ivy Hoops Online correspondent George “Toothless Tiger” Clark reflects on Princeton men’s basketball’s 10-4 start to the 2024-25 season with Ivy League play slated to start on Jan. 11 at Harvard:
Audio PlayerPrinceton
Tiger Takeaways for Princeton women’s basketball as Ivy League play approaches
A whiteboard used by Princeton women’s basketball coach Carla Berube and her coaching staff sits on a sideline chair af the Jon. M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Dec. 8, 2024 (Steve Silverman | Ivy Hoops Online)
Princeton women’s basketball ended 2024 on a high note, vanquishing the Le Moyne Dolphins, 75-43, on New Year’s Eve and finishing its nonconference schedule with a 9-4 record.
With the curtain rising on the Ivy League season in only three days, it’s time to take stock of how the Tigers have fared during the first half of the season and look ahead to the prospects for the six-time-defending Ivy League champions grabbing yet another conference title.
Here are four Tiger Takeaways from the conclusion of the nonconference season:
Just how vulnerable is Princeton men’s basketball?
PRINCETON, N.J. – By now, you’ve probably seen Dalen Davis’ game-winning three-pointer to beat Akron 76-75 on Monday afternoon, completing a remarkable comeback, not for the first time this season for Princeton.
The win over the Zips (7-5) may have been the most impressive comeback, down 11 with seven minutes left, but the Tigers also overcame deficits against Iona, Northeastern, Merrimack, Monmouth and Rutgers.
Impressive fortitude, yes. But is it a sign of a veteran team that will continue to do this for the next few months, or an ominous omen that the preseason Ivy League favorites might be extremely vulnerable this season?
LISTEN: Princeton men’s basketball’s postgame presser after 76-75 win over Akron
Ivy Hoops Online correspondent George “Toothless Tiger” Clark brings us Princeton men’s basketball’s postgame press conference after a dramatic 76-75 comeback win for Princeton (10-4) over Akron (7-5) Monday afternoon at Jadwin Gym, featuring coach Mitch Henderson and sophomore guards Dalen Davis and Jackson Hicke:
Audio Player.@DalenDavis2, FOR THE WIN!
The Tigers come back from 15 down to defeat Akron, 76-75!
: https://t.co/ttHDA754SJ#MakeShots pic.twitter.com/W3EGU6EfSb
— Princeton Men’s Basketball (@PrincetonMBB) December 30, 2024
Princeton women’s basketball rolls past Middle Tennessee State, 64-51, for third straight win
The Princeton women’s basketball team cruised past the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders Saturday afternoon at Jadwin Gymnasium, 64-51, for the Tigers’ third consecutive win. The triumph extended Princeton’s home winning streak to 23 games, tied for the third-longest in the nation.
This group of Tigers is a changed team since returning home two and a half weeks ago after starting the season with eight of its first nine games on the road. In three consecutive home wins against Rhode Island, Vermont and now Middle Tennessee State, Princeton hasn’t trailed for a second and has outscored its opponents by an overage of 13.3 points per game.
LISTEN: How Princeton men’s basketball eked out 83-82 win over Rutgers in instant classic
Ivy Hoops Online correspondent George “Toothless Tiger” Clark reflects on an unforgettable 83-82 win for Princeton (9-4) over Rutgers (7-5) Saturday at the Prudential Center: Audio Player
Princeton men’s basketball’s clash with Rutgers was great drama on many levels
Rutgers went undefeated in the regular season in 1975-76. The following fall, I ran into then-Michigan coach Johnny Orr and asked him why his team thrashed Rutgers, a one-point favorite in the national semis. His response was to the effect that Michigan guard Rickey Green was faster than the Rutgers star who was known as fast Eddie Jordan. He was right.
Mitch Henderson entered the Rutgers game Saturday tired of having to talk Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper pregame.
“I wanted to talk (Xaivian) Lee and (Caden) Pierce,” Henderson said postgame.
Princeton women’s basketball coasts to a 60-45 win over Vermont
For the Princeton women’s basketball team, there’s no place like home.
Playing in the friendly confines of Jadwin Gymnasium for the second game in a row, the Tigers swept aside the Vermont Catamounts with ease, 60-45, in a Saturday matinee.
Nine days ago, the Tigers returned home after a grueling road stretch to defeat the Rhode Island Rams, 66-54, in a game Princeton never trailed. On Saturday afternoon, the Tigers turned in a near carbon-copy performance, jumping out to an early lead against Vermont and never looking back.
“Should be fun to watch”: Princeton men’s basketball set to face Rutgers
Princeton and Rutgers are separated by 17 miles on Route 1 in New Jersey. Rutgers is one of Princeton’s most familiar foes. The Tigers lead the overall series, 77-45, but Rutgers has won six out of the last 10 meetings.
The game has held major significance for Princeton and Rutgers players across the decades, a history sure to grow when the teams play Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark at noon.
“It was for the establishment of New Jersey dominance,” former Princeton star and athletic director Gary Walters said.
Princeton women’s basketball returns home and beats Rhode Island, 66-54
For the first time in nearly a month, Princeton’s women played a basketball game at home. The Tigers made the most of their homecoming Wednesday, holding off the Rhode Island Rams, 66-54, in a game the Orange and Black led wire to wire.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Princeton and avenged a frustrating loss to the Rams a year ago in Kingston.