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Ivy League Basketball: 2020 conference tournament preview and predictions

By Jacob Matteson

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 15: A basketball net, hoop and backboard are shown before a semifinal game of the of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 15: A basketball net, hoop and backboard are shown before a semifinal game of the of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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The Bulldogs Have Had One of Their Best Seasons In Decades Thanks to Paul Atkinson and Jordan Bruner And Look Poised To Keep The Title in New Haven.

Had you asked anyone after star guard, Miye Oni, signed with an agent to enter the NBA Draft would the Bulldogs have been where they are right now?  Many would’ve probably said no.

Except for James Jones and his boys.

For just the second time in the KenPom era, Yale has reached 23 regular seasons wins.  With wins over Vermont and Clemson, and close calls to Penn State, North Carolina, and Oklahoma State this is a Bulldog team that has found ways to rebound nicely from the loss of their NBA Draftee.

Who fuels this team is Junior big man, Paul Atkinson.  A do-it-all player, Atkinson has established himself as the front runner for the Ivy League Player of The Year and his numbers tell a pretty strong story in that regard.

Scoring just a hair under 18 points per outing on 60.3% shooting, the efficiency of Atkinson is hard to overlook.  He scored 20+ points in 12 games this season and will prove to be the focal point of the opposition scouting reports this weekend.

Yet if Atkinson is the driving force for Yale, the X-factor is undoubtedly Jordan Bruner.  The bouncy Senior rallied back from a torn ACL a few years ago to leave his fingerprints all over the 2019-20 season.

With just 10.9 PPG, he isn’t the dominant scorer that Atkinson is but his 9.2 RPG leads the Ivy, his 1.7 BPG placed him third, and what might be the most important aspect to his game is his passing.

Bruner posts 3.7 APG and has shown to open the floor up from the block with his ability to create and defer to others.  This allows scoring threats like Atkinson and their shooter Azar Swain (38% from deep) to find their rhythm.

Not only is Yale the favorite to win the Ivy, but they could also be a trendy upset pick in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament should they punch their ticket.