M. Basketball Archives - Page 2 of 6

M. BASKETBALL | Willhite makes highlights

February 23, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

Men’s basketball forward Reggie Willhite ’12 was not always destined to wear the Yale jersey. Upon graduation from Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, Calif., in 2007, Willhite contemplated enrolling in the United States Air Force Academy and taking his basketball talents there. Willhite took a postgraduate year because he started the recruiting process with Air Force a bit late, but two weeks into his postgraduate year at Exeter in New Hampshire, Willhite committed to play for Yale.

Four years later, Willhite is not only a standout player on the team, he is also the team’s captain who has earned the admiration of his teammates.

Teammates said Willhite is a competitor who makes big plays and inspires those around him. They attribute his success on the court to his work ethic.

“The freshmen and sophomores have confidence in themselves because he has confidence in them,” center Greg Mangano ’12 said.

Guard Austin Morgan ’13 explained that announcers call him ‘Highlight Willhite’ because he always makes the play that is the highlight of the game. In Yale’s Feb. 4 58–54 victory over Princeton, Willhite brought the crowd to its feet when he dunked the ball. The following week, he was recognized on the Ivy Honor Roll for his 20 points and nine rebounds in the game.

And in the Bulldogs 59–58 win at Columbia on Feb. 11, Willhite scored 24 points over the course of the game to help the Bulldogs come back from a 21-point deficit in the last 12 minutes of the second half. With 13 seconds left on the clock, his layup secured Yale’s one-point victory.

“He provides energy for the team both with his play and his leadership,” said head coach James Jones. “He leads by playing hard and doing everything the right way.”

But for Willhite, this confidence on the court has not always come easily. Willhite faced numerous injuries in his freshman season at Yale, scoring four total points in eight appearances off the bench.

Willhite said that he went home to Elk Grove, Calif. after freshman year determined to hone his athleticism. He spent the summer running and training in a program with international basketball professionals.

And his work paid off. By his sophomore year, Willhite saw his playing time increase, and he finished the season fourth on the team in steals with 37. Unfortunately, Willhite faced another setback when he tore his LCL after the season. Willhite overcame the injury and again pushed himself over the summer. By his junior year, Willhite began to prove his capabilities on the court, Mangano said. He finished first in the Ivy League with 28 steals in conference games and scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 87–81 double-overtime victory at Columbia. Willhite started all 28 games and received the team’s most improved player award at the conclusion of the season.

“Since freshman year, he has improved every facet of his game, from his shooting to his ball handling,” Jones said.

As a senior, Willhite is second on the team and eighth in the league in scoring with 12.5 points per game. He leads the league with 2.2 steals per game.

Willhite, a political science major and Morse College resident, has not put an expiration date on his career. Throughout college, Willhite has trained with everyone from New York Knicks guard Landry Fields to Olympic gold medalist Christian Laettner. These athletes have given Willhite unique opportunities to improve his skills. Willhite is determined to follow in the footsteps of these professionals. His dad, Reggie Willhite Sr., whom Willhite calls before every game, is helping him to pursue a professional basketball career. Willhite said he could possibly play overseas or get tryouts with NBA Development League or NBA teams.

But enjoying his time on the court and helping the Bulldogs to complete the season is his current focus, Willhite said.

The Bulldogs are ranked third in the Ivy League and take on sixth-ranked Columbia at home Friday at 7 p.m.

M. BASKETBALL | Elis fall to Cantabs

February 20, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — Going into this weekend, the Bulldogs controlled their own destiny. Now they will not be able to get by in the Ivy League without a little help from their friends.

Yale (17–7, 7–3 Ivy) took care of business at Dartmouth (5–21, 1–9 Ivy) 70–61 on Friday night, but it could not conquer the balanced attack of Harvard (23–3, 9–1 Ivy) and fell 66–51 in Cambridge, Mass on Saturday.

The Elis now trail the Ancient Eight-leading Cantabs by two games in the standings with four games remaining on the schedule. Forward Greg Mangano ’12 said that the loss complicates winning at least a share of the Ivy League championship for the first time since 2002.

“We need some help now,” Mangano said. “It makes it tougher now to win the championship. [But] I’ve seen crazier things happen … We can’t act like the season’s over.”

