They say persistence is a virtue.
But according to Webster's, the word "nagging" means "to be a persistent source of annoyance or distraction."
Most of the men's basketball team has nagging injuries going into this weekend's games, and the Tigers probably side more with the dictionary in this case than the adage. These have been persistent injuries, but they have hardly been virtuous ones.
Princeton (4-7) opens its Ivy League season this weekend with home games against Cornell (4-8) and Columbia (4-8). This is supposed to be the time of year when a basketball team is sharpest. With a slate of non-conference games and a decent period of rest under its belt, a club should be perfectly prepared for its first league game.
Holy Jordan
But so long as the Higher Basketball Power continues to bless the Tigers with such "righteous" injuries, they may never be at their best.
Senior forward Nate Walton nurses a minor ankle injury, junior forward Mike Bechtold maintains a small foot malady, senior guard C.J. Chapman harbors a slightly tweaked ankle and junior guard Ahmed El-Nokali still feels the effects of his early-season groin surgery.
Small injuries, all. No blown ligaments, no broken limbs, just enough pain to make a good player into something less. With such a small injury, an athlete might not even believe that the pain affects his play.
"It's doing a lot better," Bechtold said of his slightly fractured foot. "I've been back to practice hard the last three days."
His coach, John Thompson '88, thinks otherwise, saying, "Mike is doing a little better, but he's still hobbled. For someone who's not swift of foot to begin with, it can make a difference."
Princeton's 16-day layoff since its last game has not been as beneficial as Thompson had hoped. The Tigers' afflictions are not the sort that go away quickly.
"I have a funny feeling with Nate and with Mike that it's going to be an ongoing thing," he said.
In Princeton's early-season games, injuries have clearly made a difference. For instance, when Nate Walton has played more than 30 minutes, the Tigers are 4-2. They are 0-5 when he plays fewer. His presence on the floor makes the Tigers noticeably more cohesive.
Yet Walton is by no means the most important of the wounded. Early in the year, Bechtold was the Tigers' most potent scorer, with Chapman backing him up from long range. El-Nokali has provided stability in the backcourt since his freshman year and has progressed as an offensive threat.
There may be an upside to all of these troubles, however. With the older players nursing their ailments, younger players — such as sophomore guard Kyle Wente, freshman guard Ed Persia, freshman forward Andre Logan and freshman center Konrad Wysocki — have gotten a chance to gather time on the floor.
"As I told the team, our younger guys have played so many minutes, there's no need to look at those guys as young, inexperienced guys," Thompson said.
Indeed, Logan and Wysocki have given the Tigers size down low that they did not expect to have at the start of the year. Two games ago against Penn State, Logan led Princeton with 19 points; Wysocki set the pace with 16 last game, versus Rutgers.
As for their opponents this weekend, the Tigers face a pair of experienced and healthy teams in Columbia and Cornell. That experience, however, is not heaped on top of overwhelming talent.
In one weekend last year, Princeton beat Cornell by 26 and Columbia by 29. They are the first teams the Tigers have played this year that will not carry winning records into the matchup, except, of course, for No. 2 Duke, which played its opener against Princeton.
A team again
If the injured players can return to the fold to join the younger crop, Princeton could again be a powerful force in the Ivy League. For evidence of potential, look to the Tigers' win over Xavier on Dec. 9, the last time they had everyone healthy enough to play.
No doubt Princeton hopes that it can put together a full unit for this weekend's games, but if not, the Tigers will get another 16 days off before their next game. A truly virtuous break.
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