Tipped Off

Princeton opened its men's basketball season with a 68-61 win over Rutgers Monday night at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton.

How did the NCAA's March Madness X account see it? 

Here's how:

Upset? 

The only "upset" was TB's friend Corey, a Rutgers alum who was among the better than 6,000 who watched the game. Bless his heart, by the way. One day Rutgers will reach the College Football Playoff and the men's basketball Final Four, and he'll be able to say that he's been watching the Scarlet Knights for decades.

Upset? Princeton went to the Sweet 16 last year. 

It's somewhat insulting to the Tigers to shortchange who they are on the national level. Even as Princeton was taking down Arizona and Missouri, there were those who went back to the games of the 40s and 50s (scores, not decades) that used to define the team. 

Not any more. Rutgers is a strong Big Ten team, and Princeton matched up no problem. 

At the same time that Princeton was defeating Rutgers on the men's side, the women were defeating Duquesne 65-57 in Jadwin Gym. 

Like the men, the Princeton women find themselves in November after a winning March. In fact, it's been two winning Marches in a row for Carla Berube's team, which defeated Kentucky in the 2022 NCAA tournament and N.C. State in the 2023 NCAA tournament.

When you've had a taste of it, you want to get back there and experience it all over again. You can't do it in November, of course, but it's still good to get the season underway, however long the road is.

That road, by the way, is literal for both teams in their next games. The men will drive out to Hofstra Friday night (tip at 7), while the women will fly to Middle Tennessee State for a game Sunday at 2. 

As an aside, it can take longer to drive Hofstra than it can to fly to Murfreesboro, Tenn.

So what stood out on Opening Night? 

Well, first of all, there was rebounding. This wasn't a shock to anyone who paid attention a year ago (and before that for the women), but Ellie Mitchell and Caden Pierce both had 15 rebounds in their wins. There are great, great, great Princeton basketball players who never came close to getting 15 rebounds in a game. These two seem to do it routinely.

Of their 30 rebounds, just short of half (13) were on the offensive end. When you have players who can go get the ball like that and extend possessions, that is a huge advantage. It's a far cry from the "Shoot-and-Run" that Princeton used to be known for, as in, "one player shoots and four run back on defense."

What else? 

Matt Allocco had 21 points to be the Jersey Jam MVP. Xavian Lee, fresh off a summer with the Canadian U19 team (and as a student worker in the Office of Athletic Communications) had 16 points and five assists after having high games last year of 12 and three while averaging 4.8 and 1.8. 

It's one game, but there's reason to be optimistic about the jump that Lee is going to make.

For the women, Madison St. Rose was the Ivy Rookie of the Year a year ago. She started her sophomore year with a 26-point night, including 5 for 11 from three-point range. 

As a freshman, her high game was 19 and she shot just over 25 percent from three. She too looks like she's making a second year jump.

Of course, you don't talk about Princeton women's basketball without talking about defense. How was this for D? Princeton allowed 28 third-quarter points (28? That's crazy) and trailed 52-49 heading into the fourth quarter.

And then what? And then the Tigers allowed only five points in the final 10 minutes, holding the visitors to 2 for 11 shooting, which broke down to 1 for 1 from three and 1 for 10 from two.

Again, when you defend the way Princeton does, good things happen. And seasons continue well into March. 

Both teams have been there before. Both want to get back. 

If you recall a year ago, they both had their hurdles and stumbles along the way, and they will again.

For Opening Night, though, it was once again pretty special to be a Princeton Basketball fan.