The game at Harvard seemed an inevitable loss for the Elis soon after it started when the Crimson surged to a 35–15 advantage, but Yale finished the first half on an 11–0 run in the final four minutes to make it a nine-point game at the half.

The Bulldogs started the second half like they finished the first and trimmed the once insurmountable Crimson lead to 42–38 when Mangano sank two free throws with 13:40 to play. Yale head coach James Jones said that the run reminded him of the Elis’ 21-point comeback against Columbia Feb. 11, which ended with a 59–58 win.

“What we did last week was a miracle,” Jones said. “I thought we were there [again]. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think we were going to win. It’s hard to come back all of the time.”

Harvard did not let Yale get any closer, however, as six different Cantabs scored down the stretch to push the lead back to double digits. Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker said that a balanced offense has been one of his team’s best attributes.

“One thing I love about this team is that we don’t have a go-to guy,” Amaker said. “We refer to the go-to guy as the open man.”

When the storied rivals faced off in New Haven on Jan. 27, guard Laurent Rivard led the Crimson with 18 points and guard Brandyn Curry scored only four. It was Curry who stole the show Saturday, dropping 18 just one night after being held scoreless against Brown. Nine Cantabs scored, with eight of them scoring at least four points.

Mangano led the Bulldogs with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for his second double-double of the weekend. He scored 16 points and pulled down 15 rebounds at Dartmouth the night before.

Guard Austin Morgan ’13 paced the Bulldogs with 17 points against Big Green as he hit all 12 of his free throws to overcome a career-high 23 points from Dartmouth forward Gabas Maldunas. Mangano said that the game in Hanover was as much of a must-win as the game against Harvard.

“We wanted to focus on getting a win [at Dartmouth] so this game [at Harvard] would still mean something,” Mangano said following the loss to the Crimson. “We were able to do that and focus our energy toward coming in here and trying to beat them. We weren’t able to do it.”

The Bulldogs have four games remaining in the regular season, with the next game at home this Friday against Columbia.

M. BASKETBALL | On the road again

February 17, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

The men’s basketball team says that every weekend in the Ivy League is equal, but this weekend just might be more equal than others.

The Bulldogs will head up to Hanover, N.H., to face Dartmouth (4–20, 0–8 Ivy) tonight before traveling to Cambridge for a showdown with Ivy League-leading Harvard (21–3, 7–1 Ivy) on Saturday.

In a conference where every game counts towards determining the Ancient Eight champion and the recipient of the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, head coach James Jones and several players said that both games were crucial. “We’re always excited to play Harvard,” forward Brandon Sherrod ’15 said. “But you’ve got to take it one game at a time.”

That does not mean that the Elis will not be looking for blood in their rematch against the Crimson.

When Yale last battled the Cantabs Jan. 27, its archrivals stole the show and demolished the Bulldogs 65–35 in front of a sellout crowd at the Lee Amphitheater.

The Elis still seemed shell-shocked the next night when they went down 23–15 early against the bottom-dwelling Big Green before ending the first half on an 18–3 run and winning 62–52. The Bulldogs are determined not to let the shadow of the “Basketball Game” affect the game against Dartmouth this time.

“If you beat Harvard but lose to Dartmouth that doesn’t help,” forward Greg Mangano ’12 said. “We control our own destiny.”

In order to keep their destiny within reach, the Elis will have to win out. In that case, even if Harvard wins every game except for Saturday’s showdown at Harvard Yard, the Bulldogs will be assured at least a share of the Ivy League crown for the first time since 2002.

The Bulldogs are now just past the halfway mark of their season, as they have played every Ivy League team at least once. In the six games remaining, Jones said the Ivy League competition will become even more cerebral.

“[After the first game you] see coaches put wrinkles into their offenses,” Jones said. “Now in the second time around the coaching becomes more important.”

Coaches’ strategies are nothing without execution on the court, however. Both the Big Green and the Crimson have players who can create problems for the Bulldogs.

Jvonte Brooks, freshman forward and three-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week, leads Dartmouth. He paces the team with nine points and adds 8.5 rebounds per game.

Forward Kyle Casey tops the balanced Crimson attack with 11 points per game while forward Keith Wright contributes 10.6 points per contest.

The Cantabs’ greatest strength is not scoring however, but defense.

