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Username Post: Season Previews        (Topic#22048)
rbg 
Postdoc
Posts: 3044

Reg: 10-20-14
11-06-18 09:09 AM - Post#264369    

https://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2018/11/...

- It will be able to score from inside and out, as Cannady and Stephens are terrific shooters.

"We have a lot of strengths,'' said Henderson, starting his eighth season as head coach. "We can run, shoot threes, and score inside. I don't know how many wins we're going to get, but I think it's gonna' be a fun season.

"If you're going to be really good in this league you have to defend; anywhere in the country. We can score, and I think we have the ability to be a very tough-nosed defensive team. We gotta' drink it.'' -

https://bustingbrackets.com/2018/09/09/ivy-league -...

4. Princeton Tigers
2017-18 season record: 13-16 (5-9)
It was a pretty drastic fall for the Tigers, losing nine more conference games than from the season prior despite having the best trio of perimeter players in the league. One of them, Amir Bell has graduated, taking his 10.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and team-leading 3.7 apg with him.

But Princeton has been prepared to replace him, bringing in top-100 overall prospect Jaelin Llewellyn. The 6’2 point guard is considered the highest-rated recruit in program history and should have an immediate impact on the team this year.

He’ll play along two outstanding rising seniors in Devin Cannady and Myles Stephens. The duo averaged 16.7 ppg and 5.4 rpg and 15.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg respectively and are two of the best shooters in the Ivy. Neither are great facilitators based on their assists totals so Llewellyn’s ability to lead the offense out the gate will be crucial for the team.

One big reason why Princeton took such a big step back was due to the quality (or lack thereof) of the frontcourt. After losing several key pieces, it was a season-long effort to find the right players to get the bulk of the minutes. Freshmen forwards Sebastian Much and Jerome Desrosiers received the starts at the end of the year and shows promise on the offensive end. However, they each were poor rebounders and couldn’t stop any of the opposing Ivy frontcourts, with many of them returning.

The Tigers still has a high ceiling thanks to their senior leaders. If the sophomore big men continue to develop well and Llewellyn is as good as advertised as a freshman, look for Princeton to get back to the coveted top-4 group.

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/10/11/1796383...

4. Princeton Tigers, 13-16 (5-9 Ivy)

What happened to Princeton last season? Mitch Henderson had never had a losing season in six years leading the Tigers before a string of unlucky breaks and a lack of defensive intensity dropped Princeton into the Ivy’s lower half in 2017-18. Hopefully the luck will turn around (Princeton went an unsustainable 1-3 in overtime games in league play last season), but the defense also needs to improve. Myles Stephens was one of the best individual defenders two years ago when he was supported by versatile, ball-hawking wings, but as Princeton’s personnel changed last season, so did its defensive identity. The Tigers allowed 1.07 points per possession on defense in the Ivy League, and on nights when the three-pointers weren’t falling, the offense just couldn’t keep up. Getting back that defensive tenacity (and the addition of one of the Ivy League’s most exciting freshmen, Jaelin Llewellyn, in the backcourt) should help Princeton climb back into contender status.

 
sparman 
PhD Student
Posts: 1339
sparman
Reg: 12-08-04
Re: Season Previews
11-06-18 02:39 PM - Post#264391    
    In response to rbg

  • rbg Said:
https://bustingbrackets.com/2018/09/09/ivy-league -...

4. Princeton Tigers
2017-18 season record: 13-16 (5-9)
....
But Princeton has been prepared to replace him, bringing in top-100 overall prospect Jaelin Llewellyn. The 6’2 point guard is considered the highest-rated recruit in program history ....



Pleased he's here, but .... I don't think so.

 
palestra38 
Professor
Posts: 32685

Reg: 11-21-04
Re: Season Previews
11-06-18 02:52 PM - Post#264392    
    In response to sparman

Did they rank recruits in the Bill Bradley-Brian Taylor era?

 
sparman 
PhD Student
Posts: 1339
sparman
Reg: 12-08-04
Re: Season Previews
11-06-18 05:13 PM - Post#264407    
    In response to palestra38

I'm not the person who can talk about when the recruiting "rankings" got going as a thing, but he had 75 college offers:

"Bradley was considered to be the top high school basketball player in the country. He initially chose to attend Duke in the fall of 1961.[15]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bradley

Also, don't overlook Geoff Petrie.



 
rbg 
Postdoc
Posts: 3044

Reg: 10-20-14
11-08-18 10:08 AM - Post#264777    
    In response to sparman

In this Bleacher Report article, the author says that Llewellyn is the

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2769517-the- 10...

- 247Sports recruiting data goes back to 2003. In the 15 years prior to this one, Princeton had never signed a top 200 recruit, let alone a player in the top 100. Since inking No. 208 Max Schafer in 2003, the Tigers had only even signed one top 250 guy—No. 232 Ian Hummer in 2009. Getting the No. 90 recruit in this year's class was one heck of a job by head coach Mitch Henderson and his staff. -
_________________________ __

Here is another season preview from the local Town Topics paper.

http://www.towntopics.com/wordpress/2018/11/07/ com...

- Henderson is looking for his team to show marked growth at the defensive end of the court.

“The first (change) is you have to defend; if you’re going to be really good in this league or anywhere in the country, you have to play a hard-nosed defense,” said Henderson.

