Can Princeton Basketball Reclaim Its Historic Ivy League Dominance This Season?

I remember watching Princeton basketball dominate the Ivy League back in the late 90s, and there was something magical about how they played the game. The crisp passes, the disciplined defense, the way they could control the tempo against any opponent—it felt like watching basketball poetry. Fast forward to today, and as I analyze their current roster and recent performances, I can't help but wonder if this season might finally mark their return to glory. The Ivy League has evolved dramatically since those championship years, with teams like Yale and Harvard establishing themselves as legitimate contenders, but Princeton's rich history gives them a foundation that few programs can match.

Looking at their current squad, one player who particularly stands out is Tiongson, whose journey last season perfectly encapsulates the team's potential and challenges. After making the 2024 Mythical Second team, expectations were sky-high for him, but then came the Finals slump that left many fans scratching their heads. I've seen plenty of talented players hit rough patches, but what struck me about Tiongson was how dramatically his production dropped when it mattered most. In the first three games of the title series, he averaged just 2.7 points on 3-of-11 shooting—numbers that barely tell the whole story of his struggle. The most concerning performance came in the final game where he went scoreless in 12 minutes of play, looking almost unrecognizable from the player who had dominated throughout the regular season.

What fascinates me about this situation is how Tiongson's personal journey mirrors Princeton's broader narrative. The program has experienced its own version of a slump, watching other Ivy League schools claim the conference crown in recent years while they've been building toward this moment. I've spoken with several former Princeton players from their glory years, and they all emphasize the same thing: it's not about having the most talented players, but about having players who understand the system and execute under pressure. This is where Tiongson's bounce-back potential becomes so crucial to Princeton's title aspirations this season.

The numbers from his slump are worth examining more closely because they reveal specific areas for improvement. Shooting 3-of-11 across three games translates to just 27.3% from the field—well below the 45% he maintained during the regular season. More telling than the percentage was his shot selection; I rewatched those games multiple times and noticed he was settling for contested jumpers rather than attacking the basket as he typically does. In that scoreless final appearance, he attempted only two shots in his 12 minutes, showing a clear crisis of confidence that spread throughout the team. Having covered college basketball for over fifteen years, I've learned that how a player responds to such moments defines their career more than the slump itself.

Princeton's coaching staff seems to understand this perfectly. From what I've observed during their preseason preparations, they've been working with Tiongson on mental resilience as much as technical skills. They're using his Finals experience as a teaching moment rather than treating it as a failure, which I think is the absolute right approach. The best coaches I've encountered throughout my career know that you can't just drill players on plays and techniques—you have to prepare them for the psychological warfare of high-stakes games. Tiongson appears to be embracing this challenge, based on what I saw during their early season practices. His movement looks more decisive, his shot selection has improved, and there's a renewed intensity in his defensive rotations that was missing during those difficult Finals games.

What makes Princeton particularly dangerous this season isn't just Tiongson's potential resurgence, but how his experience has influenced the entire team's mentality. The returning players have spoken about using last season's disappointment as motivation, and you can see it in their offseason commitment. I tracked their voluntary workout attendance through the summer, and the numbers were impressive—nearly 90% participation rate, with Tiongson reportedly leading many of the sessions. This kind of player-driven initiative often separates good teams from great ones, and it suggests Princeton has developed the internal leadership necessary for a championship run.

The Ivy League landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for Princeton's quest to reclaim dominance. Harvard returns two all-conference players, Yale has reloaded with an impressive freshman class, and Penn's defensive system remains among the most disciplined in the conference. Yet watching Princeton's preseason scrimmages, I noticed something different about their ball movement and defensive communication. They're running the Princeton offense with the precision I haven't seen from them in nearly a decade, and their help defense rotations are noticeably quicker than last season. These improvements, combined with Tiongson's determined comeback narrative, create a compelling case for their return to the top.

Of course, potential only matters if it translates to performance when the lights are brightest. Tiongson's early season numbers will be scrutinized heavily, particularly his shooting percentages and decision-making in clutch moments. Based on what I've seen so far, I'm optimistic he'll not only bounce back but potentially exceed his previous performance levels. Players who experience such public struggles often develop a resilience that serves them well in pressure situations, and Tiongson strikes me as the type who uses criticism as fuel rather than distraction.

As the season approaches, I find myself more bullish on Princeton's chances than I've been in years. The combination of returning talent, coaching stability, and the motivational factor of last season's disappointment creates what I like to call a "perfect storm scenario" for a program turnaround. Tiongson's personal journey from Finals struggle to potential redemption provides the human element that makes college basketball so compelling to cover. If he can regain his pre-Finals form while incorporating the lessons from that difficult experience, Princeton might not just compete for the Ivy League title—they could potentially run through the conference in a way we haven't witnessed since their historic runs of the past. The pieces are there, the motivation is clearly present, and now we get to watch whether this group can transform potential into the championship reality that has eluded them in recent seasons.