Formerbant,

If you really think that other NESCAC schools have tougher admissions than Amherst and Williams you are foolish.  Both of these schools are the hardest schools to get into in the conference.  You are a Trinity alumnus so you must know that Trinity is slowly turning into, especially when it comes to football, the laughing stock of the NESCAC academically when it comes to athletes.  Also, saying that it's tougher to recruit to a school that has good players is ridiculous.  If you would rather go to a worse basketball institution just because you would have a better chance to play, then you are not a true competitor.  I honestly cannot believe that you would say players would not want to go to Williams to sit behind players for a couple years in order to wait their turn to continue a winning legacy.  Not all players can have or should expect to have the impact that Rhoten had his freshman year.  The fact that good players have to wait a year or two in order to make an impact on their program reflects on the type of program that the school has.  Freshman or Sophomores should not be the players that you rely on to have a successful season.  I have read many of your posts before and it's hard to read some of the past posts you have stated.

Beyond that I think that Amherst will and should be the favorite in the conference next year.  Bates and Trinity will be the only teams in their league with Bates probably being the best matchup.  Watching the young players play and the talent pool that they have I am going to go out on a limb and say that the Amherst Lord Jeffs will be the 2008 National Champions.  I know this may sound crazy but have faith in an Amherst faithful that has watched multiple games this year. 

1st Team
Rhoten
Bedford
Cohen
Rose
Ray

2nd Team
Olson
Stockwell
Martin (tufts)
Petrie
Wheeler

Clarke could go in for Wheeler but I think that Wheeler is a much better all around player.  Lefrak Gymnasium for NESCAC '06!!!!!!!
 

Although the '03 Ephs Team outplayed the Jeffs besides the lonesome home victory, it's hard to say that the '04 Team was really a better team.  The first game, where both teams were healthy, ended with an 18 point blowout at Lefrak Gymnasium.  The league game at Williams most likely would have ended in a similar fashion, with the Jeffs up 10 with 10 to go but both Schiel (bad thigh contusion which kept him out of his next couple of games) and Casnocha (fractured skull which ended his season) had injuries that kept them off the floor for the last 10 of the game.  A missed free throw and a huge 3 three from Kain contributed to that win, as well.  I think the loss of Casnocha is often overlooked for the '04 team.  The final four game, where Amherst was leading by 6 with 5 minutes to play, there was a key injury to Jones (stress fracture which kept him from going down the stretch) who had been dominating the Ephs on the low block.  I am not saying that the Ephs were not a good team, but just that injuries in 2 of their big games allowed them to come back when they were pinned up against a wall. 

On another note, is it me or does it seem that Paulsen is not a good recruiter?  I think he's a great game coach and gets the most out of his players, but if you look at the lineups from both Amherst and Williams the talent disparity is quite large.  He inherited the heralded class of Crotty, Coffin, and Abba from Sheahy and yes he got Tucker Cain, Newton, and now Rose, but beyond that all of his recruits seem small and/or not very talented.  Coulibaly (transfer from Dartmouth), Olson (had D1 offers), Walters (6'7" swingman), Goldsmith (6'6" guy who does everything), Hopkins (6'9" with athletic ability and touch), Jones (6'5" with great athleticism and post moves) makes up a 6 person sophomore class that would arguably be a top 4 team in the NESCAC.  I think it's fair to say that the bench of Amherst would have a good shot at taking at least 1 from the Ephs this year.  A starting lineup of Corrigan, Mclaughlin, Coulibaly, Goldsmith, and Walters/Baskauskas/Hopkins/Jones is a tough matchup for any other NESCAC team. 
The overall point is that the Ephs bench brings no significant contributors to the floor, and a lack of depth usually correlates to a lack of solid recruiting.  A Championship and a Finals appearance in consecutive years should help to bring in more talent, not less.

FBant,

The amount that Olson plays will be directly affected by the matchups that occur on the floor.  Watching him play for a couple years, I know that he is a far superior defender. Even though Olson can make the "impossible" pass better than Ray, Corrigan can make the best pass better than Olson can.  I think Olson will start but Ray will get between 15-20 minutes a game.   I think Amherst's best lineup is Bedford, Olson/Corrigan, Wheeler, Casnocha, and Coulibaly.  When playing against Cohen and Martin, O'Shea and Hopkins will get more time for taller, defensive matchups.

I get a feeling that Hixon has a strong commitment to his older players so I doubt that O'Shea will leave the starting lineup, though on some nights he should.  People looking for the 8ish man rotation that Hixon usually goes with should not look for it.  In the big games, Amherst will still play 10 players, as Hixon should not keep players like Goldsmith or Hopkins on the bench. 

FBant, I was just wondering what sort of athlete wouldn't choose the NESCAC titles and trips to the NCAAs over a higher ppg?  Maybe if Rhoten gave up the ball a little better he could get easier shots and would only have to take 12-15 in order to get his 20+ points.  It's hard to double a guy when he can pass as well.  I have a nephew who goes to Trinity and he said there were whispers that Taylor isn't playing this year because he does not want to be on the same court as Rhoten?  These whispers stemming from an alleged fistfight that occurred between the two last year.  Is there any truth to these statements as my nephew only heard rumors of it?

Baller, weren't you the one who said that Tufts has so many tools?  And I don't think Martin has been a stud at all until the beginning of this season so I doubt that teams are keying on him.  It's one thing to have other players on your team to get easier shots, but having other able players also means that you have to give up a lot of other shots.  Although both Tufts and Trinity have a good group of players, I think that Bedford would put up equally if not more impressive numbers than Rhoten or Cohen in another program. 
All the games I have seen, there does not seem to be a focal point in the Amherst offense.  If Bedford was getting 2 or 3 screens a series to get him 20 something shots a game, I guarantee you he'd be averaging somewhere around 24 a game.  There's a reason he was originally recruited to go to Davidson, and there's a reason why he's a better all around player.  Have you seen Rhoten play defense?  Yea I dont think the rest of the conference has either.

Would Tufts be considered under or overrated when Amherst rolled into town last year for the game to decide the top seed in NESCACs?  Either way you call that Tufts team, the 40 point drubbing makes a statement about Tufts credibility.  I was not at the game but I can only imagine what it must have looked like.  When Amherst gets up for a game, they are unrivaled in the entire Northeast and maybe the country.  Maybe Tufts can sneak into the NCAA with an at large bid but I dont see them making much of a game when the moneys on the line.