Princeton fans loud and boisterous
Princeton’s fans were out in force with an especially vocal and rowdy student section. A large number of students were in Florida for spring break and made their way to Tampa for the game. Of the teams playing in Tampa on Thursday, the Tigers had one of the more notable student sections.
“A bunch of us came down for spring break,” said a particularly loud Princeton fan who would only identify himself as a junior. “We’ve got to support our team — [junior guard] Doug Davis, we got him ... We’ve been rowdy all [day]. We’re cheering our team on to victory.”
A couple of men painted orange were front and center at the Princeton student section, gaining national fame after appearing on SportsCenter’s top plays as part of the court storming after Davis’ shot on Saturday.
“Honestly, we’re going to shock the world, man!” the orange men, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “We’re seniors; we’ve never had anything like this: just to be able to share in the experience so rich and long. We were at the Harvard game at Yale. We went all the way to Boston — we were at the Harvard game in Boston. We’re best friends with these kids. We couldn’t miss this for the world, so we came down for a day to Tampa, and we’re living the dream with [the team] right now. When they win, we feel like we all win — the school wins.”
Junior Rebecca Scharfstein ’12 attended the game after coming down to Florida with her family over the break.
“I was down here with my family in Sarasota for spring break,” Scharfstein said. “Selection Sunday, I saw that the game was going to be in Tampa, and my dad’s an avid basketball fan ... Princeton always has its moments when it’s slow on the floor, and when they feel the momentum, when they’re enthusiastic, they just go at it.”
The Princeton University Band makes an impression
The Princeton band was on showcase in Tampa, appearing on national TV in their famed orange blazers and unusual props.
“It’s kind of surreal. It’s kind of been a surreal week after the Doug Davis shot. I just couldn’t believe that it happened,” drum major Alec Slatky ’12 said. ”We had 45 people that wanted to go the NCAA Tournament, and we were able to accommodate all of them, so I was really happy, and it’s great to be here supporting the Tigers.”
For this group of band members, this trip is their first to the men’s NCAA Tournament, paired opposite Kentucky’s big-time Southeastern Conference pep band.
“Hopefully it’ll be a good battle,” Slatky said, referring to both the game and the battle of the bands. “We like to think we’re undefeated, but [it’s] obviously, you know, Kentucky, an SEC school. They all have great marching bands, which usually translates into great pep bands. It’s going to be fun hearing them. I’m listening to the West Virginia and Clemson bands right now [in the game immediately preceding Princeton-Kentucky] and they sound good. It’s really entertainment when the bands play, and I hope to be entertained by them. They hope to be entertained by us, I assume.”
The band made quite an impression on the other spectators and employees at the St. Pete Times Forum with their uniforms, props, and instruments.
“He was awesome,” one of the St. Pete Times Forum employees said. “I loved it. They had a lot of character. I liked it a lot; they were a lot of fun.”
Alumni glad to see the Tigers back on top
Both local and traveling alumni came out to watch their beloved Tigers in Tampa. They ranged from those who witnessed the glory years of Bill Bradley ’65 to those who lived through the doldrums of the mid-2000s.
“In my senior year we went to the Final Four with Bill Bradley, so it’s exciting to have [the team] in Tampa, where I’ve been living since 1970,” John Pieper ’65 said. “I think they’re terrific. These are class acts. Nice young men with good hearts.”
The alumni were especially appreciative of head coach Sydney Johnson ’97 and the work he has done rebuilding this program.
“We knew that Coach Johnson could do it!” Charlie Greenleaf ’63 said. “We knew when he got named head coach, because we’d seen him play; we were familiar with him. [We knew] that he could turn it around. I’m actually surprised they did it as quickly as this, but it’s terrific that they could come back.”
“To go to Princeton during probably the four worst years in the history of the Princeton basketball program was heartbreaking,” Will Scharf ’08 said. “Seeing the team back here is really meaningful to me. I’m getting really emotional just talking about it.”
Scharf was especially appreciative of how the Tigers had ended up in Tampa.
“Well, the kid he hit his shot over, Oliver McNally, is one of my students at Harvard — I’m a teaching fellow at Harvard now — so it was particularly meaningful for that reason. It was one of my happiest moments, certainly of the last couple of years, probably in my life. I was the Tiger mascot when I was a senior, and just seeing us out here is really important to me.”
Parents proud to see their sons in the tournament
Princeton parents sat in the middle of Princeton’s section, proudly watching their sons take the court against the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament second round.
For Fleeks Hazel, seeing his son, freshman guard Ben Hazel out on the court in the NCAA Tournament came faster than he ever could have expected.
“I think it’s an awesome opportunity, something that he’ll remember for the rest of his life. I know I will. I think they have a great chance to shock the world. I think a lot of times people take it for granted, but they practice as many hours as the Kentucky guys. They also have the opportunity to do the same type of work that Kentucky does. All you have to do is lace ‘em up and see what happens. I think they have a great chance, and I don’t think they’re intimidated by [Kentucky] at all.”
Hazel had a lot of praise for Johnson and how he brought Princeton back to the Big Dance.
“I think he has done a phenomenal job. As he said after the Harvard game, he believes in the Tiger. He loves Princeton Tiger basketball, and it reflects in his work and his dedication to the program. I’ve just been very impressed with what he’s done all the way around.”
For Bob Foley, it was especially sweet, as his son, senior guard Bobby Foley, witnessed some of the lowest lows in Princeton basketball his freshman year when the Tigers went 6-23.
“It’s been incredible to watch [Johnson’s] growth as well as the growth of the program. He was a young coach coming in; none of the talent was his recruits. That’s very difficult on a coach, but he and his staff have matured along with the team. They’ve done a wonderful job to bring Princeton to this level.”
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