Princeton vs. Penn Basketball Preview
When the Princeton Tigers travel down to Philadelphia on Monday night, they will face off against the Penn Quakers for the 225th time in history. This storied rivalry now enters its 109th year, and the Tigers will look to do something they have never done: win four straight games at the Palestra. No class of Tigers has ever graduated with four road wins against Penn, but the seniors on this Tigers’ team are poised to make their own history. Doug Davis, Patrick Saunders and John Comfort, the three seniors for the Princeton squad, have never lost at the Palestra.
While this game certainly never lacks importance for Princeton and Penn, there is an odd feeling this time around. The Ivy League title does not hinge on this game. Neither of these two teams are the prohibitive favorites to win the league. That distinction clearly belongs to Harvard, ranked in the top 25 for the first team in its program history. This may seem odd considering Princeton and Penn have traditionally dominated the Ancient Eight on the hardwood.
Since official league competition began in 1956, Princeton and Penn have combined for 51 Ivy titles (Princeton leads Penn, 26-25). Only eight years have seen neither team hold at least a share of the Ivy League crown (1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1986, 1988, 2008-2010).
Until last year, Harvard had been the only team without a title in men’s basketball. They won a share of the title last year with Princeton, and this year, the Crimson look poised to win their first outright Ivy League title. If they can do so, they will appear in the NCAA tournament for only the second time in school history, the last one coming in 1946.
However, Penn and Princeton may be the Crimson’s greatest tests in league play. Currently, Penn sits at 2-0 in the Ivy League, the only other undefeated team besides 4-0 Harvard. The Quakers need to keep pace with the Crimson, and wins at home are a must for any title challenger.
As for the Tigers, Princeton sits at 1-1 in the Ivy League having split a road trip to New York, losing to Cornell 67-59 and defeating Columbia 62-58. Currently, the Tigers sit in 4th place behind Harvard (4-0), Penn (2-0) and Yale (3-1).
The Tigers opened their Ivy League slate on the road, and they will continue their travels on the intersession break after finals. The trip to Philadelphia is their third straight game away from home. Next weekend, the Tigers will travel for the Providence-New Haven road trip to face Brown and Yale. After 5 road games, the Tigers will finally have their Ivy home opener on February 10th vs. Dartmouth. These Ivy League road challenges come on the heels of a non-conference schedule that featured 7 straight road games from December 7th to January 1st. The Tigers went 5-2 in those contests including wins over Rutgers and Florida State.
Tip-off is at 7pm on Monday, January 30th. Pre-game coverage will start at 6:45pm. Doug Newton and Alec Slatky will be on the call for wprb.com’s coverage of Princeton Tiger basketball.
Keys to the Game
3-point shooting: The Tigers are 2-5 when the team fails to shoot better than 30% from beyond the arc. As a team, Princeton shoots 34.7% on three-pointers, which is seventh in the conference. However, they average 21 attempts per game, third-most in the Ivy League. The Tigers need to pick their spots from distance, and be as efficient as possible from the perimeter. Douglas Davis at 39.8% and sophomore point guard T.J. Bray with an impressive 43.6% lead the way for the Tigers shooting from deep.
Third scoring option: All season, the Tigers have searched for a third scorer to help out Ian Hummer and Douglas Davis. Last season, the Tigers had four scorers averaging double digits, but two of those (Kareem Maddox and Dan Mavraides) were seniors who graduated. Early in the season, Will Barrett was a prime choice to step up and fill the scoring void, but a foot injury in the Lafayette game back in November has sidelined the junior. He has since withdrawn from Princeton for the year, and he will return next season.
Hummer and Davis average 17.3 and 13.7 points respectively, making up nearly half of the Tigers’ scoring this season. Point guard T.J. Bray has averaged 7.2 points per game, but in the first two Ivy League games, the sophomore scored 12 points in each contest. He is the Tigers’ leading 3-point shooter in terms of percentage made. Another perimeter scorer should really open the floor for Ian Hummer to work in the low post.
Turnovers: As much as the Tigers need T.J. Bray to provide a third scoring presence, they need him to be stellar at the point guard position. Empty possessions made the difference between a loss to Cornell and a win at Columbia. In the win against the Lions, Princeton made only six turnovers all game. Versus the Big Red, however, the Tigers were careless with the ball, amounting to 13 turnovers. As a team, the Tigers average 13.2 turnovers a game. They only force 12.8 turnovers per game, putting them at 5th in the league in terms of turnover margin.
