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Exclusives: From
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March 7, 2001 by Matt Golden '94 On February 24, 2001, throngs of Princeton graduates descended upon Old Nassau for the university's annual Alumni Day celebration. Scheduled were faculty/alumni forums, tours of campus, and lectures about important societal issues - all quite interesting I'm sure, but none would ordinarily drag me away from a Saturday afternoon nap (a luxury now that my infant daughter runs the house). This year was different though. A late addition to the Alumni Day calendar piqued my interest. At half-time of the men's basketball team's game against Dartmouth on Saturday evening, Princeton University would celebrate its 100th anniversary of intercollegiate basketball (Princeton's first game was played January 26, 1901). The scheduled ceremony would bring former Tiger players and coaches from six different decades (the 1940s through the 1990s) together on the Jadwin Gymnasium court, including former New Jersey senator and New York Knick Bill Bradley '65, the greatest player and leading scorer in Princeton hoops history. He would be joined by Tiger standout Geoff Petrie '70, who is currently vice president of player personnel for the NBA's Sacramento Kings, and legendary Princeton coaches Pete Carril and Butch van Breda Kolff '45. Now that was an alumni gathering I didn't want to miss. After watching the Tigers jump out to a 31-20 lead in their critical Ivy duel with Dartmouth (Princeton earned a victory that night to keep pace with the Penn Quakers atop the Ivy League standings), my attention shifted to the half-time festivities. A herd of 74 former players quickly lined the court's far sideline, facing the student section, as the public-address announcer lauded the achievements of each decade's Tiger teams. Then the four men that everybody came to see (Bradley, Petrie, Carril, and van Breda Kolff) made their way to center court. Each was introduced, and as their accomplishments were recounted, flashbulbs flickered and fans clapped appreciatively. But when Petrie presented a basketball embossed with Carril's career Tiger record and the Princeton University seal to the diminutive coach, the noise level increased an octave or two. Surrounded by Jadwin's greatest heroes, Carril (the only non-alumnus in the bunch) looked like he felt at home - and he should have. Jadwin may be the arena that Bradley built, but it has clearly become Pete Carril's house - at least in the eyes of those who fill the seats. You can reach Matt Golden at golden2@erols.com
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Basketball
celebration adds juice to Alumni Day weekend