NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Following another impressive season and ahead of the 2025 Ivy Madness Tournament, three Bulldogs received postseason honors from the Ivy League. Bez Mbeng was named Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season and earned Player of the Year honors, becoming the first player to win both awards in the same year. Mbeng was also named to the First-Team All-Ivy alongside John Poulakidas and Nick Townsend, who was also selected as Yale's Academic All-Ivy honoree.
 
Mbeng is the sixth player in program history to receive Player of the Year honors and the fifth to be named Defensive Player of the Year. Under James Jones' leadership as head coach, Yale has had the league's Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year five times.
 
Mbeng has been a dominant presence on both ends of the court. The senior holds the program record for career steals with 191 and has surpassed 1,000 career points. Mbeng leads the nation with three triple-doubles and is one of just six active players with multiple career triple-doubles. He ranks 22nd nationally and first in the conference in assists per game (5.9). The Potomac, Maryland, native has also scored in double figures in 21 games this season and ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.4 points per game.
 
Poulakidas has been sensational this season, leading the Ivy League in scoring, averaging 19.3 points per game. The senior has over 1,000 career points and has notched double figures in 23 games this season, including 12 games with 20+ points. A native of Naperville, Illinois, Poulakidas ranks 15th nationally in free throw percentage (89.6%) and 23rd in three-pointers per game (3.13). His 231 career three-pointers are the second most in program history, and his 75 made threes this season rank third in Yale's single-season records.
 
Townsend, a Psychology major, has excelled in the classroom and on the court. He's started in all 27 games, averaging 15.4 points per game, which ranks second on the team. Townsend has tallied double figures in 24 games, and has recorded six double doubles, which ranks first in the league. He also ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (53.3) and third in rebounds per game (7.1).
 
Yale, who finished the regular season with a 20-7 overall record and an 13-1 Ivy mark, is the No. 1 seed in this weekend's Ivy League Tournament. The Bulldogs play No. 4 Princeton on Saturday, Mar. 15 at 11 a.m. at Brown's Pizzitola Sports Center.