Elis stage coup with sudden shooting power

BY JON BERKON

With less than three minutes to go in the Ivy League pener at Harvard, the Yale men's bas ketball team seemed as likely to erase a road deficit as a '79 Dodge chasing a brand new BMW. The wheels had fallen off Yale's vehicle yet again—a string of turnovers led to a 7-1 Cantab run, turning a tied game into a seemingly comfortable Crimson lead. The breakdown was reminiscent of many Bulldog away games over the past three years, a period during which the Elis dropped 37 of 39 road contests. This year's team had been no different, having won only one out of nine away games. But the Elis did not stay in neutral last Fri., Jan. 12: they finally found the acceleration pedal, embarking on a 7-1 run to tie Harvard at 71-all at the end of regulation. With 21 seconds left in overtime, Ime Archibong, TD '03, drove and hit a lay-up to give him 15 points and his team a surprising 85-83 upset. The win gave Yale a 1-0 record in the Ivies and a triumph over its hated rival. Yet the game had significance more than ascention to the top of the standings or a chance to embarrass the Cantabs in Cambridge. It also eliminated a gnawing internal sense that the team was snake-bitten.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH

Unexpected heat

"We've become a lot more confident now," admitted guard Isaiah Cavaco, JE '01, who returned to the starting lineup this weekend. "We have played a lot of close games on the road in the last few years and we have usually lost. Now that we've actually won a game on the road, we do not expect to lose like we would have in the past."

The team's relief after the victory may have translated into lethargy the next night in Hanover, N. H. Buoyed by Yale's poor shooting in the first half, the then 2-10 Big Green jumped on the Elis, taking a commanding 55-36 lead with 15:08 to play. While last year's team might have waved the white towel, this year's squad demonstrated an elevated set of expectations. Head Coach James Jones inserted a blistering full-court press that re-energized the staggering Bulldogs and led to 11 second-half Dartmouth turnovers. Archibong credited his coach for changing the defensive strategy. "The press got a lot of things going," he said. "The team fed off of one and other. Someone would knock down a three, someone would get a steal, and then things just started to happen."

JULIA TIERNAN/YH

Fueled by six three-pointers—two by Chris Leanza, SY '03, and two by Matt Minoff, BR '04,—and seven steals, Yale erased the 19-point deficit with a 34-13 run, capped by a Leanza three-pointer that gave the Elis a 70-68 lead with 1:04 left on the clock. Cavaco, who missed much of last year with an injured knee, cemented his return to the starting lineup with four clutch free throws to seal a 74-70 victory. To Jones, the two wins represented a leap over a mental hurdle that had plagued his team during his tenure.

"The way we won [last weekend] gives the guys a lot of confidence in themselves," said the second-year coach, who has his second straight 2-0 Ivy start. "I think it is a good lesson. We watched the tape as a team and saw the differences [in] how a team goes about winning a game and how a team goes about losing a game. I think [the guys] believe in themselves a lot more now."

The first 12 games of the year had given the Elis a lot of first-hand knowledge of dropping close road games. Six of the team's nine road losses have been by 10 or fewer points, contributing to a sense that the Elis' record belied their solid play. "We knew we were getting better and [these wins] are showing us that our hard work is paying off. We are finally winning some games," said forward Tom Kritzer, PC '01.

Yale's strength in the non-conference games also makes one believe that last weekend's road victories did not represent a significant upgrade in quality of play, but merely a continuation of the team's steady level. In their first 12 games, the Elis played two NCAA squads from last year (Ohio State and Lafayette), one National Invitational Tournament team (California), and three teams (Colorado State, Cleveland State, Holy Cross) that have a combined 29-14 record this season. All of these games were played away from the John J. Lee Amphitheater and posed a far more difficult challenge than many of their fellow Ivy Leaguers faced. Instead of losing confidence in the midst of these tough defeats, the players took a more positive outlook.

"Playing better competition without worrying about the wins got us to the level that we should be at [as conference play approaches]," Archibong said. The tough game experience especially benefited the Elis because of the team's youth. Seven of Jones' 10-man rotation are either freshmen or sophomores, and the non-conference stretch allowed the players to get a feel for playing with one another on the court. The talent of this group was always evident, but the inexperience led to costly mistakes. "The pre-Ivy League season was a learning process for us," Archibong said. "We are playing like we did earlier in the season, but it comes down to the small things in order to win. We are finally starting to do some of those small things."