Stopping Zack Rosen: The senior guard from New Jersey is having another fantastic season for the Penn Quakers. 1st-team All-Ivy in his sophomore and junior years, Rosen is on pace for another selection in 2011. He is 2nd in the league in scoring at 18.3 points per game, and he is 1st in the league in assists at 6.2 per game. Despite being asked to do a lot for the Quakers, Rosen is still very efficient with the ball in his hands with the 3rd-best assist-turnover ratio in the conference. He shoots 47% from the field, 42% on three-pointers, and 90% on free throws. On top of that, he does while this averaging 38.2 minutes played per game, by far the most in the league.
It will interesting to see if Princeton coach Mitch Henderson ’98 decides to have T.J. Bray or Douglas Davis match up against Rosen. Either way, the Tigers will have to focus a lot of energy on stopping the star point guard and make other Quaker players beat them.
Prediction Time:
Last year, the Tigers needed a win at Penn to make it into the playoff game against Harvard. This time the road meeting comes at the beginning of the season, but it still feels like a must win. Falling to 1-2 would be devastating for the Tigers’ championship hopes, especially with Harvard cruising so far. The Tigers have should have a rebounding edge, and freshman Denton Koon has come on lately as a spark plug off the bench for Princeton. Penn is rightly favored to win a close matchup, but if Douglas Davis can match Rosen’s scoring output, the Tigers will take advantage of their better matchups at other positions, particularly with Ian Hummer and Denton Koon. Add in a couple T.J. Bray 3-pointers, and the Tigers win 65-61.
NFL Picks: Week 5
Last week: 8 wins – 8 losses. Season record: 33-30-1.
Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts (-2): If the Colts can’t get it done this week, they will certainly be in the pole position for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. The only question is whether the Colts keep Luck and Manning, or decide to trade the pick, or even trade Peyton. They cannot afford to pay both of them for 4+ years, so you have to imagine someone is getting traded in this scenario. Is it too crazy to dump your Hall of Fame QB who will be 36 next year and coming off neck surgery?
Arizona Cardinals (+3) at Minnesota Vikings: Kevin Kolb and Donovan McNabb can finally settle that QB battle from their days in Philadelphia. Eagles’ fans have to be relieved they got rid of both of them before they completely tanked. But then again, the Eagles haven’t fared much better with their “Dream Team.” Maybe the City of Brotherly Love just ruins QBs.
Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Buffalo Bills: Speaking of the Eagles, here they are matching up with the Bills. There was a lot of excitement surrounding this Bills team after their Patriots’ win, but it’s never a good sign when you go down by 18+ points two weeks in a row (even if you manage to comeback). The loss to the Bengals revealed that this team isn’t quite ready to surge into the playoffs.
Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans (-5): The loss of Andre Johnson could hamper the Texans’ high-flying pass attack, but playing the Oakland Raiders might be the cure to their injury troubles. The Raiders’ defense has allowed over 400 yards per game and 28 points a game. Sure, losing an All-Pro wide receiver hurts, but Houston still has a very good, near-elite QB in Matt Schaub and a Pro Bowl running back with Arian Foster.
New Orleans Saints (-6.5) at Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton and the Panthers have been the kings of the garbage-time touchdown to cover the spread. The last-minute TDs have scared bettors into dropping this line below seven points, which is just a little low against the high-scoring Saints.
Cincinnati Bengals (+1.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars: I really doubt I will ever take the Jags this season. And with good reason, since the Jacksonville offense has scored less than 10 points a game in the first quarter of the season. No way the Jags’ rookie QB Blaine Gabbert moves the ball against the Bengals, who have a surprisingly good defense. In fact, Cincy leads the league in total defense with around 275 yards allowed per game. The anemic Jags’ offense vs. the tough Bengals D. This will not end well for Jacksonville.
Tennessee Titans (+3) at Pittsburgh Steelers: I want to set the record straight. I’ve said multiple times that the Steelers will still make the playoffs. And I still believe that. However, their surge into the playoffs won’t come this week. And who would have thought that Matt Hasselbeck would be outplaying Ben Roethlisberger four weeks into the season? Crazy.
Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants (-9.5): It’s amazing how different Seattle can play at home compared to their road performances. This team is legitimately terrible yet it was very close to knocking off Atlanta last week. But once they leave the state of Washington, the Seahawks have no chance. Giants roll bigtime.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers (-3): Could it be that the NFC West will finish with a respectable champion? After the Seahawks won the division with a 7-9 record last year, everyone (myself included) wrote off this division again. Now the Niners looked posed to run away with the division and potentially a 10 win season.
