PRINCETON GAMEDAY

Who: Princeton Tigers (2-5) vs. Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (2-3)

When/Where: 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Rothman Center, Teaneck

Coverage: WPRB 103.3, NEC Front Row

Probable Starters

Princeton: G Spencer Weisz (6-4, Soph., 15.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.9 APG), F Hans Brase (6-8, Jr., 12.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.6 APG), F Pete Miller (6-10, Soph., 6.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.3 APG), G Amir Bell (6-3, Fr., 8.7 PPG, 3 RPG, 1.9 APG), F Steven Cook (6-5, Soph., 8.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.1 APG).

FDU: F Darius Stokes (6-7, Sr., 5.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG), G Marques Townes (6-4, Fr., 6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1 APG), G Mustafaa Jones (6-3, Sr., 14.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.8 APG), G Matt MacDonald (6-5, Soph., 11.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.6 APG), G Darian Anderson (6-1, Fr., 10 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.4 APG).

What to expect: Though the Tigers have lost five of their last six contests, they will enter Wednesday night’s contest against FDU as favorites. Ken Pomeroy has the Knights rated at the 314^th best team in Division I (Princeton clocks in at 176, down from 123 at the start of the season) and gives the 64 percent chance to win. The only common opponent the two teams have faced is the Lafayette Leopards, with Princeton losing 83-66 and FDU falling 82-61.

Youth movement: Despite the Tigers relatively rough trip to California (they went 1-2 in the Wooden Classic), the team’s underclassmen appear to be making strides. Sophomore Steven Cook appears to have supplanted senior Ben Hazel in the starting lineup, and highly touted freshman point guard Amir Bell had his best game to date against San Diego, scoring 17 points and grabbing four rebounds in 32 minutes. After playing a total of 17 minutes in the first four games, sophomore Henry Caruso has emerged as a contributor off the bench, scoring 15 against UTEP. 

Looking ahead: After FDU, the Tigers will play a pair of tough contests against Stony Brook Dec. 6 and at St. Peter’s Dec. 10. The Seawolves made it to the America East finals a year ago and have already beat a pair of top-150 opponents in Columbia and Western Kentucky. St. Peter’s is just 2-5, but the Jersey City school beat Rutgers 68-50 on Nov. 25.