Sports: March 8, 2000
How Princeton saved Cinderella
A college basketball fairy tale
The sporting world has grown so accustomed to the hype surrounding the annual men's college basketball tournament that its ubiquitous nickname, "March Madness," no longer seems like just a marketing ploy. In 2003, CBS will begin paying the NCAA $563 million per year for the rights to broadcast the tournament-more than Major League Baseball or the NHL earn from their television deals. Yet unlike the bowl system in college football, which has always been the province of a few powerhouse schools, some small colleges have consistently found a place in college basketball's high-profile playoff. In fact, the pretournament coverage has become increasingly focused on predicting upsets-finding a team that snuck into the brackets by winning its untelevised, unheralded conference, yet that will make its mark by beating a favorite.
The sacred status of the little guy, however, is a relatively recent development. For as the 1980s drew to a close, the long shots of college basketball-teams such as Murray State, Tennessee-Chattanooga, and Princeton-were at serious risk of being excluded from the tournament. Although the NCAA had doubled the size of the field at the beginning of the decade to 64 teams, the numbers were still tight, and big-name teams that did not win their conferences and were not selected as at-large bids were beginning to wonder why they were sitting at home and watching Brown get blown out in the first round.
By the opening of the 1989 tournament, critics of the selection process had become vocal in the opinion that small-conference teams didn't deserve an automatic bid to appear on college basketball's grandest stage. Tom Odjakjian, who worked with the NCAA basketball committee in his job as a programming coordinator for ESPN, recalls, "There was certainly a belief at the time among the larger conferences that some of the other guys didn't belong in the tournament. I remember a commissioner of a major conference telling me, 'We don't want them in.' "
Even those members of the selection committee willing to stand up for the smaller teams were blunt about their criteria for inclusion. Tom Butters, a member of the committee in 1989, said, "The thing that's going to preserve an Ivy bid, or an ACC, or a Big East, or a Big Ten, or an MEAC, is performance."
Disappointing performances, however, had been an Ivy trademark for the previous four years. Since 1984, when Princeton had last appeared in the tournament, the other Ivy representatives had lost their first-round games by an average of 33 points. Brown and Cornell had disgraced the league with 49- and 40-point losses, respectively, and Pennsylvania hadn't fared much better in its two appearances.
Princeton coach Pete Carril had always been a staunch defender of the Ivy's bid; after all, his signature quote is: "What's the use of being a Spaniard if you can't tilt at windmills?" But as the possibility of the Ivy League losing its bid became more real, he took to heavy politicking with his usual degree of subtlety. "I would hope the people who make those decisions would use common sense," he said shortly before the tournament. "I would hope wisdom would prevail. With all the dumb things that happen in this country, let's hope this isn't another one."
Yet when Princeton, seeded 16th of 16 teams in the east region, drew Georgetown, the top seed, in the first round of the 1989 tournament, it appeared that the Ivy League was being set up for another humiliating defeat-perhaps a defeat that would justify its ultimate exclusion from the tournament. After all, Georgetown had been nothing short of awesome while destroying Boston College, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse in the Big East Tournament. Led by senior All-America Charles Smith and freshman Alonzo Mourning, the Hoyas were considered a favorite to win the national title. Princeton, when considered at all, was thought to have been lucky to win the substandard Ivies. As Carril himself admitted before the game, "I think we're a billion-to-one shot to win the whole tournament, but I think to beat Georgetown, we're only 400-million-to-one."
The story of the game itself, which Georgetown ultimately won 50-49, has been recounted far too many times to necessitate its revival here. But one story from behind the scenes captures the gripping impact of the contest. The game was broadcast on ESPN, and Tom Odjakjian was working in the control room. As word-of-mouth spread about the possible upset, the ratings numbers were rising, and the control room began to buzz with excitement. Most of the people in the room were openly rooting for the Tigers. One colleague finally asked Odjakjian, who had worked in the sports information office at Princeton, if he could go home and get some apparel for everyone to wear. Odjakjian drove back to his house at halftime-breaking several traffic laws en route --and returned with both a sweatshirt and a Princeton "P" that his mother had knitted for him. Later that evening, announcer Dick Vitale wore that same sweatshirt and "P" on the air as an apology for having disparaged the Tigers before the game.
In the days following the near upset, most of the tournament coverage focused on the fact that Princeton could have-and perhaps should have-beaten one of college basketball's untouchables. Whether Mourning fouled the courageous Kit Mueller '91 on the game's final shot remains debatable. Carril's only comment is one of those lines that will earn him a spot in the Quote Hall of Fame. "We'll have to take that one up with God when we get there," he said.
