Yale to be tested by schedule

After missing last season because of COVID-19 precautions, the Yale men’s basketball team will return to the court Nov. 9.

Yale announced Tuesday its 2021-22 schedule, which kicks off against Vassar at Payne Whitney Gymnasium. Three nights later, the Bulldogs host UMass in the Minutemen’s first trip to New Haven since 1968.

Yale follows with Seton Hall in the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-off on Nov. 14 at the Prudential Center in Newark. Later in November, Yale plays two games in the tournament in Fort Myers, Fla.

Other non-conference opponents include Auburn, Vermont, Siena, Stony Brook, and Iona. The Bulldogs will play Iona, coached by Rick Pitino, in the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational on Dec. 12 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Barclays is home to the Brooklyn Nets, owned by Yale alum and supporter Joe Tsai.

Nine of Yale’s 15 nonconference opponents had winning records last season. Three were in the top 100 of the final NCAA Net

Ratings and six were in the top 125.

“We’re beyond excited to get back to competing,” Yale coach James Jones said in a statement. “The year off has served us well, and we’re ready. Our 2021-22 schedule is extremely competitive and will give us an opportunity to grow as a program.”

The previously-announced Ivy League schedule opens Jan. 2 against Columbia at home.

Yale is the two-time defending Ivy League champion and is 143-72 overall and 72-36 in the league over the past seven seasons. The run includes four league titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances.

Yale 2021-22 schedule

Nov. 9 — Vassar

Nov. 12 — UMass

Nov. 14 — at Seton Hall (Rocket Mortgage Fort

Myers Tip-Off )

Nov. 16— at Siena

Nov. 19 — at Vermont

Nov. 23 — vs. Southern Utah (Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off )

Nov. 24 — vs. UW Milwaukee/Bowling Green (Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off )

Nov. 28 — Stony Brook Dec. 1 — Lehigh

Dec. 4 — at Auburn

Dec. 7 — Albany

Dec. 12 — vs. Iona (Barclays Center, Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational)

Dec. 14 — Monmouth

Dec. 23 — Howard

Dec. 28 — at St. Mary’s Jan. 2 — Columbia

Jan. 7 — at Dartmouth Jan. 8 — at Harvard

Jan. 15 — Cornell

Jan. 17 — at Brown

Jan. 22 — at Penn

Jan. 29 — at Princeton Feb. 4 — Dartmouth

Feb. 5 — Harvard

Feb. 12 — at Columbia

Feb. 18 — Penn

Feb. 19 — Princeton

Feb. 26 — at Cornell

Mar. 5 — Brown

Mitchell Layton / Getty Images Yale coach James Jones looks on against Howard during a game in 2020.