1990–91 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team

{{short description|American college basketball season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox NCAA team season

|mode=Basketball

|year=1990–91

|team=Princeton Tigers

|logo=Princeton Tigers logo.svg

|logo_size=100

|image=

|image_size=150

|conference=Ivy League

|division=

|short_conf=Ivy

|CoachRank=20

|APRank= 18

|record= 24–3

|conf_record= 14–0

|head_coach=Pete Carril

|hc_year = 24th

|captain=Kit Mueller

|asst_coach1=Bill Carmody

|asst_coach2=Jan van Breda Kolff{{cite web|url=https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1185&context=athletics_publications|title=Wright State University Basketball Media Guide 1990-1991|date=November 14, 1990|access-date=February 8, 2024|publisher=Wright State University}}

|asst_coach3=

|stadium=Jadwin Gymnasium

|champion= Ivy League champion

|bowl=NCAA tournament

|bowl_result= Round of 64

}}

{{1990–91 Ivy League men's basketball standings}}

The 1990–91 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in NCAA Division I men's college basketball during the 1990–91 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Pete Carril, and the team captain was Kit Mueller.{{cite web|url=http://www.goprincetontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10600&ATCLID=3749695|title=Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results |date=June 12, 2009|accessdate=September 27, 2010|website=GoPrincetonTigers.com|publisher=Princeton Athletic Communications}} The team played its home games in the Jadwin Gymnasium on the university campus in Princeton, New Jersey. The team was the undefeated champion of the Ivy League, which earned them an automatic invitation to the 64-team 1991 NCAA tournament, where they were seeded eighth in the East Region.{{cite book|title=2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide|page=38|via=IvyLeagueSports.com}}

In December, undefeated Princeton handed Rutgers their first loss.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/422652164|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|422652164}}|title=Minnesota (6–0) drops Oregon St. to 2–3: [1,2 Edition]|work=The San Diego Union|accessdate=February 3, 2024|date=December 16, 1990|page=H-9}} The team posted a 24–3 overall record and a 14–0 conference record using the Princeton offense.{{cite web|url=https://ivyleague.com/documents/2018/10/24//1819_MBB_Media_Guide.pdf?id=3197|title=2018–19 Ivy League Men's Basketball Media Guide|accessdate=February 2, 2024|date=October 24, 2018|publisher=Ivy League}} When the team beat {{cbb link|1990|sex=men|team=Yale Bulldogs|school=Yale University|title=Yale}} 55–27 on January 11, 1991, it established a new National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I record for fewest points allowed (since 1986), breaking its own record set the prior year. The record would last until March 2, 1992.{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/D1.pdf|title=Division I Records|accessdate=October 2, 2010|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association|page=39}} On February 8, 1991, against {{cbb link|1990|sex=men|team=Cornell Big Red|school=Cornell University|title=Cornell}}, Sean Jackson made all five of his three-point field goal attempts, which tied the Ivy League single-game record for most made without a miss set three years earlier by Princeton Tigers Dave Orlandini and Bob Scrabis.{{cite book|title=2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide|page=51|via=IvyLeagueSports.com}} These stood as unsurpassed as the Ivy League record until future Princeton Tigers head coach Sydney Johnson made all six for Princeton on February 28, 1997. In a March 15, 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament East Regional first-round game at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York, against the Villanova Wildcats, they lost by a 50–48 margin.{{cite web|url=http://www.goprincetontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=10600&ATCLID=3754497|title=Men's Basketball Record Book • Men's Basketball in the Postseason|accessdate=September 30, 2010|date=June 22, 2009|author=Princeton Athletic Communications|website=GoPrincetonTigers.com|publisher=Princeton University}} The Tigers led 30–25 at halftime, but lost on a shot in the final second of regulation play.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/16/sports/college-basketball-ncaa-tournament-east-regional-nittany-lions-villanova-north.html|title=College Basketball: N.C.A.A. Tournament/East Regional; Nittany Lions, Villanova and North Carolina Advance|accessdate=October 2, 2010|date=March 16, 1991|author=Smith, Timothy W.|work=The New York Times}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/17/sports/college-basketball-east-regional-smith-gets-a-kick-as-a-fan-and-scout.html|title=College Basketball: East Regional; Smith Gets a Kick as a Fan and Scout|accessdate=October 2, 2010|date=March 17, 1991|author=Smith, Timothy W.|work=The New York Times}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/17/sports/sports-of-the-times-these-tigers-were-definitely-burning-bright.html|title=Sports Of The Times; These Tigers Were Definitely Burning Bright|accessdate=October 2, 2010|date=March 16, 1991|author=Vecsey, George|work=The New York Times}} Princeton's number eight seed was a record for the highest seed by an Ivy League school at the time.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/03/11/buckeyes-have-it-a-top-seed/|title=Buckeyes Have It-a Top Seed: Ohio St. Gets Midwest Nod Over Indiana|access-date=November 6, 2011|date=March 11, 1991|work=Chicago Tribune|author=Myslenski, Skip}} During the undefeated conference game season, Jackson established the Ivy League single-season conference games record with 56 three-point field goals made, which stood at least 25 seasons.{{cite web|url=http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/sports/mbkb/2015-16/media_guide/1516bbguide-MensRecords.pdf|title=2015–16 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide|accessdate=February 2, 2024|pages=81 & 88|website=IvyLeagueSports.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917092837/http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/sports/mbkb/2015-16/media_guide/1516bbguide-MensRecords.pdf|archive-date=September 17, 2016|url-status=dead}}

