“They’re going through a little maturation process,” Sullivan said. “Center is a very important position for Princeton for the execution of their system.”
Prasse-Freeman, however, said Princeton’s balanced scoring helps the Tigers run their unique offense.
“It’s even better for a team like Princeton not to have a star,” Prasse-Freeman said. “You have to guard every player on every play.”
As usual, the Tigers rely heavily on the three-pointer—half the team’s shots have been from behind the arc this season. Princeton is making fewer of its threes than normal, however. No Tiger player ranks in the top fifteen in the league in three-point percentage.
Harvard faces a daunting task Saturday as it tries to upset a talented Penn squad.
The Quakers, ranked No. 55 in the RPI, have recorded several impressive wins over major-conference teams in non-Ivy play. Penn defeated Temple, Villanova, Iowa State and Georgia Tech, and it dropped close decisions to St. Joseph’s and No. 10 Illinois.
Penn is lead by power forward Ugonna Onyekwe, perhaps the Ivy League’s most talented player. After a disappointing sophomore season, the 6’8 Onyekwe has matured into an offensive force and is currently second in the league in scoring at 18.2 points per game.
“He is finally playing like everyone thought he would,” Prasse-Freeman said.
Onyekwe’s greatest asset is his versatility. The London native has the strength to score in the paint, and he has added a consistent outside shot this year, connecting on an impressive 48 percent of his three-point attempts.
Forward Koko Arhibong teams up with Onyekwe to give the Quakers the best inside tandem in the league. The team’s leading rebounder, Archibong is fourth in the Ivies in scoring at 17.7 points per game, and he also has the ability to hit shots from outside the paint.
The key to Penn’s improvement over last year’s disappointing season, however, has been the arrival of guard Andrew Toole, a transfer from Elon College. Toole has fulfilled the high expectations set for him this year, providing the Quakers with a much-needed backcourt scoring and leadership presence.
“I hear he’s the real deal,” Prasse-Freeman said. “He’s a triple-double threat every night.”
Toole has the quickness to penetrate and score, and he has made nearly half his shots from the field—terrific for a point guard. He is also virtually automatic from the line, making 90 percent of his free throws.
Penn’s only major weakness might be in rebounding. Opponents have outrebounded the Quakers by nine per game. Harvard senior center Tim Coleman, who leads the Ivies in rebounding at nearly eight a game, could have a big night on the boards.
Adding to the difficulty of playing Princeton and Penn is adapting to each school’s radically different styles on consecutive nights.
Prasse-Freeman, however, says the Crimson should be ready for the challenge.
“We always play Penn really tough,” Prasse-Freeman said. “They come out and say ‘Let’s play basketball,’ and that’s what we like to do. Princeton has this offense that takes teams off guard, but we’re a lot tougher and cerebral than we have been in the past.”
Game time for tonight’s contest has been changed to 7:30 p.m. Harvard will host Penn tomorrow at the usual 7 p.m. starting time.