The best way to characterize the men's basketball team this year is probably with a question mark.
Due to the departure of three starters from last season's team, Princeton is the biggest wild card among the top teams in the Ivy League.
However, Princeton also had the greatest "infusion of talent," as head coach John Thompson '88 puts it, of any team in the league.
At the heart of this infusion are two juniors — forward Andre Logan from injury and wing Spencer Gloger off a transfer.
Even with the addition of these two players, Princeton finds itself ranked third in most preseason polls behind Penn and Yale. To prove them wrong, the Tigers will have to answer 'yes' to the many questions concerning the team.
Junior Impact
The first is whether or not Gloger and Logan can make an immediate impact.
"We acquired two great players without sacrificing any experience," Thompson said. "Those guys have been through the league before. They add size, strength and experience. They can both create offensive opportunities for themselves and others."
Their potential is unquestioned, but Logan is still suffering from his season-ending knee surgery and is not yet at 100 per cent.
Coach Thompson mentioned that Logan's knee would keep him from playing two full games on the weekend.
Gloger returns to the Tiger lineup after a two year hiatus from the team. After a phenomenal freshman season, Gloger transferred to UCLA with the departure of coach Bill Carmody to take the same position at Northwestern and also teammate Chris Young '02, who signed a professional baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Jersey Dreaming
"After one season at UCLA, I realized that I missed this place more than I thought I would," Gloger said.
Gloger will compliment the increasing athleticism of the team and brings a scary three-point game for someone above six foot seven inches.
In their two losses to Penn last season, Princeton was not able to guard the Quakers' interior combo of Ugonna Onyekwe and Koko Archibong. Other teams also took advantage of Princeton's lack of size up front by controlling the boards. Princeton was fifth in the league in rebounding last year.
This season, Thompson has at his disposal a number of better options. Improved sophomore forward Judson Wallace grew to 6'9" and now tips the scale at 225 pounds — 15 pounds heavier than last season.
He will get the start in the middle with the loss of junior forward Konrad Wysocki to a stress fracture in his right foot. Wysocki will be sidelined for about three weeks.
Hitting the Boards
Thompson refuses to accept that Princeton cannot become a top rebounding team — he simply acknowledges that all five guys on the floor have to do their job.
"We need to rebound as a team," Thompson said. "Everyone needs to box out their men and hit the glass."
Captain and senior guard Kyle Wente is currently suffering from a nagging shin injury. When he gets back — and it should be soon — the Tigers will have an impressive and deep back-court. What the Tigers will do with it is another question.
One option at Thompson's disposal is to move Gloger from forward to guard to join Wente, Veneble and junior Ed Persia. Wente averaged 6.8 points per game last season while chipping in 4.1 rebounds. Veneble added 5.6 ppg while Persia averaged 5.5 a game.
Veneble is one of the best on-the-ball defenders on the team, while Wente and Gloger can match size with any other guard.
The 2002-03 edition of Princeton basketball will no doubt be competitive in the Ivy League, but success here is measured by titles and tournament appearances, not close finishes.
Last season's championship did not feel right because the team had to share that honor with both Penn and Yale. More importantly, the title did not come with an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, which went to Penn after a short playoff.
This year's title is already considered Penn's to lose, but they will have to prove that on the court. Princeton is not willing to concede just yet. This is one of the most exciting Princeton teams in years, and the uncertainty only adds to that excitement.
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