SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Princeton men’s basketball team took the court at Golden 1 Center Wednesday morning with the opportunity of making history on their mind.
The 15th-seeded Tigers square off against second-seeded Arizona, the Pac-12 champion, in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at 4:10 p.m. ET on TNT on Thursday.
Princeton is looking to replicate its success from 1996, when the 13th-seeded Tigers defeated defending national champion UCLA in the opening round. Head coach Mitch Henderson was a sophomore on the team that knocked off the Bruins by a score of 43-41.
Gallery: (3-15-2023) Princeton MBB 2023 NCAA Shootaround
Fast forward 27 years and one day and Henderson has a chance to make history again – this time from the sideline. It’s an opportunity that was beyond his imagination during his time donning a Princeton jersey.
“No way. I was just trying to stay out of Coach's glare -- Coach Carril. No way. I never thought I'd be here,” Henderson joked when asked if he ever thought he would be the coach at his alma mater during his playing days. “But I pinch myself everyday walking into Jadwin. I feel very lucky and fortunate.”
Whether it be at Jadwin or the Golden 1 Center, Pete Carril’s legacy has been at the forefront of the Tigers program this season. After leading Princeton over UCLA in what was the final win of his 29-year tenure at Princeton, Carril spent the rest of his coaching career as an assistant with the Sacramento Kings. Carril passed away on August 15, 2022. He was 92.
The Tigers have been playing with a bowtie patch on their uniforms this season in honor of Carril.
“So much of what you see with us, the way we play, is what I've learned from Bill Carmody, Pete Carril, and modernized it,” Henderson said.
Henderson noted a few of the parallels between the 1996 team and his current one.
“You know what, I think what people saw out here with the Kings was a happier, maybe much calmer version of Coach Carril than what we experienced,” Henderson joked. “The '96 season we had lost to Penn eight times in a row, then beat them in a playoff game to get to the NCAA tournament. This is a very similar situation, in a way. Just three days ago we were fighting to make the tournament.”
Henderson and the Tigers have a daunting task ahead of them in the Wildcats. Arizona ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation this season and ranks fifth nationally in scoring offense, averaging 82.7 points per game. The Wildcats have several offensive threats with five players averaging double figures, led by 6-11 forward Azuolas Tubelis, who paced the Pac-12 in scoring with 19.8 points per game.
“Obviously they're really big. Their team speed is pretty elite. They play really fast. It's going to be an unbelievable challenge,” noted Princeton guard Matt Allocco. “We’ve got to be pretty special to get it done.”
Special would be good word to describe the way the Tigers have played of late.
Led by two-time First Team All-Ivy selection Tosan Evbuomwan, Princeton has won five of its last six games. Last season’s unanimous selection for Ivy League Player of the Year, Evbuomwan is a versatile threat who creates shots not only for himself, but more so for his teammates. The Newcastle, England, native ranks eighth in program history in assists with 305.
“I've had the pleasure of playing with him for a few years now. He makes my job easy, right? I get open shots on the wing. If it's not open, I can drive and pass it back and he makes another play,” guard Ryan Langborg said of Evbuomwan.
Langborg ranks second on the team in scoring and has connected on a team-high 58 three-pointers this season. A native of San Diego, Calif., Langborg already has a cherished memory at Golden 1 Center. Behind a 23-point, 17-rebound performance, he led his high school, La Jolla Country Day, to a 67-39 win over San Francisco University High School in the 2019 Division III state title game.
Ivy League Rookie of the Year Caden Pierce has also emerged as a rising star for the Tigers. The 6-6 forward from Glen Ellyn, Ill., has posted seven double-doubles since conference play began, and enters Thursday’s tilt with three straight.
Henderson thinks the physicality of his team is one of the biggest separators from his current team versus the one that beat UCLA 27 years ago.
“I think we're very physical. Not that we weren't back then. We would routinely get out-rebounded in some of these games. It's a physical group,” Henderson said. “Caden Pierce is averaging a double-double here as of late. We’ll see if we can keep it going against the Wildcats.”
Perhaps the most lasting image from Princeton’s historic win over UCLA is of the current leader of the Tigers program. A jubilant Henderson is captured jumping with his arms raised triumphantly in the air shortly following Gabe Lewullis’ layup on a backdoor cut with 2.2 seconds to put Princeton ahead.
“When you walk around our facilities, you kind of see the iconic picture of Coach Henderson everywhere,” Peirce said. “It's always been a dream of ours to hopefully recreate that moment.”
“They were talking about making their own memories. That's my charge,” Henderson said. “We're really happy to be here and hopeful to create some of our own memories here that are special for both our university and for the guys.”