Meanwhile, opposing coaches united in the opinion that Princeton's performance had helped justify its inclusion in the tournament. Georgetown's John Thompson, when asked if the Ivy League should keep its automatic bid, responded, "After tonight I'd be a damn fool to say they shouldn't. I'd say they need two automatic bids." North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano bluntly told a reporter, "That game should put an end to the concept that there are too many teams in this tournament."
For his part, even after Georgetown had easily handled Notre Dame in the second round, Mourning remained mystified about what had happened against Princeton. "I've never seen anything like that," Mourning said. "And I hope I don't again."
Ultimately, the game became the first act in the evolving national story of Pete Carril. Although Carril had come within one point of beating undefeated Rutgers in the 1976 NCAA Eastern Regionals, he had faded from the national consciousness by 1989. But Princeton would follow the Georgetown game by narrowly losing in the tournament to Arkansas and Villanova, and by 1996, when Princeton played UCLA, the stage had been set for the cathartic closing victory that capped Carril's career.
Carril, of course, didn't see the Georgetown game as the first act of anything. "Pete hates when people talk about that game because it was a loss," says Alexander Wolff '79, the senior writer for Sports Illustrated who covered the game. "But I have tried to make the case that Carril's gift to college basketball was preserving the little guy's piece in the tournament."
Today the little guy's place in the tournament feels more secure, although the NCAA is still considering the idea of having a play-in for the smaller conference teams. But a major feature of the annual tournament today is the search for a Cinderella team-despite the fact that a 16 seed has still never beaten a one seed. "That's exactly the way CBS markets the tournament," Wolff says. "People will tune in and entertain the possibility that an upset might happen. And at least the NCAA is throwing a bone to schools that do it the right way academically."
After the Georgetown game, Carril gathered his players and said, "As bad as you feel, feeling this bad is better than never getting a chance to feel this bad." Now that a decade has passed, perhaps guys such as Kit Mueller, Bob Scrabis '89, and Matt Lapin '90 can take some satisfaction from knowing that if they hadn't felt so bad in 1989, Princeton might have never gotten its chance in 1996. And this year's Cinderella-whatever team that may be-also owes those Tigers a debt of gratitude.
-Wes Tooke '98
Teeter's team approach spells victory
Seniors establish award in coach's honor
For a swimmer, success is the product of hard work: long hours spent honing technique and building strength. For women's swimming coach Susan Teeter, though, preparation is only part of the equation. A team focus-in an often individual sport-enables her
swimmers to dominate the competition. "Everybody's putting in the same work and everybody has the same goal," says Teeter. "Everyone makes a contribution-some of us can get our hand on the wall first and win a race, while others of us can be leaders out of the water."
According to team cocaptain Alyson Goodner '00, Teeter's approach creates a powerful feeling of community. "Coach Teeter's focus on the team aspect makes it possible for us to spend the hours we do in the pool every day," says Goodner.
During her 16-year tenure at Princeton, Teeter's teams have enjoyed uncommon success. The Tigers' victory over Columbia at the end of January was the 100th in Teeter's career; she is now 100-39 overall, a nearly .720 winning percentage. In the 1990s alone, her teams earned five Ivy League titles and garnered three wins at the championships of the Eastern Women's Swimming League.
This season, the team stood undefeated through the end of the regular season (8-0 Ivy, 10-0 overall) and by the middle of February looked well on its way to capturing a sixth league championship, having earned resounding wins over Harvard (182-118) and Yale (218-82).
Goodner credits Teeter's philosophy with keeping each woman motivated, regardless of individual performance: "At Princeton, I started thinking less about swimming a specific time and more about just racing. No race can be a letdown because it's all part of the team effort." Perhaps because of that motivation, Goodner and her 12 classmates all stayed with the program, becoming the team's largest class of seniors ever.
In February, the 13 senior swimmers established the Susan S. Teeter Award, which will go to the senior who distinguishes herself both as an outstanding student and a valuable member of the team. "The members of the Class of 2000 and our parents established this award to thank Coach Teeter for the day-in, day-out support we get from her," says Goodner. "The team tradition is something she started, and it's something that will continue at Princeton long after she leaves."
Teeter is thrilled by the honor: "The beauty of this award is that it tells you the kids understand the things you stand for. It lets you know that what you've been trying to teach about leadership has been successful."
