Men's hoops still has room to improve after decent .500 first half

With 11 days remaining before its final non-conference game against Southern Vermont on Jan. 26, the men's basketball team has plenty of time to ruminate over the first half of the season.

During their 6-6 start, the Tigers have shown incredible potential and flashes of brilliance, but inconsistent play and untimely letdowns have held them back. Five of the team's six losses have come by four points or fewer, including a 58-55 loss to No. 13 Oklahoma. The other defeat was a 69-51 decision at the hands of No. 2 Duke, in which the Tigers trailed by just four with under 16 minutes left in the game.

Head coach John Thompson '88 will spend the next two weeks preparing his team for the intensive 14-game Ivy League schedule, focusing on strengths, and trying to remedy the problems of the first half. Here are areas he might address:

Movement on offense. The Princeton offense relies on quick ball movement and frequent, crisp cuts to the basket. Most games, the team comes out and executes early. But as the game settles in, perhaps due in part to fatigue, the pace slows and movement wanes. Too often, the squad finds itself hoisting up desperation threes as the shot clock winds down without getting a decent look at the basket for the entire 35 seconds.

The problem is accentuated when the Tigers play low-post ball. Thompson seems to have integrated more post plays into the offense this year, utilizing junior centers Judson Wallace and Mike Stephens. But when a pass goes down to one of them on the low blocks, the other four on the floor just park themselves around the perimeter.

The team needs to take better advantage of these opportunities and the superior passing ability of Wallace and Stephens. With weak-side defenders having to worry about helping or double-teaming, Princeton should never have to fire a poor, contested last-second shot.

After all, the Tigers move well and the players understand and feel each other as well as any team in Division I. But they have to maintain their focus and execute on every possession.

Scoring Defense. Once again, Thompson has his team playing incredible defense, which has allowed Princeton to play the country's top teams competitively. The Tigers rank 13th in the nation in scoring defense, giving up just over 57 points per game. They have held opponents to under 60 points in all but three games, and no team has yet hit the 70 mark against them.

Even more encouraging is Princeton's surprisingly strong rebounding, despite the media's assertion that it is a team weakness. Though Thompson sometimes has four players drop back after a shot to prevent easy fast-break buckets, the Tigers have only been outrebounded in two of their six losses.

Free Throws. They call it the "charity stripe," but the free throw line has not been the most hospitable place for Princeton this season.

Overall, the Tigers are shooting just 66 percent, but the numbers get worse in losses. The team made a paltry 56 percent in defeat and its opponents shoot, on average, five more free throws per contest. The discrepancy is all the more painful considering how close those six games were.

As a basketball sage once said about free throws, "They give 'em to you." It's time for Princeton to take 'em.

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Youth Movement. Though Princeton's touted freshman class has not had quite a Lebron James-like impact, they have certainly found a place and a purpose. Forward Harrison Schaen has shown glimpses of the star he will almost surely become, and Thompson has rewarded him with more playing time. Small forward Luke Owings put his range on display in the first half, going 7 for 12 from downtown while leading the team's rookies in both scoring and rebounding. Guard Max Schafer has had a much better year than his stats suggest. His shooting numbers (3-23 from the field, 1-14 from three) perhaps show a case of early nerves, but the feisty New Jersey native has also shown a grit and toughness not often found in a Princeton player. Along with his ball handling ability, Schafer's quick hands on defense — he has seven steals — have earned him increased playing time.