It’s a Night of 100 Stars at Princeton

With former presidential candidate Bill Bradley and former coach Pete Carril on hand, Princeton celebrated 100 years of basketball history Saturday night at Princeton, N.J.

Former coaches Butch van Breda Kolff and former NBA players John Hummer and Geoff Petrie joined former New York Knick forward Bradley and Carril in a look back at one of the most unique programs in the nation.

The celebration took place before Princeton’s 68-52 victory over Dartmouth on Saturday night at Jadwin Gym.

“When you look around and see a lot of the gifted people who have come through here, it’s nice to know you’re a little part of that heritage,” said Petrie, vice president of player personnel for the Sacramento Kings. “There’s just a lot of great memories. It’s a big part of your life as you go forward.”

Although Princeton does not give scholarships while retaining high admission standards, the university has maintained its status as a national program since the early 1960s.

Princeton has won 33 Ivy League championships, made 21 NCAA appearances and four NIT appearances.

The Tigers went to the Final Four in 1965 and won the NIT in 1975. The program has produced 11 All-America selections and 13 NBA draft picks.

“It’s certainly one of the most unique programs,” said Carril, a Basketball Hall of Famer with Bradley. “You have to give all that credit to coach van Breda Kolff. He sort of nationalized the program.”

During Van Breda Kolff’s era from 1962-67, the Tigers were 103-31 with four Ivy League titles and a Final Four appearance in 1965. Bradley was the star of those teams, scoring a school-record 2,503 points from 1962-65 and earning All-America honors three straight years.