Schaen to miss year of school

Men's basketball player Harrison Schaen, who was expected to begin his sophomore year this week, will be taking the academic year off from Princeton.

Schaen, a top-200 national prospect as a high school senior, confirmed his plans by phone from his Huntington Beach, Calif., home last Wednesday night.

Characterizing the decision as "voluntary," he cited family-related circumstances on which he declined to elaborate.

"I'm staying at home with my parents and working on my game. I want to be here with my father and mother," he said. "When you need to be with your family, you gotta do what you gotta do."

Head coach Joe Scott '87 refused to discuss the reasons for Schaen's absence, saying it was University policy that he could not comment on "a matter of privacy."

Scott did speak, however, about what he hoped Schaen would gain during his time off.

"It's an important year for him to grow maturity-wise," Scott said. "He's got to work hard, he's got to care a lot. That goes for everything at this place — he has to get better at that."

Meanwhile, teammate reactions varied. Sophomore forward Patrick Ekeruo said he had been aware in May that Schaen was contemplating taking time off for family-related reasons. But senior center Mike Stephens seemed surprised by the news, saying he heard rumors over the summer but had been unsure of his teammate's final decision or the reasons for it.

Schaen, however, indicated that his teammates were aware of his decision, describing them as "disappointed, but understanding."

Schaen said he made up his mind last May, about a week before the school year ended.

"It was a spur-of-the-moment type thing," he said.

He dismissed other issues as factors in his decision, including the recent coaching change. Scott replaced John Thompson III '88 on April 21, only a few weeks before Schaen evidently made up his mind.

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Schaen was quick to note his admiration for Coach Scott, saying he was "excited to play for him." But he admitted that the timing prevented Scott from having a chance to talk him out of his decision.

"There wasn't much he [Scott] could do about it," Schaen said.

Speaking highly of his freshman year experience at Princeton, Schaen said he looks forward to returning for the 2005-2006 school year.

"I enjoyed [Princeton] so much, academics and everything. I had no qualms," he said. "I can't wait to come back and get started again."

Although Schaen's active presence off the bench will be missed, his decision somewhat reduces the logjam in the Tigers' frontcourt.

Seniors Judson Wallace and Andre Logan will start at center and power forward respectively, with Stephens as the first big man off the bench. At the end of last year, Schaen sat clearly below all three on the depth chart.

Several of Schaen's former classmates — Ekeruo, John Reynolds, and Mike Rudoy — will likely be given the first shot at filling his high-energy role off the bench. But none is as naturally talented or versatile as Schaen.

"The problem is that he's different than anyone else," Scott said. "It's going to hurt our depth."

Schaen claimed the crowded playing time situation did not factor into his decision, but he allowed that he would rather be playing than sitting on the bench. With Wallace, Logan and Stephens all graduated by the time he returns, Schaen will be expected to play a leading role.

"Rather than watch from a distance, I'll learn from inside the game," he said.

In preparation, Schaen will try to continue to gain weight and work on his game during his year off. In an attempt to increase his versatility — with the goal of perhaps being able to eventually play shooting guard and small forward — he said that he would focus on increasing his agility and improving his jump shot.

"From a basketball standpoint, this was probably the right year [for him to miss]," Scott said. "If he can grow, I think he will be ready to come back and become the type of player he's expected to."

During his first season, Schaen displayed flashes of the athleticism and enormous potential that made him among the highest profile recruits Princeton has ever signed. Early on in the season, however, he often appeared lost or out of control on the court.

The turning point came during a Feb. 7 double overtime win against Harvard, in which Schaen played a critical role down the stretch. After proving himself, Schaen saw increased playing time the rest of the season and became a crucial rebounding and defensive presence of the bench, a role he was expected to reprise this season.