“We can score. We lost some really heartbreaking games, but when you look at the games towards the end and even the overtime games where we struggled, I think it’s our defense. We graduated a terrific player in Amir [Bell] defensively, but between these two guys we have the ability to be a very tough-nosed defensive team. I think that’s where you have to hang your hat on in this league.”

Cannady, for his part, is helping his teammates buy into the defensive emphasis.

“You just focus on it in practice,” said Cannady, who is on track to break the program record for three-pointers as he has 218, 63 behind the 281 posted by Brian Earl ’99.

“It’s been one of our key points in the spring, before the freshmen came in, and even now going over our principles and small details and then constantly pounding the hammer on the nail and taking care of that during practice. Then when we compete, if someone doesn’t do one of our rules or principles, really grabbing them and telling them, ‘This is how we do things.’ It’s one thing we’re trying to help the freshmen out with, both Myles and I. It’s something we take pride in.” -



 
1LotteryPick1969 
Postdoc
Posts: 2262
1LotteryPick1969
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
11-08-18 12:45 PM - Post#264794    
    In response to rbg

The only game I attended last year was Feb. 3 against Brown, a defensive disaster (102 points by Brown), and it started the long string of losses. So it's one thing to TALK about defense; it's a "whole 'nother thing" to execute. I'm not sure I see great defense from this team. I hope I am wrong.

 
SRP 
Postdoc
Posts: 4894

Reg: 02-04-06
11-08-18 03:44 PM - Post#264833    
    In response to 1LotteryPick1969

I'm happy to have guarded optimism about the D. A big X factor is how Llewelyn will do guarding opposing PGs.

If they are really buying in to sticking to their principles on each possession, that would help a lot. Many of the points given up last year could have been avoided with better discipline and intensity.

 
1LotteryPick1969 
Postdoc
Posts: 2262
1LotteryPick1969
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
11-08-18 09:00 PM - Post#264885    
    In response to SRP

I see Cannady, Stephens, and Llewellyn on the floor with Much/Desrosier and Gladson/Aririguzoh. I just don't see any way this translates to a lockdown defense.

 
westcoast 
Senior
Posts: 302

Reg: 03-08-16
11-08-18 10:47 PM - Post#264897    
    In response to 1LotteryPick1969

In addition to Llewellyn, don't be surprised to see another freshman in the rotation, and possibly 1-2 others getting some decent playing time.

 
SRP 
Postdoc
Posts: 4894

Reg: 02-04-06
11-08-18 10:47 PM - Post#264898    
    In response to 1LotteryPick1969

I think having one of Gladson/Aririguzoh on the floor makes the defense much better. MH's beloved small lineups with Much or Desrosier at the five were absurdly porous. Desrosier has the tools to be a decent defender at the forward slot. Not sure about Much, but some of his problems last season were not physical deficiencies and those could be addressed at least.

Stephens is an excellent defender when not preoccupied with his scoring. Cannady--good rebounder, but let a lot of drivers go by him. Morales was good at harassing ball handlers and digging for the ball.

As usual, would love to see some more aggressive zone, not just the rare 1-3-1 trap. And in any scheme, more ball pressure, because laying back and switching eight times a possession was not protecting the rim anyway.

 
HARVARDDADGRAD 
Postdoc
Posts: 2685

Loc: New Jersey
Reg: 01-21-14
11-08-18 10:54 PM - Post#264900    
    In response to SRP

I often try to think about how 'my' team looks to fans of the opponent. I can tell you that Aririzugoh appeared to be a much more impactful player - both on offense and especially on defense - than Gladson.

As far as I was concerned, Gladson could shoot 3's all day. Better than letting Cannady or Stephens shoot them.

For what it's worth.

 
SRP 
Postdoc
Posts: 4894

Reg: 02-04-06
11-08-18 11:00 PM - Post#264901    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

Gladson was banged up and not back to 100%. In the brief minutes he played, I saw a big jump in his court awareness, passing, screening, and that stuff. He needs to get back to a decent three-point percentage to stay on the floor, I think.

 
rbg 
Postdoc
Posts: 3044

Reg: 10-20-14
11-09-18 09:42 AM - Post#264935    
    In response to SRP

Men's and women's previews from the Princeton Alumni Weekly -

https://paw.princeton.edu/article/mens-basketba ll-...

https://paw.princeton.edu/article/womens-basket bal...

 
bradley 
PhD Student
Posts: 1842

Age: 74
Reg: 01-15-16
11-09-18 12:14 PM - Post#264950    
    In response to HARVARDDADGRAD

I agree that if Mitch is truly interested as to improving defense play, Arirguzoh is a different but significantly better defensive option than Gladson. Gladson is probably the better offensive fit based on his style of play relative to the other four players on the court as it opens up the middle. With Cannady and Llewyellen on the floor at the same time, there will be height issues although Cannady actually plays better defense closer to the rim than out front.

I do not think that Mitch should keeping going to the smaller line up for defensive reasons unless the Tigers fall behind in a game and need a shot of adrelaine.

On a different note, I was surprised how small the Harvard frosh PG is. MIT obviously tried and did take advantage of his height. Llewyellen may face simimlar issues although he is probably a much better jumper than Freedman. Kirkwood was very impressive and will be a big addition to the Harvard line up.

 
mrjames 
Professor
Posts: 6062

Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
11-09-18 08:22 PM - Post#265014    
    In response to bradley

Of course Llewellyn would be out with an injury. This is why we can’t have nice things.

 
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