1988–89 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team

The 1988–89 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

in intercollegiate college basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

during the 1988–89 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

was Pete Carril

Pete Carril

Peter J. "Pete" Carril is a former collegiate head coach and former NBA assistant with the Sacramento Kings.-Early years:...

and the team captain

Captain (sports)

In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...

s was Bob Scrabis. The team played its home games in the Jadwin Gymnasium

Jadwin Gymnasium

The L. Stockwell Jadwin Gymnasium is a 6,854-seat multi-purpose arena in Princeton, New Jersey. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the Princeton University Tigers basketball team...

on the University campus in Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...

. The team was the champion of the Ivy League

Ivy League

The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...

, which earned them an invitation to the 64-team 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 1989, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Seattle, Washington...

where they were seeded sixteenth in the East Region.

The team posted a 19–8 overall record and a 11–3 conference record. When the team defeated 43–33 on November 30, 1988, it established a new National Collegiate Athletic Association

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

Division I record for fewest combined points

Point (basketball)

Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....

(since 1986), using the Princeton offense

Princeton offense

The Princeton offense is an offensive basketball strategy which emphasizes constant motion, passing, back-door cuts, and disciplined teamwork. It was used and perfected at Princeton University by Pete Carril, though its roots may be traced back to Franklin “Cappy” Cappon, who coached Princeton...

. The record would stand until December 16, 1989. In a March 17, 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament East Regional first round game at the Providence Civic Center in against the , they lost by a 50–49 margin. The game matched the unheralded sixteenth-seeded Princeton Tigers against the number one seeded Hoyas who featured freshman Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....

and senior guard Charles Smith. Mourning blocked shots by Scrabis and Kit Mueller

Kit Mueller

Christopher J. "Kit" Mueller is a retired American basketball player. He played high school basketball in the Chicago metropolitan area for Downers Grove South High School...

in the final six seconds to save the one-point victory for the Hoyas.

The team was led by first team All-Ivy League selections Scrabis and Mueller. Scrabis earned the Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year

Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year

The Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Ivy League's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1974–75 season. There have been five players honored on two occasions: Craig Robinson, Kit Mueller, Jerome Allen, Ugonna Onyekwe and...

award. Mueller shot 70.9% on his field goals to earn the second of three Ivy League statistical championships for field goal percentage

Field goal percentage

Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...

. The team won the first of twelve consecutive national statistical championships in scoring

Point (basketball)

Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....

defense with a 53.0 points allowed average.

See also