Harvard leads the Ivy League and is fourth in Division I in scoring defense by allowing a miserly 54.2 points per game.

Both the Big Green and the Crimson may also gain an advantage from the long road trip the Bulldogs will face. More than 300 miles separate New Haven from Cambridge, with a stop in Hanover in between. Although not as far as last week’s odyssey to Ithaca, Jones said this weekend presents its own challenges.

“It’s not as bad as the Cornell road trip — nothing is,” Jones said. “Back-to-back road trips are tough. That’s the nature of the beast [playing in the Ivy League].”

With a win tonight, the Bulldogs would secure a sweep of Dartmouth for the third consecutive season.

M. BASKETBALL | Elis set for New York odyssey

February 10, 2012 3:43 am Leave a Comment

Five-hundred-mile road trips are not always enjoyable. Hopefully the Bulldogs’ long bus ride will be worth it.

The men’s basketball team left Thursday at 4:00 pm for tonight’s game against Cornell (8–12, 3–3 Ivy) in Ithaca, N.Y. They will then travel to New York City Saturday to take on the Columbia Lions (13–9, 2–4 Ivy).

This road trip is traditionally tough for the Elis. Last year Yale (15–5, 5–1 Ivy) defeated the Lions 87–81 in double overtime March 4, only to fall to the Big Red 68–55 the following evening. Head coach James Jones said that the long game plus a long drive helped lead to the loss.

“Last year we just didn’t have a lot left in the tank [at Cornell],” Jones said.

He added that following the double overtime victory, the Bulldogs did not reach Cornell until 2:30 a.m.

Rest will not be an excuse this year, however; Yale will have almost an entire day to prepare for tonight’s game. Forward Greg Mangano ’12 said that the rest would be important, since the Bulldogs have played just one of their eight games in 2012 away from the Lee Amphitheater.

One thing that the Bulldogs would like to leave at home is a tendency towards turnovers. Yale has coughed the ball up 68 times during the past four-game home stand. Jones and Mangano both stressed the importance of taking care of the basketball.

“We were up in the high teens and even the low 20s [in turnovers] for a couple of games there,” Mangano said. “[We] are not going to win playing like that.”

Jones added that ball control will aid the defense, particularly against a Cornell team that has struggled running a half-court offense when it cannot make transition baskets.

One Big Red baller that Mangano and Jones have their eyes on is guard Chris Wroblewski. Mangano said that his ability to score as well as distribute the basketball — he averages 10.1 points and 5.2 assists per game — makes him a dual threat.

A ways south in the Big Apple, Columbia’s guard Brian Barbour could spoil the Elis’ New York tour with his 15.5 points per game. The Elis cannot afford to let any game get away from them on the quest for the Ivy League title, center Jeremiah Kreisberg ’14 said.

“We want to win every game at this point,” Kreisberg said. “Especially against teams with some losses [in Ivy League play].”

Kreisberg can do a lot to prevent a loss in the Empire State this weekend if he builds off of his performance against Princeton last Saturday. His nine points were the most he has scored since Dec. 19 at Rhode Island, but his presence on both ends of the floor was most important, Mangano said.

Mangano added that the two charges Kreisberg took in the first half were instrumental, as both forced the Tigers into two of their seven turnovers and energized the Elis.

Kreisberg said that Jones reached out to him before the game in a text message that helped to put him in a better mindset.

All of the Bulldogs will need that mindset to return home Saturday with two tough road wins.

M. BASKETBALL | Non-conference uncovered

February 8, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

The men’s basketball team did not spend New Year’s Eve more than 1,000 miles away from New Haven without purpose. On Dec. 31, the team traveled to Gainesville, Fla., to take on No. 7 Florida in a nonconference game. Although the Elis expectedly fell, 90–70, the final score was of little importance. The Bulldogs scheduled the game knowing full well they were the underdogs.

This year, Ivy League teams took the court against opponents from five of the six major conferences. Yale matched up with Seton Hall of the Big East, the ACC’s Wake Forest and SEC powerhouse Florida. Penn faced Duke of the ACC and Pitt of the Big East. Harvard took part in an ESPN2-televised game with the Big East’s UConn. The Crimson and the Princeton Tigers even defeated the No. 17 Florida State Seminoles. There are reasons why these Ancient Eight hoopsters end up on the court with some of the best basketball teams in the country.

