PRINCETON GAMEDAY
Who: Princeton (5-6) vs. Middle Tennessee State (7-2)
When: Friday, 5:30 p.m., Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
Last Time Out: Princeton def. Southern California, 103-93 in overtime; Middle Tennessee lost to Auburn, 76-70
TV/ Radio:
103.3 FM
Series History: First Meeting
Background: This game is part of the Diamond Head Classic. The winner plays on Saturday against the USC/ Akron winner, while the two losers meet in a consolation game. The Tigers have won three in a row.
Got That Feeling: Princeton arrived in sun-kissed Hawaii on the back of an upset over USC in L.A. It was the program’s first victory over a Pac-12 school since that famous 43-41 NCAA Tournament over UCLA in 1996. Myles Stephens scored 26 of his career-high 30 points in the second half and overtime. The Tigers shot 51.3 percent and made 14 3-pointers. Through the first two games of this west coast trip, Princeton is 30for-61 (49.1 percent) from beyond the arc.
Much More to Come: Maybe it was warm SoCal or sun or the Homecoming, but Sebastian Much had his best game in a Tigers uniform. Much tallied a career-high 19 points and
Kermit Davis has turned the Blue Raiders into a mid-major power. They’ve gone 56-15 over the last two seasons, winning an NCAA Tournament in each of those seasons. They are off to a 7-2 start this year with victories over SEC schools Vanderbilt and Ole Miss and a two-game sweep of fellow mid-major darling Florida Gulf Coast. MTSU has shot at least 40 percent in all nine of its games, and in reality, this team is probably better than the shorthanded USC side the Tigers just beat. Nick King, an Alabama transfer, is pouring in 22.9 points per game, while Brandon Walters (12.6 ppg on 60.6 percent shooting) and Giddy Potts (12.3) are also dangerous.