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The Princeton Tigers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Princeton University. The school competes in the Ivy League in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Tigers play home basketball games at the Jadwin Gymnasium in Princeton, New Jersey, on the university campus. Princeton has appeared in 25 NCAA tournaments, most recently in 2023. In 1965, the Tigers made the NCAA Final Four, with Bill Bradley being named the Most Outstanding Player. The team is currently coached by former player Mitch Henderson.
| Princeton Tigers men's basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Princeton University | ||
| First season | 1901 | ||
| All-time record | 1,671–1,044 (.615) | ||
| Head coach | Mitch Henderson (13th season) | ||
| Conference | Ivy League | ||
| Location | Princeton, New Jersey | ||
| Arena | Jadwin Gymnasium (capacity: 6,854) | ||
| Nickname | Tigers | ||
| Colors | Black and orange[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| Pre-tournament Premo-Porretta champions | |||
| 1925 | |||
| Pre-tournament Helms champions | |||
| 1925 | |||
| NCAA tournament Final Four | |||
| 1965 | |||
| NCAA tournament Elite Eight | |||
| 1965 | |||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 1952, 1955, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1967, 2023 | |||
| NCAA tournament round of 32 | |||
| 1976, 1977, 1983, 1996, 1998, 2023 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1952, 1955, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2017, 2023 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 2017, 2023 | |||
| Conference regular season champions | |||
| EIBL: 1922, 1925, 1932, 1950, 1952, 1955 ---- Ivy League: 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |||
The team is known for the Princeton offense strategy, perfected under the tenure of former head coach Pete Carril, who coached the team from 1967 to 1996. The Princeton offense has resulted in Princeton leading the nation in scoring defense 20 times since 1976, including every year from 1989 to 2000. As of 2023, the Tigers have amassed 1803 victories, 25 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament appearances (including four consecutive appearances between 1989 and 1992), and 30 Ivy League regular season titles. Their main Ivy League rivalry is with Penn.
Eight different Tigers have earned 12 All-American recognitions. Bill Bradley is the only three-time honoree.[2] Numerous Tigers have played professional basketball. The most recent Tiger NBAer was Steve Goodrich.[3] Geoff Petrie was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1971, while Brian Taylor earned the same honor in the American Basketball Association in 1973.[3][4] Two of the three Ivy Leaguers to have played in the Olympic games were Tigers.[5] Four of the eight NBA and ABA championships earned by Ivy League players have been earned by Tigers.[5] Three of the five highest NBA career point totals by Ivy League players were by Tigers.[5] Five of the ten Ivy League players selected among the top 25 overall selections in the NBA draft were Tigers.[5]
Carril holds the Ivy League record for most career seasons, championships, and wins. Bill Carmody holds the career winning percentage record.[6]
- Coaching Records[7]
| Name | Years | Wins | Losses | Winning % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mowbray Forney | 1900–01 | 7 | 5 | 0.583 |
| Augustus W. Enderbrock | 1901–02 | 10 | 10 | 0.500 |
| William Roper | 1902–03 | 8 | 7 | 0.533 |
| William McCoy | 1903–04 | 10 | 5 | 0.667 |
| Frederick Cooper | 1904–06 | 13 | 15 | 0.464 |
| William Kelleher | 1906–07 | 4 | 10 | 0.286 |
| C.F. Kogel | 1907–08 | 7 | 10 | 0.412 |
| Harry F. Shorter | 1908–11 | 19 | 28 | 0.404 |
| Harry Hough | 1911–12 | 8 | 8 | 0.500 |
| Frederick Leuhring | 1912–20 | 100 | 43 | 0.699 |
| Lewis Sugarman | 1920–21 | 11 | 4 | 0.733 |
| James Hynson | 1921 | 3 | 5 | 0.375 |
| J. Hill Zahn | 1921–23 | 36 | 9 | 0.800 |
| Albert Wittmer | 1923–32 | 115 | 86 | 0.572 |
| Herbert (Fritz) Crisler | 1932–34 | 32 | 11 | 0.744 |
| John Jefferies | 1934–35 | 6 | 14 | 0.300 |
| Ken Fairman | 1935–38 | 25 | 38 | 0.397 |
| Franklin (Cappy) Cappon | 1938–43 * | 52 | 37 | 0.584 |
| William Logan | 1943–45 | 20 | 20 | 0.500 |