Mid-major coaches try to assemble a balanced schedule to prepare their teams for conference play. Put simply, playing good teams can only improve a program.

“The first thing is that we want to challenge ourselves,” Yale head coach James Jones said. “We want to play some people outside the box that are going to try to expose weaknesses … so we can see the kind of issues we have that we can’t see in practice.”

Nonconference games are not all marquee matchups, however. Ivy League teams also play Division III minnows. Yale demolished Lyndon State 101–37 and downed St. Joseph’s of Long Island 101–86. Cornell head coach William Courtney said that he schedules Division III schools because it adds a home game to the nonconference schedule.

Nonconference schedules are not only filled with extremes. Courtney and Jones said they also play against opposition closer to their level.

“We try to schedule comparable teams, teams we think will be successful in their conferences,” Courtney said. “We try not to schedule teams that are not so good so that we don’t get a false sense of ourselves.”

Coaches schedule with the another factor in mind as well: money. In order to raise funding for the program, teams play in “guarantee” games against major teams on the road. In exchange for playing away, mid-major teams are compensated by their adversaries.

Guarantee games differ from “series” games where teams agree to play at both locations. Yale Assistant Athletic Director Tim Bennett said that in order to get prominent schools to play series games, the Elis have often had to agree to play the opposing team twice on its home turf.

Often, coaches of teams from smaller conferences reach out to former colleagues at bigger schools to help secure nonconference games.

“I think the coaching world is a big fraternity,” Bennett said. “They see each other out on the recruiting trail. Coaches build relationships, and that certainly helps with scheduling.”

But when two friends play, one has to lose.

“You really don’t want to play your friends too often,” Jones said. “There’s no winner there. My brother [Joe Jones, head coach of Boston University] and I will never play each other. I rely more on assistant coaches at other places like at Wake Forest [to schedule games].”

Nonconference games also serve as a recruiting tool. Cornell basketball head coach William Courtney said that since he and other Ivies recruit nationally, the opportunity for a recruit to play close to home at least once is an incentive. Jones agreed with his Cornell counterpart, adding that it is part of his “recruiting spiel.” He said he tells every recruit that Yale will play in his hometown at least once over his four-year career.

“Next year we’re going to Nevada for [Austin] Morgan ’13, St. Mary’s for Jeremiah [Kreisberg] ’14, and this year we went down to Wake Forest for Mike Grace ’13,” Jones said.

Bennett added that a game is also being scheduled against Iowa State in the future for guard Jesse Pritchard ’14, a native of Ames, Iowa. Next year, Courtney said, Cornell will play Vanderbilt for guard Miles Asafo-Adjei of Antioch, Tenn.

Scheduling games against mammoth college basketball teams itself serves a recruiting purpose, Courtney said. Playing every year on a big court in front of tens of thousands of fans is alluring to an Ivy League basketball recruit.

“Absolutely all of the [Ivy League] schools will use those attractive games against big-name opponents to show recruits,” Courtney explained.

Even better than an attractive game against a big-name opponent, though, is a famous win. Although rare for an Ivy League team, a triumph over a squad in the national spotlight sends a powerful statement, perhaps more powerful than an Ivy League title. Such a victory is possible only by taking a chance and scheduling big-name teams.

M. BASKETBALL | Elis take two at home

February 6, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

Last weekend, Yale’s season goal for an Ivy title looked to be slipping out of reach. But this weekend, the Bulldogs tightened their grip and got a hold of their season once more.

With less than three minutes to play Friday, Yale (15–5, 5–1 Ivy) scored the final 10 points to come from behind and defeat Penn 60–53. The Bulldogs followed the Penn win by holding off a Princeton rally to win 58–54. Coming into the weekend a half-game behind Penn, Yale is now second place in the Ivy League, trailing Harvard by one game.

Bulldogs head coach James Jones said defense was the key to the Elis’ success this weekend.

“I thought we got stagnant on offense a few times and took some ill-advised shots,” Jones said. “What’s anchored us all weekend is our defense.”

