Tim Tai, Photography Editor

Coming off one of their strongest years in program history, the Bulldogs are looking to replicate their success.

But head coach James Jones will first have to figure out how to fill the massive voids left by star backcourt duo Azar Swain ’22 and Jalen Gabbidon ’22. 

“We’re still the three-time defending champs,” forward EJ Jarvis ’23 said. “We might not be first in the preseason poll, but we still have the biggest target on our back. We’re the team to beat. And we know that. And we’re ready to defend our title from anyone that wants to take it away from us,” he said. 

Yale men’s basketball won the Ivy League championship in the 2021-2022 season and also earned their sixth NCAA tournament bid in program history.

Swain, a two-time first-team all-Ivy selection, averaged 19.2 points per game last season while leading the Bulldogs to March Madness with 48 points across the two Ivy League playoff games. He is the most prolific three-point shooter in Yale basketball history and his 1,529 career points are the sixth-most ever by a Yale player.

Gabbidon, Yale’s second leading scorer last year (11.3 ppg) and a former Ivy League defensive player of the year, will also be a very difficult player to replace.

With no returning players averaging more than eight ppg last season, it is unclear who will step up as the first option on offense for this year’s team. The Elis will likely rely on a host of players to pick up the slack. 

What Yale lacks in star power, however, they may make up through experience and depth. This year’s team will feature five seniors, all of whom played big roles last season. Guard Michael Feinberg ’23, who was named team captain ahead of this season, spoke on the new team dynamics during Ivy League media day. 

“It’s definitely a big loss, losing guys like [Swain] and [Gabiddon], no doubt, but I think guys embrace that opportunity and they buy into a more collective unit, absorbing more in their roles and filling that void,” Feinberg said. “I think we have an abundance of leadership on this team,” he added, mentioning fellow seniors Matthue Cotton ’23, Isaiah Kelly ’23, and EJ Jarvis ’23. 

Cotton — a guard out of New Jersey who was one of four players to appear in all 31 games last season and ranked fourth on the team in scoring — told the News that he will not be suiting up for the Bulldogs this year as he recovers from injury, but plans to stick around the team. 

Kelly, a 6-foot-7 forward who started 27 games last season, will bring his signature grit and toughness back to the starting lineup this season. A recipient of the team’s Bill Madden Toughness award, Kelly also finished second in the Ivy League with 26 blocked shots last season. During media day, Kelly described what the award meant to him. 

“Buying in pays off,” Kelly said. “I try to do everything the coaches tell me to do on and off the court. I try to be a leader and also set an example for the younger dudes to follow in my footsteps. Just buying in and toughness I think is a key thing that we focus on during games.”

Returning in the frontcourt with Kelly will be Jarvis, who was the team’s leading rebounder last season despite mainly coming off the bench. It remains to be seen whether or not the 6-foot-8 Jarvis will start at center this season, but doing so would give the Bulldogs more size in the frontcourt with both Jarvis and Kelly. 

“With this year’s team, we don’t really have a go-to guy like we did last year, which is why everyone on the court will need to step up, including myself,” Jarvis told the News. “We have some young guys on our team that worked hard all summer and we have great senior leadership this year that brings a lot of different experiences. As for myself, being that guy who can bring energy and effort on the court will ultimately help our team win.”

Rounding out the starting lineup will likely be forward Matt Knowling ’24 and point guard Bez Mbeng ’25. Knowling, who was the team’s third leading scorer last year, averaging 7.2 ppg, will be counted on to fill a larger role junior season, and could emerge as the Bulldogs leading scorer this season.

“I have been focused on becoming a more vocal leader and taking the experience that I have from last year and learning from it,” Knowling said. “Understanding where I was best last year and working to expand on that are key for my personal preparation coming into this season.”

Mbeng, a first-year standout who started 13 of 14 Ivy League games for the Blue and White last season, will operate as the primary ball handler, and should take a big leap in year two of his Yale career.

Coach Jones, going into his 23rd season with the team, emphasized the depth of this year’s team as well as the opportunity for his players to step up into new roles. 

“If I look at my team this year, I would tell you that I have 13 to 14 guys that I can put in the game and feel good about,” Jones said. “But I can’t play 14 guys in the game. There is always someone ready to step up. We had a lot of those guys last year that didn’t get a chance to play. They are chomping at the bit.”

The Bulldogs team will also feature three first years this season as part of their 2022-23 recruiting class. Guard Devon Arlington ’26, forward Nick Townsend ’26 and forward Danny Wolf ’26 will all look to make an impact this season. 

Wolf, who is listed at 7 feet and immediately slots in as the tallest player on the roster, says he is learning a lot from the team’s veteran players in practice.

“There is much to learn in every aspect of practice, as the college game is so different from high school,” Wolf explained to the News. “I am just trying to do my best to soak everything in and take after the older guys. We have an extremely close knit group of guys in the locker room. Speaking for the [first years], I would say that all of the older guys have taken us under their wings and are teaching us all there is to know about college basketball.”

Despite being the reigning conference champs, Yale was picked to finish third in the Ivy League preseason media poll.

The last time the Elis were picked third was in 2019-20 when they went on to win the Ivy championship. Yale has finished higher than projected in 11 of the last 16 seasons.

“Yeah I don’t have any idea who picks that,” Jones said during media day. “I’m not certain how much they know about our team or the other teams. Whatever we’re picked, we’re just going to go out and work hard.”

The University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University, both of whom Yale beat during Ivy Madness, were ranked first and second, respectively.

Penn figures to be a strong team this season due to the return of point guard Jordan Dingle, who led the league in scoring last season with 20.8 ppg. Princeton, who finished first in conference play last season but fell to Yale in the finals of the conference tournament, will also be stiff competition. The Tigers are led by last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year, forward Tosan Evbuomwan, an NBA-caliber talent who is looking to build off a stellar junior season.

Last year’s fourth and fifth-place finishers, Cornell University and Dartmouth College, each saw at least three starters graduate and might struggle to maintain their level of play. 

Harvard University faltered in Ivy play last year, finishing 5–9 in conference play after an 8–4 non-conference record. While leading scorer Noah Kirkwood graduated, Chris Ledlum — a 6’6” forward who averaged 16.7 ppg and 9.3 rpg last season — could lead a Crimson resurgence. Brown, who also finished 5-9 in conference play last season, returns a young core including guard Kino Lilly Jr., who averaged 13.3 ppg as a freshman last season. Columbia will look to be more competitive after winning just one Ivy game in each of the last two seasons.

Jarvis was adamant that Yale will be “the team to beat” this season. 

The Bulldogs are set to kick their season off on November 7th against Sarah Lawrence College.

The News’ projected standings

Regular season:

1. Princeton
2. Penn
3. Harvard
4. Yale
5. Cornell
6. Brown
7. Columbia
8. Dartmouth

Postseason:

Semifinal 1: Yale over Princeton

Semifinal 2. Penn over Harvard

Finals: Yale over Penn