There is no denying that Yale men’s basketball has tremendous talent. From the one through eight slots, Yale may have the best talent in the Ivy League.
But there is also no denying that another adjective applies to the Bulldogs. Coach James Jones used that word very pointedly in his postgame comments after a 75-71 loss to Fairfield at John J. Lee Amphitheater Wednesday night.
“We are disconnected,” Jones said.
Jones added that the lack of connection offensively or defensively was resulting in the team “not playing Yale basketball.”
That was evident in Yale’s loss to a Stags squad it was favored to beat by 17 points instead of allowing a 19-3 second-half run in defeat.
Yale (5-5) had suffered a shocking meltdown at Vermont on Saturday, squandering a five-point lead with 3.8 seconds left. Jones said that one could certainly look at the Fairfield (3-6) loss as “a hangover.”
Yale held a 33-29 lead at the half and shot 55%. But one stat stood out. Yale was only 1-for-7 in treys. The Bulldogs have struggled from three-point range all season, and last night was no different.
The home team extended its lead to 55-45 in the second half and then to 61-51 before Fairfield went on its game-changing run, fueled by guards Jasper Floyd (25 points) and Caleb Fields (16 points). Fields hit a back-breaking trey with 1:06 remaining to put Fairfield up for good at 68-64. Two free throws by Floyd put the game out of reach at 72-66.
Fairfield’s pressure defense forced Yale into 14 turnovers.
Matt Knowling led Yale with 14 points and Bez Mbeng and John Poulakidas chipped in with 13 each. Nick Townsend gathered a game-high 10 rebounds in only 22 minutes.
This is a Yale team searching for an identity.
“We are going back to the drawing board to connect the dots,” Jones said.
One can argue that Yale has lost its five games to teams with more athletic guards and that EJ Jarvis is missed at the five slot. But those are conclusions and not answers. Yale should get healthy on Friday night at home against Division III Colby-Sawyer. But a larger challenge looms Monday night on the road against 6-2 Quinnipiac.