Savage and Princeton hit the road

In November, youth and inexperience are excuses touted by basketball coaches across the nation for rocky starts and otherwise inexplicable losses. The men's basketball team has been no exception this year.

The Tigers (1-2 overall) have had their share of inconsistency this season, but youth has also given them the one thing they need the most: scoring. Sophomore forward Noah Savage has answered the question of where a team that lost over 50 percent of its points to graduation would find a scoring leader.

On Saturday, Princeton will again look to Savage, who has averaged 16.7 points per game over the season's first three games, as the Tigers travel to Hamilton, N.Y., to face Colgate (3-3) in their final pre-Ivy matchup against a Patriot League foe this season.

The Raiders are coming off a thrilling overtime win at Dartmouth following losses to New Hampshire and Cornell. After losing to Drexel in its season opener, Princeton split two games against Patriot League opponents, trouncing Lehigh, 65-64, before losing to Lafayette, 57-46. From the disparity of play, it would be easy to think that the Tigers had a different squad on the court in their win than in their two losses.

"We did it once, we didn't do it twice," head coach Joe Scott '87 said.

Their goal this weekend is to do "it" again — namely, to be aggressive from the start on both offense and defense. Scott knows his players understand how to put together a winning game; his concern is that they need to be doing it right from the start and for the full 40-minute contest.

Princeton struggled early against Lafayette last Sunday, scoring just 13 points in the first half. This week in practice, the Tigers have zeroed in on the things they did right in the Lehigh game and tried to get the whole flow of the game in perspective, especially on defense and on the boards. Against the Leopards, the team was hampered by a 32-22 rebounding disadvantage, and Drexel outrebounded Princeton 46-17.

"It all goes together. When we're not aggressive offensively, we're hurt defensively," Scott said. "But I think defense is first; it sets the tone."

Princeton will have to step up its scoring to beat Colgate, which is led by a strong duo of scoring guards in Simon Roemer and junior Jon Simon, who have combined to average 25 points per game on the season. Both are shooting over 40 percent from the field. Inside, the Raiders look to the experience of forward Simon Knight.

"Colgate brings similar challenges as the first three games," Scott said, emphasizing that the Tigers will be focusing on what they need to do rather than on the other team.

Though the box score says Savage has been a steady scoring leader for Princeton, Scott feels he brought his best only to the Lehigh game.

"He has to be more consistent right from the start," Scott said. "Those are the things young guys struggle with. Hopefully we'll see a complete game from Noah."

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That's not to say the coaches aren't happy with Savage's play. Especially significant to Scott are the many different ways Savage has scored — from outside the arc, from inside and everywhere in between.

"He's a very good shooter, we knew that," Scott said. "But he scored in different ways. We're happy. We thought he had those aspects, and it's good to see those things show up early in his sophomore year."

For Princeton to consistently win, however, Savage will need help from his teammates, on whom Scott depends for more consistent play. Senior guard Scott Greenman has been a steady presence for the Tigers in the backcourt, while junior forward Luke Owings has had an up and down season. After playing very well against Lehigh, scoring 17 points, Owings fouled out of the Lafayette game without scoring. He'll have to play better against Colgate if Princeton hopes to win.

Ultimately, it rests on the shoulders of Savage, Greenman and Owings — three veterans — to ensure the Tigers don't have to use the excuse of youth any longer.