The participants of the EA Sports Maui Invitational had an opportunity to show off their skills Saturday, when sophomore guard Lincoln Gunn took on No. 10 Duke's sophomore guard Jon Scheyer.
Gunn fell to Scheyer, but that has no reflection on either's basketball skills, as the contest was in the opening round of a 16-person single-elimination "NCAA College Basketball 2008" video game tournament. Junior center Mike Strittmatter evened the score on the Princeton-Duke grudge match by topping Duke captain DeMarcus Nelson.
The rematch will be broadcast live tonight at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 and have slightly different rules: For one, the game will be on a real court.
"It's a big moment for us," head coach Sydney Johnson '97 said. "To face up against [Duke] we have a heck of a challenge — that needs to be stated. But it's good to be associated with groups like Duke and schools that normally compete in the [EA Sports] Maui Invitational."
Princeton (2-0 overall) enters the tournament with confidence, coming off a 10-point win over Iona and a two-point victory over a different set of Blue Devils from Central Connecticut State University. The Tigers, however, will have their work cut out for them as Duke (2-0) has steamrolled its opponents 121-56 and 86-61 so far this season.
While Duke is without a doubt one of the best college basketball teams in the nation, it is not taking past tonight's game lightly.
"Obviously we have great respect for the Princeton program, a program that's rooted in winning [and] has a standard of excellence that's been maintained over the course of a number of decades," Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "And any time you play a Princeton team you know they're going to be well coached, and those kids believe they can win no matter who they step on the floor against."
Perhaps Wojciechowski, who faced off with Johnson in the Baltimore Catholic League, probably remembers that Johnson is, above all, a competitor.
Johnson can recognize a kindred spirit, however, and is looking forward to the tipoff.
"The one thing that I love about Steve and the Duke program and [head] Coach [Mike Krzyzewski]— it starts with him — is that those guys compete," Johnson said. "They run towards challenges and not away from them. And that's something certainly that we want to emulate in some way, shape or form."
Scheyer is the Blue Devils' top scorer, with 24.5 points per game and a .80 free-throw percentage. The Tigers' top offensive weapons are sophomore center Zach Finley who lit up the first game for 22 points, forward Kyle Koncz and Gunn, who each have 12.5 points per game on the season. Overall, Duke has outscored the Tigers this season 207-125.
A comparison of the two team's statistics is misleading, however, as the programs play completely different styles of basketball. For example, less than 50 percent of the Blue Devils' points come off assists, while Princeton's slower offense has assists on nearly 80 percent of its 43 buckets. The Tigers slow, methodical offense will likely force Duke out of its comfort zone slightly.
"It seems that any time [the Blue Devils] plays the Tigers, there's always a ghost in the building called Bill Bradley '65 who seems to inspire greatness out of Princeton basketball," Maui invitational tournament chairman Dave Gavitt said.
While the Tigers may draw on echoes of the past, they will bring a more tangible memory than just Bradley's domination. The last time Princeton went to Hawaii, it was led by then captain and current assistant coach Brian Earl '99. That Tiger squad returned from the 1998 Rainbow Classic as champions, defeating Florida State, Texas and Charlotte.
For the most part, however, the past has been kept in perspective while the team focuses on the here and now.
"Well, we're excited, and there's a little bit of mystery with our team just in terms of [me being] a new coach and who we are this year," Johnson said.
"But I'm encouraged that we have this kind of focus. Last year was a tough year for everybody, but it's important to move on. So there's some enthusiasm there, some positive energy, and that's really what I want to lock in on."
Whether or not the Tigers pull off the upset, they will have made history just by stepping onto the floor as the first Ivy League team to play in the Maui Invitational.
Win or lose, the Tigers are guaranteed three games, and they will face either Arizona State or Illinois tomorrow.
Read More
With Pierce to sit out the year, men’s basketball loses last senior standing
Harrison BlankSenior forward Caden Pierce announced today that he will be sitting out his senior season of basketball at Princeton in the interests of maintaining his final year of eligibility.
Senior forward Caden Pierce announced today that he will be sitting out his senior season of basketball at Princeton in the interests of maintaining his final year of eligibility.
Women’s ice hockey names Courtney Kessel as new head coach
Lily PampolinaFollowing the resignation of Cara Gardner Morey, Princeton appointed Courtney Kessel as head coach.
Following the resignation of Cara Gardner Morey, Princeton appointed Courtney Kessel as head coach.
Former women’s basketball forward Parker Hill ’25 signs professional contract in Switzerland
Doug SchwartzAfter a successful senior season, women's basketball forward Parker Hill signed a contact to play professional basketball in Europe, following in the steps of her past teammates.
After a successful senior season, women's basketball forward Parker Hill signed a contact to play professional basketball in Europe, following in the steps of her past teammates.