1966–67 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team

1966–67 Princeton Tigers men's basketball
Ivy League Champion
ConferenceIvy League
Ranking
CoachesNo. 5
APNo. 5
Record25–3 (13–1, 1st Ivy League)
Head coach
CaptainEd Hummer
Home arenaDillon Gymnasium
Seasons
1966–67 Ivy League men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 5 Princeton 13 1   .929 25 3   .893
Cornell 11 3   .786 19 5   .792
Yale 11 3   .786 14 7   .667
Pennsylvania 7 7   .500 11 14   .440
Columbia 6 8   .429 11 14   .440
Harvard 4 10   .286 10 14   .417
Brown 3 11   .214 10 16   .385
Dartmouth 1 13   .071 7 17   .292
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1966–67 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team represented Princeton University in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1966–67 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. Butch van Breda Kolff served as head coach and the team captain was Ed Hummer.[1] The team played its home games in the Dillon Gymnasium on the University campus in Princeton, New Jersey.[2] The team was the champion of the Ivy League, which earned them an invitation to the 23-team 1967 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[3] This was van Breda Kolff's final year as head coach at Princeton.[1] Upon his retirement to go coach the Los Angeles Lakers, he eclipsed R. B. Smith's fifty-eight-year-old Ivy League winning percentage record with a 76.9% mark (103–31). The record stood until Bill Carmody stepped down in 2000.[4] His team's helped Princeton end the decade with a 72.6 winning percentage (188–71), which was the tenth best in the nation.[5]

The team posted a 25–3 overall record and a 13–1 conference record.[1] The team earned national ranking following its January 2, 1967 91–81 victory over number three ranked North Carolina Tar Heels at Chapel Hill, North Carolina.[1][6][7] The team's January 14, 1967 116–42 victory over Dartmouth established the Ivy League record for margin of victory.[6] The 116 points continues to be the Ivy League record for points scored in a conference game.[8] During the season, the team spent nine weeks of the fifteen-week season ranked in the Associated Press Top Ten Poll, peaking at number three and ending the season ranked number five.[7] The team also finished the season ranked number five in the final UPI Coaches' Poll.[9] Point guard Gary Walters and center Chris Thomforde were featured on the cover of the February 27, 1967, issue of Sports Illustrated.[6][10]

The team won its March 11, 1967 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament East Regional first-round game against the West Virginia Mountaineers by a 68–57 margin at the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia. Then on March 17 in the second round it lost its rematch against a North Carolina team that was ranked in the top 10 all season (no lower than fifth after the third week of the season)[7] by a 78–70 margin in overtime at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland, before winning the regional consolation game against St. John's 78–70 the next night.[1][3][11]

Three of the five members of the All-Ivy League first team were Princeton players: Joe Heiser, Chris Thomforde and Gary Walters.[3] This was the first time that one team had three first team selections.[12] However, none of the three All-Ivy Princeton players were among the league's top five scorers.[3] Nonetheless, Thomforde was a second team All-American selection by Converse. Walters was named first team U.P.I. "Small All-American;" "Honorable Mention All-America" by the A.P.; and was the winner of the B.F. Bunn Trophy, which is "awarded to that member of the varsity basketball team who through sportsmanship, play, and influence has contributed the most to the sport at Princeton." Following the season, Hummer was selected in the 1967 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics with the 64th overall selection in the 6th round.[13]

Regular season

The team posted a 25-3 (13-1 Ivy League) record.[14]

LAFAYETTE W 108-59
Army W 67-63
Villanova W 48-37
COLGATE W 110-72
Davidson ! W 91-68
NAVY W 85-57
Bowling Green @ W 87-73
Villanova @ W 55-52
Louisville @ L 63-72
North Carolina W 91-81
BROWN W 94-50
YALE W 77-75
Harvard W 90-46
Dartmouth W 116-42
Pennsylvania W 70-66
Rutgers W 97-74
DARTMOUTH W 30-16
HARVARD W 66-59
Yale W 81-80
Brown W 57-54
Columbia W 55-41
Cornell L 56-62
COLUMBIA W 97-45
CORNELL W 81-66
PENNSYLVANIA W 25-16
West Virginia # W 68-57
North Carolina $ L *70-78
St. John’s $ W 78-58
! = at Charlotte, N.C.
@ = Quaker City Tournament at Philadelphia
# = NCAA first round at Blacksburg, Va.
$ = NCAA East Regional at College Park, Md.

Home games in CAPS

Rankings

Ranking Movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
Poll Pre Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Final
AP Top 10 Poll[7] - - - - - - 7 5 5 5 4 3 6 5 6

NCAA tournament

The team played in the 1967 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[15][16]

3/11/67 in Blacksburg, Va.: Princeton 68, West Virginia 57
3/17/67 in College Park, Md.: North Carolina 78, Princeton 70 (OT)
3/18/67 in College Park, Md.: Princeton 78, St. John’s 58

Awards and honors

  • Joe Heiser
    • First Team All-Ivy League[16]
    • All-East[17]
  • Chris Thomforde
    • First Team All-Ivy League[16]
  • Gary Walters
    • First Team All-Ivy League[16]
    • First Team U.P.I. "Small All-American"
    • Honorable Mention A.P. All-America
    • B.F. Bunn Trophy Winner "awarded to that member of the varsity basketball team who though sportsmanship, play, and influence has contributed the most to the sport at Princeton."
  • John Haarlow
    • Second Team All-Ivy League[16]
  • Ed Hummer
    • Honorable Mention All-Ivy League[16]

Team players drafted into the NBA

Four players from this team were selected in the NBA draft.[18][19][20]

Year Round Pick Player NBA Club
1967 6 17 Ed Hummer Boston Celtics
1968 6 4 Joe Heiser Baltimore Bullets
1968 14 6 John Haarlow New York Knicks
1969 7 11 Chris Thomforde New York Knicks

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton Athletic Communications. June 12, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  2. ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • Coaching Record & Program Facts". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d 2009-10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 30. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  4. ^ 2009-10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 56. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  5. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 57. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c Jares, Joe (February 27, 1967). "Tiger In The House Of Ivy". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. pp. 68–83. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  8. ^ 2009-10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 55. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  9. ^ "Division I Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. p. 85. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  10. ^ "Princeton Builds A Basketball Dynasty". Sports Illustrated. February 27, 1967. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  11. ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 22, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • Men's Basketball in the Postseason". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  12. ^ 2009-10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 43. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  13. ^ 2009-10 Ivy League Basketball Media Guide. p. 32. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  14. ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  15. ^ "1967 NCAA basketball tournament Bracket". databaseSports.com. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  16. ^ a b c d e f "1966-67 Ivy Men's Basketball". IvyLeagueSports.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  17. ^ Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • Ivy League & National Awards". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  18. ^ "1967 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  19. ^ "1968 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  20. ^ "1969 NBA Draft". databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.