Princeton basketball beats Yale in Ivy final, clinches 26th NCAA Tournament berth
PRINCETON – Four years ago, in a version of planes, trains and automobiles that already has entered Princeton basketball lore, assistant coach Brett MacConnell discovered an obscure prospect in Newcastle, England.
That leap of faith paid off spectacularly Sunday.
The prospect, Tosan Evbuomwan, led the Tigers to the Ivy League Tournament title with a hardwood masterpiece in a 74-65 victory over Yale. Running the offense, scoring and defending the Bulldogs' top guard, the senior forward dominated as the Tigers earned their 26th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2017.
"This means the world," Evbuomwan said. "Princeton is my home. Newcastle is my second home at this point."
He tallied 21 points, five rebounds and four assists, passing Princeton coach Mitch Henderson on the Tigers' all-time assist list. Not bad for a 6-foot-8 power forward.
"This has been a challenge with Tosan for three years, to get him to impose his physical will on the game," Henderson said. "And I thought we took strength from that this weekend. We’ll never have anyone here for a very long time who’s that good of a passer.”
On the defensive end, Evbuomwan limited Yale’s explosive sophomore John Poulakidis to 7 points on 2-of-6 shooting.
"Pretty inspiring," Princeton guard Matt Allocco said. "Everyone knows offensively Tosan is special, but today in particular I thought he was unbelievable. He’s the best player in this league on both ends. He was terrific today, willed us, carried us there.”
As a result Princeton (21-8) is going dancing for the second time under Henderson. The Tigers shared the Ivy’s regular-season crown with Yale (21-8) but got swept by the Bulldogs home and away – and also lost to them in last year’s Ivy Tourney final as well.
This was different as nearly 5,000 fans packed Jadwin Gym, making the most of Princeton’s first turn as the host of this four-team event. The Ivy League added a tournament in 2017, becoming the last Division 1 conference to do so. That year, Princeton prevailed at the Palestra and went on to push Notre Dame to the brink in the Big Dance’s opening round, falling when Devin Cannady’s 3-pointer missed the mark at the buzzer.
Getting back there has been a mission for Henderson, who played in three NCAA Tournaments as a Princeton guard from 1996-98.
“I think about it every day walking into the gym and looking at the banners…especially as an alum," Henderson said. “It’s one of the coolest things in sports.”
After the final buzzer Sunday he encountered John Thompson III, who starred at guard at Princeton before leading the Tigers to two NCAA Tournaments as a head coach. Thompson is widely associated with Georgetown, which he coached to a Final Four in 2007, but he's a Princeton man through and through.
“All is right with the world," Thompson told him.
This Tigers team, which drew a No. 15 seed in the South Region, has the firepower to cause trouble for second-seeded Arizona when they meet in Sacramento Thursday. It starts with Evbuomwan, a point forward who scored 21 in Saturday’s semifinal win over Penn and was the runaway choice for tournament MVP. But there are sharpshooters too in guards Ryan Langborg (14 points vs. Yale), Allocco (15 points, 7 rebounds) and a rising-star freshman in forward Caden Pierce (12 points, 10 rebounds). Princeton's last March Madness win came in 1998, Henderson's senior year. The Tigers also stunned UCLA in an instant classic in 1996, the final triumph for legendary coach Pete Carril.
Carril died in August at age 92.
“I’ve thought about him a lot," Henderson said. "So much of what I say is him."
He said Carril would particularly have enjoyed how this Princeton squad got better as the season went on. Peaking late was a Carril specialty.
"A lot of this is honoring him," Henderson said. "He’d be very proud."
SEMIFINALS: Princeton 77, Penn 70
Penn basketball forward Nick Spinoso stands 6-foot-9 and weighs 240 pounds. He had a clear path to a baseline dunk.
Caden Pierce had other ideas. The Princeton freshman closed off the angle in a flash, swatted the dunk attempt at the rim, and the Tigers took the loose ball to the other end for a 3-pointer.
Here’s the thing: Pierce was giving up three inches and 30 pounds on the encounter. That kind of moxie, forged in the backyard against one brother who hooped at North Carolina and another who suits up for the Indianapolis Colts, set the tone as the Tigers beat Penn 77-70 in Saturday’s Ivy League Tournament semifinals.
Pierce finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks over 38 minutes – a junkyard dog kind of line as second-seeded Princeton (20-8) advanced to host top-seeded Yale (21-7) in Sunday’s noon final. His efforts did not go unnoticed by the 5,000 denizens of Jadwin Gym, who surely know a keeper when they see one. The Glen Ellyn, Ill. native was just named Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take a few punches back in the day from my brothers, playing basketball in the driveway or whatever sport it was," Pierce said. "The constant collective spirit in my house really shaped me to who I am today, and I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me and what I’ve learned from them.”
Pierce is averaging 8.0 points and 6.8 rebounds, solid numbers amid a veteran Tigers lineup. But he’s really come on the second half of the season, and his rapid rise could be an X-factor against a loaded Yale squad that already has beaten the Tigers twice.
The ceiling on this kid is high. With Penn up one and under three minutes remaining, teammate Ryan Langborg grabbed a rebound and sent a pass long for Pierce, who had gotten behind Penn’s defense. Pierce shifted into fourth gear to track the lob down and lay it in while getting decked – giving Princeton the lead for good.
Somewhere, his brothers were nodding in approval. Alec Pierce hauled in 41 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts this past fall. Justin Pierce starred at William & Mary, averaging nearly 15 points per game over two seasons, before taking a grad season with Roy Williams and the Tar Heels in 2019-20.
Caden Pierce was far from a one-man show against Penn. Senior forward Tosan Evbuomwan led the way with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. And Gill St. Bernard’s alum Zach Martini chipped in 12 points off the bench on 4-of-6 3-point shooting.
But Pierce was the glue guy, the guts guy. His two rebounds inside the final minute – one on the offensive end, the other in traffic under Princeton's basket – helped the Tigers close it out. There was this look in his eyes, like no one else on Earth had a chance at those boards.
“I saw him in recruiting go up with two hands and get rebounds," Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said. "I always joke to the guys on the team, 'There was an entire league of guys who got one-handed rebounds, the ABA, and they canceled that league.' I stole that line from Bo Ryan.”
Henderson continued, “Caden rebounds with two hands, with aggression…he’s the best rebounder who’s ever played for me. So yeah, I think that rubs off (on teammates). The kid is churning out double-doubles like it’s something easy. I never sniffed a double-double here.”
As Henderson knows better than anyone, Princeton basketball has produced a long lineage of winning players. The next one was on display Saturday.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Princeton basketball beats Yale in Ivy final, clinches NCAA Tournament
