Princeton men鈥檚 basketball looks to build on past success
PRINCETON, N.J. — Princeton University is a prestigious institution that is known for academic excellence. Members of the men鈥檚 basketball team are not only looking to excel in the classroom but they are bringing these efforts to the court as well. The Tigers Basketball program has had a lot of success in the past few seasons and has begun to gain nationwide attention. Seven former Tigers are currently playing basketball at the professional level and if the trend stays consistent there may be more players to add to the list soon.
The Princeton Tiger Men’s Basketball team is looking to follow up last year’s great season, which was a campaign that saw them win the Ivy League Championship and earn a bid to the NIT tournament at the end of the season. The team was able to finish the season with a 23-7 record, in which they dominated the conference with a 12-2 record. They were able to knock off a few power five opponents such as Oregon and South Carolina which allowed them to turn heads across the country as a legitimate force.
Over the past few seasons, the Tigers have had the privilege of playing at some of the most notable arenas in the country which include Madison Square Garden; and Chase Center in San Francisco, which is the home of the Golden State Warriors. During the early part of this season the team had the opportunity to go to London and play in 鈥淐opper Box鈥� arena, which is where the 2012 Olympics were held.
Not only is the team looking to continue their dominance in the Ivy League and beyond, but there are also personal milestones that are on the horizon for the coach and a few of the players as well. Mitch Henderson is currently third on the all-time wins list as head coach. He currently has 193 wins and expects to eclipse the 200-win mark at some time during this season’s campaign. Once he hits 200 wins he will need 51 more wins to pass Franklin Cappon to become second all-time in wins.
Tosan Evbuomwan is the returning Ivy League Player of the Year and is only ten assists away from hitting the 200 assist mark for his career. His 142 assists from last season put him second all time for a single season. He trails only William F. Ryan鈥檚 161 assists which were recorded in the Tigers鈥� 1983-84 season. So far this season the Tigers have emerged as one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the country and hold the No. 5 ranking in the country in this category.
The team has shown promise so far this season but still has a lot of work to do if they want to be the top team in the Ivy League at the conclusion of the season. Yale, Harvard and Cornell will most likely be their toughest competition in the conference this year but the Tigers are hopeful to be well prepared for battle when the time comes. They will look to Tosan Evbuomwan and Keeshawn Kellman to lead the team, and will continue to lean on efforts from players such as Matt Alloco who is having a breakout year so far to keep the ship sailing smoothly.
The Tigers began Ivy League play on Dec. 31st against Harvard University at home in Jadwin Gymnasium. Be sure to follow the team as they chase excellence as a unit, and a few individuals chase career milestones also. It will be a long road for the Tigers this season but they understand the season is a marathon and not a sprint and are well prepared for the challenges ahead.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.