During the season, the team spent six weeks (one week in mid December and the final five weeks of the season) of the seventeen-week season ranked in the Associated Press Top Twenty-five Poll, peaking at number eighteen where it ended the season.{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/D1.pdf|title=Division I Records|accessdate=October 2, 2010|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association|pages=68–83}} The team finished the season ranked twentieth in the final UPI Coaches' Poll.{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/D1.pdf|title=Division I Records|accessdate=October 2, 2010|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association|page=85}} The team completed the first undefeated Ivy season by any team since the 1975–76 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team.{{cite web|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/281391790|url-access=subscription|id={{ProQuest|281391790}}|title=COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL ROUNDUP Mississippi State Happy to Share SEC Title: [Home Edition]|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=February 4, 2024|date=March 3, 1991|page=8}}

The team was led by first team All-Ivy League selections Jackson and Mueller, who repeated as the Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year while earning first team Academic All-America recognition from College Sports Information Directors of America. Mueller shot 62.5% on his field goals to earn the third of three Ivy League statistical championships for field goal percentage.{{cite book|title=2009–10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide|page=49|via=IvyLeagueSports.com}} Jackson led the Ivy League in three point shooting percentage in conference games with a 55.4% average and established the Ivy League single-season record for conference games with 56 made. The team won the third of twelve consecutive national statistical championships in scoring defense with a 48.9 points allowed average.{{cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/D1.pdf|title=Division I Records|accessdate=October 2, 2010|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association|page=48}}

Schedule and results

The team posted a 24–3 (14–0 Ivy League) record.{{cite web|url=http://www.goprincetontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10600&ATCLID=3749695|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419123137/http://goprincetontigers.com/news/2009/6/12/3749695.aspx|archivedate=April 19, 2018|title=Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results|accessdate=February 4, 2024|date=June 12, 2009|author=Princeton Athletic Communications|website=GoPrincetonTigers.com|publisher=Princeton University}}

{{CBB schedule start

| rank =

| gamehighs =

| attend =

}}

|-

!colspan=9 style={{NCAA color cell|Princeton Tigers}}| Regular season

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Nov 24, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Cleveland State Vikings|title=Cleveland State}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Woodling Gym

| site_cityst = Cleveland, Ohio

| gamename = North Coast Tournament

| score = 70–57

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 1–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Nov 25, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away =

| neutral = yes

| rank =

| opponent = Coastal Carolina

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Woodling Gym

| site_cityst = Cleveland, Ohio

| gamename = North Coast Tournament

| score = 42–39

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 2–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Nov 27, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Lafayette Leopards|title=Lafayette}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Allan P. Kirby Field House

| site_cityst = Easton, Pennsylvania

| gamename =

| score = 45–36

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 3–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Dec 4, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Lehigh Mountain Hawks|title=Lehigh}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Stabler Arena

| site_cityst = Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

| gamename =

| score = 57–40

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 4–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Dec 7, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away =

| neutral = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Saint Mary's Gaels|title=Saint Mary's}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = John A. Mulcahy Campus Events Center

| site_cityst = New Rochelle, New York

| gamename = Manufacturers Hanover Classic

| score = 63–45

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 5–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Dec 8, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Iona Gaels|title=Iona}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = John A. Mulcahy Campus Events Center

| site_cityst = New Rochelle, New York

| gamename = Manufacturers Hanover Classic

| score = 58–50

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 6–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Dec 15, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = Rutgers

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Louis Brown Athletic Center

| site_cityst = Piscataway, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 58–45

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 7–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Dec 19, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank = 25

| opponent = UNLV

| opprank = 1

| site_stadium = Thomas & Mack Center

| site_cityst = Las Vegas, Nevada

| gamename =

| score = 35–69

| attend = 17,778

| record = 7–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Dec 28, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away =

| neutral = yes

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=UC Santa Barbara Gauchos|title=UC Santa Barbara}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Toso Pavilion

| site_cityst = Santa Clara, California

| gamename = Cable Car Classic

| score = 67–51

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 8–1

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Dec 29, 1990

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Santa Clara Broncos|title=Santa Clara}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Toso Pavilion

| site_cityst = Santa Clara, California

| gamename = Cable Car Classic

| score = 53–59

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 8–2

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Jan 11, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away =

