Princeton

They got Tiger blood, man: Breaking down Princeton's hot start

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“I feel like a tiger right now. There”s nothing impossible if you get up and work for it.” – Michael Flatley

I include this quote from stepdancer Michael Flatley because coach Mitch Henderson could not have choreographed the start of the Tigers” season any better. Princeton is 4-0, the only remaining undefeated Ivy, thanks to an offense that has simply blown opponents away, even if the competition has been middling so far.

Princeton beat Fairleigh Dickinson, 91-61, Monday at Jadwin Gym, with junior forward Henry Caruso posting 27 points on 10-for-11 shooting in just 24 minutes, adding 10 rebounds for good measure. In the three games since Hans Brase was ruled out for the year with a torn ACL, Caruso is averaging 21 points per game on 22-for-28 shooting. Caruso is a guy who gets the shots that he wants and he deserves special mention here. But why else has Princeton been successful so far?

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Princeton holds off Saint Peter’s, 75-72

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In his recap of Saturday’s Ivy action, Mike Tony described Princeton’s win against Saint Peter’s as “gritty,” thereby stealing the story line from Old Toothless. Both teams displayed toughness and resilience. The Tigers were fortunate to hang on at the end for a 75-72 victory in the contest played at Dillon Gym, which last hosted varsity basketball in January 1969.

Pete Miller controlled the opening tap, resulting in a Steve Cook layup four seconds into the game. The Tigers needed the remaining 39:56 to add the third point to the winning margin.

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Can Princeton still contend for 2015-16 Ivy title without Hans Brase?

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Princeton prepared for this season secure in the knowledge that, for once, its best player was returning for another campaign in the orange and black. But, with the announcement that senior big man Hans Brase is out for the year with a torn ACL, the five-year trend continues. Tiger fans are relieved to learn that Hans will spend a fifth year in Jadwin in the 2016-17 season. The Tigers will present a senior-laden quintet next year, as Brase will be joined by Pete Miller, Steven Cook and Spencer Weisz.

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Princeton senior forward Hans Brase out for 2015-16 season with torn ACL

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Hans Brase posted five double-doubles for the Tigers last season.
Hans Brase posted five double-doubles for the Tigers last season. (Princeton Athletics)

Princeton Athletics announced Saturday night that senior forward and co-captain Hans Brase will miss the 2015-16 season with a torn ACL and return for his senior season in 2016-17.

This is a huge blow for the Tigers, as Brase was the team’s second-leading scorer and leading rebounder in each of the past two seasons. Brase notched 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists in 31.1 minutes per contest in 2014-15, and scored in double figures in six of 14 conference games a year ago.

Brase’s exit will put pressure on junior forwards Henry Caruso and Pete Miller as well as sophomore forward Alec Brennan in the frontcourt of what has been a balanced offensive attack under coach Mitch Henderson.

Princeton pulls away from Rider, 64-56

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LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Princeton faced off against the tough Rider Broncs Friday night without senior captain Hans Brase, who is expected to anchor the Tigers at both ends of the court. A troublesome knee flared up earlier in the week, sending Brase to the bench on crutches for the season opener. He is expected to return at full strength, but it may be weeks before he can get on the court.

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Princeton Season Preview – An Ivy Title There For the Taking

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Princeton enters the 2015-16 season riding a wave of high expectations. Last season, the Tiger express was derailed by a 3-8 start, disappointing but not entirely unexpected in view of the preseason loss of senior Denton Koon, from whom great things were anticipated and, clearly, needed. (Koon elected to graduate with his class and will use his fourth year of eligibility at Hofstra.) The Tigers finished on a high note, claiming the last four Ivy contests and third place behind the co-champion Yale Bulldogs and Harvard Crimson. The Tigers’ 9-1 record against all of their Ivy foes other than Harvard and Yale is one of the main reasons for optimism in Jadwin. Another is the  return of five starters and six of the first eight in the rotation, while Harvard and Yale lose All-Ivy caliber players not easily replaced.

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Reading the Ivy tea leaves – Princeton roundup

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T.J. Bray, Princeton basketball ’14: I’m excited to see how the guys continue to grow this year, especially the junior class. With Hans (Brase) being the double-double threat that he is every night, I want to see how Spencer (Weisz), Steve (Cook), and Henry (Caruso) continue to expand their games in new ways. There’s always more nuances you can pick up in the Princeton offense and I think all three will have added something over the summer. I’m also looking forward to seeing how the team comes together defensively. This team has the ability to play hard and smart on that end for 40 minutes at a time. If they can do that consistently, there’s no telling where this team can go.

Clay Wilson, Princeton basketball ’15: I would say I’m most excited to see how the incoming freshmen fit into the equation. We have a lot of talent back from last year and the incoming freshmen were all really impressive on their visits so I’m looking forward to seeing which guys can step in right away and help. I’m also looking forward to see how Hans’s game has improved. He had a good summer here in Germany and I think he could potentially be in the running for Ivy League Player of the Year if he continues to play more inside like he did towards the end of last season. Everyone knows he can shoot the three ball, but I think he is most effective when he is in attack mode and inside the arc. It’s gonna be interesting to see who gets playing time because a lot of guys deserve to play, but there is so much talent and only so many minutes to be had.

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Ian Hummer will play for Sacramento Kings in NBA Summer League

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(AP Photo/Mel Evans)
(AP Photo/Mel Evans)

The Sacramento Kings need help.  Like, lots of help.

Enter Ian Hummer.

The 2013 Ivy Player of the Year and Princeton graduate is one of 16 players named to the Kings’ 2015 Summer League team Tuesday. Hummer joins big names Willie Cauley-Stein, David Stockton (yes, John Stockton’s son) and a host of others.

Hummer currently plays for Nilan Bisons Loimaa of Finland and joins Wesley Saunders as the second former Ivy League Player of the Year to be competing for a NBA roster spot.

Hummer was invited to the Los Angeles Lakers’ pre-summer league camp in 2013 and played professional club basketball in Germany in 2014.

Princeton all-time moment No. 1: Carril goes out a hero

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We’re counting down the top 10 moments in each Ivy school’s history as part of our Ivy League at 60 retrospective. We started with Princeton because, hey, it”s Princeton.

The 1995-96 season was Pete Carril’s 29th at the helm of the Tigers. At 65 years of age, he was slowing down, inevitably, and he knew it. His last great run had ended in 1992 with a fourth straight Ivy title, the only time one class achieved such a streak. Since then his teams were Ivy also-rans, failing to defeat archrival Penn even once in the last three years. His top assistant, Bill Carmody, was entering his 14th year on the bench. Carmody clearly aspired to run his own show. Retirement rumors would swirl around Carril all season.

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