Ben Raab, Contributing Photographer

SPOKANE — At approximately 2,200 miles, Yale’s journey from New Haven to Spokane is the longest of any team in this year’s NCAA tournament. Now, they’ll look to make the trip worth it.

No. 13 seeded Yale (22–9, 13–3 Ivy) is set to face No. 4 Auburn (27–7, 16–5 SEC) in March Madness’s round of 64 this Friday. The Bulldogs punched their ticket last Sunday after a buzzer-beating layup narrowly lifted them over Brown in the Ivy League tournament finals. Meanwhile, the Tigers are coming off of a dominant three-game run in the SEC tournament capped by an 86–67 win over Florida in the championship game. 

“Auburn wants to punch you in the face when the game starts, they wanna come after you,” Yale head coach James Jones said Thursday afternoon. “But our guys have been battle-tested and they’ll be ready.” 

 A fast, athletic team, the Tigers thrive off constant ball pressure and movement on defense – a unit that ranks fourth in the nation according to kenpom.com. As a team, they hold opposing offenses to a nation-leading 42.8 percent shooting on 2-point attempts while also top ten in the country at limiting teams from the three-point line, keeping shooters to 29.8 percent from deep.

On offense, the “War Eagles” excel at finding shots around the rim and getting to the free-throw line. 6’10 forward Johni Broome leads the team with 16.2 points on 54.4 percent shooting from the field. Three-pointers account for only 28.9 percent of the Tigers’ points, but all five of their starters are capable shooters when allowed space. 

This is the Bulldogs’ second trip to Spokane this season. Yale first made the trip in November to face Gonzaga. In that game, Jones’s squad got out to an early ten-point lead but ultimately fell 86–71. In another high-profile matchup, the Bulldogs traveled for a game against Kansas in December, where they held a lead at halftime but wound up losing 75–60. 

“Coach did a great job of scheduling our non-conference games and putting us against tough teams,” captain August Mahoney ’24 said. “So we’ll be ready.” 

Still, Auburn – ranked as the nation’s fourth-best team – is the Bulldogs’ toughest test yet. The Tigers are 24–0 this season against non-quad one opponents, winning those games by an average margin of 16.2 points.  

To put themselves in the best position to advance to the round of 32, Yale must play at their own pace, excel in key matchups and win the rebounding battle. 

Play at Bulldog speed, not Tiger speed

Yale and Auburn are two of the most opposite teams in the tournament with regard to their pace of play. The Bulldogs rank 335th in time per possession while the Tigers are 47th. 

The War Eagles will look to seize control of the game early by overwhelming Yale with a fast-paced transition offense and attempting to force turnovers through defensive pressure. 

In this regard, Auburn plays a similar style to Cornell, who Yale played three times this season, including in the Ivy League semifinals. Both Cornell and Auburn rely on a deep bench and frequent substitutions to support a high-octane style of play. Ten different Auburn players average at least 13 minutes of playing time per game. 

As they did against the Big Red this past weekend, Yale must stay connected on both sides of the ball and look to play at their own pace. Finding looks on the perimeter for their two best shooters — Mahoney and John Poulakidas ’25 — in the onset of the game will open up space offensively and relieve some of the Tigers’ pressure. The sharpshooting duo has connected on a combined 41 percent from behind the arc this season on over 300 attempts. 

Mahoney, who knocked down eight of 13 threes in last weekend’s tournament, expressed confidence in his shot while also emphasizing Yale’s offensive versatility. 

“We’re always gonna have four other guys on offense that can score the ball,” he said. “So I know when my teammate sets a screen for me, they’ve gotta be worried about me but also the guy coming off the screen.”  

All five players in Yale’s starting lineup average double-digit scoring figures.

Matchups to watch

Forward Danny Wolf’s ’26 will be challenged both offensively and defensively by Auburn’s Broome. Both big men are “go-to” options for their respective teams, and lead their teams in points, rebounds and blocks. 

“He’s really big and he’s also got great skills,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said of the 7-foot Wolf. “He’s got a great feel for the game and can pass it over either shoulder.”  

Wolf’s ability to shoot from deep and run the Elis offense from the perimeter could open up space for cutters by forcing Broome outside of the paint. Pearl pointed out that Yale’s tendency to run a “five-out” style of offense – where all five players play on the perimeter – is not something the Tigers have much experience defending.  

On defense, Wolf must be physical with Broome, who likes to catch the ball around the rim and use his size to create room for easy layups. 

If the Tigers have any weaknesses, it’s in their backcourt, where Denver Jones and first-year guard Aden Holloway combine for just over 15 points and four assists per game. Yale point guard Bez Mbeng ’25, a second-team All-Ivy selection and the two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, will be the best defender on the court. Mbeng can swing the game in Yale’s favor by using his athleticism and hustle to create chaos on the perimeter and make it difficult for the Tiger guards to find Broome on the inside.  

Battle on the boards 

Yale outrebounded Baylor 36–32 in their 79-75 upset victory over the Bears in the first round of the 2016 NCAA tournament.  

This season, the Elis biggest strength as a team is on the defensive boards, where they rank 13th in the nation. In a fairly evenly sized matchup, Yale must use this to their advantage and keep the Tigers from racking up second-chance points. 

If Yale can rebound against Auburn the way they did vs Baylor, they’ll be a step closer to repeating history. 

Friday’s game will tip off at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time and be televised nationally on TNT.

Correction, March 22: A previous version of this article mislabeled Yale’s seed; the Bulldogs are a No. 13 seed.