First-place Yale goes on the road to show who's top dog in Ivies

After dropping eight of 10 games to open the season, the Yale men's basketball team has faced an uphill battle in preparing for a competitive Ivy League schedule.

MELISSA GARRNE/YH Niel Yanke, MC '01, rises above yet another opposing defender.

However, the Bulldogs have since won four of six games, including the close ones they gave away earlier in the season. They beat league rivals Harvard, Dartmouth, and Brown by a combined 11 points, overcoming a 19-point deficit to down the Big Green. Three weeks into the Ivy season, Yale finds itself in an unusual position, sitting alone atop the league with a 3-0 record. Head Coach James Jones commented, "Early on we lost a lot of games we could have won, mostly due to our inexperience. I think our turnaround came against Army, when we gave up a big lead and then came back late to win. After that win, we started to believe in ourselves, and we have really gelled as a team."

Guard Chris Leanza, SY '03, has led the team in scoring and skillfully controls the ball, having dished out 56 assists this season. Captain Neil Yanke, MC '01, provides a strong and consistent presence in the middle, intimidating opponents with his 6'11'' frame. But the deciding factor may be guard Ime Archibong, TD '03, who scored 35 points against Harvard and Dartmouth. According to Jones, Archibong has shown "the most marked improvement from one season to the next of any player I have ever coached."

The Bulldogs have not played since Tues., Jan. 23, when they suffered their first home loss of the season at the hands of Penn State. With more than a week between contests, the team has had time to recuperate as it prepares to play the bulk of its Ivy schedule. The Bulldogs hit the road Fri., Feb. 2 for a weekend doubleheader against perennial Ivy favorites Penn and Princeton. The newly confident Bulldogs look forward to the challenge that this road trip presents and hope to maintain their lead in the league standings.

"We've finally found a way to win, to make the crucial stop on defense and hit the basket on offense," Leanza said. "I think we have a great shot to win the league, and winning one or both games this weekend would be a step in the right direction. Anything less than a league championship would be a disappointment." —Kenneth Hammond

Back to Sports...