The No. 15 seed Princeton Tigers are off to the Sweet 16, defeating the No. 7 seed Missouri Tigers, 78-63, on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Princeton secures its first berth in the Sweet 16 at the men’s NCAA Tournament since 1967.
- Princeton becomes the fourth No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16, joining Florida Gulf Coast (2013), Oral Roberts (2021) and Saint Peter’s (2022). It’s the third year in a row a No. 15 seed will reach the Sweet 16.
- Princeton awaits the winner of Creighton-Baylor in the Sweet 16.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
The Sweetest Shower @PrincetonMBB Has Ever Taken!#MarchMadness | #MakeShots pic.twitter.com/LGoVZ8v65I
— Princeton Tigers (@PUTIGERS) March 19, 2023
How Princeton pulled it off
Similarly to Thursday night, when it upset No. 2 seed Arizona, Princeton came in with a fantastic, simple plan for the game, and then executed it to utter perfection.
Missouri was an uptempo, pressing team, one with a highly efficient offense that was often catalyzed by turnovers in its highly impressive SEC run. So: Don’t turn the ball over on offense, work possessions until after Missouri gambled on a steal, and keep everything in front on defense, so the other Tigers have to play one-on-one.
Advertisement
This is exactly what Princeton did, and it worked exactly how the Tigers thought it would. A Missouri offense that ranked No. 7 in the country in adjusted efficiency coming in barely managed a point per possession Saturday night, while Princeton picked off open look after open look on the other end.
It was comprehensive, the biggest win by any No. 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history. Princeton made it look obvious. — Brennan
Can Princeton do it again next weekend?
There is zero reason to suggest Princeton can’t.
Indeed, the evidence of these two games in Sacramento is that Princeton can make this same calculus — great, mistake-free defense, the protection of the paint and the rim at all costs, zero offensive rebounds allowed, and opportunistic offense with a fearless green light from beyond the arc — against some of the best teams in the country, and teams with various different styles.
It is not a guarantee of success, obviously, but it is likewise hard to have watched Princeton in Sacramento and not picture them competing just as hard next weekend, too. The Tigers certainly believe they will.
“This is a very, very confident group,” Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said. “It is such a pleasure to be around these guys. They just grit their teeth and do it.” — Brennan
Backstory
It was a dominant performance for Princeton against Missouri. Princeton shot 43.5 percent from the floor, converted 12 3-pointers and outrebounded Missouri 44 to 30.
Ryan Langborg led Princeton in scoring with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor.
Princeton is looking to advance to the Elite 8 for the first time since 1965. The last time an Ivy League school advanced to the Elite 8 at a men’s NCAA Tournament was Penn in 1979.
Highlight of the game
Alright this is ridiculous at this point 🔥🔥🔥#MarchMadness @PrincetonMBB pic.twitter.com/Fsm6frZ6S7
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2023
Required reading
- Princeton’s upset of Arizona was shocking to many, but not to the Tigers
- The Athletic’s live updates from Saturday’s second round
(Photo: Kyle Terada / USA Today)