MAKING STRIDES: Princeton High boys’ basketball player Gefen Bar-Cohen heads to the basket in a game last winter. Senior forward and Kenyon College-bound Bar-Cohen is primed for a big final campaign for the Tigers. PHS tips off its 2019-20 season by hosting Hightstown on December 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After showing marked progress last winter, going 12-14 in the wake of a 4-21 campaign in 2017-18, the Princeton High boys’ basketball team is determined to keep trending upwards.

“We have a great bunch of guys,” said PHS head coach Pat Noone, whose team starts its 2019-20 by hosting Hightstown on December 20.  “They have been playing all summer, they did a great job. They are pretty hungry.”

Noone is expecting junior point guard Timmy Evidente to do a very good job this winter.

“Timmy looks great; I thought he had a pretty good year as a sophomore, he has gotten even better,” said Noone.

“Having a season under his belt is huge for him too. It is difficult, it is a grind. So now that he knows that, he will be better prepared. We are expecting pretty good things from him.”

PHS features a quintet of seniors Riley McMahon, Jack Suozzi, Brian Frost, Ben Moyer, and Matt Rinaldi who give the squad good depth in the backcourt.

“Riley and Jack have been pretty good so far for us; they will be shooting guards and they both can run the offense for Timmy and give him a little breather,” said Noone. “Brian, Ben, and Matt have stepped up through the years.”

Senior forward and Kenyon College-bound Gefen Bar-Cohen is primed to step up in his final campaign for PHS.

“Gefen looks really good right now, he did a lot of work over the summer,” said Noone.

“It is good that he knows where he is going to play next year so that is off the table and there is not a lot of stress. It is pretty cool from that aspect.”

In the frontcourt, junior Ethan Guy, senior Judd Petrone, and junior Charles Hamit should give Noone some good minutes this winter.

“Ethan had a pretty good year last year as a sophomore and we are looking for him to have a very good year,” said Noone.

“We have Judd back. One of the lacrosse guys, Charles, has been a pretty shocking surprise for us. It has been fun watching him develop.”

In Noone’s view, PHS could develop into a formidable team this season.

“I think the big thing for us is to make shots, we were getting a lot of open looks in our two scrimmages that haven’t fallen as well,” said Noone.

“If our shots fall, we will be really good. We will definitely be running a lot, especially with Timmy getting into the open court. Ethan is a great slasher and Gefen is a great finisher so we could up the tempo on offense. That should be in our favor.”