NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After a standout career at Yale, Nick Townsend '26 will take his talents to the next level after being named to the Philadelphia 76ers' Summer League roster, as announced by the organization on Monday. Additionally, three other former Bulldogs will also be seeing NBA offseason action, as Bez Mbeng '25 is suiting up for the Utah Jazz, John Poulakidas '25 for the Dallas Mavericks, and Danny Wolf for the Brooklyn Nets.
 
"So proud and happy for Nick," said James Jones, the Joel E. Smilow '54 Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "He's worked extremely hard over his time at Yale and I'm excited to see him compete at this level."
 
Mbeng and the Jazz began play at the hometown Salt Lake City Summer League on July 4 and continues through July 6-7. Mbeng, Wolf, Poulakidas, and Townsend will then compete with their respective teams at the NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas, featuring all 30 NBA teams, from July 9-19 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada. All 76 games of the 11-day event will air live on Prime Video and ESPN platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN+).
 
"I want to first give my thanks to the entire Yale program for helping me get to this point," said Townsend. I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity. It will also be great to see some of my former Yale teammates out in Vegas."
 
Townsend, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, delivered an exceptional senior campaign. He led Yale in scoring with 16.3 points per game, placing eighth in the league, while also ranking third in rebounds (7.4 per game) and second in assists (4.3 per game). The Chappaqua, New York native scored in double figures in 28 games and recorded five double-doubles. A two-time First Team All-Ivy honoree, Townsend has earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors twice this season and was named USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week. He also played at the NABC Reese's All-Star Game and competed at the 72nd Annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in mid-April.
 
Mbeng, who signed a two-year contract with Utah in early April, appeared in 15 games for the Jazz this past season, averaging 32.8 minutes per game, 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. He finished the season with three straight double-digit scoring performances, highlighted by a triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. He also had a strong showing in his first NBA start, recording 13 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting, along with six rebounds and a team-high seven assists.
 
Poulakidas, who signed a two-way contract with Dallas in March, appeared in 13 games for the Mavericks, averaging 19.5 minutes per game, along with 8.8 points per game, shooting 42.9% from the field and 40.3% from three-point range. He finished the season strong with three consecutive double-digit scoring outings, highlighted by a 28-point performance on 9-of-18 shooting, including 8-of-16 from beyond the arc, and added four assists in a win over Chicago.
 
Wolf, who played with the Bulldogs from 2022 to 2024 and was drafted in the first round as the 27th overall pick by the Nets last season, played in 57 games for Brooklyn. He averaged 20.8 minutes per game, 8.9 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game.