The Elis held the Quakers (12–10, 4–1 Ivy) to just 37.9 percent shooting from the floor and then limited the Tigers (11–10, 2–3 Ivy) to a measly 33.3 percent. Yale locked down key scorers on both teams such as Penn guard Tyler Bernardini and Princeton guard Douglas Davis, whom the Elis held to six points apiece. Both players are averaging more than 13 points per game for the season.

On Friday, captain Reggie Willhite ’12 came down with what might be the biggest rebound of the year, drove down the court and found a trailing Greg Mangano ’12 for a three that tied the ballgame at 53. Willhite next stole the ball from Quaker point guard Zack Rosen, and guard Austin Morgan ’13 cleaned up his miss and was awarded the basket on defensive goaltending. That was the last of seven lead changes in a highly contested game.

Yale then hit five free throws in the final minute, and Mangano got two offensive rebounds on the same possession to seal the victory.

Penn head coach Jerome Allen said he was disappointed in his team’s effort on the boards.

“Rebounding is a function of desire,” Allen said. “For us to give up 15 offensive rebounds and expect to win … we’ve got to be kidding ourselves.”

During the next evening against Princeton, the Bulldogs led for all but 4:40, yet the conclusion was far from assured. When the Tigers pulled to 53–51 with 1:08 remaining, the Elis showed great resolve to see out the victory.

Yale took control of the game with a 16–0 run lasting 9:05 after the Tigers took a 10–5 lead on center Brendan Connolly’s free throw.

The greatest surprise Saturday was the resurgence of center Jeremiah Kreisberg ’14. The man whose teammates call him “The Hebrew Hammer” had been struggling starting in the 72–71 loss to Wake Forest on Dec. 29, but he came alive with six first-half points, dished out two assists and took two charges on the defensive end.

“He looked like the old Jeremiah,” Jones said. “He’s been in a little haze, I guess, but he’s got out of it. I texted Jeremiah last night telling him that I had full confidence in him for the game today.”

Kreisberg finished with nine points, but Willhite was the star of the game. He filled the stat sheet with a 20-point, nine-rebound, three-assist, one-steal, one-block performance. Additionally, his electrifying jam with 11:41 remaining in the game energized both the Yale players and the fans at the Lee Amphitheater.

Mangano joined Willhite with 20 points Saturday to accompany his 12 rebounds. He also recorded a double-double against the Quakers Friday with a 23-point, 10-rebound performance.

The Bulldogs sojourn to New York next Friday to challenge Cornell in Ithaca Feb. 10. It will be just the Elis’ second away game in 42 days.

Joey Rosenberg contributed reporting.

M. BASKETBALL | Big weekend ahead for Bulldogs

February 3, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

Three times under head coach James Jones Yale has beaten Penn and Princeton back-to-back at home. It would behoove the Bulldogs to make it four times this weekend.

The Elis (13–5, 3–1 Ivy) will host Penn (11–9, 3–0 Ivy) tonight and then Princeton (10–9, 1–2 Ivy) tomorrow to kick off the final 10-game stretch of the season.

Since the Ivy League champion and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament is determined based on the best record during the 14-game Ivy League schedule, players realize there is little room for error.

“We don’t think Harvard’s going to drop that many [games],” guard Sam Martin ’13 said. “Anything less than 12–2 isn’t going to win the League.”

He added that regardless of the records of the two teams, the Penn and Princeton weekend is traditionally a challenge. Historically the numbers back Martin up: the Bulldogs are a combined 149–288 against the Quakers and Tigers.

Penn and Princeton, who have won at least a share of 46 of the 55 Ancient Eight basketball championships, have continued their success this season. The Tigers in particular have won several big games, defeating Rutgers in New Jersey 59–57 on Dec. 7 and then traveled down to defeat Florida State 75–73 in triple overtime on Dec. 30.

Both teams have plenty of talent on the court, and Jones said that limiting both teams’ stars would be key.

“Both teams have one extremely good player,” Jones said. “Penn has two … We have to make sure we limit them.”

Tiger forward Ian Hummer is averaging 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Quaker point guard Zack Rosen is averaging 18.8 points and an Ancient Eight-high 6.2 assists per contest. Rosen — one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award — is aided on the court by his fellow senior and forward Tyler Bernardini ’12.

