Tigers one-up Quakers for Krug

Top men's basketball recruit Chris Krug chose Princeton over Penn. Germantown Academy basketball standout and prized Quakers recruit Chris Krug ended weeks of uncertainty yesterday, publicly announcing his decision to matriculate at Ivy League rival Princeton next fall. At 1 p.m., Krug placed telephone calls to Penn coach Fran Dunphy and Princeton coach Bill Carmody from the office of GA Athletic Director and men's basketball coach Jim Fenery informing them of his decision. A native of Cheltenham, Pa., Krug will take his 18 points, 14 rebounds and 7 blocks per game averages to Princeton. The 6'9", 205-lb. Krug endured an extremely difficult and tense period of decision making before settling on Old Nassau. "Chris explained to both coaches how difficult his decision was because he had his choice between two outstanding schools and two outstanding coaches," Fenery said. "I think Princeton is a good fit for him, but it would have been a good fit if he had gone to Penn as well. That's what made the decision so difficult." Krug's decision comes as a shock to many who thought he was destined for Penn. In November, Krug turned down Notre Dame's request for a commitment, stating that his ultimate decision would be a choice between sentimental favorite Penn and economic favorite, scholarship-bearing Penn State. Furthermore, Krug's brother Tim co-captained the '96 Ivy co-champ Penn squad and was one of two Quakers named to the '96 All-Ivy First Team. "Timmy [Krug] took him down to Penn and walked him all around and had him meet with Franny [Dunphy] and his staff," Fenery said. "Timmy told him about all the good parts to Penn and was hoping obviously that he would go to Penn." The odds of Chris Krug coming to Penn appeared to be in the Quakers' favor with the recruiting assistance of brother Tim. "I have stayed very close with Tim since his graduation and we have talked at length about Chris's recruitment," Dunphy said. "Tim really enjoyed his Penn experience and was very supportive of Penn every time he spoke to Chris." On January 4, however, Krug announced that a new school, Princeton, had come into the mix. Though Tim's oldest brother Pat played a year of JV basketball at Princeton, many believed hometown-favorite Penn would remain his top choice. "We're talking about a kid who grew up watching Penn play in three NCAA tournaments, so he was really familiar with Penn," Fenery said. Fenery also said that both he and Krug hold the "utmost respect for Fran Dunphy." Nevertheless, Krug will be taking his complete package to Princeton. Krug, an excellent rebounder and shot blocker, has the footspeed to run the court with anyone and anchored the Patriots' 4x mile relay squad that won the Inter-Ac championship at the 1997 Penn Relays. This decision may have even come as a surprise to Krug's own parents, with whom he stayed up Tuesday night finalizing the decision. His family said they did not feel prepared to speak with The Daily Pennsylvanian following Chris Krug's 1 p.m. phone calls and refused to comment, citing the tense nature of the situation. However, Patricia Krug, Chris' mother, did express that the nature of the decision made it a "real heart-breaker." However, the Krug family presented Chris with all of the information and let him come to his own decision. "Chris is a very bright young man. He looked at the whole situation and then he went on what he felt was going to be the best situation for him," Fenery said. "I think he handled this very maturely." Fran Dunphy, obviously disappointed, felt that the news of Krug's decision was a part of the job of being a Division I coach. "I've been doing this too long to be surprised by anything. If he had said 'I'm coming to Penn,' then I would have said 'Great, welcome aboard,'" Dunphy said. "When he says he's going to another institution, you say, 'Okay, I appreciate you allowing us the chance to recruit you. I wish you success and respect your decision.' He has chosen not to come to Penn and so be it." Dunphy added that he must maintain focus on the other recruits still undecided about Penn. "You have to move on. Just as we were before Chris Krug's decision, we are focusing on all our recruits," Dunphy, unable to give specific names due to Ivy restrictions, said. "We're moving full speed ahead and hopefully things will go well." Ivy League recruiting restrictions prohibit Princeton coach Bill Carmody from commenting to the press on Chris Krug's decision until Krug's forms and money have been mailed and Krug has officially secured his spot in the Princeton class of '02.