Tiger81
Masters Student
Posts: 411
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-04-17 11:51 AM - Post#224684
In response to TigerFan
SRP and TF, you really nailed it: this year's team projects great resolve and focus and does not seem to get rattled easily. Weisz is indeed the General and the team seems to defer to his leadership. But it is not just Weisz; Cook plays with great energy and swagger, Stephens and Cannady know when to assert themselves, and even Alec Brennan, who often looked lost during his first two years, is now taking his shots without hesitation and becoming a presence on the defensive end.
For me, Amir Bell has been a revelation and is perhaps the unsung hero of this year's championship run. His skills have been apparent since his freshman year but they never seemed completely integrated into Princeton's system. But he has emerged as a major threat coming off the bench, leading the team in FG% and 3FG% and second only to Weisz in assists for league games. I don't know whether his isolation on the final possession was a pre-planned endgame strategy or a seizing of the moment, but it certainly appeared to be a situation the team had already prepared for, and he was very ready for his moment in the spotlight.
This year's team is one I will remember for a long time because of their chemistry and the skill level and selflessness of their starters + Bell, with Brennan and Gladson also playing important supporting roles. They are not a dominant team that crushes their opponents like the '98 team, but that may also be because the level of competition is now higher. In any case, I like their chances in the Crapshoot at the Palestra given their proven ability to play together, stick with their principles and rise to the occasion.
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