One mention of the word basketball to any Princeton fan and the first things that come to mind are backdoor cuts, ball movement and three-pointers. Princeton (8-7 overall, 2-0 Ivy League) has fairly or unfairly been identified solely by its innovative offensive schemes. Early in the 2002-2003 Ivy League season, it has been the Tiger's play on the defensive end that has been their saving grace.
In their first two Ivy games this weekend against Harvard and Dartmouth the Tigers' famed offense was rusty.
"The big thing this weekend was our defense," senior forward Ray Robins said.
There were long stretches where the team's ball and player movement were slow. The entire offense was reduced to taking contested three-point shots, which is not Princeton's recipe for success.
Against the Big Green, Princeton shot only 43.9 per cent from the floor and a measly 25 per cent from the arc. The night before was even worse as the team shot 38.9 per cent and connected on only 3 of 17 three-point field goals.
A quick look at those numbers and most people would think that the Tigers are very fortunate to be 2-0 in league play. Princeton has its commitment to improving defensively to thank for its unblemished record. When the offense wasn't clicking, head coach John Thompson '88 directed the team's focus to the other end of the floor.
The Tigers pressured Harvard and Dartmouth relentlessly with tenacious defense that stifled both team's top scorers. The Crimson committed numerous mistakes and finished the game with 17 turnovers, seven more than Princeton. The Big Green, with only eight official turnovers, threw the ball away in a different fashion — the Tiger defense forced Dartmouth into bad shots all game.
Senior captain and forward Kyle Wente led the defensive charge with six steals against Harvard. But not only Wente played a strong defensive game; seven players had at least one steal in the night.
Most importantly, however, Princeton clamped down on the Crimson in the clutch. Harvard took a 61-60 lead on a pair of free throws with one minute, 41 seconds left in the contest. That was the last time Harvard found the bottom of the net.
With the Tigers up 62-61, Wente and sophomore center Judson Wallace came up with the defensive play of the game. Wente tipped Sam Winter's pass and Wallace dove after the loose ball. He flicked a pass forward to a streaking Spencer Gloger for an easy layup.
On Harvard's next possession, the Tiger's defense forced the ball out of the hands of Harvard's leading scorer and 2002 first team All-Ivy selection Patrick Harvey. Instead, it was Brady Merchant who took a contested three-pointer which he missed. Princeton rebounded and iced the game.
"We got the stops when we needed them," Thompson said after the game.
The game against Dartmouth featured more of the same. This time the star was junior forward Spencer Gloger, who was coming off a 2 for 14 night. He spent much of his energy defending Dartmouth's leading scorer and playmaker, Charlie Harris.
Gloger, who is known almost exclusively for his offensive skills, stuck with Harris all night and held him to only six points in the contest. Harris managed only one field goal and four free throws.
When asked about Gloger's superb defensive job, Thompson said, "I've been saying that all year. His sum total is not just putting the ball in the basket."
As a team, Princeton held Dartmouth to 36 per cent shooting, with many of the misses coming on contested and off-balance shots.
Once again, the Tigers' defense stiffened at the end when the game was on the line. After the Big Green tied the game at 49 with just over two minutes remaining, Princeton had three strong defensive series in a row. On the third, Calvin Arnold hit a remarkable double clutch three-pointer after he got caught in midair with the passing lanes blocked. Dartmouth would not score again.
In the many years that Princeton has been running its offense, Ivy League teams have had ample time to come up with defensive schemes to slow it down. If the Tiger's want to stay atop the Ivy League, they will have to adjust with the times. One way to do that is to win games with their defense.
The team has won two such games already, and look for them to win a few more before this Ivy season goes into the books.
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