-Paul Hagar '91
Men's teams
Basketball
(13-9 overall, 5-2 Ivy)
February 11: Princeton 72, Dartmouth 47
February 12: Princeton 73, Harvard 55
February 15: Pennsylvania 55, Princeton 46
March 12-17 NCAA Tournament*
Hockey
(8-12-3 overall, 6-7-3 ECAC, 3-2-1 Ivy)
February 11: Princeton 6, Union 1
February 12: Princeton 4, RPI 3
March 16-18 ECAC Quarterfinals*
March 24-26 ECAC Regionals*
Squash
(8-0 overall, 6-0 Ivy)
February 12: Princeton 8, Dartmouth 1
February 13: Princeton 5, Harvard 4
Fencing
(9-3 overall, 2-0 Ivy)
February 16: Princeton 17, Pennsylvania 10
March 12 NCAA Regionals (at Penn State)*
Swimming
(10-1 overall, 8-1 Ivy)
February 12: Princeton 186.5, Navy 112.5
Indoor Track
(2-3 overall, 2-0 Ivy)
February 12: Princeton 79, Harvard 50
Princeton 79, Yale 42
Tennis
(4-2 overall, 0-0 Ivy)
February 11: Princeton 7, George Washington 0
February 13: Fresno State 6, Princeton 1
March 12 Duke (at Pacific Palisades, CA)
March 15 at UC-Irvine
March 16 at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
March 17 at UC-Santa Barbara
March 18 at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
March 19 at Pepperdine
Volleyball
(2-4 overall, 0-2 EIVA)
February 9: Princeton 3, NYU 1
February 11: Penn State 3, Princeton 0
Wrestling
(2-8 overall, 0-3 Ivy)
February 12: Duquesne 19, Princeton 18
February 16: Rutgers 31, Princeton 12
March 16-18 NCAA Championships*
Lacrosse
March 11 at Virginia
March 18 vs. Hofstra
Baseball
March 10, 11, 12 at Old Dominion
March 13 at William & Mary
March 14, 15 at Virginia
March 16 VMI (at Richmond, VA)
March 17, 18, 19 VCU (at Richmond, VA)
March 21 Monmouth
Outdoor Track
March 18 Miami Invitational (at Miami, FL)
Golf
March 16-18 Treasure Coast Classic
(at Port St. Lucie, FL)
Women's teams
Basketball
(4-17 overall, 1-6 Ivy)
February 11: Dartmouth 74, Princeton 57
February 12: Harvard 73, Princeton 67
Hockey
(10-8-5 overall, 8-7-3 ECAC, 4-3-0 Ivy)
February 11: Princeton 4, New Hampshire 2
February 12: Princeton 4, Maine 2
March 11 ECAC Quarterfinals*
March 18-19 ECAC Championships*
Squash
(8-1 overall, 5-1 Ivy)
February 12: Princeton 8, Dartmouth 1
February 13: Princeton 5, Harvard 4
February 16: Princeton 7, Trinity 2
Fencing
(12-2 overall, 3-0 Ivy)
February 12: Princeton 18, Cornell 9
Princeton 24, Fairleigh Dickinson 3
Princeton 24, James Madison 3
February 16: Princeton 17, Pennsylvania 10
March 12 NCAA Regionals (at Penn State)*
Swimming
(10-0 overall, 8-0 Ivy)
March 9-11 NCAA Regional Diving (at Harvard)*
March 16-17 NCAA Championships*
Indoor Track
(1-2 overall, 1-2 Ivy)
February 12: Harvard 69, Princeton 30
Yale 60, Princeton 30
Tennis
(5-0 overall, 0-0 Ivy)
February 13: Princeton 8, UMass 0
March 13 at San Diego State
March 14 at UC-Irvine
March 15 Washington State (at San Diego, CA)
March 18 Loyola Marymount (at Los Angeles, CA)
Water Polo
February 16: Princeton 12, Villanova 5
March 11, 12 CWPA League (at Philadelphia, PA)
March 15 at UC-Davis
March 16 at UC-Berkeley
March 18 at Pacific
March 18 at San Jose State
Lacrosse
March 12 Loyola (at Baltimore, MD)
March 15 vs. Duke
March 18 vs. Georgetown
Softball
March 12 Florida A&M (at Tallahassee, FL)
March 13 Iowa State DH (at Tallahassee, FL)
March 14 Northern Iowa DH (at Tallahassee, FL)
March 15 Florida State DH (at Tallahassee, FL)
March17-18 FSU Tournament (at Tallahassee, FL)
Outdoor Track
March 18 Miami Invitational (at Miami, FL)
Notes: Records are current as of February 18 · Upcoming games in italics ·
* If team qualifies
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