Carnegie Mellon vs Princeton prediction: Princeton brings everyone back and opens against Division III Carnegie Mellon
A fully returning Tigers roster uses a Monday home opener against a D3 visitor to show whether last season's 9-20 group has grown up.
- Princeton should control a slow, three-heavy game at Jadwin, using the extra year of shared experience against a Division III opponent.
- Princeton's interior defence: opponents shot 55.2% on twos last season, 328th in Division I, so CMU's best route is the paint.
- No spread or total is posted yet; Princeton's pace, 339th of 365 last season, points toward a low-possession game whenever a number appears.
The same team, a year older
Princeton went 9-20 last season, and this year Mitch Henderson, entering his 15th season, gets every one of those players back. At Ivy media day on Oct. 13 he called having the whole group back an advantage. The league seems half-convinced: the preseason poll has the Tigers fourth, with one first-place vote, behind favourite Penn.
That makes the Monday, Nov. 2 opener at Jadwin Gymnasium less a test than a first look. Carnegie Mellon is a Division III program from the UAA that finished 11-14 last season. Senior captain Jackson Hicke was named to represent the team at media day.
Slow and from deep
Last season's Princeton played at one of the slowest paces in the country, 339th of 365 in possessions per 40 minutes. It also leaned on the three: 44.6% of its field-goal attempts came from deep, 78th nationally. With a roster that hasn't changed, expect the same deliberate, perimeter-first shape against CMU, which caps how many possessions either side gets.
Where Princeton can be hurt
The weak spot last season was inside. Opponents made 55.2% of their twos, 328th in Division I, and the Tigers blocked shots at a rate that ranked 333rd. The perimeter held up better, with opponents shooting 31.2% from three (41st). Princeton also finished possessions well last season, ranking 68th in defensive rebound rate, the share of opponents' misses it grabbed. A Division III side has its best chance by driving and posting up rather than trading threes.
Availability is murky
Nothing reliable and current exists on Princeton injuries. One undated listing has Jack Stanton out for the season with a foot injury, which Princeton hasn't confirmed. The latest dated entry, from Jan. 10, 2026, listed Dalen Davis out with a knee injury, with no update since. Nothing has surfaced on Carnegie Mellon's availability.
Numbers that matter
| Princeton record last season | 9-20 | The entire squad from that season returns for 2026-27. |
|---|---|---|
| Princeton pace rank last season | 339th | One of the slowest teams in Division I, which keeps possession counts low. |
| Opponent 2-point % last season | 55.2% | Ranked 328th, the clearest weakness in Princeton's defence. |
| Princeton 3-point attempt rate last season | 44.6% | A perimeter-heavy attack that ranked 78th in share of shots from deep. |
| Ivy preseason poll | fourth | Princeton drew one first-place vote; Penn was picked to win the league. |
Carnegie Mellon vs Princeton: quick answers
When is Carnegie Mellon vs Princeton?
Monday, November 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET.