Guru's College Report: Two Unbeaten Princeton's Victims Discuss the Experience

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. -- Besides their long familiarity with each other, Drexel and Delaware have a commonality in that both schools were early victims in non-conference play to Ivy champion Princeton’s history-making march to a 30-0 unbeaten regular season record.

Both coaches Drexel’s Denise Dillon and Delaware’s Tina Martin besides looking ahead to playing each other in a quarterfinal round Friday at the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, described what it was like playing the Tigers.

“Obviously (coach) Courtney (Banghart) does a great job coaching them,” Martin said. “They do a really good job floor spacing, and they shoot the ball so well.

“And when they’re shooting the ball as well as they shoot it, they can play with anybody in the country. I think they’re a better defensive team this year, and that’s probably why they went undefeated is because they play such good defense.

“For Courtney and Princeton that’s been the biggest jump – I even talked to her about it at the beginning of the year – veteran players had started to buy into what they were doing, defensively.

“They’ve always been able to score points, they shoot the ball so well, they do so some really good stuff. But, defensively, they’ve improved and become a much better basketball team.

“It doesn’t surprise me they’re undefeated and I think they can give some people fits because of the fact ther way they play spreading the floor and the fact they’ve got older kids who understand defense and they’re playing team defense.”

Dillon’s Drexel team saw Princeton the first week of the season.

“What a remarkable accomplishment by their team. We faced them early. We knew they were special and what they had in each and every player and every player that came into the game, and besides their starting five, their execution and commitment to defense is remarkable.

I’m extremely proud at what they’ve done. Everything they talk about at Princeton – the commitment to academics and athletics, they have defined that perfectly.”

-- Mel



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