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Welcome back to the Trentonian's Full-Court Press blog. Yes, we're still alive, and with the 2015-16 season rapidly approaching, it's time to fire up the old blog for another season. Check back here throughout the year for updates on all things Rider and Princeton, including coverage of both the MAAC and Ivy League. Feel free to drop me a line on twitter @kj_franko (https://twitter.com/kj_franko) or email kfranko@trentonian.com.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

PRINCETON GAMEDAY: FDU





Who: Princeton Tigers (5-1, 0-0 Ivy) vs. Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (3-7, 0-0 NEC).
When/Where: 7 p.m. Saturday, Jadwin Gym.
Last game: Princeton beat Bucknell 66-53 on the road; Fairleigh Dickinson lost 77-62 at Stony Brook.
Coaches: Princeton – Mitch Henderson (third season, 42-24). FDU – Greg Herenda (first season, 3-7).
Probable starters: Princeton – C Hans Brase (6-8, sophomore,12.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG. 3.3 APG). F Will Barrett (6-10, senior, 9.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG). G Ben Hazel (6-5, junior, 10.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG). G Jimmy Sherburne (6-3, senior, 7.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3 APG). G T.J. Bray (6-5, senior, 13.7 PPG, 5 RPG, 5 APG).
Fairleigh Dickinson: F Mathias Seilund (6-7, senior, 6.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG). F Scooter Gillette (6-9, senior, 6.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG). G Mustafaa Jones (6-3, junior, 11 PPG, 3 RPG). G Sydney Sanders Jr. (5-11, senior, 18.5 PPG, 4 RPG, 5.6 APG). G Matt McDonald (6-5, freshman, 8.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG).
Keys to the game
Stopping Sanders: If the mantra for this year’s Princeton team on offense has been balance — seven different players average seven or more points per game — Fairleigh Dickinson’s has been the opposite, with junior guard Sydney Sanders emerging as their key go-to guy.  While Sanders averages 18.5 points per game, that number actually doesn’t even tell the whole story. According to the excellent advanced statistics site kenpom.com, Sanders uses 34.4 percent of the Knights possessions (which means that 34.4 percent of FDU’s possessions either end with Sanders making a shot, missing a shot that isn’t rebounded by the offense, or committing a turnover). That’s the third-highest number in college basketball. Sanders also has shown an ability to rise to big occasions, with 22 points and 10 assists in the Knights win against Rutgers and 23 points and nine assists in their win over Seton Hall.
Backcourt stability: While Spencer Weisz proved his value in the starting lineup in T.J. Bray’s absence, the lineup coach Mitch Henderson sent out against Bucknell seems to make the most sense going forward, with Bray, Jimmy Sherburne and Ben Hazel all competent scorers and ball handlers. They will be tested against the Knights, however, both by trying to stop Sanders on the defensive end and navigating the numerous types of defensive pressure FDU likes to use to disrupt opposing offenses.

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