When a team loses arguably two of the top 10 players in its basketball history in John Poulakidas and Bez Mbeng, it is tough to believe that it would be the overwhelming favorite to win the Ivy League.
But don’t tell that to James Jones. You see, Yale merely reloads each season.
With a core of projected Ivy Player of the Year senior forward and captain Nick Townsend, junior center Samson Aletan and senior guard Casey Simmons, it is easy to see why.
Some might call it an embarassment of riches. Jones calls it Yale.
The Ivy media sphere agrees, as Yale received all 21 first-place votes and was unanimously selected to finish first in the Ivy League in the preseason media poll after a stellar 13-1 and first-place finish last year.
In addition to the big three, Yale also returns sophomore sensation forward Isaac Celiscar, sophomore guard Riley Fox and junior guard Trevor Mullin. The Elis brought in five first-years, led by Daniel Ogunyemi and guard Courtney Wallace.
Townsend calls this team “exciting” with “lots of pieces.” He is just “trying to lead.”
Who takes the shot if Yale is down three with five seconds to play? Sharpshooter Fox would appear to be the answer.
How is this team different from last year? It would appear that no player cares about how many shots he needs to put up.
Who looks like the breakout player? Early practices would seem to favor Simmons, who had a great junior season and it playing on a higher level now in practice.
Does first-year center Jack Sullivan have a game similar former Yale and current Brooklyn Nets player Danny Wolf?
He has both low post moves and the ability to shoot the three like Wolf did as a first-year.
Does the offense look different from last season? The ball moves more fluidly in offensive sets.
Can Yale continue to thrive without NIL or revenue share? The Bulldogs already have commitments from five high school seniors, including two 6-foot-10 bigs.
Let the games begin. The Bulldogs are ready.
Thanks for an excellent preview