1989–90 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team

1989–90 Princeton Tigers men's basketball
Ivy League Champion
ConferenceIvy League
Record20–7 (11–3, 1st Ivy)
Head coach
CaptainMatt Lapin
Home arenaJadwin Gymnasium
Seasons
1989-90 Ivy League men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Princeton 11 – 3   .786 20 – 7   .741
Yale 10 – 4   .714 19 – 7   .731
Dartmouth 7 – 7   .500 12 – 14   .462
Harvard 7 – 7   .500 12 – 14   .462
Penn 7 – 7   .500 12 – 14   .462
Brown 7 – 7   .500 10 – 16   .385
Cornell 5 – 9   .357 12 – 17   .414
Columbia 2 – 12   .143 4 – 22   .154
Rankings from AP Poll[1]


The 1989–90 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Pete Carril and the team captains was Matt Lapin.[2] The team played its home games in the Jadwin Gymnasium on the University campus in Princeton, New Jersey. The team was the champion of the Ivy League, which earned them an invitation to the 64-team 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament where they were seeded thirteenth in the Midwest Region.[3]

The team posted a 20–7 overall record and an 11–3 conference record.[2] In a March 15, 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Midwest Regional first round game at the Erwin Events Center in Austin, Texas against the Arkansas Razorbacks, they lost by a 68–64 margin.[2][3][4] Kit Mueller cut the lead to two points with 14 seconds remaining, but Arkansas made its free throws to close out the game.[5] When the team beat Dartmouth 66–28 on February 10, 1990, it established a new National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I record for fewest points allowed (since 1986) while running the Princeton offense. The team would break its own record the following year.[6]

The team was led by first team All-Ivy League selection Mueller, who earned the Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year award as well as third team Academic All-America recognition from College Sports Information Directors of America.[3] Lapin led the nation in three-point field goal shooting percentage (53.4%, 71 of 133),[7] and the team led the nation in both three point shooting percentage (45.2) and scoring defense with a 51.0 average.[8] Lapin also led the Ivy League in three point shooting percentage in conference games with a 57.7% average.[9] The scoring defense statistical championship was the second of twelve consecutive titles.[10]

Schedule and results

The team posted a 20–7 (11–3 Ivy League) record.[11]

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular season
Nov 25, 1989*
 Franklin & Marshall W 64–47  1–0
 Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Nov 28, 1989*
 Lehigh W 61–50  2–0
 Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Dec 2, 1989*
 at Dayton L 62–68  2–1
 UD Arena 
Dayton, Ohio
Dec 6, 1989*
 at Iona W 53–41  3–1
 John A. Mulcahy Campus Events Center 
New Rochelle, New York
Dec 9, 1989*
 at Saint Joseph's W 62–47  4–1
 Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dec 16, 1989*
 Rutgers W 65–60  5–1
 Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Dec 22, 1989*
 vs. Xavier
MetLife Classic 		L 65–72[12]  5–2
 War Memorial Gymnasium 
San Francisco, California
Dec 23, 1989*
 vs. Canisius
MetLife Classic 		W 73–59  6–2
 War Memorial Gymnasium 
San Francisco, California
Dec 29, 1989*
 vs. Arkansas–Little Rock
Spartan Classic 		W 59–56  7–2
 Breslin Student Events Center 
East Lansing, Michigan
Dec 30, 1989*
 at Michigan State
Spartan Classic 		L 49–51  7–3
 Breslin Student Events Center 
East Lansing, Michigan
Jan 3, 1990*
 Delaware W 58–41  8–3
 Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Jan 6, 1990
 Penn W 56–44  9–3
(1–0) 		Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Jan 12, 1990
 at Yale L 37–39  9–4
(1–1) 		John J. Lee Amphitheater 
New Haven, Connecticut
Jan 13, 1990
 at Brown W 64–53  10–4
(2–1) 		Pizzitola Sports Center 
Providence, Rhode Island
Jan 6, 1990*
 Susquehanna W 75–38  11–4
 Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Feb 2, 1990
 at Columbia W 67–39  12–4
(3–1) 		Levien Gymnasium 
New York, New York
Feb 3, 1990
 at Cornell W 60–54  13–4
(4–1) 		Newman Arena 
Ithaca, New York
Feb 6, 1990
 at Penn L 50–51  13–5
(4–2) 		The Palestra 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 9, 1990
 Harvard W 86–73  14–5
(5–2) 		Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Feb 10, 1990
 Dartmouth W 66–28  15–5
(6–2) 		Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Feb 16, 1990
 Brown W 74–47  16–5
(7–2) 		Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Feb 17, 1990
 Yale W 62–47  17–5
(8–2) 		Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Feb 23, 1990
 at Dartmouth W 58–49  18–5
(9–2) 		Leede Arena 
Hanover, New Hampshire
Feb 24, 1990
 at Harvard L 63–69  18–6
(9–3) 		Lavietes Pavilion 
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Mar 2, 1990
 Cornell W 64–41  19–6
(10–3) 		Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Mar 3, 1990
 Columbia W 73–46  20–6
(11–3) 		Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
NCAA tournament
Mar 15, 1990*
 (13 MW) vs. (4 MW) No. 7 Arkansas
First round 		L 64–68  20–7
 Frank Erwin Center 
Austin, Texas
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
MW=Midwest.

References

  1. ^ sports-reference.com 1989-90 Ivy Group Season Summary
  2. ^ a b c "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton Athletic Communications. June 12, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 38. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 22, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • Men's Basketball in the Postseason". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  5. ^ Brown, Clifton (March 16, 1990). "Midwest Regional; Razorbacks Deal Tigers a Heartbreaker". The New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  6. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 39. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  7. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 35. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  8. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 49. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  9. ^ 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 51. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  10. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 48. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  11. ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  12. ^ "Princeton heads field at MetLife Classic". United Press International. December 21, 1989. Retrieved February 11, 2024.