New York Jets (+7.5) at New England Patriots: I’m not a believer in the Jets, but if they are designed to beat one team, it’s the Patriots. New York’s defense is tailored to clamp down on the Pats’ passing attack. The best matchup of the day will be Darelle Revis, cornerback extraordinaire for the Jets, trying to stop Wes Welker. Plus, Mark Sanchez will be given a little opportunity to breathe facing a relatively mediocre defense. The Pats have struggled to get pressure on the QB, something that can often give the Jets’ Sanchez turnover trouble.
San Diego Chargers (-3.5) at Denver Broncos: No brainer. Other than perhaps the Raiders, San Diego has no competition in the AFC West. I fully expect them to run away with this division with ease. This line is four points too low, and I’ll happily take the Chargers to rout the Broncos.
Green Bay Packers (-5.5) at Atlanta Falcons: These two teams met in the playoffs a year ago, and since then, they’ve gone in opposite directions. The Packers won that playoff meeting 48-21 on their way to a Super Bowl win. The Falcons, on the other hand, have looked unconvincing in their 2-2 start. Their two wins are a 2-point escape to a bad Seattle team and a comeback win over the Vick-less Eagles. The Packers are the champs, and they will be until someone takes that title from them. They surely aren’t giving it away.
Chicago Bears (+5) at Detroit Lions: I said this with the Bills, and it has yet to hurt the Lions, but it’s never a good thing to find yourself in 20-point deficits repeatedly. Comebacks are great, but it’s better when they aren’t necessary. This game should be close as the Lions’ 4-0 record is a little misleading. The Lions should move to 5-0 but I’ll take the points.
NFL Picks: Week 4
Last week: 6 wins – 10 losses. Season record: 25-22-1.
Carolina Panthers (+7) at Chicago Bears: Call me a homer. I don’t care. I’m won’t be jumping off the Cam Newton bandwagon any time soon.
Buffalo Bills (-3) at Cincinnati Bengals: Ryan Fitzpatrick is probably the greatest athlete to come out of Harvard since the Winklevoss twins. I’ll put aside the Ivy League rivalries for this one.
Tennessee Titans (+1.5) at Cleveland Browns: If you told me that Matt Hasselbeck would be completing 70% of his passes at the beginning of the season, I would have asked you why he was playing intramural flag football. I thought this guy worked at ESPN, I guess I can’t keep my Hasselbecks straight.
Detroit Lions (+2.5) at Dallas Cowboys: I’m all in on the Lions. Speaking of which, has there ever been a better nickname than ‘Megatron’ for WR Calvin Johnson? Michael Bay needs to write in a cameo for Johnson in his next Transformers movie ASAP.
Minnesota Vikings (-3) at Kansas City Chiefs: If the Vikes blow another halftime lead, especially to the lowly Chiefs, there’s no way Leslie Frazier keeps his job past the halfway point of the season. So they have to either win, or just never get the lead. Lets hope it’s the former option.
Washington Redskins at St. Louis Rams (+3): After watching the ‘Skins ruin my MNF upset pick, I’m shocked they would still be road favorites. Then again, the Rams have really stumbled out of the gate, yet they are still in good position for the NFC West. Also, QB Sam Bradford might be motivated to take on Washington and their inappropriate mascot (he’s part of the Cherokee Nation).
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles (-9.5): I mean, what are the chances Michael Vick gets hurt in three straight games? As long as he stays upright, Vick will lead the so-called Dream Team to a big victory.
New Orleans Saints (-8.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars: Normally home teams will get three points for homefield advantage. Yet the Jags rarely sell out, which is reasonable considering they only have 15 fans. And those people mostly watch at home, as long as there isn’t a new episode of ‘The Price is Right.’ Saints fans will create their own mini-Bourbon Street in Jacksonville on Sunday.
Pittsburgh Steelers (+4) at Houston Texans: The Steelers did not look good in a tougher-than-expected victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football last week. But are we really throwing the defending AFC Champion under the bus? I’m not buying that the Texans are the better team, so the four point line seems a little high.
Atlanta Falcons (-6) at Seattle Seahawks: The Falcons may have shown their true colors in a 16-14 loss to Tampa Bay last week. However, Seattle is just plain bad and there’s no avoiding it. Last week, the Seahawks escaped with a win because they played an equally bad Arizona team. They won’t be so lucky this week.
New York Giants (-1.5) at Arizona Cardinals: After watching the Giants steamroll the Eagles in Week 3, I expected New York to be favored by a touchdown against a Cards team that limped its way to a 13-10 loss in Seattle. If the G-men are only 1.5 point favorites, I’ll gladly take them in a heartbeat.
Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers (-6.5): The Dolphins are 0-3 to start the season and I don’t see things getting much better. In the next four games, Miami has to play on the road at San Diego and at New York for both the Jets and Giants. It’s time for Miami fans to get excited for the Heat, even if the NBA is in a lockout. That is the closest they are to a playoff appearance.
Denver Broncos at Green Bay Packers (-12): Does anyone else feel like the Green Bay Packers are lulling us into a false sense of security? Sure, they’ve started 3-0 but it has been rather quiet and unimpressive three wins. They are due for a breakout game where they dominate their opponent. The Broncos should be that team that gets thrown into the lion’s den.
New England Patriots (-6) at Oakland Raiders: No way do I believe that the Patriots have been passed in the AFC East hierarchy by the Buffalo Bills. Things happen in the NFL and last Sunday’s collapse to Buffalo was one of those things. I just feel sorry for the Raiders because now they are the victim of the Patriots’ revenge for last week’s loss.
New York Jets (+5) at Baltimore Ravens: I looked at this game and immediately saw an evenly matched game. Yet this line started at -3.5 and has since moved to Baltimore by 5. Bettors must have no faith in the Jets. But to me, this just screams of a low-scoring game decided by a late field goal. Classic hard-nosed football will reappear on Sunday night.
Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-10): If any brave soul dare watch Monday Night Football, I would recommend you avert your eyes when the Colts’ offense takes the field. With the Curtis Painter Experiment at quarterback, this might just be the ugliest nationally televised game in recent memory. Yes, even worse than the performances from the Jets and Ravens’ quarterbacks last night. I looked this up just to make sure, but apparently it’s impossible to get a negative passer rating as a NFL QB. Curtis Painter will defy all odds and make it happen tonight. Viewers beware, watch at your own risk.
NFL Picks: Week 3
Two weeks of NFL play are in the books, and could it be that the biggest story of the young season is the revelation that is the 2011 Detroit Lions? The Lions certainly were a popular pick as a sleeper for the playoffs, with a young core led by superstar WR Calvin Johnson (aka Megatron), talented but relatively unproven QB Matthew Stafford, and a defensive stud in DT Ndamukong Suh. Now the Lions are 2-0, including a 48-3 shellacking of the Kansas City Chiefs. At first, I was wary of this Lions team because of their lack of experience, but now the only thing that might stop them is the difficult NFC North. Their division already has the Super Bowl champion and the Chicago Bears, who had the NFC’s best record a year ago. This week the Lions will have their first division game of the year, facing Minnesota on the road. These are the kinds of tests that playoff teams pass. On to the picks! Last week: 9 wins – 6 losses – 1 push. Season record: 19-12-1
New England Patriots (-7.5) at Buffalo Bills: The Bills are in a similar boat to the Detroit Lions. A surprise 2-0 start has some people believing in Buffalo, but their difficult division might be too much to overcome. Stacked with New England and the New York Jets, Buffalo is looking to replace the AFC East power atop the division. This is where it all starts for them. The Bills have scored 41 and 38 points in their first two weeks, but I have a feeling that the Patriots will find a way to score just a few more. The problem is that the Patriots’ offense is the NFL equivalent of the Terminator. They don’t feel pity, they don’t feel remorse, and they absolutely will not stop until you are dead…or in this case, until they win by double digits.
San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5): When in doubt, I usually go with the quarterback I can trust to deliver. What about when you are deathly afraid to wager on either one? One side has a rookie starting only his third game ever, Andy Dalton for the Bengals. And the Niners have Alex Smith, who has never proven to be worth the number one draft pick he was in 2005. San Francisco hasn’t been able to move the ball in their first two games, averaging a little more than 200 total yards per game. With that in mind, I’ll take Cincy and hope they run the ball rather than rely on the rookie’s arm.
Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns (-2.5): The Miami Dolphins have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, and it has been exposed in its first two contests. Tom Brady threw for 517 yards on Monday Night Football in Week 1, and while I don’t expect Browns QB Colt McCoy to come anywhere near that, I like the Browns to come away with the win at the Dog Pound.
Denver Broncos at Tennessee Titans (-6.5): When I first looked at this line, I was surprised that Tennessee was favored by nearly a touchdown. It’s a little high for a team led by Matt Hasselbeck at QB, and a superstar RB in Chris Johnson who only has 77 yards in two games. But then I read Denver’s injury report. Without defensive sack specialist Elvis Dumervil and perhaps their best cornerback Champ Bailey, Denver’s pass defense will be very susceptible, even to the likes of Matt Hasselbeck. Look for Titans WR and emerging star Kenny Britt to have another big day. Britt already has 271 yards and 3 TDs in his first two games.
Detroit Lions (-3.5) at Minnesota Vikings: Remember all those things I said in the opening paragraph. Yeah…all those reasons plus the fact that Donovan McNabb looks mediocre at best as Minnesota’s quarterback. I guess I’m buying into Detroit Lions for now, though I’ll wait to see how they perform against their tougher divisional foes, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints (-4): Look, I’m not getting sucked into the “This is finally the year that Houston makes the jump to contender!” I’ve heard that story for the past five years it seems. And yet the Texans have never made the playoffs. I will concede that the Texans ought to make the playoffs in the weak AFC South, considering Peyton Manning’s injury blows it wide open. But the Saints are a proven contender, and playing at the Superdome should not be overlooked. And New Orleans just rocked Chicago in the Big Easy. Give me the Saints by a touchdown.
New York Giants (+8.5) at Philadelphia Eagles: In the first two weeks, Michael Vick has showed why he’s worth 100 million dollars, and why I would take out a huge insurance policy on his health. Vick is small for a QB, which helps with his speed, but hurts with his ability to stay on the field. He’s fragile to say the least. Anyone who watched the vicious hit he took on Sunday Night Football can attest to that fact. Vick received a concussion (and ended up spitting up blood) after a sack where he collided with his own lineman. As for this game, the line is just a couple points too high for me to take Vick and the Eagles.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers (-3.5): My favorite (not actual) relative, Cam Newton, is tearing it up as a rookie QB. Newton is averaging 427 passing yards a game in his first two contests. He’s winless so far, but if his performances continue anywhere near the pace of his hot start, that will change on Sunday.
New York Jets (-3) at Oakland Raiders: I really don’t want the Jets to be good. Why do the Jets have to be legit? Don’t they know how much it pains me to pick them? Ugh. Fine. I’ll do it. Mark Sanchez better not make me regret this pick. Or I’ll never bet on the Jets again! (Until next week).
Baltimore Ravens (-5) at St. Louis Rams: Alright, in two weeks, I’ve bet against the Ravens one week and with them on the other. Of course, they won when I went against them, and played terribly when I picked them to beat the Titans last week. But here’s the problem: I’m not superstitious. And I refuse to be. I’m confident that my hometown team will knock the Rams down to 0-3, who will still have a decent shot at winning the NFC West.
Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers (-14.5): Is it possible that the 2011 Kansas City Chiefs will be the worst team of all time? I mean, in two games they have been outscored 89-10. A -79 point differential would be bad at the end of the season, but after two weeks it’s unprecedented. I see no reason why they cannot keep up their (pathetic) record-breaking pace.
Green Bay Packers (-4) at Chicago Bears: I’m looking down at my picks and it’s disturbing how many favorites I’m siding with. This is clearly not a good thing. This tempted me into picking the Bears, but then I remembered how I have no faith in the Bears and how the Saints’ dismantling of Chicago in Week 2 confirmed my doubts on this team repeating their NFC North title from a year ago. I’ll look elsewhere for a home underdog.
Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) at Seattle Seahawks: Oh look, I found another home underdog in the Seattle Seahawks. They fit the bill with their solid homefield advantage at the raucous Qwest Field. But with how bad the Seahawks have become with QB Tarvaris Jackson at the helm, Seattlites (Seattlers? Seattleans?) should just turn their focus on their MLS team, the Seattle Sounders. They would have a better chance of celebrating scores at those football matches.
Atlanta Falcons (+1.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Finally! I found an underdog (albeit a road one) that I feel confident can actually win. Atlanta completed a comeback on Sunday Night Football against a Vick-less Eagles team, but even before Vick’s departure, they looked much closer to the 14-2 team that won the NFC South and held the NFC-best record last season. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan outplays Tampa’s up-and-coming QB Josh Freeman in a battle of young guns.
Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) at Indianapolis Colts: I was debating whether the Indianapolis Colts would go 0-16 this year if Peyton Manning cannot return from his neck injury. So I looked up the Colts’ schedule for the rest of the way, and apparently they play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5. So that prediction goes out the window. But other than that one game, it was a foolproof idea. Needless to say, I’m not high on the Colts this week against a very solid Steelers team that just shut out the Seahawks.
Washington Redskins (+4.5) at Dallas Cowboys: In Week 1, I pegged the Redskins as being a semi-sleeper by claiming they were not the worst team in the NFC East despite the preseason odds against them. Their 2-0 start has me excited about that prediction, and a matchup with Dallas Cowboys who will presumably start an injured Tony Romo on Monday night. Romo may have punctured his lung in the previous game against San Francisco and returned to play the fourth quarter and overtime period in the Dallas comeback win. But normally, I like my QBs to have all their ribs and lungs intact before throwing them in live action again. I’ll take the Redskins in an upset.