No time to wallow in the ugly Yale loss. Gotta salvage a weekend split to stay comfortably Top 4.
After last year’s superb regular season - and postseason collapse - I’m more zen this year. Just make the ILT and get hot in March. That’s what happened in 2023 and it can happen again.
I still think the starting lineup needs a change - Mitch put Blake back in but that’s not enough. Need Hicke or maybe even Happy in there too.
Opens Princeton -6 1/2 O/U 146 1/2
Give me X, Cade, Malik, Hicke and CJ tonight, with Stanton and Blake off the bench early, and I’ll be happy!
I’d start Peters, Lee, Hicke, Pierce, CJ. But way more Stanton for sure. And I like Seals’ physicality even if he’s not a scorer yet. Davis isn’t right mentally and Scott shouldn’t be playing barring injury.
We get our wish. CJ Happy is starting.
A double-digit halftime lead: 37-23. Bizarre but welcome.
Brown probably dealing with fatigue after their big win over Penn. We need to come out hard in the second half and make this a 20+ blowout. Don’t let them hang around and give Lilly a chance to steal one.
Peters is on fire in Ivy play. Definitely giving us that senior energy - no fear.
Aaaaand Brown starts the 2nd half on a 10-0 run. Oy vey.
Nice recovery for 10pt lead despite the offense drying up. Gotta keep being physical with Lilly - Ivy refs aren’t calling bumps and grabs on anyone so far.
MH doesn’t like to make excuses - or give out free scouting - but I’m pretty sure Lee is under the weather. He just doesn’t have the touch this weekend and is over-passing. I was only half joking when I noticed he was yawning sleepily before yesterday’s game.
66-46 with 2 minutes left! Both teams empty the bench.
Much needed blowout win, though it didn’t quite feel like it because of Lilly’s 2 quick threes out of halftime.
CJ Happy looks like our “center of the future.” And Lee found his touch to ice the game. Pierce’s rebounding looks like his old trampoline self.
Great games from Hicke, Happy and Stanton. I think it’s time for Hicke to enter the starting lineup. Abdullahi had great moments to start the season but he’s still a freshman and we need experience in league play.
I’m bummed for Davis, who barely played today and I suspect will probably transfer. He’s such a great talent, but this team is already small and defensively challenged. Stanton’s feisty on-ball defense and catch-and-shoot skill is a better fit.
Size matters. Hope there are enough games left for Happy to develop as a contributor before the ILT.
Sure Davis was disappointed not to start, and not even be first guard off the bench.
That said, I think he did not play much because of injury. When he came out, he went to the trainer, and took off his sneaker. Thee trainer manipulated his foot, and they went to the locker room. He did not warm up at half-time, but did come out and sit on the bench. No boot or ice. Hope it is not serious.
Great game tonight – really fun to watch. Exciting, some really good dynamics. Starting changeup seems to have provided the right chemistry – good decision, Mitch. Effective D, some good aggression. Deeply satisfying to see Happy, Hicke, and Stanton fleshing out and maturing as players, as well as Stanton and Abdullahi. And the constant joy of Peters, Pierce, and Lee playing, both individually and with 6th-sense teamwork that bowls me over at times, always gives me hope that we’ll again win ILT and beyond.
Great game! What a joy to see the team up comfortably at the half and then pull away down the stretch. Nice crowd (4,500+) with quite a few seats filled in the 300-level, although the student section and lower stands were thinner than at the Yale game. Tigers came out with much more intensity, particularly on defense.
Brown should be tougher at home on a Friday night than they were last night. They have great shooters–Lilly is incredible–and Dabo is a beast down low.
I’m lookiing forward to seeing Happy, Stanton, and Malik continue to develop. Go Tigers!
I was very happy at the end of the season to see all key eligible (non graduates) players return this season while other Ivies lost several potential stars to the transfer portal. That team cohesion plays out on the court. So, I would be especially sorry if Dalen Davis decided to leave after this season. He is a very talented player who will definitely spark interest with other schools and receive some very tempting NIL offers. OTOH. if he decides to remain as a Tiger, he will make some great contributions in the next couple of seasons. I hope that he realizes how much Tiger fans appreciate him and want him to remain in the fold. Whatever he decides, I hope the best for him. GO TIGERS!
And he’s guarding Lilly. Except the 1 he made. Who said he was too slow, etc. X was not sick as evidenced in his performance r
Trentonian write-up. Mitch seemed unusually pleased - as if a paradigm shift occurred yesterday.
“(Friday) night was a turning point for our program and for us,” Henderson said. “You always want it to be a straight line, but it was a real eye opener. We had guys who don’t play a whole lot who got a comeback into that game and a lot of guys on the bench were cheering those guys on. To see that trickle into (Saturday) and have an effect … I think it’s what our fans wanted to see. We were certainly looking for it all season. There is no going back for us.”
Damn right. That’s the style of play we need in Ivy play. Physical, feisty, defense-first. With guys like Lee, Pierce and Peters, the offense will come if you play lockdown defense first.
Ah, I didn’t know Davis was banged up. Either way, I think it’s clear the team needs more size and defense right now. And Stanton’s on-ball pressure (and hot 3pt shooting) has been a huge boost.
I would love it if Dalen stayed - his role will be much bigger without Lee. But I’m not falling out of my chair in shock if he leaves. He should do what’s best for him and that could mean another team.
I really hope we keep Davis who seems a special player and kid.
I like Stanton, but he is not at the same level
I like a starting 5 of Happy, Hicke, Pierce, Lee and
Davis. I think Peters, Scott, Abdulahi, Byriel and Stanton
should get minutes. There may be games in which h Huggins and Seals can contribute.
I’d like to see a starting lineup of Peters, Lee, Hicke, Pierce, Happy.
Blake has been on fire over the past 4 games - a career-best hot streak. Solid defense too.