SAM BAM: Princeton High boys’ basketball player Samuel Raymond races upcourt in a game this winter. Senior guard Raymond helped spark PHS as it went 9-16 this winter, improving from the 5-18 mark it posted in 2024-25. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Losing high-scoring guard Michael Bess Jr. to a transfer, things looked bleak for the Princeton High boys’ basketball team heading into the 2025-26 season.
But featuring scrappy play and a stingy defense, PHS made progress as it went 9-16 this winter, improving from the 5-18 mark it posted in 2024-25.
Tiger head coach Patrick Noone credited his players with stepping up in the absence of Bess.
“I think we had a lot more confidence, it was a lot of fun,” said Noone. “Almost getting double digit wins, that is a huge accomplishment after last year and losing someone as valuable as Bess. That is a huge thing for the team to be able to withstand and still put out a performance like that this year.”
The Tigers battled hard in the last week of the regular season, losing 49-48 to North Burlington, topping Bordentown 45-41, falling 54-51 to Allentown in the first round of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament, and then losing 48-43 to Matawan.
“We lost to North Burlington at the buzzer then we go and beat Bordentown and then the CVC game that was very good and then going down to Matawan and lose,” said Noone. “We just played really well, we just didn’t get enough points.”
Facing second-seeded Marlboro in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey, Group 4 Tournament, 15th-seeded PHS was plagued by its lack of offense as it fell 68-47.
“We played well, I thought we were really in that,” said Noone, noting that the Tigers trailed by seven points at halftime. “When there is a lid on the basket it gets in everybody’s head. It is frustrating. The effort was there, we turned them over a lot and we played really good defense. When the ball doesn’t go in, it weighs on you a little bit.”
PHS got a good effort this winter from its senior group of Zion Madden (247 points in 2025-26), Matt Ghaim (89 points), Noah Wadler (42 points), Jheki Gordon (81 points), and Sam Raymond (85 points).
“Zion was great, he was unbelievable,” said Noone. “He seemed to get better and better. He really took off at the end of the year. It was great to see Matt flourish this year, he had a really productive year. Sometimes it was scoring, sometimes it was defense, and sometimes it was rebounding. And then you had a lot of good role guys. Noah did a really good job. Jheki did really well, he was very impactful in a lot of games for us. Sam had a great year, he was very good defensively. He was really able to turn some people over. Overall, it was just a good senior class.”
Noone believes he has a good group of returners in junior Jaden Colvin (160 points), junior Michael Frenia (157 points), sophomore Ray McLaughlin (10 points), junior Liam Cooley (31 points), sophomore Jasper Clayton (11 points), and junior Stirling White (54 points).
“Jaden played well, Mike was huge for us, he was a walking double-double,” said Noone. “Ray really played well the last third of the season. He felt comfortable in his role. He had injuries the past few years. Liam and Clayton did well. Stirling had a little bit of an adjustment but I think next year, he will really flourish. He is playing on the AAU circuit. He has great height and a great skill level too.”
In Noone’s view, the program is primed to flourish going forward.
“I think we have a great future, the middle school just won the county tournament,” said Noone. “They have some good eighth graders who have been going to our camps that me and Mitch (Princeton University men’s basketball head coach Mitch Henderson) have been putting on. We have Jonathan Martinez, a freshman, who I think is going to have a really great career. He stepped up with us at the end of the season.”