1968–69 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team

The 1968–69 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented the Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The head coach was Pete Carril and the team captain was Christopher Thomforde.[1] The team played its home games in the Dillon Gymnasium on the university campus before the January 25, 1969, opening of 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 25-team 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[2] The team was Princeton's first undefeated Ivy League champion, and earned Carril his first of eleven NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament invitations.[1] The team helped Princeton end the decade with a 72.6 winning percentage (188–71), which was the tenth best in the nation.[3]

1968–69 Princeton Tigers men's basketball
Undefeated Ivy League Champion
ConferenceIvy League
1968–69 record19–7 (14–0, 1st Ivy)
Head coach
CaptainChristopher Thomforde
Home arenaDillon Gymnasium
Jadwin Gymnasium

During the regular season, the team played a few of the teams that would eventually participate in the 25-team NCAA tournament: they opened their season against the Villanova Wildcats and later played two of the eventual final four participants (the UCLA Bruins and North Carolina Tar Heels) in the ECAC Holiday Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City in late December 1968.[1][4] The team posted a 19–7 overall record and a 14–0 conference record.[1] The team entered the tournament riding an eleven-game winning streak and having won fifteen of their last sixteen games, but they lost their March 8, 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament East Regional first-round game against the St. John's Red Storm 72–63 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina.[1][5][6]

Both John Hummer and Geoff Petrie were selected to the All-Ivy League first team. Petrie, who led the conference in scoring with a 23.9 average in conference games,[5] was also an All-East selection.[7] Thomforde was selected in the 1969 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks with the 96th overall selection in the 7th round.[8] Hummer led the conference in field goal percentage with 55.4%.[9] Petrie and Hummer would become the only Tiger teammates to both be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft (in the same draft no less) when they were selected eighth and fifteenth overall in the 1970 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers and the Buffalo Braves. The two were part of a trio of 1970 NBA first-round draftees from the Ivy League that included number thirteen selection Jim McMillian of Columbia.[5] Hummer was the first NBA draft pick by the expansion Buffalo Braves.[10] Petrie would share the 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year Award with Dave Cowens.[11] Brian Taylor was selected in the 1972 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 23rd overall selection in the second round while Reggie Bird was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 55th overall selection in the fourth round.[5]

Regular season

The team posted a 19–7 (14–0 Ivy League) record.[12]

VillanovaL54–64
Duke !L62–81
MarylandW72–63
NAVYW*56–55
RutgersL60–61
NEW YORK UNIV.W88–76
Holy Cross @W67–55
UCLA @L67–83
North Carolina @L76–103
PennsylvaniaW59–56
ArmyW51–42
DARTMOUTHW70–55
HARVARDW73–62
Davidson #L54–71
PENNSYLVANIAW74–62
HarvardW76–65
DartmouthW61–50
COLUMBIAW68–49
CORNELLW67–57
YaleW67–56
BrownW75–56
YALEW72–53
BROWNW74–46
ColumbiaW60–59
CornellW74–64
St. John’s $L63–72
! = at New York
@ = ECAC Holiday Classic at New York
# = at Charlotte, N.C.
$ = NCAA first round at Raleigh, N.C.

Home games in CAPS

NCAA tournament

The team lost in the first round of the 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[13][14]

3/8/69 in Raleigh, N.C.: St. John’s 72, Princeton 63

Awards and honors

Players drafted into the NBA

Five players from this team were selected in the NBA Draft.[15][16]

YearRoundPickPlayerNBA Club
1969711Chris ThomfordeNew York Knicks
197018Geoff PetriePortland Trail Blazers
1970115John HummerBuffalo Braves
1972223Brian TaylorSeattle SuperSonics
1972455Reggie BirdAtlanta Hawks

References
  1. "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton Athletic Communications. June 12, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  2. 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. IvyLeagueSports.com. p. 30.
  3. "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 57. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  4. "1969 Men's College Basketball Bracket". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  5. 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. IvyLeagueSports.com. p. 33.
  6. 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.
  7. Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • Ivy League & National Awards". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  8. 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. IvyLeagueSports.com. p. 32.
  9. 2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. IvyLeagueSports.com. p. 49.
  10. "1971 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  11. "NBA & ABA Rookie of the Year Award Winners". Basketball-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  12. Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  13. "1968–69 Ivy Men's Basketball". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  14. "1969 NCAA Basketball Tournament Bracket". databaseSports.com. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  15. "1969 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  16. "1970 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
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