| Leonard Hattinger | 1945 | 5 | 8 | 0.385 |
| Wes Fesler | 1945–46 | 7 | 12 | 0.368 |
| Franklin (Cappy) Cappon | 1946–61 * | 198 | 144 | 0.579 |
| Jake McCandless | 1961–62 | 22 | 16 | 0.579 |
| Butch van Breda Kolff | 1962–67 | 103 | 31 | 0.769 |
| Pete Carril | 1967–1996 | 514 | 261 | 0.663 |
| Bill Carmody | 1996–2000 | 92 | 25 | 0.787 |
| John Thompson | 2000–2004 | 68 | 42 | 0.618 |
| Joe Scott | 2004–2007 | 38 | 45 | 0.458 |
| Sydney Johnson | 2007–2011 | 66 | 53 | 0.555 |
| Mitch Henderson | 2011–present | 147 | 84 | 0.636 |
Princeton originally played its home games at University Gymnasium until it burned down in 1944. Hobey Baker Memorial Rink served as the interim home court for the 1945–46 and 1946–47 seasons until Dillon Gymnasium was built. The 6,800-seat Jadwin Gymnasium hosted the Tigers for the first time on January 25, 1969, against the Penn Quakers men's basketball team. It continues to be the team's home court.[7]
| Name |
| University Gymnasium (1901–44) |
| Hobey Baker Memorial Rink (1945–47) |
| Dillon Gymnasium (1947–69) |
| Jadwin Gymnasium (1969–present) |
The Tigers have played against their Ivy League foes for over a century.[8]
| Opponent | First Game | Last Game | W | L | PCT. | Home | Away | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University | 1908 | 2018 | 106 | 28 | .791 | 62–6 | 44–22 | — |
| Columbia University | 1901 | 2018 | 153 | 86 | .640 | 83–34 | 68–51 | 2–1 |
| Cornell University | 1902 | 2018 | 147 | 81 | .645 | 87–27 | 59–52 | 1–2 |
| Dartmouth College | 1905 | 2018 | 152 | 63 | .707 | 89–17 | 62-42 | 1–4 |
| Harvard University | 1901 | 2018 | 132 | 48 | .733 | 77-14 | 54–34 | 1–0 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 1903 | 2018 | 113 | 126 | .473 | 62–52 | 48-70 | 3–4 |
| Yale University | 1902 | 2018 | 150 | 89 | .628 | 88–28 | 59–60 | 3–1 |
Through 2017–2018 season
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Bill Bradley has won numerous distinctions as a Princeton Tiger. He is the team's only Rhodes Scholar,[5] and he is the only player to earn NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player. Other honors earned by Tiger basketball players include:
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1905 | Oliver deGray Vanderbilt |
| 1913 | Hamilton Salmon |
| 1916 | Cyril Haas |
| 1917 | Cyril Haas |
| 1922 | Arthur Loeb |
| 1923 | Arthur Loeb |
| 1926 | Carl Loeb |
| 1963 | Bill Bradley |
| 1964 | Bill Bradley |
| 1965 | Bill Bradley |
| 1972 | Brian Taylor |
| 1998 | Steve Goodrich |
| 2013 | Ian Hummer |
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Armond Hill |
| 1977 | Frank Sowinski |
| 1982 | Craig Robinson |
| 1983 | Craig Robinson |
| 1989 | Bob Scrabis |
| 1990 | Kit Mueller |
| 1991 | Kit Mueller |
| 1992 | Sean Jackson |
| 1997 | Sydney Johnson |
| 1998 | Steve Goodrich |
| 1999 | Brian Earl |
| 2013 | Ian Hummer |
| 2017 | Spencer Weisz |
- Ivy League Rookie of the Year[2]
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1971 | Brian Taylor |
| 1977 | Bob Roma |
| 1992 | Rick Hielscher |
| 1999 | Chris Young |
| 2001 | Konrad Wysocki |
| 2014 | Spencer Weisz |
| 2023 | Caden Pierce[9] |
- Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year[2]
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Kareem Maddox |
| 2017 | Myles Stephens |
- Ivy League Coach of the Year
| Year | Name |
| 2017 | Mitch Henderson[10] |
| Year | Name | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Bill Bradley | First Team |
| 1982 | Gordon Enderle | Honorable Mention |
| 1988 | Bill Bradley | Hall of Fame |
| 1990 | Kit Mueller | Third Team |
| 1991 | Kit Mueller | First Team |
| 1998 | Steve Goodrich | Second Team |
| Year | Name | Designation |
| 1964 | Bill Bradley | United States |
| 2008 | Konrad Wysocki | Germany |
| 2024 | Kareem Maddox | United States |
Maddox appeared in the 3x3 basketball competition.
| Year | Name | Designation |
| 1999 | Bill Bradley | Player |
| 1997 | Pete Carril | Coach |
| Year | Name | Designation |
| 1983 | Bill Bradley | Player |
| 1997 | Pete Carril | Coach |
Princeton NBA players were Bud Palmer, Willem van Breda Kolff, Bradley, Geoff Petrie, John Hummer, Taylor, Ted Manakas, Armond Hill, Mike Kearns and Steve Goodrich.[3]
Tosan Evbuomwan is the only active Princeton NBA player.
David Blatt, now an Israeli-American, played for Princeton in 1977–81 and then became a professional basketball player and subsequently a coach (most recently, for the Cleveland Cavaliers).[12]
| Year | Name | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 New York Knicks | Bill Bradley | 1970 Finals |
| 1973 New York Knicks | Bill Bradley | 1973 Finals |
| 1974 New York Nets | Brian Taylor | 1974 Finals |
| 1976 New York Nets | Brian Taylor | 1976 Finals |
- NBA Experience[13]
| Name | Year | Team | Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernie Adams | 1950 | Philadelphia | |
| Carl Belz | 1959 | Philadelphia | 9th, 62 |
| Reggie Bird | 1972 | Atlanta | 4th rd, 55 |
| Bill Bradley | 1965 | N.Y. Knicks | before 1st rd, territory |
| Jim Brangan | 1960 | Philadelphia | 6th, 47 |
| Pete Campbell | 1962 | Chicago | 10th rd, 79 |
| John Haarlow | 1968 | N.Y. Knicks | 13th rd, 177 |
| Barnes Hauptfuhrer | 1976 | Houston | 3rd rd, 43 |
| Joe Heiser | 1968 | Baltimore | 6th rd, 68 |
| Armond Hill | 1976 | Atlanta | 1st rd, 9 |
| Ed Hummer | 1967 | Boston | 6th rd, 64 |
| John Hummer | 1970 | Buffalo | 1st rd, 15 |
| Mike Kearns | 1951 | Philadelphia | |
| Ted Manakas | 1973 | Atlanta | 3rd rd, 36 |
| Kevin Mullin | 1984 | Boston | 4th rd, 93 |
| Geoff Petrie | 1970 | Portland | 1st rd, 8th |
| Andy Rimol | 1974 | Buffalo | 10th rd, 170 |
| Craig Robinson | 1983 | Philadelphia | 4th rd, 93 |
| Bob Roma | 1979 | Kansas City | 6th rd, 126 |
| Bill Ryan | 1984 | N.J. Nets | 9th rd, 200 |
| Rich Simkus | 1983 | N.J. Nets | 10th rd, 222 |
| Frank Sowinski | 1978 | N.J. Nets | 9th rd, 171 |
| Brian Taylor | 1972 | Seattle | 2nd rd, 23 |
| Chris Thomforde | 1969 | N.Y. Knicks | 7th rd, 96 |
| Tim van Blommesteyn | 1975 | N.Y. Knicks | 9th rd, 153 |
Bradley continues to hold the single-game, single-season, and career total and average points Ivy League records. In addition, he holds the Ivy records for single-game, single-season, and career field goals made as well as single-season, and career free throws made. Other Tiger Ivy League record holders include Howard Levy (1982–85, career field goal percentage),[14] Alan Williams (1986–87, single-season field goal percentage), Brian Earl (1995–99, career three-point field goals made), Spencer Gloger (vs- Ala.-Birmingham, December 18, 1999, single-game three-point field goals made), Sydney Johnson (-vs- Columbia & Cornell, Feb 28 – March 1, 1997, consecutive three-point field goals made; single-game three-point field goals made with no misses), Dave Orlandini (1986–88, career three-point field goal percentage; 1987–88 single-season three-point field goal percentage).[6]
- National records
- Combined single-game Three-point field goal field goal percentage (minimum 20 made):[15] 72.4%—Princeton (12 of 15) vs. Brown (9 of 14), February 20, 1998
- Combined single-game points (Since 1986, which is either the three-point shot or shot clock era):[16][17] 62—Monmouth (41) vs. Princeton (21), December 14, 2005
- Single-season three-point field goal percentage (Min. 200 made):[16] 49.2%—Princeton, 1988 (211 of 429)
- Longest annual rivalry Princeton–Yale:[18] Since 1902 (tied with Columbia–Yale, Princeton–Penn is second since 1903)
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Tournament records
- Free throws made in 100% effort: Bradley (16 vs. St. Joseph’s, 1st R, November 3, 1963)[19]
- Single-game points scored in a final four: Bradley 58 Princeton vs. Wichita St., N3d, 3-20- 1965[20][21]
- Single-game field goals made (final four): Bradley 22 Princeton vs. Wichita St., N3d, 3-20- 1965[21]
- Victory margin (final four): 36 Princeton (118) vs. Wichita St. (82), N3d, March 20, 1965[22]
- Points in a half, team (final four): 65, Princeton vs. Wichita St., N3d, March 20, 1965 (2d half, 2nd team to do so)[23]
- Single-year two-game points scored (final four): 87, Bill Bradley, Princeton, 1965[24]
- Single-year two-game field goals made (final four): 34, Bill Bradley, Princeton, 1965[24]
- Selected former records NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Tournament records
