Now that the football team's season-topping pyre has faded, the limelight has been thrust onto the men's basketball team — and so far it has shown anything but stage fright.
Coming off a narrow loss in their season opener, the Tigers (4-1 overall) have rolled to four consecutive victories and look to continue their success this weekend as they travel to Milwaukee to compete in the annual Pepsi Blue and Gold Classic, hosted by the No. 8 Marquette Golden Eagles (8-0).
The tournament, which will also be attended by the North Dakota State Bison (3-2) and the Northwestern State Demons (4-2), is set to kick off this Friday with the Tigers taking on the Bison. If Princeton pulls out a victory, then it will play the winner of the Marquette-Northwestern State match-up.
While the Golden Eagles consistently field a nationally powerful team, the two other teams have recently made names for themselves on the national stage as well. North Dakota State caused mayhem as it fought its way to a dramatic upset over Wisconsin last season.
Northwestern State has not been quiet either, as it too dismantled countless Final Four brackets in its upstart performance in last year's tournament, overthrowing the heavily favored third-seeded Iowa team.
"We know that these teams have been doing real well, but we just focus on what we can do," junior forward Kyle Koncz said. "We have to be able to go out and perform successfully to win, and we approach every game that way. Even though we know these teams may be a step up in competition, we still approach the games the same way."
The Tigers, however, are no strangers to success either. In its first Classic appearance in 1996, Princeton toppled the Golden Eagles 66-62 en route to winning the entire tournament.
Judging by the early success this year's team has enjoyed, a repeat scenario may not be far off. The Tigers are returning four of their five high scorers from last season and have already pulled off a number of nail-biting wins.
In Tuesday's matchup with Lafayette, Princeton strung together 12 unanswered points to kick off the second half of play, and its defense was able to thwart off a Leopard response. While the Tigers will ultimately be better served by consistency, they will need to bring this dominant style of play if they hope to overcome this weekend's competition.
The Bison, which the Orange and Black will meet first, have started off their year with a 3-2 overall record with a loss to Minnesota and a four-point loss to Texas Tech. ND State is unique in starting four freshmen and one senior, which should work to the Tigers' advantage as their starting squad can boast far more experience. The Bison should not be taken lightly, however, as their narrow loss to Texas Tech demonstrated their potential to compete with powerful programs.
The Bison's prized freshman point guard Ben Woodside, moreover, is out with an ankle injury and may be unable to compete in Friday night's match. His injury adds another element of uncertainty to an already inexperienced group.
Should the Tigers emerge victorious, they will be faced with a serious challenge, as they will most likely face the Golden Eagles. Although the Demons can boast a winning record and gave Louisville a run for their money, Marquette has emerged as a national powerhouse this year after toppling Idaho State, Texas Tech, Valparaiso, and most impressively, Duke, the golden boys of college basketball.
"The teams are really solid and will be a good test for our team," junior forward Noah Savage said. "We obviously feel good about winning four in a row but that doesn't matter now. This tourney is a new one-game season, and we look forward to the test this weekend."
The competition will be tough, but the Orange and Black have demonstrated the grittiness necessary to compete with these programs. If the Tigers compete with the resolve they have shown earlier this year and manage to make a strong showing at this weekend's tournament, they may find themselves on a bigger stage with an even brighter spotlight.
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