Center position hub of men's basketball offense

Pete Carril. Palestra Miracle. David 43, Goliath 41.

Over the last 10 years the men's basketball fans have accrued some great memories. The chance to make more begins this Friday as head coach John Thompson '88 leads his troops into battle for the fourth time.

Expectations are higher for this team than for any other team in Thompson's tenure, as much because its biggest rival, Penn, lost four starters — including second-round NBA draft pick Ugonna Onyekwe — than because the Tiger squad is more talented.

Whether this team is more talented than the unit last year is tough to say, but the potential to be great is definitely there. Half the Tigers' roster has never played a college game before as Thompson welcomes seven true freshmen to the team.

"The hub of our offense is the center position, and [junior forward Judson Wallace] knows that," Thompson said.

Wallace's play over the course of the season will likely be the deciding factor in whether the Tigers have a successful season, which is determined by whether or not it wins an Ivy League championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Wallace has made dramatic strides in his first two seasons and became a force to reckon with at the end of the last season, scoring more than 20 points in four of the last five games. The difference maker for Wallace was becoming comfortable in the low post, which is where Thompson expects him to play this season.

"[Wallace] became a presence in the post, and we need him to spend more time on the block," Thompson said.

However, Princeton would be wise to continue to use Wallace's ability to face the basket and hit the perimeter shot — he shot 37 percent from three-point range.

Also returning for Princeton is senior forward Konrad Wysocki, who has been the Tigers' first spark-plug off the bench, a role he would like to continue this season, but may not be able to.

With junior forward Andre Logan out for at least another month due to torn tendons in his right wrist from punching through a window, Wysocki will likely be thrust into a starting role to begin the season.

"It's not important who's in at the start of the game," Thompson said, "it's who is in at the end that matters."

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Wysocki will now be asked to do both.

Two freshmen who are likely to see playing time are Harrison Schaen out of powerhouse Mater Dei High School in California and Luke Owings from Washington, D.C.

With the steep learning curve of the Princeton offense, neither player will be ready to start early in the season, but depending on their progress, either could see significant playing time when the league games begin.

Senior forward Spencer Gloger is able to return to the team at the start of the Spring Term after academic ineligibility problems, but it is uncertain whether he will even return to school.

Backcourt

Senior captain Ed Persia leads the Tigers backcourt and the usual three-point barrage. Persia was the Tigers best and most consistent outside threat, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Despite his scoring, Persia was at times a defensive liability, often seeming disinterested on the defensive end, a tendency he will have to alter as captain.

Also returning are junior Will Venable and sophomore Scott Greenman. Venable was effective last season at taking smaller defenders one-on-one in the post, and is also one of the best cutters to the basket. Freshman guard Max Schafer may challenge for that title. Greenman made perhaps the biggest strides of any player in the offseason, improving both his ballhandling and shooting. His small five foot, nine inch frame could pose problem.

With Wallace's development as a low post player, Tiger fans should see the "Princeton offense" run the way it was intended for the first time in three years.

While the offense will come, the focus for this team is still on improving defense and rebounding. Princeton was last in the league last season in rebounding.