NCAA Sweet 16 Preview: Yeshiva @ Emory

For years, the Sweet 16 was something Yeshiva basketball could only imagine.

In 2020, the Macs earned their spot there. They dominated the first two rounds and were ready to take the next step. And then the world stopped. The tournament was cancelled. The moment disappeared before it ever arrived.

Now, six years later, the Macs finally get to play the game. Here we are.

For the first time in program history, YU are actually stepping onto a Sweet 16 floor. And the road to get here has been anything but easy. Last weekend in Montclair State, the Macs were the only non-host team to win a pod. Instead of cruising into the next round, they survived a thriller against Bates and then turned around the next night to overwhelm Maine-Farmington. Two very different games. One result. Still dancing.

Now the challenge gets even steeper. On Friday at 1:00PM, you’ll find the Macs facing the second-ranked team in the country on their home floor in Atlanta: the Emory Eagles.

It’s the kind of matchup where the underdog label comes quickly and easily. The kind where every possession feels like you’re climbing uphill. My brother said something to me last week that stuck. “You would think YU would be a second-half team.” The truth is, they haven’t been. All season long, the Macs have often been the team that punches first, builds early leads, and forces opponents to chase them.

Friday in Toco Hills will probably feel different. Against a team like Emory, the Macs may feel like they’re fighting uphill even when the score is tied. But that’s March and more importantly, Adar Madness.

The climb gets steeper. Yet, this group has spent the entire season learning how to climb. They won’t be afraid of the moment. And when they step on that floor, they won’t just be playing for themselves; they’ll be carrying the Jewish Basketball world with them. 

The Macs travel to Atlanta for a historic Sweet 16 matchup with Emory (Yeshiva Athletics)

Meet Emory:

Emory is ranked second in the country and is widely considered one of the premier programs in Division III basketball. They play in the brutally competitive UAA, which is known for producing national contenders year after year. 

Under head coach Jason Zimmerman, the Eagles have become a national power built on elite ball movement, perimeter shooting, versatile wings, and disciplined defense. This year’s team follows that blueprint almost perfectly.

Emory averages 89 points per game and wins games by an average of 12 points. They shoot nearly 47% from the field, hit about 8-9 threes per game, and average close to 20 assists per night, making them one of the most assist-heavy offenses in the nation.

The ball rarely sticks. They swing it, drive it, kick it, and constantly force defenses to rotate.

They also have size and athleticism across the perimeter. The Eagles regularly play multiple wings in the range of 6-3 to 6-6 who can switch defensively, rebound, shoot, and attack closeouts. That versatility is one of the biggest reasons they’re so difficult to guard. And they aren’t just a perimeter team. The Eagles average over 42 rebounds per game, attack the offensive glass, and generate second-chance opportunities. Defensively, they hold opponents to about 40% shooting, protect the rim well, and consistently contest threes while forcing turnovers. Their roster is loaded with experienced players who’ve been here before. The Eagles' leaders are set on finishing this season as national champions. 

Senior guard Jair Knight, a Division I transfer and preseason All-American candidate, sets the tone as a physical two-way presence who can score inside and out. Senior guard Ben Pearce, another Division I transfer, runs the offense with poise, shooting ability, and excellent decision-making. AJ Harris provides versatile minutes across the wing, while forward Ethan Fauss adds scoring, rebounding, and interior size at 6 foot 9.

They often go 8-10 deep in their rotation, meaning fatigue rarely becomes a factor. Emory’s athletic guards can create problems for the Macs, and if the Eagles turn the game into a track meet, that’ll favor them too. Max Zakheim may not be fully healthy, as he was nursing a toe injury last week, and Zevi Samet will see lots of attention defensively from the start. It means the Macs will need big defensive performances, maybe from someone like Nate Jacobs, as he did in the round of 32 against Maine-Farmington, to slow down Emory’s perimeter attack in the halfcourt.

Yet the reason YU fans believe, despite being labeled delusional by the outsiders and the team being 0-6 against the teams remaining, is because this team has grown. They’ve learned from those early-season losses. They’ve tightened defensively. They’re executing offensively. And they’re playing their best basketball at the most important time of the year.

Control the Tempo and Turn It Into a Half-Court Game:

Emory wants this game played fast and fluid. Their offense thrives on ball movement, early offense, and forcing defenses to rotate until someone gets an open look. When they’re humming, the ball barely touches the floor before it swings side to side.

YU cannot let this become a possession avalanche. The Macs’ advantage lies in their structured half-court offense, where the motion system forces defenses to make difficult decisions over a full 30 second possession. The longer a possession lasts, the more Emory has to defend cuts, screens, and reads.

That limits the Eagles' transition opportunities for layups and reduces the number of possessions in the game, which, against a deeper, more athletic team, is usually the underdog’s friend.