It's the small things that count

Ironically, the two categories traditionally associated with execution of the "small things"—rebounding and turnover differential—were statistical disasters against Harvard and only mediocre against Dartmouth. The Crimson out-rebounded the Bulldogs 46-35 and pulled down a commanding 26 offensive boards. The Elis also turned the ball over 10 more times in the game in Cambridge. The second shots and turnovers allowed Harvard a remarkable 26 more shot opportunities than Yale. Against Dartmouth, the Bulldogs committed eight fewer turnovers due to the second-half press, but again were out-worked on the glass, 36-24. Given the deficiencies in the "gritty" categories, how could Yale have won both games?

Great shooting. Those two words seemed anathema to the Elis in their first 12 games, as the team connected on only 38.5 percent of field goals and 65.5 percent of free throw attempts. Whether it was the chowder or the ghosts of Larry Bird, Cambridge transformed the Bulldogs from a bunch of Chris Dudleys to a group of sharpshooters that would make the National Rifle Association proud. Yale out-shot Harvard 53.1 percent to 36.0 percent from the field, 47.4 percent to 29.6 percent from behind the arc, and 82.8 percent to 67.7 percent from the line. Excellent shooting allowed the Elis to grab a win despite their shot deficit. Against Dartmouth, the team won the game with a 92.9 percent free throw percentage that gave them a plus-14-point differential from the stripe. Generally, teams do not improve their shooting ability overnight, which may make some wonder whether these two games were more reflective of an aberration than a new quality of play. While Jones admits that players shot above their heads over the weekend, he also believes that the Bulldogs' percentage in its first 12 games was not a good predictor for the future.

"Your shooting percentage isn't going to be as great against some of the teams that we've played as opposed to when we play teams on our athletic level," Jones explained. "We are a team that should shoot in the mid to high 40s."

Both Jones and some of the other players believe that their rebounding effort was below potential, and the fact that they won despite being out-boarded is a good sign, not a bad one. Because the team starts the 6'10'' Kritzer and the 6'1'' center Neil Yanke, MC '01, there is no excuse for losing so badly on the glass. One of the problems has been Yanke's penchant for getting into foul trouble, which has plagued him over the past three games. In the four games prior to his slump, the 6'1'' center averaged 14.3 points per game and 7.0 rebound per game. Over the last three, though, he has only put up 6.6 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game.

If Yanke can regain his former level of play and composure, the Bulldogs have the potential to roll, since they have quietly developed one of the top backcourts in the league. Leanza has established himself as the best player on the team. His excellent stats—15.5 points per game, 3.3 assists per game, 35.9 minutes per game and a 46.7 percent from three—do not capture his leadership and improving scoring ability that has led to 19.5 points per game and 50.8 percent (30 for 59) from behind the arc in the last eight games. Right beside Leanza, Archibong has been blossoming; named Ivy League Player of the Week, he complements the outside play of his point guard with a slashing, penetrating style that takes advantage of his strong build. Archi-bong's vast improvement from last year—he only scored 21 points all season—has been vital to the Eli's young squad.

"Ime is an inspiration on the court," Jones said. "He worked so hard in the offseason and is a much better player than he was last year. He and Chris mean a lot to this team."

Archibong's ability to guard small opposing forwards has allowed Jones to use Cavaco in a three-guard set that gives the Elis a different look on the floor. Adding composure and ball-handling skills, the senior allows Leanza to play off-guard and explore his deadly three-point game. With Cavaco's handling, Leanza's accuracy, and Archibong's inside abilities, the Elis have a backcourt trifecta that can beat the opposition in numerous ways.

On Fri. Jan. 19, Jones will take his highly confident team back home, where it is 2-0 this season, to face Brown. To have their second straight 3-0 Ivy start, the Bulldogs must avoid complacency, rebound better, and stop All-Ivy Leaguer guard Earl Hunt '03, who scorched them last year. But in the week that has passed since the Elis stared a six-point deficit in the face, the team seems to have found a steady pace and a new star that should drive them to success. And it helps that this young bunch will be racing teams with similar horsepower. Photo of Chris Leanza, SY '03, and Neil Yanke, MC '01, by Julia Tiernan.

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