February brings fresh start in Ivies

In the men's basketball team's Jan. 9 loss to Lafayette, the Tigers built a formidable lead in the first half before fading down the stretch and falling in overtime, 76-71. The heartrending defeat bore more than a passing resemblance to the team's last home game on Dec. 16, where a three-point halftime lead vanished in the second half against Manhattan.

Princeton (2-12 overall) must hope that its season as a whole will follow the opposite trend. After opening promisingly with two victories, the Tigers have struggled with a difficult schedule and inconsistent play. The result has been 12 consecutive losses, the worst such streak in Princeton basketball history.

After facing such adversity in the first half of the season, the Tigers are eager to reverse their fortune and take the second half by storm. With the beginning of Ivy League play, they have the perfect opportunity — what head coach Sydney Johnson '97 refers to as "a fresh start."

"We've had a very, very difficult schedule," Johnson said. "[But] whether you're 12-2 or 2-12, none of that matters now."

Fortunately for Princeton, non-conference losses do not have a direct impact on the team's chances for the Ivy League title. Therefore, February and the onset of the spring semester signal a clean slate on the court as well as in the classroom. Princeton will also enjoy the advantage of playing at home for its first two Ancient Eight contests.

Before league play commences, Princeton has one more non-conference game against Dominican (8-8 overall, 3-3 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference) on Sunday, Jan. 27.

Averaging 75.4 points per game, the Chargers feature a strong offense headed by six-foot, one-inch point guard Brandon Brock, who nets 13.1 points and 3.7 assists per game.

On the other side of the court, however, the Chargers' porous defense gives up 75.1 points per game and has been out-rebounded by 7.5 boards per game. Among Dominican's regular starters, forward Tim Matchett leads the team with 3.7 rebounds per game — the same number as the Tigers' sophomore guard, Lincoln Gunn.

All factors point to a big game for sophomore center Zach Finley. At 6'9", Finley is an inch taller than any player on the Charger roster and three inches taller than Matchett, the tallest player in Dominican's first five. Finley's 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game lead Princeton in both categories.

After a four-day layoff, the Tigers will return to Jadwin Gymnasium on Feb. 1 to host their Ivy League opener against Dartmouth (7-8, 1-1). Johnson stressed execution, rather than exotic or esoteric strategies, as the team heads into conference play.

"We're focused on sustaining our good play for 40 minutes," Johnson said. "We want to do ordinary things very well."

The first thing the Tigers will have to do well is basic defense, particularly against the Big Green's Alex Barnett. Responsibility for containing Barnett will fall upon experienced senior forwards Kyle Koncz and Noah Savage, who have their work cut out for them. Barnett, an athletic 6'6" forward, averages nearly 20 points per game for Dartmouth and is dangerous anywhere on the court. He is the reigning Ivy League Player of the Week and shoots 47 percent from the field and 38 percent from behind the arc.

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Princeton's responsibilities on defense might be even more difficult against Harvard (6-12, 1-1). The Crimson features a more diverse offense than the Big Green, with four players averaging double figures in points and three players coming down with more than four rebounds per game. Among the Tigers, only Finley exceeds those benchmarks.

Guards Jeremy Lin and Drew Housman keep Harvard's offense running on the perimeter and are also opportunistic defenders, averaging a combined 3.4 steals per game. The Tigers' recently revamped starting lineup of Finley, Savage, Koncz, Gunn and senior guard Kevin Steuerer averages slightly less than 3.1.

Despite his varied talents, Housman may also be the key to a Princeton victory. Housman loses the ball more often than one would expect from a primary ball handler. With 66 turnovers, his assist-to-turnover ratio is a mediocre 0.89 to 1. The Tigers will play the Crimson on Feb. 2.

To prepare for Ivy League play, Johnson has his players working on "some new things" on the offensive side of the ball and playing with different starting lineups. Sophomore guard Marcus Schroeder, who has started most games as Gunn's running mate, has come off the bench in the last two games.

"Marcus still has an important role to play on this team," Johnson said of the switch.

With Schroeder's energy coming off the bench and the optimism that always accompanies the beginning of Ivy play, the Tigers are ready to begin their second season.