Busting Brackets
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Ivy League Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2018-19

By Tristan Freeman

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 12: The Princeton Tigers hoist the championship trophy after the win against the Yale Bulldogs in the Ivy League tournament final at The Palestra on March 12, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Princeton won 71-59. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 12: The Princeton Tigers hoist the championship trophy after the win against the Yale Bulldogs in the Ivy League tournament final at The Palestra on March 12, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Princeton won 71-59. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 12: Trey Phills #13 of the Yale Bulldogs reacts after a dunk against the Princeton Tigers during the first half of the Ivy League tournament final at The Palestra on March 12, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 12: Trey Phills #13 of the Yale Bulldogs reacts after a dunk against the Princeton Tigers during the first half of the Ivy League tournament final at The Palestra on March 12, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

2. Yale Bulldogs

2017-18 season record: 16-15 (9-5)

Credit to the Bulldogs for still managing to have a winning conference record, despite not having two projected starters all of last season. Former Ivy League Player of the Year Makai Mason is now at Baylor but Yale does get back forward Jordan Bruner, who averaged 8.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg as a freshman in 2017. He and rising senior Blake Reynolds will form a great frontcourt for them this season.

While the Bulldogs won’t have their previous Conference Player of the Year, they’ll have one of the favorites to win it this season in Miye Oni. His averages (15.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 3.6 apg) each led the team and he was the key figure in Yale pulling off the nine Ivy wins. The 6’6 wing is an outstanding athlete who still is getting better in the game of basketball.

He’s not the only one coming back, with about 95% of the team’s overall production also returning. Even better, Alex Copeland, Trey Phills and the previously mentioned Reynolds will all be juniors, giving Yale the edge on experience on most opponents. If healthy, the Bulldogs not only will claim one of the four spots but they’ll also be contending for both the regular-season and conference tournament titles with the No. 1 team on the list.