Though analysts may hail the coaching systems of Carla Berube and Mitch Henderson ’98 as the driving forces behind the women’s and men’s basketball team’s recent success, it could be argued that star power that has propelled Tiger basketball into the national spotlight.
Some of these stars were discovered by Princeton coaches as 15 year olds and high school sophomores, while others didn’t ink their commitments to Princeton until their senior year. Some grew up just a half-hour drive up Route 1 from Nassau Hall, while others flew thousands of miles across the pond just to wear the orange and black.
These stars come to Princeton by way of the recruiting process — the endless stream of phone calls with coaches, texts left on read, and official or unofficial visits that consume the lives of Division I basketball hopefuls around the world.
Brett MacConnell, the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for men’s basketball, believes that scouring the globe in recruiting ensures that no player gets overlooked.
Five years ago, MacConnell made the trip to Birmingham, England to meet who is now the Ivy League’s sole representative in the NBA — Tosan Evbuomwan ’23 — who Tiger fans will remember led Princeton to its first-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance last season.
Though Evbuomwan may be the magnum opus of Princeton basketball’s recruiting finds, they’ve attracted no shortage of local talent.
Sophomore standout for the women’s team Madison St. Rose hails from just 25 miles away in Old Bridge, New Jersey. St. Rose is the Tigers’ second-leading scorer and has played an instrumental role in the team’s success this season — for the first time ever, they were ranked in the AP Top 25 for four consecutive weeks.
Every season, Princeton basketball seems to just bring in more and more high quality talent — but will this trend continue?
To find out, let’s meet the Class of 2028.
The Princeton Women’s Basketball Class of 2028
The women’s basketball team will suffer some meaningful losses before next season in the form of first-team all-Ivy selections Kaitlyn Chen and Ellie Mitchell as well as starting guard Chet Nweke — the trio will graduate in the spring.
The Tigers are, however, bringing in three Class of 2028 recruits to supplant returners and hopefully vie for yet another March Madness bid next season.
Nweke’s DNA will remain in the team through her younger sister, Toby Nweke. A four-star recruit, Nweke is a 5-foot-9-inch guard from Washington D.C. taking the floor for Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. Nweke ranks 75th on ESPN’s 2024 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. Tiger fans should be excited to watch another Nweke suit up in orange and black.
Following in the steps of her older sister, Nweke is an aggressive guard who is not afraid to get downhill and take the ball to the rim. Nweke plays for the same school that Mitchell played for, so the Tiger pedigree runs deep.
Next up is Emily Eadie, a 6-foot-0 shooting guard from Sage Hill High School in Newport Beach, Calif. on the Pacific coast. She’s a four-year starter in basketball and also plays varsity volleyball.
Eadie will bring size and versatility to the Tigers, as her height allows her to compete for rebounds with larger forwards or centers, and her ability to shoot the three spreads the floor. In her last game for Sage Hill, Eadie dropped 30 points and 11 rebounds for yet another double-double in her high school career. On top of that, she drained five three-pointers in the close loss to Ontario Christian.
Eadie’s scoring potential should benefit a team losing their top scorer in Chen. While adjusting to college speed and size often takes time, expect Eadie to be competing for rebounds and layups with the best the Ivy League has to offer sooner rather than later.
Lastly, the Tigers welcome Cristina Parrella out of Saddle River Day School in Saddle River, N.J., near the state’s northern border with New York. Like St. Rose, Parrella represents the Tigers’ dedication to not overlooking local recruits.
For Parrella, it was the people in the program that attracted her, especially the coaching staff.
“Their knowledge of the game, their commitment and dedication to the team is second to none,” Parrella said.
Parrella has been a dominant force in northern New Jersey women’s basketball. She led Saddle Day to their eighth straight Bergen County Tournament championship win just a few weeks ago. Parrella’s scoring ability is sure to add to the Tigers already potent offense, she was only an assist away from a 27-point triple double in a win over Life Center Academy back in January.
These new Tigers will join the stellar women’s team led by Carla Berube, one of the most respected coaches in the Ivy League and around the country.
Berube’s dominance of the Ivy League made a sizable impression on Parrella.
“Playing in March Madness has always been a goal of mine. I feel that this coaching staff has created a strong program and culture which will allow the team to have continued success in March Madness,” Parrella said.