Despite the challenges presented by the Quakers and Tigers, the Bulldogs are looking forward to getting back on the court following a disappointing showing last weekend. The Elis fell to archrival Harvard 65–35 and only just scraped out a 62–52 win against last-place Dartmouth the next night. Forward Greg Mangano ’12 said that the Bulldogs are ready for redemption.

“They’re two of the top teams in the League,” Mangano said. “It’s a chance to prove that we just played bad last weekend.”

Jones did find one positive in last weekend’s loss to the Cantabs — the fans.

“We played a disappointing game,” Jones said. “But even at the last [basket] we made, [the fans] were still cheering.”

The Bulldogs tip off against the Quakers tonight at the Lee Amphitheater at 7 p.m.

M. BASKETBALL | Elis rebound from rough weekend

February 2, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

A lot can change in just one weekend.

Going into last weekend’s home games against No. 23 Harvard (18–2, 4–0 Ivy) and Dartmouth (4–16, 0–4 Ivy), Yale was riding a four-game winning streak in which it beat its opponents by more than 11 points per game.

This week, the Bulldogs are reeling from a 65–35 thrashing at the hands of the Crimson last Friday and a game Saturday in which they barely escaped with a 62–52 win over the Big Green. The combination of these games was “a wake-up call” for the team, according to captain Reggie Willhite ’12.

“We thought we were in a two-horse race with Harvard [for the title],” forward Will Bartlett ’14 said. “[But] we’re kind of among the rest of the pack.”

The Elis (13–5, 3–1 Ivy) are in third place in the Ancient Eight. They trail Harvard by a game in the rankings and are a half-game behind the Penn Quakers (11–9, 3–0 Ivy), who will travel to New Haven on Friday to face off against the Bulldogs.

Yale’s season is at a turning point. They have played 18 games, with 10 more ahead of them. At the end is their goal — an Ivy League title and an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. If the Bulldogs want to stay in the running for the Ivy crown, they need to win this weekend and best Harvard in Cambridge on Feb. 18.

But the players on the team said they cannot continue to play the way they have performed recently if they hope to break their 49-year NCAA tournament drought.

“We realized that we need to play and practice a little harder,” guard Sam Martin ’13 said. “Not that we were going easy, but we need a little extra than what we were doing.”

Bartlett said the team — while showing respect for the nationally ranked Cantabs — was too comfortable going into the Harvard game last weekend. Forward Greg Mangano ’12 agreed with Bartlett’s assessment.

“I think we might’ve been a little too lackadaisical [in practice],” Mangano said, “a little too comfortable.”

Following the Dartmouth game, Willhite told the News that the team will redouble its efforts in practice. This week’s training would help determine the outcome of the season, he added.

During the matchup against Dartmouth, the Bulldogs trailed the Big Green for about half the game and led by only three with less than two minutes to play. The team struggled to hold onto the ball all weekend, during which the Elis recorded a total of 41 turnovers between the two games.

“At this point in the season we can go one of two ways,” Willhite said. “We could either splinter, or we could come together as a team and revamp what we’re trying to do as an organization … We have a lot of work to do.”

Head coach James Jones said the team generally responds well after losses and he has faith in the Bulldogs’ ability to bounce back.

At practice Wednesday, that change was already in effect. The Bulldogs’ focus was evident, and several teammates said their determination had increased significantly from previous weeks. Although the Elis call themselves “the Goon Squad” off of the court, there was no joking around between the lines. Standing in line and laughing amongst themselves, the players’ demeanors changed when the whistle blew. If both the white and blue sets of practice jerseys had not said “Yale,” it would have been difficult for an observer to realize that the scrimmage did not count toward the Ivy title.

The team has emphasized ball movement in practice recently, Jones said. He and three players added that the offense had grown stagnant, which has led to fewer open shots and greater reliance on a few players.

Bartlett said the coaches have been emphasizing all season that the team cannot rely only on the talents of a few players such as Willhite and Mangano.

“We’ve known for a while, but it was reminded to us this weekend that that saving grace [in Mangano’s scoring ability] is also a trap,” Bartlett said. “His talent is maximized when he gets the team going. I think that just to throw it in to [Mangano] and watch is just a death sentence.”

Against Harvard, Mangano scored 17 points, just 1.7 shy of his per-game average, but he shot just two of 11 from the field against Dartmouth.

