Yale at Princeton
Sat., Jan. 29 – 6 p.m.
Jadwin Gym
ESPN+ Video | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Ivy League season has not yet reached the midway point, but tension will be high when the Yale men's basketball team travels to Princeton on Saturday. The Bulldogs are off to a strong start at 3-1 in league play, while the Tigers sit in first place at 5-0. Tipoff at Jadwin Gym has been pushed back to 6 p.m. because of the forecasted snow. It was originally scheduled for 4 p.m. ESPN+ will stream the game live.
 
Yale (9-9 overall) is coming off a dominant 83-72 victory over Columbia at the John J. Lee Amphitheater on Tuesday. The Bulldogs led 20-5 after eight minutes, and the Lions never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.  Swain was 14-of-20 from the field, including 6-of-8 from three-point range. The 37 points were the most scored by a Bulldog in James Jones' tenure as the Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach at Yale.
 
Swain leads the Ivy League in scoring at 19.7 ppg., which is 25th in the nation. He also is the league leader and 15th nationally in free throw percentage at .902 after going 3-for-3 from the line in the win over Columbia. Tuesday was his second 30+-point performance of the season. He had 34 vs. Iona at the Barclays Center.
 
Jalen Gabbidon also has been hot. He scored 20 points against the Lions on Tuesday, his second straight game with at least 20 points. Matt Knowling moved into the starting lineup in the Saint Mary's game (Dec. 28) and is averaging 11.8 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting .629 from the field since.
 
Saturday's game features the Ivy's top shooting team vs. the top defensive team. The Tigers lead the league in field goal percentage (.494) and three-point field goal percentage (.386) while the Bulldogs are the league leader in field goal percentage defense (.419) and three-point field goal defense (.311). Yale's defensive statistics have been even better in Ivy play when opponents are shooting .410 from the field and .253 from three-point range.
 
The Bulldogs played a very challenging non-conference schedule to get ready for the Ivy season. Yale's eight non-league losses came to teams that currently have a combined overall record of 114-38 (.750), and all eight are at least five games over .500.
 
Yale, the preseason Ivy League favorite, is in the midst of the most successful era in the long history of the program. Over the last 6+ seasons, the Bulldogs have a remarkable 66-22 Ivy record. During that stretch, they have won four league titles and earned three NCAA Tournament berths, including notching the first NCAA victory in school history.
 
HISTORY LESSON
 
The Bulldogs have won the last six meetings with Princeton, including the last two at Jadwin Gym. In 2019-20, Yale won 66-63 at Lee Amphitheater and 88-64 at Jadwin Gym. The Tigers, though, lead the all-time series 150-93. The first game between the teams came in 1902, a 28-20 Yale victory in New Jersey.
 
SCOUTING PRINCETON
 
The Tigers (15-3 overall) have won 10-consecutive games, which ranks third in the nation for active win streak. Princeton's 11-consecutive home wins rank 19th in the nation for home win streak, and its five-straight conference wins ranks 22nd in the nation for active conference win streak. The Tigers rank sixth nationally in three-point field goals per game (10.7), No. 8 in field goal percentage (49.4%), 11th in assist/turnover ratio (1.53), 16th in scoring offense (80.9), 16th in three-point field goal percentage (38.6%), T-18th in won-lost percentage (67.5%), and 28th in assists per game (16.4). Princeton has four players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Jaelin Llewellyn at 15.4 ppg.
 
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY COACHES vs. CANCER SUITS AND SNEAKERS WEEK
 
This week, James Jones and his staff are proudly participating in the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer - Suits and Sneakers Week by wearing their Under Armour sneakers to raise awareness about the fight against cancer and inspire hope. Their efforts, along with Coaches vs. Cancer supporters nationwide, will help the American Cancer Society attack cancer from every angle and provide support to millions of cancer patients living in the U.S. today. All of Yale's coaching staff have names on their shoes of those close to them that have been affected by the disease. Jones has his mother's name on his shoes. She passed away from the dreaded disease.