The hard part starts now.
“I think that we know that we've been here enough in these situations to know that anything can happen,” junior forward Caden Pierce said this morning at an Ivy Madness Press Conference. “We have, I think, a really good perspective coming in,” he continued.
After confidently defeating Penn (8–19 overall, 4–10 Ivy League) last weekend, Princeton men’s basketball (19–10, 8–6) secured their spot in this weekend’s Ivy League tournament as the fourth and final seed. To repeat the glory of their 2022–23 season in making a run in March Madness, the Tigers have a lot of work to do — and it starts tomorrow.
Princeton finishes this regular season with seven more losses than they posed the season prior, a stark 10 to three differential that highlights their tough campaign marked by inconsistency, injury, and a rise in Ivy League competitiveness. Princeton entered 2024 Ivy Madness as the top seed and regular season conference champions. This year, as the fourth seed, they will face the Yale Bulldogs (20–7, 13–1) in the first round on Saturday at 11 a.m. EST.
“There’s nothing to lose, you know,” Head Coach Mitch Henderson told The Daily Princetonian. “It’s very much a neutral, even environment.”
"It's weirdly nice to be in this position," senior guard Blake Peters said to ESPN. "There's so much tension when you are the one seed, especially last year."
Reflecting on Last Season
Despite entering last year’s tournament at the top seed, the Tigers’ hopes of repeating as Ivy Madness champions and March Madness qualifiers were slashed in a crushing first round loss to the Brown Bears. The Bears, a fourth seed, entered the matchup as the only team in the tournament with an overall losing record, winning just eight conference games leading into the tournament.
As it stands, only the winner of the Ivy League tournament will receive a bid for March Madness, although the increasing competitiveness of the Ivy League has spurred hopes for the possibility of a second team to receive an at-large bid for the big dance in coming years. According to ESPN, Yale is the current projected Ivy Madness champion, and should they emerge victorious, are expected to enter as a 13th seed in March Madness.
Battling the Bulldogs
It is no secret that the Tigers’ track record against the Bulldogs this season is far from idyllic. Princeton first faced the Bulldogs home at Jadwin Gymnasium on Jan. 31, falling by just seven points after battling back from a deficit of up to 20 points. In their second matchup, played away at New Haven, the Tigers were defeated by 27 points in a game that saw minimal offensive breakthrough and was categorized by a 27 percent field goal percentage from the field.
This time, the two teams will face each other at a neutral location, and with the biggest stakes yet.
Yale poses their biggest dangers to Princeton in their offensive efficiency. The duo of guards John Poulakidas and Bez Mbeng, along with forward Nick Townsend have dominated the Bulldogs’ scoring this season, with each averaging points in double figures. Yale excels in shot selection, with nearly every player on their roster shooting 40 percent or better from the field. The Bulldogs have found it easy to fall into a rhythm this year, which challenges the Tigers who have struggled in transition and in maintaining defensive discipline.
On the Bulldog’s defense, Mbeng was named Ivy League defensive player of the year for the third season in a row and earned his first overall player of the year honors. Mbeng and the Bulldogs will be actively trying to prevent the Tigers from building any sort of offensive momentum, thriving off of disrupting passing lanes and forcing turnovers.
Still, Princeton is far from out of this game.
It is difficult to beat any team three times — especially in a league this tightly matched. In Ivy League play this year, the Tigers clawed back from behind to opponents like Dartmouth and Columbia, ultimately securing wins with their resilience and focus.
“Obviously they’re really talented,” junior guard Caden Pierce told the ‘Prince.’ “But we’re really, really talented. We just got to match that toughness across the board.”
Junior guard and unanimous First team All-Ivy League selection Xaivian Lee must be ready to take the reins for Princeton, attacking the basket with confidence and playmaking with precision to keep the Tiger offense flowing.
“It’s really fun to watch two triple-doubles this year as a former Princeton basketball player,” Henderson told the ‘Prince.’ “I’m in awe of that, it just gives you a little insight of his skillset.”
When Princeton is taken as the underdog, they are determined to prove everyone wrong. In perhaps their most impressive win this season against Rutgers, the Tigers battled against several first-round NBA draft prospects in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey who supersede even Yale’s best in scoring and efficiency. Against the Scarlet Knights, Princeton battled throughout all forty minutes of play, a determination they will have to resurrect against the Bulldogs.
This year, the Tigers have an experienced team with veterans who have proven to play big roles in key moments. Senior guard Blake Peters boasts the most on-court postseason experience of any current Princeton player, and he has been a consistent factor in the Tigers’ success this season. Peter’s deep range from beyond the arc, along with his poise and leadership will be integral to the Tiger’s offensive success against the Bulldogs.
Looking Ahead
Second seed Cornell (17–10, 9–5) will take on third seed Dartmouth (14–13, 8–6) in the other first round matchup on Saturday at 2 p.m. EST. Cornell is the forecasted favorite according to ESPN.
Should Princeton defeat Yale, they will advance to the championship on Sunday at noon against the winner of Cornell/Dartmouth.
In regular season play, Cornell defeated Princeton in both appearances, with similar margins to that of Yale. In their first matchup in mid-January, the Tigers, despite trailing the majority of the game, lost by nine points. In their second game in early March, however, Princeton was defeated by 32 points in a game that saw the Big Red put up a whopping 29 assists.
The Tigers split their matchups with Dartmouth, earning a win in their first game off of an Lee triple in the final seconds of the game, but falling at home to the Big Green later in the season.
No matter the teams, fans at Pizzitola Sports Center will be in for an intense weekend. Although Yale is favored to win the tournament, any team has a viable case for a championship.
"It's tournament play, so draw on your experiences having been there before, enjoy the environment" Henderson said to the 'Prince'.
Lily Pampolina is an associate Sports editor and staff Audience creator for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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