"In this league, any given team on any given night can beat any other team."
This phrase seems to be a favorite of men's basketball head coach John Thompson '88. One team proved Thompson right — Penn. And several other Ivy squads have come close.
Columbia (8-15 overall, 4-6 Ivy League) and Cornell (11-12, 6-4) are two of those teams that the Tigers narrowly defeated. Both pay a visit to Princeton this weekend as the Tigers (15-7, 8-1) try to maintain their stronghold on the league lead. With five games remaining on its schedule, the Ivy's No. 1 — Princeton — has the clear advantage. The team has only one league loss, while all other squads have at least three.
Lion's scare
Columbia, which shares fifth place in the league with Yale, comes to Jadwin on Friday looking to extend its winning streak to three. The Lions have made easy work of Harvard and Dartmouth since losing in overtime to Princeton, 78-71, on Feb. 14.
In that contest with the Tigers, underdog Columbia came out strong in the first half and led until the end of regulation when junior guard Will Venable tied the game with five seconds remaining. Though Princeton dominated the Lions in overtime, the game serves as a warning that the Tigers cannot expect to walk all over Columbia on Friday.
"I think they just outhustled us [in the first half]," junior center Judson Wallace said. "Columbia's a very physical team, and we didn't match their physical play."
Thompson saw Princeton's trailing early not as the result of a slow start on the part of the Tigers but as proof of Columbia's aggressive style, something his team needs to react better to this weekend.
"Hopefully, we can prevent them from getting off to a fast start," Thompson said.
Princeton needs to keep its defense tight, especially around the Lions' forward Matt Preston, who posted 23 points last time the two teams met.
On offense, the Tigers need to continue their recent interior success. Since the Penn game, Wallace has scored 20 or more points in four straight contests, evidence of how the Tigers have thrived with an offense centered around the low post.
Big Red rematch
The same low-post offense will come into play against fourth-place Cornell on Saturday. Against the Big Red, Princeton has the additional challenge of shutting down the league's top scorer, guard Ka'Ron Barnes, who averages an astounding 21.1 points per game.
"[Barnes is] going to get his points, but we just need to limit his easy looks," Thompson said.
An all-around player, Barnes also leads the league in assists (4.7 per game) and shares the lead in steals (2.0 per game). Cornell guard Cody Toppert has also succeeded in finding the net this season — he boasts an average of 16.0 ppg.
Two weeks ago when the two teams met, the Tigers were able to contain Barnes and company, holding on for a hard-fought 69-64 victory in Ithaca. This time, Princeton needs a finely tuned defensive performance from all sides — especially considering the loss of a central leader on the court. The Tigers will likely compete this weekend without their captain and floor general, senior guard Ed Persia, who suffered a deep thigh contusion in last Saturday's game against Brown. Losing such a key all-around player is a tough blow.
"[Persia] always provides a spark to our team when we need it most," junior center Mike Stephens said.
Replacing Persia
Still, Princeton has a wealth of young talent — freshman guard Max Schafer, for one — always ready to contribute.
And as always, the team will enjoy the noise and energy provided by a home crowd that is smelling a tournament bid and only has two chances left to root on its beloved Tigers.
"I hope the Jadwin Jungle will be rocking this week," Wallace said. "It's by far the best crowd support I've had since I've been here."
Sure, any Ivy team can beat any other on a given night. But the Tigers will do their best to make sure no more underdogs get in the way of sole possession of the league title.
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