to Lead Basketball Coaches Association

Boasting Vast Experience at All Levels of Basketball, PU Alum Robinson Taking Helm of Coaches Group

Having seen many sides of basketball over the last 40 years, Craig college basketball and the NBA are the same. There are going to be some things we those I hope to bring to bear on representing our membership the way they would like Robinson is getting a new need to cooperate on. Hopeto be represented and taking view of the game as he was fully my relationships with advantage of this unique time named the executive director folks in the NBA and G League for basketball.” of the National Association of will help that.” With college basketball Basketball Coaches (NABC) Several NABC members are facing an uncertain future in last month. also former Princeton players the midst of the coronavirus

Robinson was a two-time like Robinson and they have pandemic, and already at the Ivy League Player of the Year been quick to offer their supheart of addressing hot topfor the Princeton University port for him in his new post. ics of transfer eligibility and men’s hoops program in the early ’80s, an assistant college hoops coach at Northwestern from 2000-2006, and a head “My relationship with the Princeton family, the guys out there coaching, I’ve heard from just about every single name, image and likeness legislation, Robinson is taking over the NABC at a critical time. coach at Brown and Oregon one of them and it’s all been “This is a time for me to State from 2006-14. Since positive,” said Robinson, a come in and take a look at leaving coaching, he has been 1983 Princeton alum, who what has taken place in the a college basketball analyst for scored 1,441 points in his colindustry and to really do some ESPN, a front office executive lege career, the seventh-most listening to our coaches, our with the Milwaukee Bucks and in program history. membership, listening to our then the New York Knicks, as well as general manager of the Knick’s G League Westchester Knicks. “It’s good to know there’s a group of folks who will be supportive in the beginning as I get to know the coaches that stakeholders,” said Robinson. “There are a couple things that are easy to point out – it’s critically important that

“It’s really the first time I’ve I don’t have relationships with. we have a good working relabeen able to bring all of my The one thing about being in tionship with the folks at the experiences to bear on one the fraternity of Princeton and NCAA. That’ll be at the top of particular job,” said Robinson, Princeton coaches and playthe list. We want to make sure 58, who worked as a bond ers is that it’s one of the few one of the big benefits of betrader, investment banker, organizations where we all ing a part of our organization and executive in the corporate know each other or know of is coaching development, and world after graduating from each other and we wouldn’t we’re committed to pushing Princeton before making the have played together. It’s a fun for more developmental opmove into college coaching. brotherhood to be a part of.” portunities for the next gen“I think the NABC is guided by the core values of leadership, advocacy, education, and service, all of which have been pillars in my family.” Robinson is also the father of a college player, Leslie Robinson, who followed in his footsteps to Princeton, where she starred for the women’s basketball team, graduating in 2018 and getting selected in the WNBA draft. “It was tremendously uplifting for me and our family for Leslie to play at Princeton,” said Robinson, whose younger sister is Michelle Obama, a fellow Princeton alum. “It made us, and made me In his newest role, Robinson will be leaning on every aspect of his personal and professional experience and seeing basketball from every vantage point is a huge plus for him. “Being a parent is another tool to add to my tool kit,” said Robinson. “A lot of my experiences fortunately have made me uniquely qualified for a po sition like this. Parenting is just one of them. Coaching is another. Having been an executive in the front office of an NBA team is one. Having had some experience in corporate America is another. All of eration of coaches. There is a lot of work to be done, but I want to do a lot of listening to our membership to get a feel for them where they want this organization to go because ultimately they’re the ones that this organization is made for.” In addition to those issues, there is a new focus nationwide on social justice that impacts every sport. The NABC’s naming of Robinson puts an African American in an important role for men’s college basketball. “I think it’s important, but it’s a time where just about everybody is focused on societal issues, so anyone who particularly, proud because I tell people all the time I’m from the south side of Chicago, neither one of my parents went to college, and I had no idea what legacy meant when I was a student at Princeton. I would hear that term and I didn’t really understand what it meant. And lo and behold, my daughter ends up having a legacy of her own. As a parent of a Princeton athlete, you’d be really proud, but a parent of a child who ends up tak ing almost your exact same path, it’s really humbling. It’s much harder being a parent of a Princeton basketball player than it is being a Princeton basketball player.”

The NABC represents more than 5,000 basketball coaches, mostly from college and ranging down to high school. Founded in 1927, the NABC seeks to support and develop coaches and promote their importance as well as improve the game of basketball for student-athletes.

“We’re trying to help coaches develop on and off the court,” said Robinson.

“We’re trying to help them have a voice on issues that impact the profession. I think my experiences in corporate America and as a coach, as a professional front office person in the NBA and G League, all of that is going to be important in this role, especially the NBA relationship. Many of the issues that impact

EXECUTIVE DECISION: Craig Robinson speaking at the “Thrive: Empowering and Celebrating Princeton’s Black Alumni” conference last fall on campus. Robinson, a former Princeton men’s hoops standout, college coach, and NBA executive, was recently named as the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

(Photo by Denise J. Applewhite, provided courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

would have taken this position would be someone who would be sympathetic to what’s going on out there,” said Robinson.

“Being an African American in a leadership position like this is an important statement for the NABC, it’s an important statement for the coaches, especially when we’re trying to help more coaches of color get positions. I can be a spokesperson for them, but I can also be a spokesperson for any young coach trying to get to move up in the profession. I feel really honored to have been selected and I’m excited to get started.”

Robinson wasted no time in getting to work. In the first week after he was named to the position, the NABC made two major announcements. The NABC proposed that the NCAA no longer require SAT and ACT requirements in its initial-eligibility standards. A week later, they announced their support for college men’s

basketball coaches’ partnership with the McLendon Foundation’s John McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative.

“It’s a whirlwind; I can’t take any credit, those were initiatives that were in place as I was coming aboard. I think the NABC has done a great job with them, especially with the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative,” said Robinson.

“I think John Calipari and Tommy Amaker have done a wonderful job in trying to put in place an apparatus for more people of color to have jobs in the sports administration side of our business, irrespective of any kind of playing career. That’s been terrific. That was easy to get behind. The elimination of standardized tests has been in my wheelhouse for as long as I can remember. There have been plenty of studies done on how biased those are. Those are two initiatives that were easy to get behind. They didn’t wait to throw me into the fire.”

Taking over for Jim Haney, who served as Executive Di rector of the NABC for the last 29 years, Robinson isn’t being asked to head an unfamiliar program like he did at Brown in his first head coaching job, or to rebuild a struggling basketball program as he did at Oregon State.

“Unlike those coaching positions, this is one where Jim and I knew each other beforehand,” said Robinson.

“And he’s still around sort of helping, which you don’t see when you take over as a new coach. You don’t have the former coach help the new coach. He’s been really gracious with his time and support and there are some big shoes to fill. But these are some really interesting times for basketball, college basketball in particular, and I look forward to accepting those challenges.”

—Justin Feil

PU Lax Alum Schreiber Named PLL’s Top Midfielder

For the second time in the Premier Lacrosse League’s (PLL) two-year history, former Princeton University men’s lax standout Tom Schreiber has won the Gait Brothers Award as the league’s top midfielder.

Playing for the Archers, Schreiber led all PLL midfielders during the two-week abbreviated championship series this summer with 16 points on 12 goals and four assists. His 12 goals were four better than any other middie. He also led all PLL midfielders with a 41 percent shooting percentage.

Schreiber was the league’s top middie last year as well, tallying 37 points to lead all midfielders and leading the league overall with 20 assists.

A 2014 Princeton graduate, Schreiber was a threetime first-team All-American, a three-time national midfielder of the year, and a four-time first-team AllIvy League during his college career. He also won the Lowe’s Senior Class Award for his work in the classroom and the community, in addition to on the field.

S c h r e i b e r, a 6 ’ 0 , 190-pound native of East Meadow, N.Y., has enjoyed a superb professional and international career since graduation. In 2018 World Lacrosse Championship, he scored the game-winning goal with one second left in the final to help the U.S. edge Canada 9-8 and win the title. Schreiber also earned a championship in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) with the Ohio Machine in 2017 before joining the PLL. He has been the MLL Most Valuable Player and the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Rock despite having very limited box lacrosse experience.

