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Bob Scrabis (born c. 1967) is a former college basketball player for Princeton Tigers men's basketball. He is known for his participation in the 1989 Georgetown vs. Princeton men's basketball game, and was the 1989 Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year. He is the son of professional gridiron football player Bob Scrabis.

Early life

Scrabis is the son of Bob and Janis, and has two sisters, Amy and Kristin. His father played football at Penn State before playing in the American Football League for the New York Titans. Raised in Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey, Scrabis attended Red Bank Catholic High School where he played point guard and graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer. In high school, he was included in the Sports Illustrated "Faces in the Crowd" section of the March 12, 1984, edition of the magazine for a 23–24 free throw shooting performance in a victory over Long Branch High School. As a senior, he averaged 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

College career

Scrabis had several memorable performances in the Penn–Princeton men's basketball rivalry. As a sophomore, he hit a jumper with three seconds left to force overtime against Penn on February 3, 1987, but Princeton lost by a point. In the rematch held three weeks later, he established a career high with 24 points to lead Princeton to a 63–59 victory. In the March 1988 Penn–Princeton game, Scrabis connected on 2 free throws with 11 seconds remaining for the 67–65 victory over Penn.

On December 30, 1988, Scrabis helped defeat 16th-ranked South Carolina with a 26-point performance. In the final game of the regular season of his senior year on March 4, 1989, Scrabis scored 19 second half points to lead Princeton to a 74–63 Ivy League-clinching and NCAA Tournament bid-clinching victory over Harvard.

The March 17, 1989 Georgetown vs. Princeton men's basketball game was a first-round game in the 1989 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament that pitted the number 1 seed Georgetown Hoyas against the number 16 seed Princeton Tigers. Scrabis took the first of two shots in the closing seconds of the game that were blocked by Alonzo Mourning to preserve a 50–49 margin of victory for Georgetown. He rebounded a missed free throw with 23 seconds remaining. Then, his three point shot was blocked with 8 seconds left. With 15 points, he was Princeton's high scorer in the game. Because of his role in preserving NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament invitations for lesser automatic bids, Bleacher Report described Scrabis as "the face of Cinderella".

Scrabis was an All-Ivy first team selection in 1988 and 1989 and earned Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1989. He ended his career as Princeton's 4th leading scorer (behind Bill Bradley, Pete Campbell and Craig Robinson). He played forward for Princeton. As a senior he served as captain of the 1988–89 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team.

Professional career

In October 1989, following his basketball career he was invited to the training camp at Princeton's Jadwin Gym for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association by Willis Reed, but he was released after 9 days. He retired from basketball and eventually went into finance.

Notes

1. ^ "Faces in the Crowd". Sports Illustrated. March 12, 1984. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
2. Michael Amsel (18 December 1988). "Perfect marriage: Scrabis, Princeton". Asbury Park Press. pp. I1, I4. Retrieved 29 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Where Are They Now: Bob Scrabis". New York Jets. December 16, 2021. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
4. "Scrabis: Ivy rookie of week". The Daily Register. 18 February 1986. p. C1. Retrieved 29 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Alumni News". Red Bank Catholic High School. April 10, 2017. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
6. Edelson, Stephen (January 31, 2021). "Jersey Shore's top 100 players all-time" (subscription required). Asbury Park Press. ProQuest 2484094403. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
7. "Perry Bromwell scored 5 of his 19 points in..." (subscription required). UPI. February 3, 1987. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
8. Reid, Ron (February 25, 1987). "PRINCETON FRUSTRATES PENN, 63-59" (subscription required). The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
9. "College Basketball; Syracuse Sets Back Villanova by 71-69". The New York Times. AP. March 2, 1988. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
10. "NO. 16 SOUTH CAROLINA LOSES AGAIN" (subscription required). Akron Beacon Journal. Associated Press. December 31, 1988. p. C3. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
11. "COLLEGE BASKETBALL; A Costly Defeat for St. John's". The New York Times. AP. March 4, 1989. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
12. Gregory, Sean and Alexander Wolff (March 13, 2014). "The Game That Saved March Madness". Sports Illustrated in collaboration with Time. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
13. Missanelli, M. G. (March 18, 1989). "PRINCETON TAKES HOYAS TO WIRE GEORGETOWN ESCAPES WITH 50-49 VICTORY" (subscription required). The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
14. "TIGERS HOPED 'WE HAD THEM'" (subscription required). The Washington Post. March 18, 1989. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
15. "Princeton vs. Georgetown Box Score, March 17, 1989". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-05-02. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
16. Couch, Greg (March 16, 2016). "The Incredible Upset That Has Never Happened". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
17. "1988-89 Princeton Tigers Roster and Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
18. Princeton Athletic Communications (June 12, 2009). "Men's Basketball Record Book • All-Time Results". GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton University. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
19. Carl Barbati (7 October 1989). "For Scrabis, Europe can wait awhile". The Courier-News. pp. D4. Retrieved 29 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Bob Scrabis, New Jersey Net?". Princetonbasketball.com. September 8, 2010. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
21. Lopresti, Mike (March 15, 2005). "Five teams give No. 16 seeds hope in NCAA Tournament" (subscription required). USA Today. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023. "I remember stepping onto the floor and after a few minutes, thinking, we could hang with these guys," said team captain Bob Scrabis, now a financial adviser in New Jersey.
22. Joe Zedalis (10 October 1989). "Scrabis decides pro ball not what he had in mind". Asbury Park Press. p. D7. Retrieved 29 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Stats at Sports Reference

• 1960s births
• Living people
• American men's basketball players
• Guards (basketball)
• People from Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey
• Princeton Tigers men's basketball players
• Red Bank Catholic High School alumni
• Basketball players from Monmouth County, New Jersey
• 20th-century American sportsmen