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Princeton Men's Hoops Going to Mile High City Looking to Topple Texas in NCAA Tournament
By Bill Alden
In December 2002, the Princeton men's basketball team traveled to Texas and gave the 10th ranked Longhorns all they could handle.
With Texas native Ed Persia spearheading a late Princeton rally, the Tigers fought Texas tooth and nail before ultimately succumbing 57-54.
Princeton's effort gained more luster in retrospect as Texas, led by national Player of the Year T.J. Ford, finished its season by making it to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.
This Thursday, the two teams will lock horns again as they meet in the first round of the NCAA tourney in a game to be played at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
Princeton is seeded 14th in the region while Texas was picked as the third seed. The winner of the game Thursday will advance to play Saturday against the victor of the match-up between North Carolina and Air Force, which is coached by former Princeton player and assistant coach Joe Scott.
In the view of Princeton head coach John Thompson III, last year's game has no bearing on Thursday's clash.
"I think it's irrelevant," said Thompson last Sunday when asked about the 2002 meeting between the teams. "We are a different team than we were last year. I haven't looked at them yet but I'm sure they are a dramatically different team. At this time of year, the good teams are playing well, it's tough."
Princeton senior point guard and co-captain Persia, however, thinks he and his mates bring more confidence into Thursday as a result of their near miss in Austin last season.
"We played very, very well against them," said Persia. "We had a shot to beat them on their home court. I think that we should've beat them, it hurt that we didn't."
Texas, which is ranked 11th nationally and finished second in the Big 12 Conference tournament brings a 23-7 mark into the game. The Longhorns are led by Brandon Mouton, who averages 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds a game, and Blair Academy product Royal Ivey, a solid floor leader who contributes 9.0 points a game.
Based on how last season's game between the two went, Persia believes the Longhorns won't be looking forward to their date with the Tigers.
"I would say they definitely don't want to play us," said Persia, who grew up in Beaumont, Texas. "Our style doesn't match up well, they like to go up and down. We can slow it down against them and hopefully disrupt what they are doing. It's definitely an interesting match-up."
While a suffocating man-to-man defense has been one of the keys to the success of the Tigers this season, Persia maintained that the team may turn to a zone to slow down the Longhorns.
"Last year we played a 2-3 zone, trying to slow Mouton down," recalled Persia. "Actually it was very, very effective against them. We kept Ford from penetrating and got them out of what they do."
While Thompson and Persia may disagree on the impact of last season's battle with the Longhorns, they concur on the notion that this year's team comes into the tourney with a different attitude than the 2000-01 team brought in the program's most recent appearance in the Big Dance.
"I feel good about the way we are playing right now," asserted Thompson, whose club has won nine in a row and stands at 20-7 overall with a final Ivy mark of 13-1.
"I think that our team is much different this year [than in 2001] ... It was special for that team to win the league. I think that was an undermanned team."
This year's Tigers have plenty of talent starting with first-team All-Ivy performers Judson Wallace and Will Venable, two juniors who have averaged 15.5 and 10.1 points per game, respectively.
Classmate Andre Logan has regained his form as he has chipped in 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game while sophomore Scott Greenman has been the most improved player having increased his scoring average to 8.1 points from last year's 0.9.
Persia, who was a bright-eyed freshman in the 2001 tourney in which Princeton lost 70-48 to North Carolina, sees it the same way as his coach.
"We're veteran guys who know the system, we know how to win," said Persia. "As Coach Thompson said, we were just happy to be there in 2001. Nobody expected us to win. This year, it's a totally different mindset. We come in knowing we have a chance to win and we want to win."
Princeton has a storied record in NCAA first round games, which includes the shocking 43-41 upset over UCLA in 1996, the 69-57 win over UNLV in 1998, and its legendary 50-49 loss to powerful Georgetown in 1989.
Thompson believes his squad must maintain the laser-like focus it has shown this season if it is to add another stirring chapter to its NCAA history.
"It's a different time of year," said Thompson. "Everyone is much more focused. We have to be more precise in the way we go about our business. I don't think too many teams are going to look at us as pushovers."
