College Hoops Top 50

What if that Sweet Sixteen run last March wasn’t even Princeton’s final form? 

There are always good teams in the Ivy League, but they aren’t always good enough to consistently challenge any major program whose path they may cross. Over the past year, though, head coach Mitch Henderson’s Tigers have been proving that they are one of those rare Ancient Eight squads who can beat pretty much anyone. 

Though Princeton lost its do-everything All-Ivy League star Tosan Evbuomwan to the pro’s, and two more starters from last year are now playing big roles for other teams, the Tigers have yet to miss a beat. This is a younger group than the one which beat Missouri and Arizona in last season’s Big Dance, and rising talent, it seems, will be one of this team’s strengths. That’s because two of the first-years who contributed to Princeton’s breakout campaign are now stepping to the fore as individuals to lead this year’s team towards even bigger things. Forward Caden Pierce and guard Xaivian Lee are now two of the main supports of Henderson’s squad, and together, they can just about do it all. 

Pierce has been a starter since first joining the Tigers, and after taking home the Ivy’s Rookie of the Year award last winter, he is solidifying a place as one of the conference’s best players. After posting his first career double-double back on January 7th, it’s been quite a calendar year of 2023 for Pierce. Since that day, Pierce has posted 10.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, and his command of the paint is allowing the rest of Henderson’s rotation to flourish. On a team which lacks great size, Pierce’s willingness to go up against bigger dudes and win is invaluable. He’s a highly aware defender who will block a shot, and Pierce fronts aggressively in the paint, both disrupting his guy from establishing good position and deflecting entry feeds which turn into steals. His jumper is a threat out to the land up of trey, but Pierce does his best scoring nearer the cup. Being that Pierce initially developed as more of a ball-moving wing player in high school, he retains the ability to create plays outside or drive in from the perimeter for a good look. Increasingly, Pierce is leaning into his skills in the lane and with his back to the basket, showing off good patience and clever footwork. He’s tremendously active on the offensive glass, earning the Tigers extra possessions and often out-working larger players. And of course, being that he’s a big guy for Princeton, Pierce is comfortable with the ball in his hands and very good at finding his open teammates.

Though he didn’t play as large a role as Pierce as a rookie, Lee is getting all sorts of minutes now and making the most of them. His rise truly began with a take-note performance on the world stage this summer, as Lee led Team Canada in scoring at the FIBA U-19 World Cup, and has continued into the new campaign which has seen Lee become a consistent and efficient star scorer. At 6’4″, he can guard plenty of other perimeter players, and has proven already that he can swat a shot. Lee’s improved consistency as an outside shooter is opening up his scoring game as well. He leads the Tigers in scoring and assists through the first three weeks of the year, and Lee is growing quickly into a top option. With opponents starting to worry about his 44.8% rate from downtown, Lee is taking advantage of closeouts and showing off great creativity inside the arc and a variety of shot types off the bounce. Most of the Tigers don’t get to the charity stripe overmuch, but Lee’s been there almost four times per game this year, and he’s cashing in freebies at an 87.0% rate. Lee can create his own looks when Henderson’s slick-passing crew requires it, and create great opportunities for his buddies when the best shot isn’t his to take. Lee’s 30-point game against Northeastern was the Tigers’ first in almost four years, and hints at the ceiling of Lee’s star potential going forward. 

There’s plenty of experience returning at the other three starting spots, and nobody is more proven than Matt Allocco. While Evbuomwan may be gone, Henderson still has a veteran who does everything well in Allocco, who was a second-team All-Ivy pick last year. This year, he’s also stepping out as a prime-time scoring option. Owner of a terrific 40.1% rate from deep over his first two years, Allocco has taken his marksmanship to new heights this year; mostly from the everywhere. He’s shooting more long jumpers off the bounce than in years past, and has splashed 52.4% of his triple tries to start the new season. On mid-range tries, he’s potting away at a 66.7% clip, and near the rim, Allocco has made almost 73% of his attempts so far. More than anyone on this team which features capable shooters across the board, Allocco stretches defenses, and his reputation forces valuable defensive attention away from everyone else. A solid playmaker, Allocco had 10 points and 7 assists in the Tigers’ tourney win against Mizzou last season, and in keeping with the savvy which Henderson favors among his top guys, Allocco owns a 131:80 assist to turnover ratio through 68 career games. This year, Allocco has been on the floor for almost 37 minutes per game, and it’s largely because he is as reliable as they come. 

