Behind Enemy Lines: Princeton men's basketball coach Mitch Henderson

I talked with Princeton men's basketball coach Mitch Henderson Monday afternoon about the Tigers' perspective heading into tonight's tilt with Princeton.

Daily Pennsylvanian: How deflating was the loss to Brown that knocked your team out of Ivy title contention?

Mitch Henderson: It’s hugely disappointing for us. We have a very simple goal around here, and that’s to play championship basketball. I think we have a group of seniors who have done a lot for our program and won a title, so it was very disappointing.

DP: Since your team was favored by many to win the conference coming into this season and even during much of the year, how would you characterize this season for your program?

MH: One weekend unfortunately is defining a large part of what we were doing, but I thought that given where we were and the personnel we were playing, I liked what we were doing. I’m proud of the team and where we are. Obviously it’s tough after a difficult loss [but] we never saw ourselves as anything other than trying to get better.

DP: Miles Cartwright scored just two points last time out against you guys on 1-for-7 shooting. How did you guys go about shutting him down in the last game?

MH: He’s a good player, I don’t know if you ever shut him down, but we did a nice job of filling the picture and helping where we needed to help. He’s a good player and I think I said after the first game that it’s going to be a very different game when we see them the next time around, and I believe that’s true.

DP: After looking more aggressive against Brown and Yale this weekend, how do you think Cartwright might try to attack your defense differently this time around?

MH: I think he’s going to be more aggressive this time around, there’s no doubt about it. I think the whole team’s going to be more aggressive. I do think that’s the strength there and I wouldn’t expect anything else.

DP: Something that you mentioned after the Penn game was Tony Hicks going left on you guys a lot. Do you anticipate him being a big factor again?

MH: He’s been a big factor in a lot of games, not just against us. We’ll prepare for Hicks, Cartwright, everybody, as if it's a very important league game.

DP: This will be Ian Hummer’s final regular season game, how motivated is he is in particular to leave his mark at the Palestra one final time?

MH: I don’t think he needs much motivation in general but after what happened this past weekend, I think he’ll be ready to go.

DP: How tough of a place to play is the Palestra from your time as a player and coach?

MH: As a player I loved playing at the Palestra. And as a coach I love taking the team down there now. It’s an important place to play college basketball and I think our guys recognize that. But I think it’s our last league game, it’s our last regular season game for our seniors, so we’re happy to be getting together one more time.

DP: I talked yesterday with former Penn basketball player Tim Krug, who you played against in the mid-90s. He described his feelings for Princeton at the time as borderline hatred. As someone who was part of this rivalry in the mid-'90s when both programs were at each other’s throats, how do you feel about this rivalry? Was it ever hatred for you?

MH: Nah, I think there was a healthy amount of respect. We didn’t lose any sleep over beating Penn back in the day, it’s our rival, a natural rival for us. But a lot of respect for what the program was then and is now.