The last four months have been nothing short of transformative for Princeton Men’s Basketball team — for all of the wrong reasons.
In March, the team lost to Yale in Ivy Madness semifinals despite pre-season predictions of an Ivy League victory. Ten days later, two key coaches were asked not to return, news first reported by the ‘Prince.’ In April, star player Xaivian Lee announced he would be transferring to the University of Florida, the reigning national champions. In July, Caden Pierce, the team’s other star, announced he would sit out his senior year.
In March, Head Coach Mitch Henderson ’98 succinctly reflected on his coaching during the season: ‘Yeah, [it] wasn’t my best year.”
Alongside fellow rising senior Jack Scott’s transfer to Duke, the loss of Lee and Pierce leaves the the Tigers senior-less as they enter the 2025–2026 season. As the team looks to rebuild, it will need to develop new leadership on the court and incorporate two new members of the coaching staff.
Henderson was scheduled to speak with The Daily Princetonian in May, but cancelled last minute.
One area in which he admitted he may have dropped the ball was not giving enough playing time to then-sophomores Jacob Huggins and Dalen Davis.
On Huggins, Henderson remarked, “Got to blame the coach on that one ... you know, that’s on me. He was really helpful all season and [it was] my decision at certain times to not play him, [but] he was terrific when he did [play].”
Now Henderson, has no choice but to look to Huggins, Davis, and fellow rising junior standout Jackson Hicke as potential remedies to the leadership gap.
In an interview with the ‘Prince,’ Huggins said he is confident the junior class can rise as leaders.
“Our junior class is really close, and we agree on expectations for the team and how we’d like our season to go,” Huggins said. “The team is full of great guys ready to listen and learn so I think they’ll help make it a smooth adjustment.”
On the coaching side, filling former Associate Head Coach Brett MacConnell’s shoes will be no easy feat, as he has been credited as a central figure in the team’s recent success. Since MacConnell’s departure, the Tigers have appointed Mike Brennan ’94 and Matthew Johnson to their vacant associate and assistant coaching positions.
In the offseason, both will hope to find footing in Princeton’s culture. Brennan will have especially more time to center these efforts. Where his predecessor, MacConnell, played a key role in recruitment, the role of recruiting coordinator has been transferred to the responsibilities of coach Luke Gore.
Despite these losses, the team retains talent that will need to be used.
Davis, now the sole player on the roster to have played over 20 minutes per game last season — averaging 24.6 minutes with 20 games — now leads the team in scoring and will have to put points on the board where Lee and Pierce no longer will. Guard Hicke, another leading scorer, and forward Huggins also saw game time — mostly rotational — averaging 17.1 and 7.5 minutes per game.
“I’m definitely trying to get stronger and work on my shooting to help space the floor,” Huggins said. “I’m willing to do whatever helps give our team the best chance to win next year.”
The upcoming sophomore class also has standout guard Jack Stanton, as well as forwards Malik Abdullahi and CJ Happy.
Barring any further additions, expect to see Davis as the primary ball-handler alongside Hicke in the backcourt. Happy and Abdullahi will provide some height on the wing and in the frontcourt, while Stanton and Huggins may be competing for the fifth spot. But, like last season, the starting lineup might be a revolving door.
As of August, the Tigers have just 10 active players on the roster for the 2025–26 season, with the first-years yet to be included and commitments to the program still up in the air. Expect to see the roster rounded out when Princeton resumes the school year on September 2.
“We’ve got high expectations for next season,” Huggins said. “We’ve got a great group of talented guys who want to win the Ivy League.”
Alex Beverton-Smith is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com
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