Last March, Blake Peters introduced himself to the nation during Princeton’s run to the Sweet Sixteen. He ripped off 10 triples across the Tigers’ three games, including five big ones to help knock out Mizzou. He shot 39.7% from distance for the season, and now Peters has stepped into a much bigger role. For a start, he’s been given the green light to launch almost nine 3-ball’s per game to begin the new year, and with proven scorers around him, Peters can continue being an outside artillerist. His percentage hasn’t been as sterling as the others’ so far, but opponents are learning that Peters is not at all shy about letting rip if he sees a chance. After averaging less than 14 minutes per game last season, Peters is now up to almost 32 minutes through six games. Though Henderson will want to see more as the season goes, Peters has been showing that he can contribute more than just long jumpers; his four steals against Duquesne were a vital career-high in a one-possession game. 

Zach Martini hasn’t been the scorer that his younger counterpart is, but provides valuable experience, great positioning and effort. Another starter who’s been playing 30 or more minutes per contest thus far, Martini does the little things which help keep the Tigers’ scorers playing their best roles. Like some of the Tigers’ best-loved frontcourt players in recent years, Martini’s offense is mostly built upon the three ball. Unfortunately, Martini has made less than a third of his career three-point attempts, but he’s made plenty enough over the years that opposing scouting reports are sure to point out the need to cover #54. He’s a very useful passer and finisher after catching a good feed after a classic Princeton cut to the rim, and Martini will continue to be in the right place at the right time for his younger teammates. 

Pierce and Martini have done yeoman’s work without Evbuomwan and now-FGCU forward Keeshawn Kellman, but the Tigers will need to establish their #3 big man as conference play begins. The top contender to grow into that role is 6’8″ freshman Jacob Huggins. Though he has played limited minutes against the better teams so far, Huggins is the tallest player in the Tigers’ rotation and projects as more of a post-posed true big. He’s active on the boards, and has good hands which should allow Huggins to begin cashing in the many good feeds that Princeton’s skilled perimeter players will serve up to a solid post option. Such as it is, sophomore Jack Scott is the Tigers’ 6th man. He’s averaged less than three points through 24 games up until now, though Henderson believes that the New Jersey prep product will grow as a scorer. Scott is another shooter who can make triples, and has the size to give the Tigers a different look on the wing. Rounding out the tight rotation which Henderson has utilized for the first few weeks are freshman forwards Dalen Davis and Jackson Hicke. Like Pierce and Peters, Davis is a Chicago-area product, and came to Princeton from Whitney M. Young High School, a powerhouse in Illinois. Though he hasn’t shot the ball well yet, Davis has shown in the past that he can both score and distribute. So can the larger Hicke, who has already shown his deep range and some defensive skills. Derek Sangster is arguably the Tigers’ top-rated recruit this year, but the forward from California has only appeared in garbage time so far. With the skill to play more of a power forward’s role, it’s hoped that Sangster will give the Tigers more depth and versatility up front in the near future. 

Princeton plays how Princeton plays. They space the floor, share the rock, screen and cut smartly, limit their opponents’ chances at a clean look, and grind out low-possession games by bending opponents to their will. It is known. Henderson hasn’t changed things up too dramatically over the years, because the system which Princeton employs undeniably works. 

With some headline wins already this year, and, it seems, all sorts of untapped potential, Princeton isn’t going to be changing things anytime soon, either. In fact, they may just be getting warmed up for another big run through the chilliest months of the year. The Ivy League is stronger than usual around them, and contenders like Yale, Cornell, or Harvard could conspire to make the conference a two-bid league – or knock the Tigers out. It figures to be an intense conference gauntlet, but the Tigers have been there before. With youth and experience both on their side, Princeton is prepping for another turn in the spotlight.