Tigers' second-leading scorer had consideredTigers' second-leading scorer had consideredtransferring to Penn, among other schools Dashing any hopes of adding one of the Ivy League's top sophomores to Penn's backcourt, Princeton point guard Brian Earl has decided to stick with the Tigers this year. According to Princeton head coach Bill Carmody, Earl told him over the summer he would not change uniforms this season. "[Earl] just called and said that he's coming back," Carmody said. His decision, coming in late August, was in part due to the fact that he didn't persue transferring as much as he should have. "There was a lack of interest from the schools," Earl said. "I didn't give it as much thought as I could have either." Earl surprised the Ivy League basketball world last April by announcing that he was considering leaving Princeton, which defeated the Quakers in a one-game playoff at Lehigh on March 9 to win the Ivy's lone NCAA tournament berth. "I didn't enjoy basketball as much as I thought I would," Earl said. "School wasn't that much fun for me either." The Tigers then shocked defending NCAA champion UCLA in the first round, 43-41, recording the biggest upset of the tournament. Princeton was eliminated in the next round after losing to Final Four-bound Mississippi State, 63-41. Carmody said last spring that he might alter Carril's trademark slow-down offense in order to better suit the players. "I'm different from Coach Carril," Carmody said in the April 19, 1996 issue of The Daily Pennsylvanian. "I believe a lot of Coach Carril's philosophy, but also that you look at the players, what their strengths are and basically go from there." At the time, Earl said he was considering about 30 schools -- and arch-rival Penn was the only Ivy among them. Although Penn is near Earl's hometown of Medford Lakes, N.J., he said he was worried about the fallout from a decision to transfer to Penn. He also didn't want to compete for backcourt playing time with his friend and Penn freshman Matt Langel, a 6-foot-4 guard from Moorestown, N.J. "I though about [transferring] to Penn at the beginning," Earl said. "But I have friends at Princeton, and with the competition between the two schools, it probably wasn't the right thing to do." Earl also said that the new coach and the fact that he will be joined by a high school teammate had nothing to do with the decision. If he had chosen to transfer, Earl would have had to sit out one season because of NCAA regulations.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
