1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team

The 1998–99 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented the Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Bill Carmody and the team co-captains were Brian Earl and Gabe Lewullis.[2] The team played its home games in the Jadwin Gymnasium on the University campus in Princeton, New Jersey, and was the runner-up of the Ivy League. The team earned an invitation to the 32-team 1999 National Invitation Tournament.[3]

1998–1999 Princeton Tigers men's basketball
Rainbow Classic Champions
ConferenceIvy League
Record22–8 (11–3, 2nd Ivy)
Head coach
Captains
Home arenaJadwin Gymnasium
Seasons
1998–99 Ivy League men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Penn 13 1   .929 21 6   .778
Princeton 11 3   .786 22 8   .733
Dartmouth 10 4   .714 14 12   .538
Harvard 7 7   .500 13 13   .500
Cornell 6 8   .429 11 15   .423
Columbia 5 9   .357 10 16   .385
Brown 2 12   .143 4 22   .154
Yale 2 12   .143 4 22   .154
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

Using the Princeton offense, the team had a midseason eleven-game winning streak and posted a 22–8 overall record and an 11–3 conference record.[2] On March 10, the team came back from a 23-point half time deficit and a 27-point deficit with 15:11 remaining against the Penn Quakers to win 50–49.[4] Although the team failed to secure an invitation to the 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, the team defeated several entrants in the tournament including the UAB Blazers and conference foe Penn as well as wins on back-to-back nights against Texas and Charlotte to win the 8-team Rainbow Classic held in Honolulu, Hawaii. As of 2010, the 27-point comeback from 13–40 with 15:11 remaining to win 50–49 over Penn on February 9, 1999, remains the fifth-largest comeback and fourth-largest second-half comeback in NCAA history. That game's 9–33 half time deficit comeback remains the second-largest comeback.[5] In the National Invitation Tournament the team defeated the Georgetown Hoyas 54–47 at home on March 10, 1998[6] and the NC State Wolfpack 61–58 on March 15 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina[7] before losing to the Xavier Musketeers at Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, Ohio, on March 17 by a 65–58 score.[2][8][9]

The team was led by All-Ivy League first team selections Lewullis and Earl, who won the Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year, as well as Ivy League Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year Chris Young.[3] The team won the eleventh of twelve consecutive national statistical championships in scoring defense with a 52.7 points allowed average.[10] Earl ended his Princeton career as the Ivy League's all-time three-point field goal with 281, surpassing Matt Maloney's 244. The total continues to be the all-time record.[11] He also achieved a 90.9% free throw percentage in conference games to earn the Ivy League statistical championship.[12]

Schedule and results

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The team posted a 22-8 (11-3 Ivy League) record.[13]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular season
Nov 18, 1998*
at Lafayette L 47–63  0–1
Allan P. Kirby Field House 
Easton, Pennsylvania
Nov 21, 1998*
at UNC Wilmington W 61–54 OT 1–1
Trask Coliseum 
Wilmington, North Carolina
Nov 28, 1998*
at Monmouth W 63–36  2–1
Boylan Gymnasium 
West Long Branch, New Jersey
Dec 4, 1998*
vs. Western Illinois
ISU Cyclone Challenge
L 71–72 OT 2–2
Hilton Coliseum 
Ames, Iowa
Dec 5, 1998*
vs. North Texas
ISU Cyclone Challenge
W 68–48  3–2
Hilton Coliseum 
Ames, Iowa
Dec 9, 1998*
Bucknell W 68–27  4–2
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Dec 15, 1998*
at UAB W 69–57  5–2
Bartow Arena 
Birmingham, Alabama
Dec 19, 1998*
at No. 5 Maryland L 58–81  5–3
Baltimore Arena 
Baltimore, Maryland
Dec 22, 1998*
Rutgers L 49–60  5–4
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Dec 27, 1998*
vs. Florida State
Rainbow Classic
W 50–46  6–4
Special Events Arena 
Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec 28, 1998*
vs. Texas
Rainbow Classic
W 56–46  7–4
Special Events Arena 
Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec 29, 1998*
vs. Charlotte
Rainbow Classic
W 47–43  8–4
Special Events Arena 
Honolulu, Hawaii
Jan 8, 1999
Brown W 67–45  9–4
(1–0)
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Jan 9, 1999
Yale W 66–33  10–4
(2–0)
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Jan 25, 1999*
Union (NY) W 81–48  11–4
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Jan 29, 1999
at Columbia W 46–40  12–4
(3–0)
Levien Gymnasium 
New York, New York
Jan 30, 1999
at Cornell W 56–46  13–4
(4–0)
Newman Arena 
Ithaca, New York
Feb 5, 1999
Harvard W 66–60  14–4
(5–0)
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Feb 6, 1999
Dartmouth W 76–48  15–4
(6–0)
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Feb 9, 1999
at Penn W 50–49  16–4
(7–0)
The Palestra 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 12, 1999
at Yale L 58–60 2OT 16–5
(7–1)
John J. Lee Amphitheater 
New Haven, Connecticut
Feb 13, 1999
at Brown W 67–45  17–5
(8–1)
Pizzitola Sports Center 
Providence, Rhode Island
Feb 19, 1999
at Dartmouth W 65–51  18–5
(9–1)
Leede Arena 
Hanover, New Hampshire
Feb 20, 1999
at Harvard L 79–87 OT 18–6
(9–2)
Lavietes Pavilion 
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Feb 26, 1999
Cornell W 65–45  19–6
(10–2)
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Feb 27, 1999
Columbia W 88–52  20–6
(11–2)
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Mar 2, 1999
Penn L 48–73  20–7
(11–3)
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
National Invitation Tournament
Mar 10, 1999*
Georgetown
First round
W 54–47  21–7
Jadwin Gymnasium 
Princeton, New Jersey
Mar 15, 1999*
at NC State
Second round
W 61–58  22–7
Reynolds Coliseum 
Raleigh, North Carolina
Mar 17, 1999*
at Xavier
Quarterfinals
L 58–65  22–8
Cincinnati Gardens 
Cincinnati, Ohio
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

References

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  1. ^ sports-reference.com 1998-99 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 2009-10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 40. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Tooke, Wes (March 10, 1999). "Miracle at the Palestra". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  5. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 38. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  6. ^ Popper, Steve (March 11, 1999). "College Basketball: N.I.T. Roundup; Princeton Gains Date With the Wolfpack". The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  7. ^ "College Basketball: Men'sI.T.; Young's 24 Propel Princeton". The New York Times. March 16, 1999. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  8. ^ "Colleges: National Invitation Tournament; Xavier Gains Semifinal At Princeton's Expense". The New York Times. March 18, 1999. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 48. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  11. ^ 2009-10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 49. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  12. ^ 2009-10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 52. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved February 5, 2024.