If YU can force Emory into a methodical half-court game instead of an up-tempo flow, they’ll give themselves a shot at shocking the world.

Keep the turnovers to a minimum:

Against a team like Emory, giveaways can turn into points in a hurry. The Eagles are athletic on the perimeter and aggressive defensively. Their guards will dig at the ball, jump passing lanes, and try to speed up their opponents. One careless pass or loose handle can quickly turn into a transition opportunity the other way. The Macs are at their best when the offense is patient and controlled, when the motion system has time to develop and force the defense to make decisions. Turnovers short-circuit that process. Instead of making Emory defend for thirty seconds, you’re suddenly giving them an easy look before your defense even gets set. YU must force Emory to beat them rather than beating themselves. 

YU needs the old Zevi Samet Back:

The Macs need the version of Zevi Samet that has defined his career. Samet has built one of the greatest resumes in program history, but over the last three halves, his offensive presence has been dormant. Against the Eagles, that version of Samet will mean they’re toast. The Macs need the aggressive scorer who relocates off screens, punishes defenders who help too far off him, and isn’t afraid to take big shots when possessions break down. Even when Samet isn’t scoring, his gravity changes the way defenses operate. When defenders stay glued to him, driving lanes open for Dovrat and others, and the motion offense suddenly has more room to breathe. Yet when he becomes passive, the floor shrinks and opposing defenses can focus more attention on the rest of the offense. For YU to truly threaten an upset on Emory’s home floor, the Macs will need their all-time leading scorer to play like it.

Yoav Oselka must win the interior battle: 

Emory has size. They have athletic wings. Yet if there’s one place YU can impose itself in this matchup, it’s the interior through Yoav Oselka. In the wins over Bates and Maine-Farmington, Oselka’s impact went way beyond the box score. Yes, he scored. But what mattered was everything else he did. He sealed defenders inside, finished through contact, controlled rebounds on both ends, and anchored the defense when things got chaotic.

When the game started to swing, Oselka stabilized it. Against Emory, that kind of presence becomes even more important.

If Oselka can establish deep position, draw fouls on Emory’s forwards, and force their defense to collapse into the paint, the entire YU offense starts to open up. Even if he doesn’t score 20 points, his presence alone creates space. When defenders have to help on him, suddenly shooters like Samet, Dothan Bardichev, and Zakheim start getting better looks. If Emory can guard YU one-on-one across the floor, the Macs will struggle to generate clean offense and you can start packing for the summer. If Oselka starts demanding double teams, the motion offense begins to hum.

And that’s where the other half of the equation comes in freshman star Yair Dovrat.

The Dovrat–Oselka partnership has quietly become the engine of YU’s offense. At 6'7”, Dovrat gives the Macs something most teams simply don’t have, which is a primary playmaker with size. He can see over pressure, pass over traps, and find angles other guards can’t.

When he’s working with Oselka in the middle of the floor, defenses are forced into tough decisions. Switch the action, and Oselka suddenly has a smaller defender inside. Hedge or trap, and Dovrat has the height to deliver passes over the defense to cutters and shooters. When those two are clicking together, everything starts to flow. Oselka pulls defenders into the paint. Dovrat punishes the help. The ball starts moving. The motion offense starts breathing. And if that connection is working Friday, the Macs will be able to control the rhythm of the game instead of letting Emory’s athleticism dictate it.

Defend like your life depends on it:

After the 92-69 Round of 32 win, head coach Elliot Steinmetz said it simply when asked about Emory: The Macs have to be ready to defend, which is the real test waiting for them as they arrive in Atlanta.

All year long, defense has been the foundation of this team. It carried them through the Skyline season and it carried over last weekend in Montclair. Against Bates and Maine-Farmington, the Macs controlled the paint, finished possessions with rebounds, and forced opponents into difficult shots. 

Yet Emory averages close to 20 assists per game for a reason. Akin to the Macs, they make you guard the entire floor for the entire possession, meaning YU’s defensive discipline must be perfect. Closeouts have to be on point. Ball support has to arrive. And maybe most importantly, every defensive stop has to end with a rebound, because Emory will punish teams with second chances and layups. This is not the kind of opponent you stop with one great defender.

You stop them with five guys moving in sync. The Macs have defended well down the strech.

Now they’ll have to do it against one of the most efficient offenses in Division III.

If the Dovrat–Oselka connection controls the middle of the floor, if the Macs can slow the game into a half-court battle, and if Samet finds his rhythm again, the climb in Atlanta suddenly becomes more manageable. And in March, that’s all a team needs. A chance. 

How To Watch:

Tip-Off is at 1:00PM from Woodruff PE Center in Emory. You can watch the game here.