Basketball: Teams prepare for postseason

This year, the 14-game playoff is going to a 15th on the men’s side, when Princeton (24-6 overall, 12-2 Ivy League) takes on Harvard (23-5, 12-2) in a winner-take-all one-game playoff in the John J. Lee Amphitheater at Yale. After the Tigers took down archrival Penn 70-58 at The Palestra on Tuesday to clinch a share of the league championship, the Ivy League’s automatic bid will be decided on a neutral court at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The men look to emulate what the women’s team (24-4, 13-1) has already done — earn a ticket to the NCAA Tournament — with a victory over Harvard. The women won their second straight Ivy League title and will make their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance on March 19 or 20 against an opponent that will be announced during the Women’s Selection Show on ESPN Monday night.

After the men’s team fell to the Crimson last Saturday in Cambridge, Mass., Princeton needed to beat Penn to force a tie with Harvard for the Ivy League crown. The Tigers came bursting out of the gates, but the Quakers fought through the first half, taking the lead and going up 27-19 in the opening minutes of the second. Princeton came alive with its hopes on the line, finishing off Penn and forcing the playoff.

Up front, the Tigers are deep and talented. Senior forward Kareem Maddox, the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous first team All-Ivy, and sophomore forward Ian Hummer, second team All-Ivy, are forces down low, providing the post presence needed for Princeton’s inside-out game. Indeed, their play took over the game on Tuesday, sparking the run that gave the Tigers the win.

In the backcourt, junior guard Doug Davis and senior guard Dan Mavraides share the point guard duties and initiate the offense. Mavraides, a second team All-Ivy selection, leads the team in key situations and provides a scoring threat that led ESPN’s commentating crew on Saturday during the Princeton-Harvard game to compare Mavraides to Jimmer Fredette, guard and potential National Player of the Year for Brigham Young University.

For the third time this season, Princeton will have to contend with Harvard’s formidable squad. Guard Brandyn Curry, second team All-Ivy, leads the Crimson offense at point, with guard Christian Webster, honorable mention All-Ivy, providing an outside scoring threat along with his point guard. Curry’s ability to drive to the basket and create off the dribble was key for their victory in Cambridge. The Tigers will also have to contend with Harvard’s tough frontcourt, led by Ivy League Player of the Year and first-team All-Ivy forward Keith Wright and second-team All-Ivy forward Kyle Casey. The battle for the paint looks to be key for the rubber match in New Haven.

The team that prevails on Saturday will punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. While the field will not be set until Sunday, most current bracket projections have the Ivy League winner earning a 13 seed, meaning Princeton or Harvard would draw a four seed as its first-round opponent. Possible matchups based on bracket projections include Florida, Wisconsin, Louisville, Kentucky, St. John’s and West Virginia, among others.

While the men’s team’s postseason plans are still in limbo, the women’s team has already earned its bid to the NCAA Tournament, clinching the outright Ivy League title on Saturday at home against Harvard before demolishing Penn 78-27 on Tuesday. The Tigers have won 10 straight games since a loss at Harvard, their only blemish in league play.

Senior guard Addie Micir, who was unanimously voted Ivy League Player of the Year, and sophomore guard Lauren Polansky, named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, lead the Tigers in the backcourt. She and junior guard Lauren Edwards provide a consistent outside scoring threat for the Tigers, ranking second and third in three-point field goal percentage. Polansky runs the point for the Tigers and is in the top 10 in the Ivy League for steals, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.

In the frontcourt, junior center Devona Allgood powers Princeton. She leads the league in rebounding and field-goal percentage, providing the Tigers their strongest inside presence. After sophomore forward Niveen Rasheed was injured in December, Allgood’s play became especially important, and sophomore forward Kate Miller and freshman forward Kristin Helmstetter have stepped up for the Tigers inside.

Princeton hopes to use its experience in last year’s NCAA Tournament to do some damage this year. ESPN’s Charlie Creme projected the Tigers as a number 13 seed, matched up against fourth seed Kentucky in the first round. Other possible opponents for Princeton include Michigan State, Florida State, Green Bay, North Carolina and Ohio State, among others.

With a victory over University of Southern California during non-conference play and close losses to Rutgers and Vanderbilt, the Tigers are ready for the challenge of a major program in the first round. With the national exposure that comes with back-to-back tournament appearances, the rise of Princeton basketball is just beginning.