The trio of Eadie, Nweke, and Parella are eager to get to campus and contribute to what is slowly but surely growing into a women’s college basketball powerhouse. They’ll have big shoes to fill, but will be welcomed with open arms next fall.
The Princeton Men’s Basketball Class of 2028
The men’s team continues to bring in talented recruiting classes. This year’s first-years have had an immediate impact, namely forward Jacob Huggins and guard Dalen Davis — who is fresh off of an Ivy League rookie of the Week award and has established himself as the Tigers’ sixth man.
MacConnell and Henderson signed the 70th-ranked recruiting class for the high school Class of 2024, coming in higher than basketball blue blood Indiana and current AP top-five team Tennessee. The Tigers will welcome two three-star recruits as the headliners of their class.
Standing tall at 6 feet 7 inches and weighing 200 lbs, three-star Malik Abdullahi will bring explosive athleticism to Jadwin Gymnasium next year. The forward from Columbus High School in Miami, Fla. is the 39th-ranked player in his position and the 16th-ranked player in Florida, known for stacked high school teams such as Montverde Academy and IMG Academy.
Abdullahi plays with two of the most notable players in the Class of 2025 — Cam and Cayden Boozer, twin sons of NBA and Duke legend Carlos Boozer. Cam, a junior, clocks in as the number two ranked player in his class, with his brother only twelve spots behind at fourteen.
On a stacked team like Columbus, Abdullahi contributes just under nine points and slightly over five rebounds a contest. Abdullahi’s size and strength will be much appreciated for next year’s men’s basketball team, who will lose senior forward Zach Martini after he walks through FitzRandolph Gate in the spring.
Princeton was not the only team interested in Abdullahi; he also fielded offers from Yale, Fresno State, UMass, and Florida Atlantic University — who, like Princeton, had a Cinderella run in last year’s NCAA tournament. In the end, MacConnell and Henderson secured Abdullahi, who is bound to make a big impact on Princeton basketball for the next four years.
The Tigers’ second three-star recruit is Jack Stanton, a 6-foot-2-inch shooting guard hailing from Downers Grove North High School in Downers Grove, Ill., just outside of Chicago. Stanton — who, as of Jan. 4, was averaging almost 15 points and over two steals a game — is the ninth-best player in Illinois and turned down offers from Stanford, Dartmouth, and Fordham.
“I really like how connected the team was when I visited. They did almost everything together. Then of course, their competitiveness and elite level was intriguing,” Stanton told The Daily Princetonian.
Recent success by Henderson’s Tigers squad helped Stanton make his decision.
“Their March Madness run was very influential in my decision. One of the final things I considered was consistency and winning, and Princeton has both to offer,” he told the ‘Prince.’
As senior guard Matt Allocco graduates, there will be room in the Tigers guard room for another volatile scorer who can hit deep shots. Stanton, who shoots over 40 percent from beyond the arc, is a perfect addition to a team that loves to take advantage of the extra points provided from the long ball.
The Tigers round off their class with CJ Happy, a 6-foot-9-inch forward from Milton Academy in Milton, Mass., and Peyton Seals, a 6-foot-4-inch guard at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, N.J.
Happy found a home at Princeton during his first visit.
“The culture around the team is very family-oriented, and as I spent more time with the team, the family aspect really showed itself. I feel like Princeton is a place where I will be surrounded by people who genuinely want the best for me and will help me become the best version of myself,” Happy said to the ‘Prince.’
Every player that MacConnell and Henderson bring in has an opportunity to positively impact the team in a variety of ways. This year’s men’s team ranks last in the nation in bench minutes, so more bodies will ease the load on the starters.
“There are hundreds of ways that you can impact a team, and for me, I think being a great teammate is one of my best attributes,” Happy told the ‘Prince,’ anticipating being part of something larger than himself.
Tiger basketball fans should be extremely excited for the coming seasons. Not only are Head Coaches Carla Berube and Mitch Henderson at the top of their game as coaches, but they are also excelling as recruiters. While talent certainly matters, there are other non-negotiables.
“One thing we never compromise on is the character of the student-athletes. We prioritize good people, good teammates, unselfish high-character hard workers,” MacConnell told the ‘Prince.’
Even as senior fan favorites leave the program, more stars are on the way.
MacConnell is prohibited by NCAA regulations from speaking publicly about any recruits specifically, but he ended with high hopes for the future.
“There’s a lot to be excited about for us, our fans, and everybody that follows the program.”
Harrison Blank is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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