- Single-game free throw percentage (final four, minimum 10 made): 93.3% (14–15), Bradley, Princeton vs. Wichita St., N3d, March 25, 1965 (broken March 23, 1972)[21]
- Points in a half, both teams (final four): 108, Princeton (65) vs. Wichita St. (43), N3d, March 20, 1965 (2d) (broken March 25, 1972)[23]
- Single-year two-game free throw percentage (final four, minimum 12 made): 95.0% (19–20), Bill Bradley, Princeton, 1965 (broken 1972)[24]
- Single-year two-game field goals made (final four): 78, Princeton, 1965 (broken 1977)[24]
- Former national records
- Fewest points allowed (Since 1986):[17] 28–66 Dartmouth, February 10, 1990 (broken on January 11, 1991)
- Fewest points allowed (Since 1986):[17] 27–55 Yale, January 11, 1991 (broken on March 2, 1992)
- Fewest combined points (Since 1986):[17] 76 (43–33) vs. Colgate, November 30, 1988 (broken on December 16, 1989)
- Single-season team defense (Since 1965):[25] 52.9, 1976 (broken 1977)
- Single-season team defense (Since 1965):[25] 51.7, 1977 (broken 1980)
- Single-season team assists-turnover ratio (Since 1993):[26] 1.63 (486:302), 1998 (broken 2005)
- Consecutive home victories:[18] Princeton over Brown 52, 1929–2002 (broken by North Carolina over Clemson 54 and active through 2009)
- National statistical champions
- Field goal percentage:[27] 70.3% Alan Williams 163 of 232, 1987
- Three-point field goal percentage:[28] 53.4% Matt Lapin 71 of 133, 1990
- Free throw percentage:[28] 88.6% Bill Bradley, 273 of 308, 1965
- Free throw percentage:[28] 90.0% Joe Heiser, 117 of 130, 1968
- Won-loss percentage:[29] 93.1% team, 27 of 29, 1998
- Scoring defense:[30][31] 52.9, 1976; 51.7, 1977; 55.8, 1979; 52.0, 1983; 50.1, 1984; 55.0, 1986; 53.0, 1989; 51.0, 1990; 48.9, 1991; 48.2, 1992; 54.7, 1993; 52.3, 1994; 57.7, 1995; 51.7, 1996; 53.4, 1997; 51.4, 1998; 52.7, 1999; 54.6, 2000; 53.3, 2007; 53.3, 2010.
- Field goal percentage:[32] 54.1% team, 601 of 1111, 1987
- Three-point field goals/game:[32] 8.12 team, 1988
- Three-point field percentage:[32] 49.2 team, 1988, 45.2 team, 1990
- Assists-turnover ratio:[33] 1.63 team (486:302), 1998
- Fewest turnover/game:[34] 10.14 team (294/29), 1998
- The 1925 team is considered the retroactive national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.[35][36]
- Selected notable statistics
- Bradley was the second to post a 2000-point/1000-rebound three-year career (Oscar Robertson).[37]
- Weisz became the only player in Princeton career history to amass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, and 200 3-pointers.[38]
- The 27-point comeback from 13–40 with 15:11 remaining to win 50–49 over Penn on February 9, 1999, remains the fifth-largest comeback and fourth-largest second-half comeback in NCAA history. That game's 9–33 half time deficit comeback remains the second-largest comeback.[39]
- 14 of the top 25 single-season team defensive averages since 1965 have been by Princeton.[25]
- Princeton ranked in the top 10 nationally in win percentage in both the 1960s (72.6, 188–71, 10th),[40] and 1990s (76.1, 210–66, 8th).[41]
- Last Princeton team ranked in the polls during the season and at the end of the season was the 1997–98 team, which was ranked in all but the first three polls (15 weeks) of the season and finished the season 8th.[42]
- Other ranked teams according to the AP Poll 1950–51 (2 weeks, peak 18, finished unranked), 1966–67 (9 weeks, peak 3, finished 5), 1967–68 (2 weeks, peak 8, finished unranked, but 15 by UPI since AP was only top 10 at the time), 1971–72 (3 weeks, peak 14, finished unranked), 1974–75 (2 weeks, peak 12, finished 12), 1975–76 (2 weeks, peak 15, finished unranked, but 19T by UPI), 1990–91 (6 weeks, peak 18, finished 18).[43][44]
Princeton has appeared in 26 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments,[45] 7 National Invitation Tournaments (NIT), 2 College Basketball Invitationals (CBI) and 8 Ivy League one-game playoffs.[46]
NCAA Tournaments
NCAA Tournament Seeding History
The NCAA began seeding the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament with the 1979 edition.[47] The 64-team field started in 1985, which guaranteed that a championship team had to win six games.[48]
The Tigers have a 15–30 record in the NCAA tournament.
