New season, coach cometh

On Oct. 12, college basketball teams across the nation participated in "Midnight Madness," a tradition started by legendary Maryland coach Lefty Driesell that has more or less morphed into a big, season-opening party.

While the men's basketball team at Princeton does not have the same fanfare surrounding its opening practices, there is a decidedly excited mood among the Tigers in this season's early stages.

"Everybody's attitude is positive," sophomore guard Marcus Schroeder said before yesterday's practice. "We're just excited about the new season."

Last week marked the first official practices under new head coach Sydney Johnson '97, who takes over this year for Joe Scott '87, now the head coach at the University of Denver. Last season, Scott ended his three-year tenure at the University by finishing 2-12 in the Ivy League, good for last place.

This stint is Johnson's first as a head coach, though he previously served as an assistant to John Thompson III '88's Georgetown squad that reached the 2007 Final Four.

Despite Princeton's lackluster results last year, a new season means new opportunities for the Tigers. Johnson maintains, however, that this optimism is not a result of his arrival.

"Every year, every team in America ought to be feeling this excited," Johnson said. "If we weren't, that would be cause for concern."

On a day-today basis, practice under Johnson is not much different from practice under Scott. Both coaches run the Princeton Offense, so many of the drills employed last year are still run this year.

"Shooting, dribbling, full-court scrimmages," senior forward Noah Savage said. "I mean, it's still basketball. There are some differences, but it's not night and day."

Though it is too early to determine lineups and playing time, both Schroeder and Savage believe that this year's team will feature a greater range of players.

"A lot more players will contribute, not just six or seven," Schroeder said.

Schroeder's 38.8 minutes per game ranked first in Division I last season, but with the potentially expanded roles of senior guard Matt Sargeant and junior guard Jason Briggs, both Schroeder and sophomore guard Lincoln Gunn should get more rest.

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One player who hopes to play more minutes is Savage, who despite starting as a freshman and leading the team in scoring as a sophomore, saw his playing time limited last year.

"I'll definitely have a bigger role this year," Savage said, "But practices have been really competitive, and we have a lot of depth at a lot of positions, so we'll see."

Savage pointed out that Schroeder, Gunn and center Zach Finley — all sophomores who saw significant playing time as freshmen — should be among the players to watch.

"I remember coming back as a sophomore and playing with confidence," Savage said. "And you can really see it in those guys."

Johnson was especially hesitant to discuss lineups, citing the preseason's early juncture and his relative unfamiliarity with the players. Princeton's first game is at home on Nov. 11 against Central Connecticut State, while its league season does not commence until Feb. 1, when the Tigers host Dartmouth.

"[The lineup] is just one of a few things that I'm about to go look at," Johnson said.

After serving as an assistant at Georgetown, Johnson relishes the chance to take the reins and work with a coaching staff for the first time as its leader.

"I really enjoy coaching," the two-time All-Ivy guard said. "I have the utmost respect for Coach Thompson and the staff at Georgetown, but now I especially enjoy working with the coaching staff and the guys we have here."

Johnson acknowledged that there are some differences between the two teams, namely the Hoyas' superior size and athleticism, but he recognizes that some of the practices implemented at Georgetown can work the same for Princeton.

"[Georgetown was] a very efficient team last year," Johnson said, "and that efficiency is something I can see Princeton achieving. If we can do that, we'll be a pretty good team."

Though Johnson maintains that it is hard not to feel good about his team, his optimism is tempered by a knowledge that good results will only come through good practices.

Those practices started last week, even if the first one wasn't at midnight.