Princeton will play today in the tournament for the first time in seven years. The Tigers’ opponent, Kentucky, is a perennial powerhouse — making its 18th appearance in 19 years — and the freshly crowned king of the Southeastern Conference.
The No. 13 Tigers may not be a favorite for their East region matchup in Tampa, Fla., but after a Sweet 16 run from Cornell last year, the Ivy League’s representative can’t quite be counted out.
Penn senior captain Jack Eggleston said he believes the Tigers have a chance to win, “if they’re able to keep [Josh] Harrellson off the boards and contain Terrence Jones.”
Jones is a dynamic offensive player for whom the Wildcats run a lot of isolation plays, Eggleston said. But he does apparently have a weakness.
“Jones isn’t the toughest kid around, so if you frustrate him, he cannot be as effective,” Eggleston explained.
The Quakers may be in the best position to judge this tournament matchup — Penn is the only team in the nation to have both Princeton and Kentucky on its 2010-11 resume. If results are any indicator, Kentucky should have the upper hand. Penn lost to Princeton by an average of 7.5 points. At Kentucky, the differential was 24.
“Obviously it’s a tempo game. Not even Princeton, nobody wants to get into a running match with Kentucky — no one,” junior captain Zack Rosen said. “[But] if they can avoid that big onslaught run, then they should be fine.”
Yet if the Quakers could open a 12-point lead over the Wildcats, as they did earlier this year, perhaps a more consistent Princeton team stands a better chance of holding on for an upset.
Sports Editor Kevin Esteves contributed reporting to this article.
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