Men's Basketball: Walk-on captain works hard through hard times

“I was pretty nervous, but getting on the court felt really good,” Lake said. “The whole trip was an awesome experience.”

The Maui Invitational is the nation’s most prestigious early-season college basketball tournament. Last year, Princeton’s first game in Hawaii was against the Blue Devils, who ended up at No. 10 in the AP Top 25. It was in this game that Lake made his debut. The Tigers lost the game, 81-63, but Lake didn’t let the deficit stall his effort. He sunk his only shot of the game and began to make a name for himself on the team. Head coach Sydney Johnson ’97 named him one of the team’s captains this year as a testament to his work ethic and contribution to the team.

“I felt that he was one of the guys who would embody who we want to be,” Johnson said. “We’re proud to have him as part of the program.”

Coming into Princeton, Lake was not a highly touted recruit. In fact, he wasn’t a recruit at all.

Though he was a talented player at The Bishop’s School in California, Lake walked on to the basketball team, joining the team during one of its roughest patches in its history. Unlike some of his teammates, many of whom were recruited, he stuck with the team his entire freshman year, despite not playing in a single game.

“Nick didn’t come in with any fanfare,” Johnson said. “The basketball gods and goddesses decide that if you work that hard, it will pay off.”

Lake kept on working at practice, and it paid off last year. He established himself quickly as the Tigers’ premier bench player, averaging 12.2 minutes per game over 25 games in the 2007-08 season. During those games, Lake averaged 3.9 points and had a .493 shooting percentage, good for third-best on the team. He is poised to continue in this role this season and has already begun to do so. In the Tigers’ season opener against Central Michigan, Lake scored on his only shot of the game, a three-pointer.

“Nick is the hardest worker on the team,” junior center Zach Finley said. “He provides energy for his team.”

Lake not only improved his own play but also helped the team’s performance. His inspiring work ethic and gritty play off the bench were Johnson’s rationale for naming him a captain this year.

“Nick comes to practice every day and works as hard as he possibly can,” Johnson said. “I don’t have the words to tell you how hard he works … Nick is the kind of guy a coach roots for.”

Aside from basketball, Lake has a multitude of other talents. In addition to lettering in basketball in high school, he also participated in varsity cross country, volleyball and track and field. During the spring, Lake ran track and played for the volleyball team at the same time. Off the field, Lake acted, playing the title character in Shakespeare’s “Pericles, Prince of Tyre” his senior year.

At Princeton, Lake is a member of Athletes in Action, a religious group for athletes who seek to improve themselves spiritually. He is also a member of the athlete a cappella group Jock Jams. But most of his time is spent on the basketball court.

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“The worst part [of being an athlete] is the time commitment required,” Lake said.

After his time at Princeton, Lake plans to go to medical school, but his plans are not finalized yet.

“Maybe [I’ll] do something in between, but I’m not sure what that is,” he said.

Right now, though, his focus is on the court. While the basketball team has struggled during his time as a Tiger, Lake is optimistic about the team’s chances this season.

“I’m really excited for this year,” Lake said. “We have a good group of guys that are all buying into the system. We have a lot of potential to do well.”