Morrison, Aldredge, Gay, and Foye will lead their teams to the final four. I think the Zags will get past a suprising regional final game against Arkansas. Texas will beat LSU, b/c LSU will be drained and overexcited about beating a very beatable Duke team. UConn will win over the Coach of the Year's Tar Heels, simply due to the fact that UConn is the best team. 'Nova's four guard set will allow them to blowout OSU in that regional final.

Gay over Aldredge, for the 'ship!

Keith, I did not know that you were Walzy31...good luck in Salem tonight rep tha NESCAC like tha true hoopers we are. As a side note if you watch the Bowdoin-CSC game, I would say that St. Clair has multiple fathers, who usually dress in Black and White

After four years of all around consistency, how was Petrie left off the all region team? I find it hard to believe that there are 15 players, this year/last year, that are better than Petrie. Everyone knows he did it all, scoring, rebounding, blocking shots, and dropping dimes. If you check the stat sheet, Petrie has flirted with many a-triple-doubles and actually posted one last year. This is just an example of his all around game and there are not many players who can compete with that. I dont know how he was not on one of the teams. And Chris Rose is a good shooter, but no way should such a one dimensional should be selected over Petrie. Stockwell on the first team...suspect. Im sensing selection biast, kinda like Gonzaga being a 3 seed, its ridiculous

I meant 2 say it is hard 2 argue that Rhoten is NOT the best player...

and don't confused, just because someone plays ona better team does not mean they're better, Bedford is great but having other weapons just frees him up more and lets him get better looks on every possession. 

Guys like Rhoten who are keyed on are that much more impressive when they put up numbers, cuz the scouting reports don't the players to stop OTHER guys,

Bedford has only been the best player on his team for 7 games, don't think that    that doesn't make a difference, cuz it does....
being keyed on can totally shut down a guys offensive night, in the case of Rhoten and Martin or guys like them, it hasn't seemed 2 make a difference.

It is very hard to argue that Ty Rhoten is the best player in the league with his extremely impressive numbers, NESCAC hoops fan is way off...

I was at the Tufts game last year and Petrie did have tough game, even so, he had 20 pts, which just shows you how bad nights can lead to good stats...

Lets not forget the tufts game 2 years before when he had a triple double and they lost cuz he had no help, and the game the year before when Bowdoin demolished Tufts as a much better team.

The toughest 4 mactchups in the NESCAC are Rhoten, Stockwell, Petrie, Bedford, everyone else is secondary.  No one can really stop any of them and they do what they do regardless of the competetion.

To put Weitzen, although he is extremely talented, in the same league with them is ridiculous, he doesn't even start and has only been good for less than a full season...

FormerBant10,

Weitzen is the toughest matchup in the league. As the baller i b, b serious. Unarguably, Kyle Petrie is the toughest player to guard. He is inside, outside, slashing and crashing. He can shoot the three and play with his back to the basket, great rebounder and shot blocker, too quick for big men, too big for small men, arguably too fast and too ferious for his own good...look at his stats.

Weitzen may be the "most likely not to get picked in a pickup game" seeing that he looks like he has never hoop'd in his life, but he  is somehow effective, however, that does not constitute you naming him the toughest matchup in the league

No love for Stockwell Walzy?

He might not be a first teamer, but I've seen him play quite a bit since his freshman year and not only has he improved, but he gives toughness to bates and is a huge part of why they win.  As good as Ray is, Stockwell gives a bigger matchup problems for most teams.  Granted his weekness is definetly his defense, but he's still a threat from almost anywhere on the court.  He also gets to the line well and is a good rebounder.

-IB

Now that most NESCAC teams are done with their first semesters, i figured it would be fun to just throw out the first and second team of the first semester and maybe some interesting observations.  This year, the best players break down at strange positions, so the teams look a little weird, but bare with me...

First Team -
C Rhoten
F Stockwell
F Petrie
G Rose
G Bedford


Second Team-
C- D. Martin
C- Cohen
F- Wietzen/Jenkins
G- Shepard
G- Ray

On the bubble: Clarke, Bradley, Olsen, Shalvoy, Ashe, Hippert, Casnocha, Wheeler, Pelletier, Stone (I realize it's big bubble, but its early)

The hardest part was picking 2 of 3 out of Ray, Rose, Bedord, all have had great starts and Bedford's numbers are diminished because Amherst blows everyone out, maybe you could also throw Olsen on the second team and have some fun by moving Ray to the 2.  This might be the first time in a long time the NESCAC has had far more talented guards than big men, especially at the point. 