Bartlett added that he believes that there are no selfish players amongst the Elis, and that nobody on the team cares who scores.

Mangano said he agreed that the team should focus on ball movement going forward. The team has not played a strong all-around game since defeating Holy Cross at home 82–67 on Jan. 3, he added, and the Bulldogs need to work on making the extra pass to find open shots.

Even Mangano — who at 6’10” is averaging 18.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this season — has bought into the team’s mentality of unselfishness in a way that is surprising for a possible NBA prospect, Martin said.

“[Mangano] has been doing a good job,” Martin said. “It’s contagious when your best player is being unselfish [with the basketball].”

The work in practice has led players to look forward with confidence as the Bulldogs head into the stretch run of the Ivy League. Forward Greg Kelley ’14 said he is optimistic that the team will turn its game around.

The Elis will test themselves at home against the Quakers, who are second in the Ivy League, Friday and against the Princeton Tigers on Saturday. Tipoff will be at 7:00 p.m. for both games.

M. BASKETBALL | Elis split disappointing home stand

January 30, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

After a disappointing weekend stand at home, the Bulldogs have more questions than answers as they prepare for the remaining 10 games in Ivy League play.

Yale (13–5, 3–1 Ivy) was demolished by No. 23 Harvard (16–2, 4–0 Ivy) 65–35 Friday and barely overcame Dartmouth (4–16, 0–4 Ivy) 62–52 Saturday.

In the team’s most highly-anticipated game of the year — tickets had been sold out for three weeks and student tickets ran out in the first hour of distribution — the Bulldogs fell flat against archrival Crimson.

“It’s embarrassing,” forward Greg Mangano ’12 said. “That’s the word for it … We got embarrassed on our home court.”

Yale stayed within striking distance early and went into the half trailing the Cantabs 30–19. But the Crimson ran away with the contest in the second half, justifying their national ranking.

With the Crimson defense — who allow the fourth fewest points per game in Division I — pressuring the ball all night long, Yale shot just 31.7 percent from the floor. The Elis had more turnovers (22) than field goals made (13).

“There were several turnovers that I still don’t know how we lost the ball,” head coach James Jones said. “We just fumbled it out of our hands with no pressure at all.”

The Bulldogs had some success in the second half getting the ball inside to Mangano, but his 17 points were not enough to keep the game close. No other Eli had more than four points, whereas nine Cantabs contributed four or more points for Harvard.

When Yale took the court against Big Green Saturday, it still appeared shell-shocked from the previous night. With 8:43 left before intermission, Jones called a timeout with the Bulldogs trailing 23–15.

Whatever Jones said in the huddle must have worked, because the Elis stormed out of the timeout and took the lead.

Mangano hit a three and then guard Mike Grace ’13 followed suit from beyond the arc before Mangano’s layup evened the score at 23. The Bulldogs went on a 12–0 run and led 33–26 at intermission.

Yale came off the block slowly again in the second, but Austin Morgan ’13 had the hustle play of the game when he raced down the court and prevented a breakaway layup from Big Green guard Tyler Melville.

“Austin is a hustle-hustle player,” captain Reggie Willhite ’12 said. “For him to chase that down and block it when everybody else thought that it was going to be a layup and two going the other way … that got people going … It brings a little bit of positive to the negatives that we’re having.”

The Elis went down 44–41 after a triple from Jabari Trotter, but then Willhite went off. Over the course of the next 4:34, Willhite scored nine straight points as the Bulldogs went on a 9–2 run. He had a game-high 16 points.

Willhite said that his scoring was done within the flow of the game — meaning that he executed his shots within the framework of the offense.

“I don’t really think that it’s a matter of me realizing that I had to take the game over,“ Willhite said. “It’s just when somebody’s scoring on our team, our team tends to look to find that person in the offense. My teammates were looking for me, and I was able to capitalize.”

Willhite’s performance helped the Bulldogs to overcome 19 turnovers and beat a Dartmouth team that has dropped nine of its last 10 contests.

Although Jones said that Dartmouth has played most of its opponents close all year long, the Bulldogs were disappointed with its performances over the weekend.

The loss to Harvard snapped a home winning streak that spanned eight games and 342 days. Yale won those games by an average margin of 17 points per game.

