Men's Basketball: A Crimson rematch

Saturday’s game, to be televised on ESPNU, is highly anticipated after Princeton (11-10 overall, 2-3 Ivy League) beat Harvard (20-2, 6-0) in dramatic fashion in last year’s Ivy League playoff, in which senior guard Doug Davis hit a game-winning shot as time expired.

“There is no doubt that they want to come in and prove something,” junior forward Ian Hummer said. “The way we beat them last year definitely put a bitter taste in their mouths, and they would want nothing more than to beat us. They are playing very well, and, even though we are struggling a bit, they still see us as a major hurdle in their Ivy League championship chances.”

“Princeton-Harvard is quickly becoming a great rivalry in college basketball,” sophomore guard T.J. Bray added. “With everything at stake last year, it was an unbelievable experience to come out on top. We know, though, that Harvard is coming for revenge, so it’s going to be a great game Saturday.”

Princeton currently has a losing record in the Ivy League and needs to sweep both games in order to get above .500 for the first time this season.

“Our rebounding needs to be better,” junior forward Mack Darrow said. “Dartmouth and Harvard are both physical and play very hard, so we need to protect the paint. On offense, we’re going to see some pressure, so we need to execute well in order to be successful.”

“Defense is something that can’t be stressed enough this weekend,” Bray added. “We need to play good solid defense for 40 minutes in both games if we want to go 2-0.”

Before Saturday’s rematch with Harvard, the Tigers will take on Dartmouth (4-18, 0-6) on Friday night.

Though the Big Green is without a league win and on pace to finish last for a third straight year, its last four losses have come by 10 points or less.

Both games will be played at Jadwin Gymnasium, which will be a pleasant change for the Tigers. Their last five games, all against the Ivy League, were played on the road, and Princeton has faced 12 consecutive Division-I opponents away from home.

“It was pretty brutal to be on the road during reading period and exams, so it will be nice to be back at home,” Darrow said. “We can’t make excuses, though. We simply weren’t good enough in a few of the games, and we’ve put ourselves in a tough position.”

“Playing the first five Ivy League games on the road was extremely hard on us. Over the span of five games, we had to deal with finals and injuries that have tested our limits as students and athletes,” Hummer said. “While we have struggled over the last five games, the fact that our next two games are at home is a nice change of pace. Playing Dartmouth and Harvard will be hard, but with our home fans finally behind us, hopefully it will give us the lift we need.”

Hummer has been a key player for the Tigers, leading the team not only in points but also in blocks and rebounds. The junior will have to continue his great play if the team hopes to win both games this weekend. Hummer reached 1,000 career points in the loss at Yale, and he looks ready to increase that total in an attempt to put the team back on the right track.

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“Reaching the 1,000-point mark is extremely special to me,” he said. “To be on the same list as many of Princeton’s great players, including my uncle, is very special to me. Even though many see this as a personal accomplishment, I would have not been able to reach this goal without the help of my teammates.”

Princeton will host Dartmouth on Friday at 7 p.m. and Harvard on Saturday at 7 p.m.