Q&A with Yale men’s sophomore guard Bez Mbeng

Yale sophomore guard Bez Mbeng says adjusting to game speed at the collegiate level hasn’t been an issue for him. (Photo by Erica Denhoff)

Yale sophomore guard Bez Mbeng leads his team in assists at 4.1 per game and in steals with a total of 36. The 6-foot-4 Potomac, Md. native who coach James Jones told Ivy Hoops Online is the best on-ball defender he’s ever coached. IHO caught up with Mbeng for an interview in advance of Yale’s game against Cornell Saturday night:

Ivy Hoops Online: Other than the obvious academic advantages, why did you choose Yale?

Bez Mbeng: Coach Jones. I only needed a few Zoom calls. He is a coach we [Mbeng and his parents] could trust. He could make me the best player I could be.

IHO: How would you compare this year’s Yale team with last year’s? [Editor’s note: Yale is coming off a 19-12 season in which it won the Ivy League Tournament, falling to Purdue as a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament.) 

BM: We have more weapons this year. .Last year, we had Azar [Swain]. Everyone on this team can go off for 15 a game at any time.

IHO: How would you compare this year’s Ivy League with the one last season?

BM: I would say we see new faces stepping into new roles. The talent pool is deeper.

IHO: What do you think of the Ivy schedule format?

BM: I like it. Every game matters. [The] level of play every night is intense.

IHO: What is it like on the weeks when you only play one weekend game?

BM: Practice is a little different. You get to focus on one team. But I like the home back-to-backs.

IHO: What was the biggest difference between playing in high school and then in college?

BM: Not the speed, because I play fast. Knowing all the personnel from one to 10 on the other teams.