Men's basketball to open NCAA Tournament in Denver on Thursday

Finally, the magic word flashed onto the screen.

Sure, each member of the sizeable crowd gathered in the Rockefeller College common room Sunday evening had seen those nine letters spelled out millions of times before. And it wasn't as if there was any doubt as to whether or not the men's basketball team would be playing in the NCAA tournament.

But when "Princeton" appeared in the bracket, everyone in the room — from head coach John Thompson '88 to senior guard Ed Persia to President Tilghman — let out a yell.

Princeton (20-7 overall, 13-1 Ivy League) will be facing one of nation's top squads — No. 3-seeded Texas (23-7). The Tigers and Longhorns will tangle on Thursday at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

But for the moment, at least, it didn't matter whom or where the Tigers would be playing. All that counted was that they were going dancing.

"It's your dream," sophomore guard Scott Greenman said. "Growing up, you want to go to the NCAA Tournament and have a chance to compete against the best players in the country. And that's what we're doing."

Several hundred people gathered to watch the NCAA selection show with the Tigers, creating a festive atmosphere in one corner of an otherwise abandoned campus.

Cheerleaders, band members, athletic department staffers and their families were all present, anxious to find out where they would be spending spring break. A number of Jadwin Jungle members were also on hand, mainly seniors taking a quick break from thesis writing.

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Although the selection show began at 6 p.m., CBS built tension by drawing out the revelation process as long as possible. The Tigers were the 47th team to show up, hitting the screen at exactly 6:30.

"It's why you do this — for a chance to play in the tournament," Thompson said. "Even though you know your name is going to appear, there's excitement once you see it."

Each time a 14 or 15 seed was about to be revealed, the room went silent, audibly gasping after each close call. As any realtor would explain, the name of the game was location. Many in the crowd applauded when the Tigers were not sent to Buffalo, though the same individuals then sighed in disappointment when a trip to Orlando was ruled out.

President Tilghman appeared thrilled at the eventual outcome, loudly telling a friend that, since she was going to be in the Denver area on a ski trip, she would be able to make it to the game.

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One of the loudest cheers of the night came during the show's introduction sequence, when clips of memorable moments in tournament history were played. Princeton's famous first-round upset of UCLA in 1996 on a backdoor layup by Gabe Lewullis was included.

Then again, it's not as if the players need to be reminded what stage they'll be on this weekend. Several fondly recalled their memories of watching the NCAA Tournament while growing up.

"I used to watch it all day when I was a little kid," junior center Judson Wallace said. "Tons of TV hours."

David and Goliath

Princeton received the No. 14 seed in the region formerly known as the South — this year called the "Atlanta Region." If the Tigers manage to defeat Texas, they would then face the winner of the No 6. North Carolina versus No. 11 Air Force game, on Saturday.

As usual, Princeton will be heavy underdogs in the tournament. The Longhorns finished the regular season ranked No. 11 in the country, falling to Oklahoma St., 65-49, in the Big XII championship game Sunday afternoon. In fact, ESPN analyst Digger Phelps predicted Texas as the national champ on SportsCenter late Sunday night.

But an upset is far from impossible. When the two teams last met, in Austin in December 2002, the Tigers fell by just three points when Persia's three-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer.

"We should have beat them, and it hurt when we didn't," Persia said. "I would say that they don't want to play us again."

Although Texas is arguably a weaker team this season, after the graduation of All-American point guard T.J. Ford, their backcourt is still loaded.

Senior guards Brandon Mouton and Royal Ivey are among the best pairs in the nation. Ivey is a steady playmaker, while Mouton is a streaky shooter, who is deadly from long-range when he gets hot. Freshman swingman P.J. Tucker, who hit a game-winning shot early in the season, joins the senior duo on the perimeter.

All three are athletic players who prefer a fast-paced game. For Princeton to win, it is essential to limit the Longhorns' opportunities in the open court. Last year, the Tigers employed at 2-3 zone defense that prevented penetration and neutralized their size disadvantage.

"Our style and their style don't really match up," Persia said. "They like to go up and down, so hopefully we can slow it down and disrupt what they're doing."

Inside, Texas lacks the star-power of Mouton and Ivey but makes up for it with depth. The Longhorns have four big men who make their presence felt in the paint. Brad Buckman and Brian Boddicker share the power forward position, while Jason Klotz and James Thomas platoon at center.

"They're big. They're physical," Wallace said. "They'll throw it up and try to go get it on the offensive glass."

Offensively, the Princeton must execute its offense with precision to have a chance to win. Priority number one is eliminating the turnover problems that have plagued Princeton. Catching fire from beyond the arc wouldn't hurt either, as the Tigers will have trouble scoring inside against the taller Longhorns.

That said, don't expect a repeat of Princeton's blowout loss to North Carolina in 2001, the last time the Tigers made the tournament. If nothing else, this Princeton squad isn't satisfied just making it into the field.

"We were just happy to make it my freshman year," Persia said. "This year it's a totally different mindset. We're going in knowing that we have a chance to win." Editor's Note: This breaking story was appended to the March 12, 2004 issue of The Daily Princetonian's online edition at 1:07 p.m. on March 15, 2004.