The Tigers celebrated New Year’s Eve by crushing the Mustangs of Cal Poly, 81-52, in a matinee at Jadwin. Princeton dominated from the outset, catching the visitors at the end of a grueling road trip.
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Princeton claws past Hampton, 77-49
PRINCETON – The Tigers eagerly awaited the arrival at Jadwin Gym of the KenPom No. 328 Hampton Pirates, especially after handling Bucknell in Lewisburg last week. The Bison are ranked more than 200 spots higher than the Pirates, who were expected to walk the plank in Princeton’s arena Wednesday.
Princeton hangs on at Bucknell, 72-70
The Princeton Tigers, college basketball’s nomads, finally wrapped up the traveling portion of their preseason slate at the Sojka Pavilion on the campus of Bucknell last night. Needing a win against a tough opponent, the Tigers got it, grinding out another hang-on-at-the-end 72-70 decision against the perennial Patriot League contenders. It was the Bison’s first loss at home this season. Frankly, the game was not as close as the final score might suggest. This was an impressive performance by the Tigers.
ESPN: Princeton’s Henry Caruso to become graduate transfer
Princeton senior guard Henry Caruso will become a graduate transfer next season, Jeff Goodman of ESPN reported Wednesday.
Caruso was reported out for the year last week with a toe injury, making him the second Tiger this week to be declared out for this season.
Caruso was a first-team All-Ivy selection as a junior last season, leading the Tigers in scoring and rebounding at 15.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and shooting at a 52.7 percent clip. Caruso contributed 9.5 points and 4.3 boards per contest in eight games this season.
The San Mateo, Calif. native joins a long list of Ivy graduate transfers in recent years, including Columbia’s Grant Mullins, Dartmouth’s Alex Mitola, Brown’s Rafael Maia and Princeton’s own Denton Koon.
Fellow Tigers senior Hans Brase was declared out for the year Sunday after sustaining another season-ending knee injury.
Princeton falls at Monmouth, 96-90
Princeton traveled to the Jersey shore Tuesday night for a battle with intra-state rival and mid-major titan Monmouth. Picked to win the MAAC this year, the Hawks came into the game at 9-2.
Princeton got off to the hot start it desperately needed after a tough home loss last week against another flock of Hawks, St. Joseph’s. Leading by as many as 13 points in the first half, the Tigers showed how they can adjust in the face of a worsening injury situation. One must say the Tigers enjoyed their best night offensively since the preseason of 2015-16. Steven Cook (30) and Devin Cannady (26) each set career scoring marks, propelling the Tigers to a 90-point explosion, the first time the Tigers reached the 90-point mark, only to lose, in 60 years.
Princeton bows to St. Joseph’s, 76-68
Tigers’ hopes for a boffo season took another hit last night against the St. Joseph’s Hawks at Jadwin Gym. The visiting Big 5 quintet led for nearly the entire game, often by double digits. Princeton found its defensive energy in the second half as the Hawks were denied very many good looks. The Tigers clawed their way back, even managing a brief lead at 64-61 with under four minutes to go. St. Joe’s revved up its speed game once again, going on a 15-4 tear to close out the game, 76-68.
Clearly, the Tigers were struggling to overcome the loss of Hans Brase for the second time in two seasons due to knee problems. The news that senior forward, and last year’s first-team All-Ivy selection, Henry Caruso will not play again because of a toe injury hit this team like a sledgehammer blow. Caruso brought a toughness and grit to the floor and it showed in the stats. He was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder a year ago.
Princeton’s Henry Caruso out for season with toe injury
Princeton senior forward Henry Caruso was reported out for the year Wednesday with a toe injury, making him the second Tiger this week to be declared out for a season that Princeton entered as Ivy frontrunner.
Caruso was a first-team All-Ivy selection as a junior last season, leading the Tigers in scoring and rebounding at 15.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and shooting at a 52.7 percent clip. Caruso contributed 9.5 points and 4.3 boards per contest in eight games this season.
Fellow senior Hans Brase was declared out for the year Sunday after sustaining another season-ending knee injury.
The back-to-back losses of Caruso and Brase leave the Tigers reeling, wiping out 37.9 minutes per game in Princeton’s vaunted frontcourt. Caruso in particular brought a singular offensive presence to the Tigers, equally adept at driving through the lane and hitting from long range. Caruso had narrowly led all Tigers in coach Mitch Henderson’s regular rotation in usage so far this season, and he leaves a significant void at both ends of the floor.
Hans Brase out for year with injury, ending his Princeton career
Hans Brase has suffered another knee injury that has ended his Princeton career, per the Trentonian’s reporting, a year after Brase sustained a torn ACL that ended his 2015-16 season as well.
Brase suffered his most recent season-ending injury at VCU on Nov. 29. The source of his injury was his right knee, per the Trentonian, which also noted he tore his right ACL last season.
Brase started all five contests he played in this season, averaging 6.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
Where Princeton stands after eight games
Princeton’s first month, spent almost entirely on the road, ended on a positive note in Lynchburg, Va. on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers’ three-point dam, which cracked slightly against Hawaii’s Rainbow Warriors in a win to conclude the Pearl Harbor Invitational, burst wide open in a tough, hold-them-off-at-the-end 67-64 victory over the Liberty Flames. Princeton canned 17 threes, including an unlikely six from Aaron Young, presenting Princeton coach Mitch Henderson with an early Christmas present: career win number 100. Spencer Weisz also broke out of some early season doldrums to do what he does best: make other players better. His career-high 13 assists tied the program record held by T. J. Bray.
Princeton puts one in the win column at Lafayette
The Tigers became the second Ivy team to come away from Lafayette with a road win this week. On Sunday, Brain Earl’s Cornell Big Red earned him his first career victory as a head coach. Wednesday night, Princeton dominated the second half to establish a comfortable 71-55 margin of victory.