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Yale Bulldogs|title=Yale}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 55–27

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 9–2

| conference = 1–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Jan 12, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away =

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Brown Bears|title=Brown}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 67–42

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 10–2

| conference = 2–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Jan 28, 1991

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away =

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Elizabethtown Blue Jays|title=Elizabethtown}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 82–45

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 11–2

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 1, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away =

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Dartmouth Big Green|title=Dartmouth}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 64–52

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 12–2

| conference = 3–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 2, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away =

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Harvard Crimson|title=Harvard}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 75–59

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 13–2

| conference = 4–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 5, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Penn Quakers|title=Penn}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = The Palestra

| site_cityst = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

| gamename =

| score = 60–47

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 14–2

| conference = 5–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 8, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Cornell Big Red|title=Cornell}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Newman Arena

| site_cityst = Ithaca, New York

| gamename =

| score = 84–40

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 15–2

| conference = 6–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 9, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank =

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Columbia Lions|title=Columbia}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Levien Gymnasium

| site_cityst = New York, New York

| gamename =

| score = 65–47

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 16–2

| conference = 7–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 15, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank = 25

| opponent = Brown

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Pizzitola Sports Center

| site_cityst = Providence, Rhode Island

| gamename =

| score = 79–63

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 17–2

| conference = 8–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 16, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank = 25

| opponent = Yale

| opprank =

| site_stadium = John J. Lee Amphitheater

| site_cityst = New Haven, Connecticut

| gamename =

| score = 59–54

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 18–2

| conference = 9–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 22, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away =

| neutral =

| rank = 23

| opponent = Columbia

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 56–33

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 19–2

| conference = 10–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 23, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away =

| neutral =

| rank = 23

| opponent = Cornell

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 68–53

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 20–2

| conference = 11–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Feb 26, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away =

| neutral =

| rank = 21

| opponent = Penn

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 63–56

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 21–2

| conference = 12–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Mar 1, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank = 21

| opponent = Harvard

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Lavietes Pavilion

| site_cityst = Cambridge, Massachusetts

| gamename =

| score = 79–64

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 22–2

| conference = 13–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Mar 2, 1991

| time =

| nonconf =

| away = yes

| neutral =

| rank = 21

| opponent = Dartmouth

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Leede Arena

| site_cityst = Hanover, New Hampshire

| gamename =

| score = 56–49

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 23–2

| conference = 14–0

}}

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Mar 10, 1991

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away =

| neutral =

| rank = 19

| opponent = {{cbb link|year=1990|sex=men|team=Loyola Marymount Lions|title=Loyola Marymount}}

| opprank =

| site_stadium = Jadwin Gymnasium

| site_cityst = Princeton, New Jersey

| gamename =

| score = 76–48

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 24–2

}}

|-

!colspan=9 style={{NCAA color cell|Princeton Tigers}}| NCAA tournament

{{CBB schedule entry

| date = Mar 15, 1991

| time =

| nonconf = yes

| away =

| neutral = yes

| rank = 18

| seed = 8 E

| opponent = Villanova

| opprank =

| oppseed = 9 E

| site_stadium = Carrier Dome

| site_cityst = Syracuse, New York

| gamename =

| score = 48–50

| overtime =

| attend =

| record = 24–3

}}

{{CBB schedule end

| rank =

| poll = AP Poll

| timezone =

| region = E

| regionname = East

| notes =

}}

Rankings

{{main|1990–91 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings}}

class="wikitable" style="white-space:nowrap;"

|+ Ranking Movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.

PollPreWk 1Wk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Wk 15Final
style="text-align:center;"

! AP Poll

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#D8FFEB;" | 25

| style="background:#FFE6E6;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#FFF;" | –

| style="background:#D8FFEB;" | 25

| style="background:#D8FFEB;" | 23

| style="background:#D8FFEB;" | 21

| style="background:#D8FFEB;" | 19

| style="background:#D8FFEB;" | 18

NCAA tournament

The team was seeded eighth in the 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.{{cite web|url=http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/documents/mbb9091.asp|title=1990–91 Ivy Men's Basketball|accessdate=March 27, 2010|website=IvyLeagueSports.com|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090131142112/http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/documents/mbb9091.asp |archivedate = January 31, 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.databasesports.com/ncaab/tourney.htm?yr=1991|title=1991 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket|accessdate=March 28, 2010|publisher=databaseSports.com}}

NCAA Tournament

:3/15/91 in Syracuse, N.Y.: (9) Villanova 50, (8) Princeton 48

Awards and honors

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Princeton Tigers men's basketball navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1990-91 Princeton Tigers Men's Basketball Team}}

Category:Princeton Tigers men's basketball seasons

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