Yale’s Nick Townsend never seriously considered following the lead of so many other mid-major stars who decided to finish their careers at power-conference programs.
He instead opted to chase a third straight NCAA Tournament berth at the place that has helped the 6-foot-7 forward develop into one of the top Ivy League performers.
“I feel fully loyal to this program,” Townsend said. “The coaches have done a great job. I think so highly of them. I couldn’t imagine myself leaving this team. I wanted to finish out here, for sure.”
Townsend enters his senior season as one of the top players from traditional one-bid leagues after collecting 15.4 points 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season. He closed his 2024-25 season by scoring 15 points in an 80-71 NCAA Tournament loss to Texas A&M. He came off the bench two seasons ago while helping Yale upset Auburn in the first round of March Madness.
Townsend intends to become a more prolific 3-point shooter this season after going 27 of 56 from beyond the arc as a junior. He spent much of the preseason trying to improve his range and get more comfortable attempting contested outside shots with a hand in his face.
He also spent part of this summer playing alongside fellow Ivy Leaguers Avery Brown of Columbia, Jackson Hicke of Princeton and Chandler Piggé of Harvard on the USA roster in the World University Games 3×3 basketball tournament.
His brother Matt played at Yale and graduated in 2015. His grandfather, mother and sister played various sports at Harvard, as did two of his uncles.
Townsend said he wasn’t necessarily set on playing at an Ivy League school but was looking for the best fit. He found that at Yale. James Jones, who coached Townsend’s brother at Yale, remains there as he begins his 27th season. Yale assistant coach Brandon Sherrod was Matt Townsend’s college teammate.
“I just really felt like a family feel,” Townsend said. “It was somewhere I could trust. It was a pretty easy decision.”
Other players to watch from traditional one-bid leagues this season:
Austin Benigni, Navy
Benigni, a 5-11 guard, led the Patriot League in points per game (18.8) and ranked second in assists per game (4.3) last season. He ranked fifth among all Division I players in free throws made (220) and attempted (255). That followed a 2023-24 season in which he scored 17 points per game.
Dominique Daniels Jr., Cal Baptist
Daniels scored 19.2 points per game in 2023-24, which represented the highest scoring average by any player at Cal Baptist since it became a Division I program in 2018-19. The 5-10 guard then broke his own record by scoring 19.6 points per game last season..
Javohn Garcia, McNeese
Garcia was the Southland Conference player of the year last season while helping McNeese reach the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32. He also was the most valuable player of the Southland Conference Tournament. The 6-3 guard scored 12.6 points per game. Garcia began his college career at UMass.
Amarri Monroe, Quinnipiac
Monroe averaged 18.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals last season as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the year. The 6-7 forward scored at least 20 points in 10 of his final 12 games last season.
Tyler Tejada, Towson
This 6-foot-9 swingman is coming off a season in which he was the Coastal Athletic Association player of the year and a finalist for the Lou Henson Award that goes annually to the nation’s top mid-major player. Tejada scored 16.7 points per game while helping Towson go 22-11.
Chase Walker, Illinois State
Walker had 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season to earn first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference honors. The 6-9 forward had 20 points per game in the Purple College Basketball Invitational and was named that event’s most valuable player.
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By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
