NEW HAVEN, Conn. - James Jones, the Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach of Men's Basketball, and August Mahoney '24 added another impressive honor to their careers on Sunday, Apr. 19, when they were inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame at the Hilton Hotel in Troy. Jones and Mahoney were among 16 distinguished inductees recognized for their achievements.
 
"I'm honored and humbled to be a member of the 2026 NYS Basketball Hall of Fame," said Jones. "To go in on the same night as Yale great August Mahoney was extremely special."
 
Jones, a Long Island native and Yale's all-time winningest coach, has compiled 442 career victories, including 236 in Ivy League play, the second-most in league history. This season, he has guided the Bulldogs to a 24–7 overall record, the most wins in the program's modern era, and an 11–3 Ivy League mark, securing their second consecutive league title and the eighth under his leadership. Under Jones, Yale has recorded at least 10 Ivy League wins in 11 seasons and has finished fourth or higher in the conference for an impressive 25 consecutive years. Over the past seven seasons, he has consistently led the program to Ivy League success, capturing either the regular-season title, the tournament championship, or both each year. The Bulldogs' accomplishments under Jones also include four Ivy League Tournament championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances, and 10 total postseason berths, including the NIT this season.
 
"Being inducted in the NYS Hall of Fame is an incredible honor," said Mahoney. "None of this would've been possible without the people and community at Yale."
 
Mahoney, a native of Saratoga Springs and Yale's 2023–24 team captain, started all 33 games that season and ranked fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game. His 72 made three-pointers tied for the third-most in a single season in school history, and he ranked second in the league with a .453 three-point shooting percentage. An Academic All-Ivy selection, Mahoney contributed 14 points in Yale's NCAA Tournament victory over Auburn and finished his career having played in 121 games, with 62 starts.