Princeton Baseball Star Boone Signs with Wash. Nationals

Princeton University rising senior Jake Boone became the second Tiger baseball player to ink a professional contract this year as he signed a deal with the Washington Nationals.

Boone adds to the list of Princeton Tigers who have either been drafted or signed by a Major League team over the past several years. Last month, James Proctor was picked up by the Cincinnati Reds. Ryan Smith was selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last year while Ben Gross was picked by the Houston Astros the year prior.

Boone appeared in 72 games with Princeton, recording a .250 batting average. He finished two seasons and seven contests in 2020 with 71 hits, 31 runs and 24 RBI. Infielder Boone also posted a .927 fielding percentage.

The 6’0, 185-pound native of San Diego, Calif., was selected in the 38th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the Washington Nationals, but opted to come to Princeton instead.

Boone is a fourth-generation professional player as his father, Brett (1992-05), grandfather, Bob (1972-90), and great grandfather, Ray (1948-60), all played professional baseball as did his uncles Aaron (1997-09) and Matt (1997-03). His family has combined for two World Series titles, 11 Gold Glove awards, and 10 All-Star appearances. His uncle, Aaron, is also the manager of the New York Yankees.

Princeton has two players in MLB currently in Mike Ford and David Hale, both with the New York Yankees. Matt Bowman is on the taxi roster for the Cincinnati Reds.

So far in 2020, first baseman/designated hitter Ford is batting .194 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 11 games, while relief pitcher Hale is 0-0 and has one save in five games with seven strikeouts in six innings and a 3.00 ERA.

Princeton Student-Athletes Help Start Polling Place Project

A group of Princeton student-athletes, led by men’s basketball rising senior Ryan Schwieger and women’s soccer rising sophomore Ella Gantman, will be working to help keep polling places staffed in the 2020 election this November through their involvement with the Poll Hero Project.

“The Poll Hero Project is an all-volunteer organization with the sole purpose of recruiting more young people to work the polls on election day,” said Schwieger, a cofounder of the organization, in a release on the Princeton sports website.

“The majority of poll workers are older Americans, who are at a greater risk of COVID-19 complications. We are solving this problem by recruiting young people to become poll workers, ensuring polling stations are open and everybody can exercise their right to vote.”

Schwieger and those involved were inspired by Princeton staff member Laura Wooten, a Wu dining hall employee who passed away this past year. Wooten was the longest working poll worker in American history. The Princeton student-athletes have joined with fellow Princeton students Kennedy Mattes ‘23, Eric Periman ‘22, James Lee ‘23, and Kai Tsurumaki ‘23 to help honor Wooten’s legacy.

“The Poll Hero Project was founded by a group of students from Princeton, Denver East High School, and one University of Chicago Business School grad,” said Schwieger.

“Ironically, we started our work earlier this summer by promoting federal funding for Vote-By-Mail. As the window for that ran out, we pivoted to making voting in person more accessible by recruiting poll workers.”

Soccer goalie Gantman stressed the importance of this initiative. “I think the Poll Hero Project is critically important because it provides young people with a tangible way to protect and serve our democracy,” said Gantman.

“Polling stations around the nation are shutting down due to a deficit of poll workers which can lead to voter suppression. As a young person, this project is offering a sense of ownership and accountability in our democracy. It is time for young people to step up and I urge all to do so. Poll heroes make elections possible.”

Those interested in getting involved with the Poll Hero Project can do so by logging onto www.pollhero. org.

“Even if you are unsure whether you can actually work the polls on November 3, you could still help out by spreading the word and sharing this opportunity with your friends,” noted Schwieger.

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TRAINING DAYS: Stephen Carlson heads upfield against Penn in 2018 during his senior season with the Princeton University football team. Tight end Carlson, who is currently in training camp with the Cleveland Browns, is one of five former Tigers on NFL rosters this summer. Quarterback Kevin Davidson ’20 is also with the Browns while tight end Jesper Horsted ’19 is playing with the Chicago Bears, John Lovett ’19 is trying to make the Green Bay Packers as fullback, and defensive lineman Caraun Reid ’14 recently signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In addition to those five, veteran tight end Seth DeValve, who has a total of 60 receptions and four touchdowns in his pro career, is currently rehabbing from injury and will look to return to the NFL when healthy. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

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