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The “Where are we?” contest returns to test your knowledge of campus architecture. Through July, The Weekly Blog will post a new contest on the publication date of each printed edition of the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

 

Today’s image, taken by PAW art director Marianne Nelson, is more tightly cropped than our past samples, but careful observers may recognize this distinctive pattern of brick. Where are we? Post your answer on PAW’s Facebook page or e-mail it to PAW. The first correct response will earn a Princeton-themed prize. (Past winners are not eligible for the prize.)

 

Update: Rob Bernard ’88 won our prize for correctly identifying the Computer Science Building. This proved to be a difficult contest, but our follow-up clue seemed to help: One section of the bricks (not shown) includes an embedded code that translates to "P=NP?" Check below for the full image.

Minor league hockey players Dustin Sproat ’06 and Kyle Hagel ’08 have more in common than just their profession and alma mater. Both Sproat and Hagel have been devoted to community service in their time away from the ice. And last week, both players were honored for their efforts.

 

Sproat, a forward for the Cincinnati Cyclones, shared the East Coast Hockey League’s Community Service Award for his work as a co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Hockey Players for Kids (HP4K). Fellow HP4K member Chris Frank, a defenseman for the Elmira Jackals, also was honored. Nearly 50 pro players, including several Princeton alumni, have signed on to the HP4K cause, donating their time to help children in the cities where they play. This year, Sproat and his Cincinnati teammates volunteered at YMCA and Boys and Girls Club after-school programs, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the Ronald McDonald House. In a news release, Kristin Ropp, the Cyclones’ vice president and general manager, called Sproat “a star on and off the ice. He is able to use the minimal personal time he has to make a difference in the lives of Cincinnati’s children.”

 

Hagel, also a member of HP4K, was honored by his team, the Rockford (Ill.) IceHogs of the American Hockey League. This season, he created the “Stick to Reading” program at a local elementary school, encouraging fourth- and fifth-grade students to improve their reading habits. (HP4K aims to make “Stick to Reading” a signature program; the Princeton men’s hockey team launched its own branch near campus.) In a news release from the IceHogs, teachers and administrators from the host school, Kishwaukee Elementary, noted that they were impressed by Hagel’s enthusiasm and commitment. “We had a number of students who normally wouldn’t read get involved in the program, and it definitely exceeded our expectations,” said Al Gagliano, the school’s principal.

 

Another Tiger alumnus and HP4K co-founder, Mike Moore ’08, was twice honored for his community-service work as a member of the AHL’s Worcester Sharks, in 2009 and 2010.

 

Sydney Johnson ’97, head coach of the Ivy League champion men’s basketball team, resigned from Princeton April 4 to become the coach at Fairfield University. A national search for his successor is underway, according to a statement by Director of Athletics Gary Walters ’67.

 

In four years with the Tigers, Johnson’s teams were 66-53 overall. He led a remarkable turnaround that culminated with three memorable games this March: a 70-58 win over Penn at the Palestra that clinched a share of the Ivy title; a 63-62 last-second victory against Harvard in the Ivy playoff game; and a 59-57 loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.

 

Walters thanked Johnson for his contributions in a press release. “Obviously we’re disappointed that he is not staying to carry on the tradition of Princeton basketball,” he said. “But as a Princeton basketball alumnus, we wish him well as he takes another career step.”

 

Since 29-year veteran Pete Carril retired in 1996, no Princeton men’s basketball coach has stayed with the program longer than four seasons. Bill Carmody (1996-2000) left for Northwestern, John Thompson III ’88 (2000-04) departed for Georgetown, and Joe Scott ’87 (2004-07) moved on to Denver.

 

Johnson, a three-year captain as an undergraduate, returned to Princeton after assisting Thompson at Georgetown for three seasons. His first Tiger team stumbled to a 6-23 record, but from that point forward, the program made a steady climb in the Ivy standings. In 2009-10, the Tigers finished 22-9 overall and 11-3 in Ivy games, placed second behind Cornell, and reached the semifinals of the College Basketball Invitational. This season, Princeton finished 25-7 overall, 12-2 in Ivy play, and won all 12 of its games at Jadwin Gym.

John Milnor ’51 *54 has, to borrow a sporting term, completed the “grand slam” of mathematics honors. The former Princeton professor and current co-director of the Institute for Mathematical Sciences at Stony Brook University had already won the Fields Medal, the Wolf Prize in Mathematics, and three Steele prizes. On March 23, he was chosen to receive the 2011 Abel Prize from the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters – a $1 million award given annually for outstanding work in the field of mathematics.

 

According to the Abel committee, which cited Milnor’s “pioneering discoveries in topology, geometry, and algebra”:

 

 

Philip Ball of Nature wrote that the committee “wisely avoided singling out a particular achievement” in Milnor’s illustrious, wide-ranging career. “In effect,” Ball wrote, “this is a recognition that he has contributed to maths across the board.”

 

If the honor and the high praise sound familiar, perhaps that’s because a fellow alumnus, John Tate *50, won the Abel Prize a year ago (and also was recognized as our Tiger of the Week). Since the prize was first awarded in 2003, there have been 11 Abel laureates. Milnor and Tate are the only Princetonians.

