Tag: Nick Victor

Yale’s Run One For The Ages, And They Knew It

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Like many other seniors in March after a loss that ended their collegiate careers, Brandon Sherrod fought back tears on the postgame NCAA Tournament podium as he was peppered with questions that ranged from inane to sentimental.

However, in Sherrod’s case it was tough to tell whether they were tears of sadness or joy. Knowing Sherrod and his story, I’m going with the latter.

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Yale To Let It Ride In Showdown With Duke

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Most economists and game theorists are adamant that “house money” is a fallacy. No matter how much of a run you’re on or how much you have exceeded what you started with, it makes no sense to risk what you have blindly with little hope of increasing your lot. Continue reading “Yale To Let It Ride In Showdown With Duke” →

Yale Puts Its Name With Greats Of Mid-Major Past With Upset

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Yale may have a $23 billion endowment (second to Harvard nationally), and if we were playing the Game of Life (still available at a store near you, I think), they would certainly be far from a cute underdog we love so much this time of year.

But if you’re around college basketball enough, you know a big-time program with the budget of a Central American country when you see one. And Yale ain’t it.

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Yale 76, Dartmouth 71 (OT): Survival Beats Disaster

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Dartmouth again? Really?

When a hobbled Makai Mason threw a pass that Miles Wright picked off, there were 11.4 seconds left, Yale trailed 62-61, and Dartmouth – just 9-16 overall and 3-9 in the Ivy – was ready to ruin the entire season again for the Bulldogs. A loss wouldn’t officially end the Ivy race, but with the way Princeton is playing and a trip to Columbia looming next weekend?

Good luck.

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Yale 59, Harvard 50: Home-Court Advantage Long Time Coming

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – There have been a few times that I’ve seen Lee Amphitheater full and rocking, and it’s one of my favorite sights in all the sporting world: an ancient cathedral whose history can be heard – even from the rafters – with every bounce of the ball and gasp of the crowd.

Alas, my recollections of Yale’s septuagenarian home growing up are mostly of the place being packed to see the other team, which doesn’t necessarily mean they were cheering for Pete Carril and Princeton or Fran Dunphy and Penn or even Steve Donahue and Cornell, but they were certainly the main attraction, and on the other nights of the Ivy season? Well, Ingalls Rink and the Yale hockey team was down the street.

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Yale 79, Penn 58: Justin Sears Carries Bulldogs

PHILADELPHIA – There’s just something about Justin Sears’ game that doesn’t seem to allow him to get the credit he sometimes deserves.

Even from his own coach.

“The thing about Justin is he’s an enigma,” Yale coach James Jones said after Sears tied a career-high with 31 points in Yale’s 79-58 win over Penn at The Palestra Saturday night. “He’s a tremendous player. Sometimes I don’t understand some of the things he does, but he has his own way about him, and his way is a good way. When he’s playing at the top his game, especially in this league, he’s very hard to stop.

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Yale 86, Columbia 72: Sherrod Can’t Miss, Bulldog Offense Can’t Be Stopped

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – There was a time not long ago when the vaunted Yale offense was not so vaunted. In their last two games before Christmas break, the Bulldogs put up 0.94 and 0.89 points per possession in losses to Illinois and USC.

Yeah, those are BCS schools, you say? Well, in the game after finals, Yale posted 0.97 ppp against Central Connecticut, who has spent some time at No. 351 in KenPom this season and whose defense has been in the bottom five in efficiency nationally all season. The Bulldogs still won that game handily and were in the other two thanks to its defense, tops in the Ivy League last season, and by all accounts, the backbone of its Ivy challenge this season.

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Yale 79, Princeton 75: Bulldogs Show Some Flaws, But No Losses

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – So here was the scene at Lee Amphitheather with four minutes left in the highly anticipated Princeton-Yale showdown Saturday.

Brandon Sherrod, who already has a remarkable backstory involving taking a year off to travel the world singing, was 8-8 from field. Impressive enough, right? But it was Sherrod’s third straight perfect game from the field, a streak that has reached 25, one short of the NCAA all-time record. Yale had led throughout (by as much as 16 early in the second half), and Princeton’s answer to make a late comeback?

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Yale 81, Penn 58: Slow And Steady Can Still Be Efficient

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Even though it’s 2016, some people (less than you’d think, but still) don’t quite grasp the concept of being efficient, whether it be on offense or defense. So Yale, being the smart Ivy Leaguers they are, have given you a nice lesson in their first three conference games.

For instance, an 81-58 win Friday night over Penn probably stands out to you as a defensive masterpiece rather than an offensive one for the Bulldogs (12-5, 3-0), but it shouldn’t. The game was played at a plodding 63-possession pace, allowing Yale to take its time and use its size and strength to pound the young Quakers (6-10, 0-2) into submission.

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