Baby Steps

So when people say they slept like a baby, what exactly do they mean?

They mean they slept great, right?

Babies, though, don't sleep all that great. Babies don't sleep all that much for that matter, and when they wake up, they're miserable.

They look peaceful enough while they sleep, so is that where the expression comes from?

Then there's the expression "baby steps." That means, TigerBlog presumes, small steps, making progress, that sort of thing.

Have you ever seen a baby who has just learned to walk? They sprint everywhere. Baby steps? Their little legs churn up and down as fast as they can. You can lose your mind - and your breath - trying to keep up with them.

Wouldn't that mean "baby steps" should refer to "get to the end point as quickly as possible?"

Where do these idioms come from?

Going on the assumption for a minute that baby steps means making small progressions toward the end goal, then Princeton men's and women's basketball teams are in the baby steps portion of the season.

Both teams have played one game. The women defeated defending Atlantic 10 champ George Washington 72-52. The men lost at Butler 85-75.

So what is known for sure? A few things:
* Myles Stephens is an insanely great player who can do everything on the court, on either end
* Stephens, Amir Bell and Devin Cannady complement each other really well
* Cannady, Bell and Stephens are fearless, whether it's going to the basket or shooting from the outside or pretty much anything
* Bella Alarie will be the best player on the court in pretty much every game Princeton plays
* Carlie Littlefield, a freshman from Iowa, is the real deal
* Tia Weledji or Leslie Robinson (or both) could go for 20-plus on any given night

Oh, and this:
* both teams are a lot of fun to watch.

There are questions, too, of course. There should be in November. Baby steps, remember?

Here are a few:
* how many minutes should the major players be getting?
* what will be the men's team's ultimate rotation, and how many players will be in that rotation, for that matter?
* what will Abby Meyers look like when she gets to play?
* how will both team's incredibly strong freshmen classes develop?
* what is the most optimal percentage of points to come from the men's big three?

The answers to these questions will start to play out over the next weeks.

The women have two games this week, tomorrow night at Seton Hall (tip at 7) and then Sunday at 1 at home against Georgia Tech. Both opponents are strong ones, which is what you want from your early season schedule.

Meyers, the 6-0 guard who scored more than 1,700 points in high school, should be ready to go after missing the opener against George Washington. Littlefield, who played 38 minutes in the opener and scored 14 points, was the Ivy Rookie of Week.

As for Alarie, she had 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks against the Colonials. Her presence forces opponents to account for her at all times, and were Alarie concerned only about her own scoring, then that might be a problem. Instead, she plays without forcing anything, and  which opens things up for everyone else.

The result was an 18-point game from Weledji and 11 points and 10 rebounds from Robinson. That's better than 25 from Alarie with no one else in double figures, and it's a winning formula for the Tigers.

The men have their home opener tonight against Brigham Young, a team who beat the Tigers 82-73 one year ago yesterday, in the 2016-17 opener. The Cougars would go to the NIT last year, when they finished 22-12.

This year, BYU won its opener against Mississippi Valley State 91-61 last Saturday. The Cougars are making their first trip to this area of the year, and they'll be back in two weeks to play at the Barclays Center.

As for the last time BYU was at Princeton, it was Dec. 12, 1981. The final score was 39-38. TigerBlog will be surprised if both teams don't beat that tonight in the first half.

Princeton has never beaten BYU, but then again they've only played each five times. Before last year, the teams hadn't played since the 1991-92 season.

On the other hand, it makes for a great home opener, and an intriguing one. It's always good to play different teams, especially ones from big-name programs from the other side of the country.

Keep in mind, the team on the court tonight is trying to figure itself out and be ready for the conference season and ultimately tournament. This won't be a finished product for either team.

Stephens, for instance, played 11 minutes against BYU a year ago, scoring seven. He would go on to be a first-team All-Ivy selection, the league's Defensive Player of the Year and the MVP of the Ivy tournament.

Hey, it's a long way from start to finish.

Baby steps, right?