The biggest suprise of the year has been Mid's 7-1 and CC's 6-2, while not a lot of their wins have come at the expense of unbelievable competition, early season wins help confidence and make it far more possible for upsets during the conference season. 

The biggest dissapointment of the season so far has to be Trinity, although they have picked it up lately, the two losses to suspect oppenents will hurt their chances if it comes down to a pool C bid after the conference tournament, which it looks like it very well could.  In years passed they could just flat out outscore their opponents, and while Clarke and Rhoten put up numbers in bunches, their scoring depth seems to be largely absent. 

Alright, just wanted to stir up some discussion, interested to see some responses...

Slow my roll, as a matta fact im going to get my roll on, similar to the big tymers...Listen up, Yakavonis was a good player, great rebounder and defender, but claiming he was Bowdoin best player is misplaced argument. Everyone in the Nescac knows that Petrie is the Polar Bears' best player and arguably the second best player in the league. And I guarntee that the streaking Bobcats will not sweep the Trinity/Amherst roadtrip, be real with yourself...

To the profound, all insightful "Maineball", what are you talking about (with all due respect). You believe Tufts have a top level frontcourt without Stovall, I would argue that their frontcourt is severly depleted, as is their team.
Amherst's frontcourt is same situation, Schiel is gone. And their best "big" player is Cashnoca and he runs away from the paint like he failed outta art school, come on...

Im not arguing for Bates by any means, but how could you possibly predict the top four teams in the conference without Bowdoin or Bates, please check your references, since you seem to be the Nescac scholar

And as for my boys in Brunswick, there are the only team in league to be returning all three backcourt players, thus your sentiments about not having a "upperclassmen dominated backcourt" is invalid, and besides Petrie is a senior and Bradley is a junior, in my book those are upperclassmen

Cant wait to hear yall responses...

This is most bias opinion i have heard other the sean hannity on fox news. obviously, "polarbearmeephs" is overzealous in his prediction that Bates will the tourney, calm down and be serious, please. I would argue that Bowdoin did not get overhyped, and no one has said anything about tourney champs other than yourself. Granted Stockwell and Ray is a good one two punch, but there are other combinations that any reasonable person will desire, namely Rhoten and Trinity point guard (either one, the old starter or the D1 transfer), Petrie and Bradley or Petrie and Hippert...

I been monitoring the posts of the South Region, and no one has mentioned Josh Joyner. The most underrated player in the ASC. With a more solid and dependable supporting cast around him, Joyner should have a big year and as he goes so does the eagles. I would basically gurantee that they will be in title contention. If you dont believe me, just wait and see.

I agree with speedy and senatorfrost, Bowdoin was a lot better than their 3-6 conference record last year. I predict a very interesting year in NESCAC, with Bowdoin defintely finishing in the top three. As a sidenote, Bowdoin should have won their conference tourney game with Amherst.

Any other predictions??? And I am little disappointed with the poll results, no one is voting on the league's best player, any thoughts???

bant10 or Halas, whichever you prefer, my statements were meant to be interpreted as this, there has always been quality teams in the nescac and consquently very good games, in which a possession change the outcome. By your rationale the ACC isnt a deep conference because Duke is always in the championship game. And the argument used for the ACC is applicable to the nescac, teams in our conference are better the a number of teams the makes it to the ncaa's, de facto, mainly due to the fact that night in and night out the play great competition. Im sure you would agree there are no cake walks in the conference. And yes, this logic will hold true this season.  Once again, I think Bowdoin has all the the necessary parts for great season. But maybe, Im a biast. (yes its a theme)

I've seen a lotta discussion about the nescac of old, but what about the future of the nescac, particularly the 05-06 season.  Everyone on the nescac postup seems to be very concerned about the reloading and revamping of the Amherst and Williams squads with a dabble of T.Rhot Bantams here and there. But, as we all know the nescac is a very deep conference and there are defintely other threats in the league, especially the new look polar bears. Gone are the slow down and mundane days of old, this team will be very exciting and dangerous, lead by arguably the best and most consisent and most well-rounded player in the league Kyle Petrie.  With many offensive weapons around him, namely Kevin Bradley and Andrew Hippert, the bears will have a great season. But maybe Im biast.