PRINCETON WEEKEND

Who: Cornell (13-11, 5-3) and Columbia (6-16, 1-7) at Princeton (13-8, 5-3)

When: Friday, 8 p.m., Jadwin Gym; Saturday, 8 p.m., Jadwin Gym

TV/ Radio: ESPN+/ WPRB 103.3 FM Last Time Out: Princeton def. Dartmouth, 69-68; Cornell lost to Yale, 98-92

Series History: Princeton leads Cornell, 147-81; Princeton leads Columbia, 153-86

Background: It goes without saying that all Ivy League games are massive from this point on, but Friday’s contest against Cornell is huge. A win would give Princeton a series sweep and thus the tiebreaker should that come into play. The Tigers won the first meeting, 70-61 in overtime behind a career-best 20 points from center Richmond Aririguzoh. Princeton also held the Big Red to 17.4 percent (4-for-23) from beyond the arc.

Johns on the Spot: Freshman Max Johns got 13 minutes off the bench against Harvard and 17 against Dartmouth. Look for the 6-3, 195-pound forward to continue to get run because of his defense. He’s a bigger and longer defender than Jose Morales, which gives the Tigers more flexibility when it comes to switching on screens. “The other night on the radio show they asked him a question and he said, ‘my role is to defend and cut,’ and I love that,” coach Mitch Henderson said. “He’s out there in big moments with our veterans and coming through for us.”

Scouting Cornell: It starts and ends with senior guard Matt Morgan. He’s one of the most dynamic scorers in the entire country, averaging 23.6 points per game, which ranks 10th nationally. Princeton has done a decent job against Morgan, allowing him 19.2 points over seven games, with some of that skewed by a 31-point performance in a triple-overtime game last season. Former Tigers player and assistant coach Brian Earl guided the Big Red into a top-four spot last season and likely needs a split this weekend to feel good about getting back to the Ivy Tournament. Scouting Columbia: The Lions are in the Ivy cellar, but that doesn’t make them an easy victory. Princeton was exceptional defensively in the first meeting, holding Columbia to 43 points, but the Lions that was just one of three Ivy losses that have come by more than two points. The other four setbacks are by two points or less. Columbia plays at Penn on Friday night.