Another TAGD has come and gone, and once again Princeton Athletics — and more specifically, Princeton's athletes — have been the beneficiary of some incredible generosity.
On behalf of the entire department, TigerBlog would like to say "thank you." For the leaderboards and to see which Friends' Groups won each division, you can go to the TAGD website HERE.
As with every other TAGD, yesterday's event was filled with fun and laughs, much of which was capture on social media.
There was this, for instance:
The field hockey team had a great social media day. What else would you expect from Gracie McGowan (with help from assistant coach Sarah Mansfield).
In addition, TigerBlog enjoyed what the baseball team put out as well, especially this blooper reel, which is really, really well done:
TAGD bloopers pic.twitter.com/4zOnNqzsky
— Princeton Baseball (@PUTigerBaseball) November 29, 2022
There were all kinds of social media successes. These were just two of them. Pick a team, and you'll get a feel for how much this all means to them.
Again, to remind you of what TB said yesterday, these are more than donations. They're investments in the future of the people who compete here.
Beyond that, the success of TAGD is a sign of faith in the direction of the current programs, a message of approval for the athletes - and a reaffirmation of what the Princeton experience meant to so many people who have competed here through the years. Princeton Athletics clearly appreciates it.
With another TAGD completed, there's a time for everyone involved in making it happen to exhale a bit, at least until 7 tonight, when the men's basketball team has a home game against Cairn. If you're wondering about the visitors, they're making a short drive from Lower Bucks County to Princeton.
It's a home game for Princeton, obviously, but it also comes on the heels of a very, very long ride, this one from London back to New Jersey after the London Basketball Classic over Thanksgiving weekend. It's a challenge that has never before happened for the program, the first game back after a Transatlantic flight.
The game tonight will be a matchup of Tigers and Highlanders, as Cairn's teams are known. The Highlanders are one of the better defensive and rebounding teams in Division III, ranking in the top 20 nationally in both. Point guard Jesse Rivera, a first-team All-Colonial States Athletic Conference selection a year ago, is seventh in Division III in assists per game at 7.2.
The Highlanders reached the league championship game a year ago, falling 77-72 to Wilson College.
As is to be expected, Cairn will be at a size disadvantage, with no player taller than 6-7 and only four players taller than 6-4. Princeton's leading rebounder is Matt Allocco, who himself is 6-4. Allocco averages 7.2 rebounds per game, which is actually more than last year's leader for the season, Ethan Wright, who 1) averaged 6.9 for the year and 2) is also 6-4.
The game tonight starts a run of games either in Jadwin (five) or not that far away from Jadwin (two) for the men's basketball team during the next month plus a day. The Tigers will start December with a short drive to Drexel Saturday, with tip for that game at 2.
Then it will be home against Monmouth (Dec. 6) and Lafayette (Dec. 10) before heading to Kean College in Union Dec. 13 to take on Iona, with home games against Delaware (Dec. 16), Kean (Dec. 23) and then Harvard in the Ivy opener on New Year's Eve.
By the way, speaking of the Tigers and basketball, TB was briefly watching the Georgia Tech-Iowa men's game last night on ESPN. And what was the first thing said about the Yellow Jackets on their first possession?
"They run that Princeton offense at you."
Ah, did Pete Carril hate that. And yes, if he was watching the game in heaven's sports bar, he probably frowned at the term, and smiled at the offense that seconds later got a layup.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment