Yale Bulldogs (14-17 overall, 8-6 league)
Projected starting five:
Jr. G Armani Cotton
Jr. G Javier Duren
So. F Justin Sears
Sr. F Greg Kelley
Jr. F Matt Townsend
Important departures:
G Austin Morgan (10.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 spg) and G Michael Grace (5.1 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 2.2 apg) have departed from last season’s team, along with reserve G Sam Martin (4.6 ppg).
Returning:
69.6 percent of scoring and 89.4 percent of rebounding
Additions:
Fr. G Anthony Dallier
Fr. F Sam Downey
Fr. G A.J. Edwards
Fr. G J.T. Flowers
Schedule Highlights:
The Bulldogs have five home games in non-league play, including visits from Northeast contender Bryant and America East contender Vermont. They open the season in Bridgeport in the Connecticut 6 Classic, then play at Connecticut, Rutgers, Lafayette, Hartford, Providence and Saint Louis along the way. In league play, the big stretch is late, as they have consecutive road weekends including the Penn-Princeton trip.
Projected finish and outlook:
Yale could go one of two ways this season given that they lost their starting backcourt from a year ago. While they relied on Morgan and Grace for a lot, there is potential to be better with Duren and Cotton having another year under their belts and Dallier likely being ready to contribute from the get-go. Duren is a wild card, as he’s very talented and athletic but can also be very erratic and unpredictable. Sears showed that he has a lot of potential, and if he becomes more consistent he will make a few All-Ivy teams before he leaves New Haven. Kelley seemed to settle into his role as last season went along, while Townsend seems the most likely to grab the other starting spot, although senior Jeremiah Kreisberg has started before and could regain that spot as well after losing it last year in part from an untimely injury. Although Yale’s offense looked bad at times last year, especially with their tendency to turn the ball over (only Penn gave the ball away more), it was at the defensive end where they struggled save for being the best rebounding team in the league. The Bulldogs might be a year away from contention, but James Jones’ teams have had a habit of doing so a little earlier than many project. If that is to happen this year, the guards have to prove to be an upgrade over the starters there last year.
