Yale at Colorado
Sun., Nov. 27 – 3 p.m. EST
Boulder, Colo.
Pac-12 Network Video | Live Stats | Yale Game Notes
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Yale's first trip of the season required nearly 5,000 miles of travel. Trip No. 2 isn't quite as long but will still earn the Bulldogs some frequent flyer miles. Yale is headed to Boulder, Colo., to face the University of Colorado on Sunday. Tip off at the CU Events Center is slated for 3 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
The Bulldogs (6-0) are off to their best start since the 1945-46 team won its first seven games on its way to a 14-1 record and a New England championship. Three of this season's victories came at the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii as Yale won the tournament for the second time in school history, defeating the University of Hawaii 62-59 in what was the championship game.
 
The Bulldogs are one of 36 undefeated teams in the nation in games through Thanksgiving Day. Yale is fifth in Division I in scoring margin (31.2), sixth in scoring defense (51.7 ppg.), eighth in rebounding margin (+13.5) and 10th in field goal percentage defense (.332).
 
All of those elements were on display in last Tuesday's 73-44 victory over a Vermont team that won 28 games a year ago and played in the NCAA Tournament. Trailing 30-27 at halftime, the Bulldogs outscored the Catamounts 46-14 over the next 20 minutes, shooting 61.3 percent from the field, limiting UVM to 21.7 percent and winning the battle of the board 23-8.
 
Matt Knowling, who leads the team in scoring at 20.2 ppg., scored 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field. Knowling is second in the nation with 54 field goals and 16th in field goal percentage (71.1 percent).
 
The early season success should not come as a surprise. Yale is in the midst of the most successful stretch in its long history.  Over the last seven seasons, the Bulldogs have posted a 74-24 (.755) Ivy League record, won four Ivy championships, two Ivy League Tournament titles and earned four NCAA Tournament berths, including notching the first NCAA victory in school history – over Baylor in 2016.
 
Yale won 19 games a year ago, captured the Ivy League Tournament title with a thrilling victory over Princeton in the championship game and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the third straight season.
 
In Colorado, the Bulldogs will face one of the key players in the recent success. Jalen Gabbidon '22, who has appeared in all six of CU's games, graduated Yale last May and is using his final season of eligibility as a graduate student. At Yale, Gabbidon was team captain in 2020-21 and 2021-22, earned 2019-20 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year honors and was named second team All-Ivy last year as a senior.
 
HISTORY LESSONS
 
Yale and Colorado are playing for the fourth time. The Bulldogs won the first meeting, 56-54 in 1952 in Kansas City. The two other games were played in Boulder, CU victories in 1999 (65-50) and 2009 (70-59). Yale has had success against Pac-12 schools in recent years. The Bulldogs beat California in the Pac-12 China Game in Shanghai to open the 2018-19 season and knocked off Washington in Seattle to kick off the 2016-17 season.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO
 
CU (3-3) has a pair of wins over nationally ranked opponents – 78-66 over then No. 11 Tennessee in Nashville and 103-75 over then No. 24 Texas A&M at the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Colorado's last game was a 68-55 loss to Boise State in Myrtle Beach. KJ Simpson leads the team in scoring at 18.3 ppg. He had 23 points in the victory Tennessee and 30 against Texas A&M. Gabbidon is averaging 8.8 points in 24.0 minutes per game. CU opens Pac-12 play on Thursday against Arizona State. Colorado is tied for the most wins (78) and has the fourth-best winning percentage (.684) among Pac-12 teams since February 2019. The Buffaloes were 21-12 in 2021-22, logging their fourth-straight 20-win season. Tad Boyle is in his 17th year as the head coach at CU.