After Princeton's March Madness heroics, Rutgers, Seton Hall need to play Tigers again
Rutgers has avoided Princeton for nearly a decade. And the last time Seton Hall put the Tigers on the schedule was 2007.
That’s a shame.
Now New Jersey’s two high-major programs had to watch from the backseat as the Tigers captivated the sports world with their stirring run as March Madness’ latest Cinderella, reaching the Sweet 16 before falling to Creighton Friday, 86-75.
It’s time to stop the madness and rekindle those local rivalries.
Princeton has shown itself to be the best team in the state this season, and they’ve been consistently good under coach Mitch Henderson, who has expressed frustration with the cold shoulder from Piscataway and South Orange.
Maybe enthusiasm for the rivalries was waning a decade ago - Princeton won three of the last four meetings before Rutgers cut ties in the 2013-14 season. But just imagine the juice surrounding a Princeton visit to Jersey Mike’s Arena next season, or the Prudential Center, or both.
With Rutgers and Seton Hall each having returned to relevance, the time is right. Between Saint Peter’s magical run to the Elite Eight a year ago, and Fairleigh Dickinson’s takedown of No. 1 Purdue last week, it truly is a golden era of college hoops in the state, with popularity soaring.
Getting Princeton back in the mix would be great for New Jersey sports.
And it makes sense.
The NCAA Tournament selection committee passed judgement on Rutgers’ coach Steve Pikiell’s soft non-conference scheduling philosophy, banishing the Scarlet Knights to the NIT. Princeton is a top-100 team in the NET and KenPom this season. So instead of playing Temple on a neutral court, losing at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, play Princeton.
Seton Hall has played seven times against Ivy League teams, including Yale last season, since it last faced Princeton.
It’s a sore subject with Henderson, who couldn’t get a game against a high-major this season. He had to agree to play Iona at Kean University to get a non-conference foe with a NET inside the top 60.
Henderson said Seton Hall’s Shaheen Holloway, whose Saint Peter’s team provided the roadmap last season, called him after Princeton’s Sweet 16 win over Missouri, while leaving open the possibility of scheduling a game.
Make a deal
Holloway’s seen first-hand how tough it is for mid-majors to get good games, particularly locally, which is why he invited Monmouth and Saint Peter’s to the Prudential Center for his first two games at Seton Hall. And a crowd of 9,488 showed up for the Saint Peter’s game, fifth largest of the season in Newark.
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Whether it’s a one-off, a 2-for-1, with the Tigers playing two on the road and one at home, Princeton would have to listen to any potential deal in an effort to restore what had been and good rivalry, especially with Rutgers, with the two playing 120 times between 1917 and 2013.
There have been plenty of memorable moments over the years. Like the two games between Rutgers and Princeton during the 1975-76 season, when Rutgers improved to 17-0 by beating No. 15 Princeton, before remaining unbeaten with a one-point win in an NCAA Tournament opener en route to a Final Four appearance.
Now it’s time to start making some more memories by bringing Princeton back into the non-conference rotation.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Princeton basketball should be on Rutgers, Seton Hall schedule
