Men's Basketball: Route 1 rivalry renewed

Princeton (2-4 overall) will have its hands full with the Scarlet Knights (5-3), who come to town boasting one of their most talented lineups in recent memory. Though the Tigers hold a 72-42 lead in the series, Rutgers has had the edge of late, winning eight of the last 10 games between the teams.

“They are a big rival. Since I’ve been here we haven’t beat them, so I really want to win,” junior guard and captain Nick Lake said. “The last few years losing close ones makes us want to get them back even more. We already know what we can do this year if we put in a complete effort.”

Last season, the Scarlet Knights edged Princeton 54-50 in Piscataway. In that game, the Tigers held a 30-25 lead in the first half before Rutgers grabbed control late in the game for the win. Though the Tigers did not pull out the win last year, the close result gives them confidence that they can reassert their in-state dominance of yore.

“I think this game is going to be representative of some of the things we’re going to see in our league and what we’re aiming for,” sophomore forward Kareem Maddox said. “We played a pretty close game last year, so we know we can compete against them.”

Princeton and Rutgers have more in common than longitude and latitude, with both using starting lineups that feature two freshmen and one sophomore. The Tigers will once again lean on freshman guard Doug Davis to provide an offensive spark. Davis, who leads the Tigers with an average of 14 points per game, will look to rebound from his first single-digit scoring effort of the season against St. Bonaventure in the team’s last game. On the defensive end, Davis will be challenged by Rutgers star freshman Mike Rosario, who averages 17 points to lead the Scarlet Knights.

Princeton will have to perform strongly in all facets of the game to send its in-state rival back up Route 1 with a loss. Joining Davis and Lake in the backcourt will be senior guard Jason Briggs, who had his first double-digit scoring game of the season Saturday. The Tiger trio will have to be adept at both ends of the court to quell the offensive firepower of Rosario and fellow blue-chip recruit and New Jersey native Corey Chandler.

“From what I’ve seen and heard, they are pretty talented. They are going to be tough to guard,” Lake said. “We’re going to have to take them out of what they want to do. It’ll be a good challenge, and I think we are ready for it.”

In the paint, junior centers Pawel Buczak and Zach Finley and Maddox will face a stiff test from the Rutgers frontcourt duo of six-foot, nine-inch Gregory Echenique and 6’11” Hamady Ndiaye. Echenique is averaging close to a double-double this season, with 9.9 points and 9.9 rebounds a game, while Ndiaye leads the Scarlet Knights with 37 blocks in only eight games.

After playing a supporting role last year, Maddox has emerged as a two-way threat and currently leads the team in rebounds, assists and blocks. Maddox also notched his highest scoring game of the year over the weekend with 10 points against St. Bonaventure.

While Rutgers will have the edge in height and weight, this could prove a detriment if Princeton can capitalize on its advantage in quickness and guile to gain control around the basket.

“They have some pretty good big guys. They definitely have some size and weight, but I think we should be able to use our quickness to try to guard those guys,” Maddox said.

The game will also be a good litmus test for where Princeton stands as it approaches the Ivy League season. Rutgers figures to be one of the better teams the Tigers will face this year, and a win could provide the confidence boost necessary to launch a successful midseason run.

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“We’re just going to have to do the things we’ve been doing all season,” Maddox said. “We need to shoot the ball well, and if we do that, on any given night, we have a chance to win the game.”