 

Relatively few American students play rugby before college. For many of the men and women who pick up the sport at Princeton, the first game they watch also becomes the first one they compete in. Newcomers learn the basics, refine their skills, and eventually pass on what they’ve learned to the next crop of novices. The students also drive the program off the field, managing everything from scheduling to finances.

 

It’s a cycle that has endured with remarkable consistency, and on April 9, alumni of the Tiger programs will celebrate that tradition by marking two anniversaries: 80 consecutive years of competition for the men’s squad, and 30 consecutive years for the women’s team.

 

The weekend also holds great importance for the current Princeton teams, which are slated to compete on the West Windsor Fields. Men’s rugby will vie for the Rickerson Cup at the New Jersey State Intercollegiate Championship April 9, while women’s rugby will host the Ivy League Tournament April 9-10.

 

Men’s rugby traveled to Southern California for a recent spring-break trip, and according to captain Zak Deschaine ’11, the chance to focus on rugby for a week paid dividends. It also gave West Coast alumni a rare opportunity to catch Princeton in action.

 

“We played Loyola Marymount while in Los Angeles on tour, and we must have had 20 or 30 alumni show up,” Deschaine said. “It’s really a cool thing to see. … It’s something special to be a part of.”

 

In the first four years of the New Jersey State Intercollegiate Championship, Princeton has captured the Rickerson Cup three times, including last season, when the Tigers edged William Paterson in the final. Deschaine expects William Paterson to be a team to watch this year as well.

 

The women’s rugby team, which toured Ireland during spring break, will host the first Ivy League Tournament in three years (regional scheduling commitments have hampered the event).

 

Actress and humanitarian Mia Farrow and U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., visited Princeton March 25 to speak to students and community members about prospects for peace in Sudan, an East African nation torn apart by violence and genocide. The talk, which drew about 100 people to Whig Hall, was sponsored by the International Relations Council, a Princeton student group associated with Whig-Clio.

 

Farrow, a UNICEF goodwill ambassador who has traveled to Sudan more than a dozen times, presented images from her trips and told stories about the people she has met, including villagers displaced from their homes in the Darfur region.

 

While Darfur may have receded from the headlines, Farrow said that aerial attacks and ground assaults on its people continue, under the direction of the Sudanese government in Khartoum.

 

“In fact, with attention now focused on [South Sudan], the violence in Darfur has escalated to a point that we have not seen since 2003 or 2004,” Farrow said. “Just since December, at least 14 villages have been attacked; 70,000 to 100,000 people have been displaced and have fled, joining the 2.7 million already homeless. … These are the victims of our indifference.”

In December, we introduced the “Where are we?” contest, which tests your knowledge of campus architecture. Through July, The Weekly Blog will post a new contest on the publication date of each printed edition of PAW.

 

Today’s image is clipped from a skyward view of a familiar building. Where are we? Post your answer on PAW’s Facebook page or e-mail it to PAW. The first correct response will earn a Princeton prize. (Past winners are not eligible for the prize.)

 

Update: Tim Platt ’80 was the first to correctly identify the University Chapel, photographed from the side of the building that faces Dickinson Hall and Washington Road. The Rothschild Arch is in the foreground.

 

To see a wider view, check below.

As a young musician, Nathan Hubbard ’97 joined his bandmates on stage at South by Southwest, the Austin-based celebration of up-and-coming performers. Last week, Hubbard returned to the festival for a decidedly different gig in his latest role as CEO of Ticketmaster.

 

Hubbard was one of five panelists who addressed the issue of ticket pricing, and judging the from panel’s title – “Indie Davids Take On Goliath Ticketmaster-Live Nation” – he had his work cut out for him. A politics major at Princeton who earned his MBA from Stanford, Hubbard became the CEO of ticketing for the concert-promotion giant Live Nation in June 2008. In January 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice approved Live Nation’s merger with Ticketmaster, putting Hubbard at the center of one of the most scrutinized deals in the entertainment business.

 

According to the Chicago Tribune, the South by Southwest panel was generally “low-key and free of invective.” Panelist John Read, a lawyer for the Justice Department, said that while the government continues to investigate complaints, the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger has not created the significant price hikes that critics predicted. “It’s still early,” he said, “but so far things are OK.”

 

Hubbard, in an interview with Wired last week, promised more sophisticated pricing in the future, noting that while fans of sports teams can choose from 10 or more price points, music venues usually offer just three choices. He also said Ticketmaster is exploring “dynamic pricing” that uses supply and demand to set prices. The overall goals, he said, are to “engage more fans through better pricing” and “get more butts in the seats.”

 

On Tuesday, Princeton women’s basketball head coach Courtney Banghart gave a candid assessment of her team’s approach to its NCAA Tournament opener against Georgetown in College Park, Md. “Last year was our dance,” she said, “and this year is a work trip.”

 

Ivy League opponents may have already sensed that the Tigers mean business: After dropping a Feb. 4 game at Harvard, defending-champion Princeton dominated the league, winning each of its 10 remaining games, including eight victories by 20 points or more. Even more impressive may be the team’s record – 16-1 – since losing top scorer Niveen Rasheed ’13 to a season-ending knee injury in late December.