| Year | Field Size | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 16 | Sweet Sixteen Regional third-place game | Duquesne Dayton | L 49–60 L 61–77 |
| 1955 | 24 | Sweet Sixteen Regional third-place game | La Salle Villanova | L 46–73 L 57–64 |
| 1960 | 25 | First round | Duke | L 60–84 |
| 1961 | 24 | First round Sweet Sixteen Regional third-place game | George Washington St. Joseph's St. Bonaventure | W 84–67 L 67–72 L 67–85 |
| 1963 | 25 | First round | St. Joseph's | L 81–82 |
| 1964 | 25 | First round Sweet Sixteen Regional third-place game | VMI Connecticut Villanova | W 86–60 L 50–52 L 62–74 |
| 1965 | 23 | First round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National third-place game | Penn State North Carolina State Providence Michigan Wichita State | W 60–58 W 66–48 W 109–69 L 76–93 W 118–82 |
| 1967 | 23 | First round Sweet Sixteen Regional third-place game | West Virginia North Carolina St. John's | W 68–57 L 70–78 OT W 78–58 |
| 1969 | 25 | First round | St. John's | L 63–72 |
| 1976 | 32 | First round | Rutgers | L 53–54 |
| 1977 | 32 | First round | Kentucky | L 58–72 |
| 1981 | 48 | First round | BYU | L 51–60 |
| 1983 | 52 | Preliminary Round First round Second round | North Carolina A&T Oklahoma State Boston College | W 53–41 W 56–53 L 42–51 |
| 1984 | 56 | Preliminary Round First round | San Diego UNLV | W 65–56 L 56–68 |
| 1989 | 64 | First round | Georgetown | L 49–50 |
| 1990 | 64 | First round | Arkansas | L 64–68 |
| 1991 | 64 | First round | Villanova | L 48–50 |
| 1992 | 64 | First round | Syracuse | L 43–51 |
| 1996 | 64 | First round Second round | UCLA Mississippi State | W 43–41 L 41–63 |
| 1997 | 64 | First round | California | L 52–55 |
| 1998 | 64 | First round Second round | UNLV Michigan State | W 69–57 L 56–63 |
| 2001 | 65 | First round | North Carolina | L 48–70 |
| 2004 | 65 | First round | Texas | L 49–66 |
| 2011 | 68 | First round | Kentucky | L 57–59 |
| 2017 | 68 | First round | Notre Dame | L 58–60 |
| 2023 | 68 | First round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | Arizona Missouri Creighton | W 59–55 W 78–63 L 75–86 |
In 2011 the round of 64 was the second round
NIT
| Year | Field Size | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 16 | First Quarterfinal | Indiana Niagara | W 68–60 L 60–65 |
| 1975 | 16 | First Quarterfinal Semifinal Final | Holy Cross South Carolina Oregon Providence | W 84–63 W 86–67 W 58–57 W 80–69 |
| 1999 | 32 | First Second Quarterfinal | Georgetown North Carolina State Xavier | W 54–47 W 61–58 L 58–65 |
| 2000 | 32 | First | Penn State | L 41–55 |
| 2002 | 40 | First | Louisville | L 65–66 |
| 2016 | 32 | First | Virginia Tech | L 81–86OT |
| 2022 | 32 | First | VCU | L 79–90 |
| 2024 | 32 | First | UNLV | L 77–84 |
CBI
| Year | Field Size | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 16 | First Quarterfinal Semifinal | Duquesne IUPUI Saint Louis | W 65–51 W 74–68 OT L 59–69 |
| 2014 | 16 | First Quarterfinal | Tulane Fresno State | W 56–55 L 56–72 |
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