NEW HAVEN, Conn. – James Jones, The Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of Yale men's basketball, will welcome three first years to the program this fall. Jordan Brathwaite, Isaac Celiscar and Riley Fox all bring strong credentials.
 
The three join a team coming off a memorable 2023-24 season. The Bulldogs won an NCAA Tournament game for just the second time, defeating Auburn 78-76 in the first round, captured the Ivy League Tournament title for the third time and won 23 games, matching the most in the modern era of Yale men's basketball.
 
Here is a closer look at the Class of 2028:
 

Jordan Brathwaite
Guard
6-4 | 190
Fulton, Md.
Mount Saint Joseph
Team Melo

 
High School: Baltimore Metro Player of the Year at Mount Saint Joseph… MIAA A Conference Player of the Year… First team All-State and All-BCL selection… Averaged 18 ppg., 6 rpg. and 4 apg. while scoring more than 1,000 points in his career… Helped lead Mount Saint Joseph to the MIAA championship.
 
AAU: Played for Team Melo.
 
Personal: Hobbies include cooking… Has done community service at his local church.
 
Why Yale? "It has a perfect balance of rigorous academics and competitive athletics that will set me up for success in life."
 
Jones on Brathwaite: "Jordan is a combo guard from the DMV. He played in one of the toughest high school leagues in the country, has a high skill level and plays with a great toughness."
 

Isaac Celiscar
Forward
6-6 | 210
Winter Haven, Fla.
Winter Haven High School
1Family Hoops

 
High School: Scored 1,927 points at Winter Haven High School, the second most in school history… Two-time All-State selection, including first team honors as a senior… Back-to-back Polk County Player of the Year… Two-time Kingdom of the Sun Tournament MVP… Averaged 21.5 ppg., 9.2 rpg., 5.0 apg and 1.3 blocks per game… Grabbed a school record 1,060 rebounds in his career… Helped Winter Haven advance to the state championship game and win three regional championships and two district titles.
 
AAU: Played for 1Family Hoops.
 
Personal: Older brother Joshua Celiscar plays football at Texas A&M after transferring from Central Florida… Older brother Donald Celiscar played professional football with the Indianapolis Colts and in Canada and is currently a defensive back coach at Western Michigan, where he played as an undergraduate… Volunteer with Hoops Haven Youth Program.
 
Why Yale? "Because I love the culture and I'll be getting the best of both worlds academically and athletically. On my official visit, I felt Yale was the place I wanted to be. I liked the team, I liked the diversity and the cultural differences."
 
Jones on Celiscar: "Isaac is a combo forward from a winning high school program. He's extremely competitive and plays with a great deal of confidence."

Riley Fox
Forward
6-6 | 195
West Hartford, Conn.
Conard High School
Elite EYBL

 
High School: 2024 Connecticut Coaches Player of the Year at Conard High School… Three-time All-State selection and earned All-Conference honors all four years… Sixth all-time on the Connecticut high school scoring list with 2,167 career points… Conard's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, second all-time in assists… Averaged 29.4 ppg., 12.8 rpg., 3.0 apg. while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range… Helped Conard advance to the state semifinals.
 
AAU: Played for Expressions Elite EYBL.
 
Personal: Played the saxophone in the jazz band… Worked Conard Basketball camps… National Honors Society… Collaborated with Friends of Feeney to raise money for people in need… Took part in A Shot of Life to help raise money for cancer research.
 
Why Yale? "Because of the connections I made with the coaching staff and players on the team. I live in Connecticut and the fact that my whole family will be able to come down to New Haven and watch me play is huge. I want my family to be along the journey with me as well and want them to see me grow. Yale is an incredible school with incredible people and that is the kind of environment I want to be in."
 
Jones on Fox: "Riley is a combo forward with a very high skill level. He is an incredible shooter with range, plays with pace and is a great teammate."