 

In Rasheed’s absence, senior Addie Micir added to her already impressive contributions, leading the Tigers with 92 assists while only turning the ball over 39 times. She also topped the team in scoring (12.1 points per game) and hit a nearly unthinkable 46.8 percent of her 3-point attempts (fourth-best in Division I). Micir was named the Ivy Player of the Year, becoming the first Princeton woman to earn that honor.

 

(Photos: Office of Athletic Communications)

 

Two other Tigers – center Devona Allgood ’12 and guard Lauren Edwards ’12 – joined Micir on the All-Ivy first team. Allgood averaged 12 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while Edwards added 11.7 points per game and made 44.6 percent of her 3-pointers. Princeton’s other starters are Lauren Polansky ’13, a pass-first point guard who averages 2.9 assists per game and was named Ivy Defensive Player of the Year; and Kate Miller ’13, whose minutes increased after Rasheed’s injury. Miller averaged 5.1 points per game in Ivy play.

 

In close games this season, the Princeton men’s basketball team usually came out on top. The Tigers won five Ivy League games by five points or less, had a perfect 4-0 record in overtime, and earned their NCAA Tournament berth with a buzzer-beating win over Harvard March 12.

 

After clawing its way back against Kentucky March 17, Princeton entered the last minute in an enviable position: down by two points, with the ball. Dan Mavraides ’11 made a hard dribble into the defense, stopped, jumped, and hit a jump shot to tie the game, 57-57.

 

This time, though, the last-second magic would go against Princeton. Kentucky ran the clock down to 0:05. Freshman star Brandon Knight, who had been held scoreless in the game, made his move, driving down the right side of the lane to slip a running bank-shot just beyond the reach of defender Kareem Maddox ’11. The shot fell with 0:02 left, giving the Wildcats a 59-57 lead. Princeton’s final chance, a running heave by Maddox, never reached the basket.

 

Princeton finished the season with a 25-7 record, an Ivy League championship, and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004. Read more about the Tigers in the April 6 issue of Princeton Alumni Weekly.

 

 

Pushed by Princeton, Kentucky wins in final seconds [New York Times]

 

Princeton made believers of us all in the NCAA Tournament [Star-Ledger]

 

Princeton coach overcome with emotion after loss to Kentucky [USA Today]

 

College hoops fans bring color to the Forum [TampaBayOnline]

 

Knight's drive propels Kentucky past Princeton [Associated Press]

 

Nearly a Cinderella story [Wall Street Journal]

 

Princeton can't match 13th-seed magic in NCAA basketball loss to Kentucky [Bloomberg]

 

Princeton fans will have a chance to see the men’s basketball team in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004 when the Ivy League-champion Tigers take on Kentucky this afternoon in Tampa, Fla. Once you get past the obstacle of watching a basketball game in the middle of a workday, there are a handful of options for following the action on TV, online, or by radio.

 

Video: CBS will broadcast the game live, at approximately 2:45 p.m. Eastern (the game time may vary, depending on when the 12:15 p.m. game between West Virginia and Clemson concludes). All NCAA Tournament games also are available online through March Madness on Demand.

 

Audio: WPRB 103.3 FM and GoPrincetonTigers.com will provide radio and internet radio coverage.

 

Live blog: The Daily Princetonian offers score updates and in-game commentary through the CoverItLive platform.

From December through March, the take on this year’s Princeton team has been fairly consistent: These are not your father’s Tigers. They’re not a walk-it-up, slow-it-down team. They will run, when given the opportunity, and they can hold their own as rebounders, even against major-conference teams.

 

Princeton (25-6, 12-2 Ivy) has averaged 69.4 points per game – nine more than last year and 19 more than the Tigers of 2006-07, the season before head coach Sydney Johnson ’97 arrived. (Longtime Princeton fans will note that the Tigers hadn’t always averaged 50 points per game. Relatively high-scoring teams roamed the courts of Dillon and Jadwin gyms from the Bill Bradley ’65 years through the mid-1970s, and even the 1995-96 team that famously topped UCLA 43-41 averaged 60.9 points per game before the NCAA Tournament.)

 

Paradoxically, Johnson credits defense with driving his team’s faster pace. “We’ve made major, major strides defensively,” he said. “We can pressure people, we can turn people over, or we can just grind it out in the half-court defensively, and so that allows us to get out and go a little bit more.”

 

(Photos: Office of Athletic Communications)

 

On offense, Princeton’s big four – Kareem Maddox ’11, Ian Hummer ’13, Dan Mavraides ’11, and Douglas Davis ’12 – account for 75 percent of the scoring. Maddox and Hummer, the team’s top interior players, each average 13.9 points per game and were among the Ivy League leaders in field-goal percentage (56.5 and 55.7 percent, respectively). Mavraides is a dual threat to shoot 3-pointers or drive to the basket. Davis, the team’s best 3-point shooter, also has a deadly mid-range game, as Harvard learned in the final second of the Ivy playoff game.