After last year's disappointing second-place Ivy League finish, the men's basketball team and its corps of young talent began the season with high expectations of capturing the conference title — and an NCAA tournament berth — for the fourth time in five years.
But a bumpy road, riddled with unforeseen injuries, consistently inconsistent shooting and a disappointing loss at Yale doomed Princeton (19-11 overall, 11-3 Ivy League) to finish as the runner-up to archrival Penn for the second-consecutive season. The Tigers did manage a National Invitation Tournament berth, but ended their season by bowing out in the first round to a physical Penn State team March 15, 55-41.
Not even the return of forward Mason Rocca '00, a catalyst of intensity all season, could propel the Tigers to victory over the Nittany Lions.
Rocca entered the game with eight minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the first half after having missed the last three regular season games due to injury. Down 21-5 after a Jon Crispin three-pointer, Princeton closed the half by matching the Nittany Lions and went into the locker room down 31-15.
"They just jumped on us and controlled the game from the outset," head coach Bill Carmody said. "We never really threatened them."
Full circle
Ironically for the Tigers, the season ended as it began, against a big-conference team that pushed Princeton out of the game before the Tigers ever had a chance to get in to it. In the Tigers' first game, Nov. 12 at Syracuse, the Orangemen used a 16-0 run early to push the Tigers into a 27-6 deficit and out of the contest. Princeton ended the first half with only 11 points before rebounding in the second half to lose 60-43.
And in a blatant example of living and dying by the three-pointer, the Tigers shot a horrible 1 for 17 from beyond the arc against Penn State. Guard Spencer Gloger '03 recorded the lone three-point field goal, but also missed six other attempts. Princeton shot 32 percent from the field for the contest.
The return was bittersweet for Rocca, who ended the game with six points and four rebounds in 25 minutes of play. Rocca sat out only briefly during the second half, using his trademark hustle to boost the energy of the season-weary Tigers. Rocca ends his career having left the Tiger faithful wanting to see more. Just when the injury bug seemed to depart for good this season, it somehow managed to return and hampered the senior captain's ability to contribute.
Injuries plagued not only Rocca, but the rest of the team as well during the entire season, forcing Carmody to look to an unfamiliar place for help — the bench. During the previous seven seasons, only seven Tiger basketball players missed games due to injury. Injured Tigers combined to miss 87 games this season alone.
Those injuries helped cool down some young players who were hot early in the season. After returning from hand and ankle injuries, Gloger never could relocate the early season shooting touch that helped him score 34 points on a school-record 10 three-pointers in a 64-41 win over Alabama-Birmingham Dec. 18. An injury to forward Ray Robins '02 against Columbia limited his offensive prowess late in the season as well.
Red Cross
Injuries played an important role in the team's crucial loss at Yale on Feb. 5. Both Rocca and Gloger were sidelined, and the remaining Tigers failed to find an answer in New Haven, Conn. — falling for the second straight year, 44-42. Center Chris Young '02 saw his game-tying attempt in the closing seconds blocked by Eli center Neil Yanke. The loss created the same scenario the Tigers faced in 1998-99, in which they needed to beat Penn twice to keep their NCAA hopes alive.
"Well, it's just a terrible loss. We dug ourselves a hole," Carmody said after the Yale defeat.
Princeton couldn't find an answer to the Quakers at Jadwin Gym Feb. 15, despite a heroic second-half performance by the hobbled Rocca, who scored 16 points in the second half and nearly propelled the Tigers to a victory despite a team shooting performance of 29 percent from the field.
After surviving a 62-61 decision at Harvard on Feb. 26, the Quakers locked up the title and blew away the Tigers at the Palestra, 73-52, March 7 to complete their 14-0 Ivy season.
As the Tigers now look to next season, graduation will claim only Rocca. Princeton had to learn to play without him for most of the year, but lacked a certain intensity and competitiveness during his absence. With that fire gone for good, the Tigers will have to find a new center of intensity.
"I'm not worried about the technical stuff — although I might be crazy not worrying about a 1 for 17 shooting performance," Carmody said after the Penn State loss. "I'm worried about competitiveness and all those other things coaches talk about."
But on a team that had underclassmen start a combined 112 games — compared to only 33 for juniors and seniors — the Tigers can take comfort in their youth. Penn will lose its starting backcourt to graduation, leaving the door open for a Tiger return to the top.
Princeton has the skills and experience necessary to get back to the NCAA tournament. The big challenge during the offseason is finding a new catalyst — someone to take on Rocca's role — who can stay healthy and get them there.
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