NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Following another historic season and ahead of the 2026 Ivy Madness Tournament, the Yale men's basketball team dominated postseason honors from the Ivy League. Head Coach
James Jones and his staff were named Co-Coaching Staff of the Year,
Nick Townsend earned Player of the Year, and
Casey Simmons took home Defensive Player of the Year honors. It marks the second consecutive year that the Bulldogs have swept both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and the fourth straight year a Bulldog has earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Additionally, Townsend was tabbed First Team All-Ivy (Unanimous selection) and Academic All-Ivy,
Isaac Celiscar garnered Second Team All-Ivy accolades, and Simmons earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors.
Jones and his staff—Associate Head Coach
Matt Kingsley, Assistant Coaches
Tobe Carberry and
Brandon Sherrod, and Director of Operations
Derrick Seldon—led the Bulldogs to an outstanding season, capturing the outright Ivy League title for the second consecutive year with a 23-5 overall record and an 11-3 mark in league play. The 23 wins tie a modern-day program record and represent the best performance during the Jones era. This title marks the eighth under Jones' leadership. Under Jones' guidance, Yale has achieved at least 10 Ivy League wins in 11 seasons, finished fourth or higher in the league for a remarkable 25 consecutive years, and reached 20 or more wins for four straight seasons.
Townsend, Yale's captain, is earning First Team All-Ivy and Academic All-Ivy honors for the second straight year. A psychology major, he's led on the court and in the classroom for the Bulldogs. He's in the midst of a stellar senior campaign, in which he leads Yale in scoring (16.5 ppg), which is good for seventh in the league. He also ranks third in the conference in rebounding (7.5 rpg), first in three-point percentage (48.3), and second in assists (4.1 apg). Additionally, the Chappaqua, New York, native has scored in double figures in 25 games and recorded five double doubles. He's garnered Ivy League Player of the Week honors twice, was also named the USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week, and is a finalist for College Insider's Nolan Richardson Award.
Simmons, who has consistently taken on the challenge of guarding the opposing teams' top scorers throughout the season, has been a central piece of Yale's defense, which ranks third in the league. He has started all 28 games and currently ranks fourth on the team with 109 total rebounds, second with 16 blocks, and third with 19 steals. In addition to his defensive impact, the senior has also contributed offensively as one of five Bulldogs averaging double figures, posting 10.3 points per game.
Celiscar has enjoyed a breakout sophomore season for Yale, ranking second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.2 points per game. He also sits second in rebounding with 5.9 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the league, and is second on the squad in assists with 86 total, averaging 3.1 per game. The Winter Haven, Florida native has scored in double figures in 21 games this season, highlighted by a career-high 23 points in the Paradise Jam Championship victory over Akron. Celiscar has also recorded four double-doubles, including a standout 14-point, 10-assist performance in Yale's dominant 102–68 win over Cornell.
Yale, is the No. 1 seed in this weekend's Ivy League Tournament. The Bulldogs play No. 4 Cornell on Saturday, Mar. 14 at 11 a.m. at the Big Red's Newman Arena.
