Letters to the Editor: Confronting point deflation

For those of you who may be dismayed by the recent losses of the Princeton University men's basketball team, fear not! One need only refer to the back cover of the team's 2004-05 season media guide:

"In the years of basketball's infancy, the final scores clearly indicated the superior abilities of one team over another. Recently, a national trend has developed in which teams are scoring such high numbers of points during games that the differences in final scores cannot accurately indicate the relative abilities of each team. Each year, the NCAA selects 64 teams to compete in the national championship tournament. With the current trend of point inflation among the nation's collegiate basketball teams, the NCAA's selection process has become increasingly difficult.

In an effort to curb this trend, the Princeton University basketball team has elected to realign its scoring policies with those common among basketball teams of the 1920s. During the 2004-05 season, the team will only be permitted to score over 55 points in a maximum of 35 percent of its games. If the team reaches postseason play, it may not score over 55 points in more than 55 percent of these games. Team scores above the 55 point cutoff should be regarded by other teams as an indication of Princeton's superior play. Scores nearing 55 points still represent a performance well above average and in excess of the coach's expectations.

Princeton recruits exclusively from a select group of extremely talented athletes. Its coaches are committed to holding Princeton athletes to the high standards which allowed them acceptance to the University. The points scored by its basketball team should not, therefore, be understood to represent a lack of skill; rather, they should be understood to represent athletic performance at its finest."

Once again, it is obvious that Princeton is serving as a trailblazer and setting a standard that will likely be emulated by other Ivy League and nationally ranked universities. So next time you are at Jadwin for a basketball game, don't hang your head in shame because Princeton scored fewer points than the opposing team. Stand proud and be thankful to attend a university that is dedicated to affecting change in the sport of basketball. Although today's Princeton basketball players may never obtain the NCAA championship invitation that they have dreamed of for years, future generations will surely benefit from the sacrifices of today's players.

Greg Glass '05