M. BASKETBALL | Elis to take on ranked Crimson

January 27, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

All of the attention around campus may be focused on tonight’s game against the Crimson, but members of the men’s basketball team said that Saturday’s game against the Big Green is also important.

Yale (12–4, 2–0 Ivy) plays host to No. 23 Harvard (16–2, 2–0 Ivy) and then Dartmouth (4–14, 0–2) this weekend in the team’s first back-to-back games of the season. Head coach James Jones said that there is the possibility of a letdown in the second game.

“As a coach I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried,” Jones said. “You try to think about just one game at a time, but since the games are in such close proximity to each other … [I am] worried about guys not having the same energy.”

Forward Greg Mangano ’12 — who leads the Elis with 19.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game — added that beating Harvard but then losing to Dartmouth the next night would nullify the victory because of the significance of each game in the Ancient Eight.

Jones emphasized that the Bulldogs’ size would be an advantage this weekend. He added that the Elis are most effective offensively when they work the ball inside the paint.

“Our game plan is always to go inside,” Jones said. “We try to do that every single game, and we are better when we do that.”

The Twin Towers of Mangano and center Jeremiah Kreisberg ’14, who both check in at 6’10”, create matchups that neither the Crimson or Big Green can match.

While Jones said that he thought Yale matched up well defensively with archrival Harvard, he expressed concern about a stingy Crimson defense that allows the fourth-fewest points per game in Division I.

Guard Jesse Pritchard ’14, however, said that the issue is to make sure Yale dictates the pace of the game.

“The key to most games for us is playing our style of basketball,” Pritchard said. “If we take care of business we can win most games.”

However, it would be hard for them to deny the excitement surrounding tonight’s game. Tickets have been sold out for three weeks, but free student tickets will be made available today starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Ray Tompkins House ticket office. Jones said that he has told his players to stay focused through the hype, but that does not mean that the players are not enthused.

“My grandma and grandpa are coming,” Pritchard said. “It’s the first time my family has come to a game, so I’m excited.”

Tipoff for both Friday and Saturday will be at 7 p.m.

M. BASKETBALL | Bulldogs sweep Bears

January 23, 2012 12:00 am Leave a Comment

Any worries that Brown would avenge its loss to Yale last week proved fruitless as the Bulldogs handled the Bears a 73–60 loss Saturday in Providence, R.I.

The Elis (12–4, 2–0 Ivy) did not hold a lead in the second half until less than two minutes remained when Brown (5–13, 0–2 Ivy) visited the Lee Amphitheater Jan. 14. This time, the Elis held the lead for all but 24 seconds after the break on the way to their victory.

“I think we did a lot better job of handling their pressure,” forward Greg Kelley ’14 said. “And our defense helped us to maintain the lead for most of the second half.”

Captain and forward Reggie Willhite ’12 led the attack in the first half, scoring 11 of his 13 points as the Bulldogs took a 38–35 lead into the break. Foul trouble sidelined him for much of the second half, but guard Jesse Pritchard ’14 and the Yale bench were there to fill the void.

Pritchard scored all of his career-high nine points after intermission, including four during an 8-0 run early in the second half to help the Elis pull away.

“It was just a matter of opportunity,” Pritchard said about his performance. “Coach knows I can produce given the opportunity.”

The Bulldog bench outscored the Bear reserves 16-8, and all eight of Brown’s bench points came from guard Jean Harris.

Key to this matchup against Brown was defense. Brown shot only 32 percent from beyond the arc Saturday compared to more than 52 percent in the first meeting. Brown guard Sean McGonagill was held to only 11 points after he went off for 23 in the first contest.

Yale also had an improved effort on the boards on Saturday, out-rebounding Brown 44-27. Forward Greg Mangano ’12 said that rebounding is especially important in Ivy League play because it gives you more possessions.

“[Rebounding] is something we’ve been successful at all season,” Mangano said. “We do have a lot of size.”

Mangano led the effort with 11 rebounds while Pritchard and center Jeremiah Kreisberg ’14 chipped in with eight apiece. Mangano also led the team with 18 points for his eighth double-double of the season.

Yale next takes the court Friday, Jan. 27, when No. 24 Harvard pays a visit to the Lee Amphitheater. Tip-off will be 7 p.m.

Yale Daily News

Tag Archive: M. Basketball