Big win for the Ephs today. The Ephs were able to control the game and then hold on at the end when Amherst staged a big rally at the end to make for an exciting and tense finish.

Any discussion of the Williams v Amherst game has to mention Rubin's huge 3 pointer with about one minute to go in the game and only about 5 seconds left on the shot clock. It was a clutch 3 point shot at a crucial time in the game and one that will be remembered for a long, long time by Eph fans.   

It is difficult to learn anything from  the Williams vs Southern Vermont game because Southern Vermont was just not very good. It should be noted that they finished the game with only 4 players on the court due to foul trouble and injury. I last saw that in 5th grade!

Courtland State, on the other hand, was a very good team that would finish in the middle of pack or higher in the Nescac. Williams was in full control of the game but failed to put them away which allowed Courtland State to get back into the game and almost win.

What could be troubling for Williams down the road was the lack of ball movement. Schultz had a great game scoring wise but for a player who had the ball in his hands, one would think there would be more assists. It seems that production from Dodson, Whittington, Rubin, Joe G and others will be directly related to just how much the Ephs learn to share the ball.  It will be crucial for the point guards to buy into that concept. Clearly, Williams has an abundance of scoring options but to have a great year and make it to the dance, they will have to learn how to play together. 

Glad to see Williams finally getting healthy going into the meat of their schedule. The addition of Geoghegan adds another dimension to this team and certainly will help them as he works himself into great shape. I think this team is underrated, perhaps due to their 3 losses which may have been wins with a healthy squad. This is a team that will get better.

I am concerned, however, that Snyder and Schultz appear to be taking too many shots. They appear to take good shots but in doing so, they are passing up great shots for others players who are open. When those shots are not falling, as in recent games, Williams struggles.

Also, the point guard position still remains unsettled.

Looked like the 3 point shooting for Williams was very suspect.  If they shoot like that against a quality opponent, they could be in for a rough time.  Rubin and Wittington were held out due to injury and hopefully will be back soon.

Rubin's perimeter game and floor skills should help a great deal when he returns. Wittington makes a terrific backup for Big Joe and gives this team great depth and athleticism upfront along with their other big men.

This team, if it gets consistent guard play and outside shooting, will be very tough to beat given their strength upfront and Maker's system.  

I think this was an excellent hire for Williams. It would have been easy to hire an existing Division 3 coach. This was a bold move that should pay dividends down the road. No one ever really knows what will happen with a first head coaching position but this guy has worked for some pretty smart and excellent coaches. Plus, he has plenty of experience.  What is important is his ability to teach the game, recruit and get players to play hard for him. On paper, he looks great. This is a breath of fresh air for the Nescac.

I can tell you this. If I were a high school player and he recruited me, I would strongly consider playing for him, in addition to all of the obvious benefits of a Williams education. The players at Williams should be very excited and based on his style of coaching, it should be a fairly easy transition.

By the way, I had Clyde Mckie as a professor.

nescac hoops-yes indeed,  that was a great one.  I miss The Historian and his arrogance!  I love it when a guy who probably never dribbled a basketball in his life talks trash.

Amherst had a great run and was a great team. They deserved to win the whole thing!

My point? The Amherst experts had buried Paulsen and Williams. The team had no talent, Paulsen couldn't recruit, etc.  That's what we heard. Their season ended well too. Don't you think?

Nescac Hoops-I enjoyed the silence from Friar T and the Historian after the great run Williams had last season.  Thanks for the reminder of my warm welcome to the board.

The Williams/Amherst game at Amherst is big one. No doubt about that. Congratulations to the winner! However, I think the game that carries far more importance is the Williams/Amherst game at Williams in a few weeks. That one is the league game.

I'm sure Williams would take a split right now with the win coming on their home court in a conference game.

Nescac hoops:

No, I am not a parent, thank God. My comments both this season and last are from my observations as a former college player. I follow the team because a family member went to Williams.

I hope you are right about Rose and Shalvoy. They certainly have the talent and experience. In fact, I think either one of them could be the POY. You may recall one of my posts from last season in which I argued that Shalvoy was better than Olsen considering what each does for his team.

What do you think of the schedule and its impact down the road?

As you can see from my earlier posts, I am high on the 2010 class which includes not only Blake Schultz and Joe G, but Hardy, Rubin, Cates and Schiffman. Slice it anyway you want but this is in my opinion a very talented class and the heart and depth of this team along with Weisbrot, Meyer and Golia. From the 2011 class, Dodson and Whittington provide further skilled depth. My only point was that Paulsen needs to settle on a rotation that gives this team true depth and the best chance of being the best that they can be.

Nescac Hoops-Are you a parent of a player on Williams or a fomer player? The reason I ask is because of your insight into the performance of the team so far. You clearly follow this team.  You should know that I too follow the team and am a big fan as well and I believe that Williams could have a great season.

However, listing Nescac all-star teams at this point is lunacy unless you have some other agenda. Both Rose and Shalvoy are clearly underperforming which is strange considering the weak competition faced so far. Joe G, while he has certainly been the most consistent player for Williams so far, has yet to play against any legitimate big man. He still has a ways to go in finishing around the basket. With regard to your analysis about Rose, Shalvoy and Snyder, take either Rose or Shalvoy off of the team and the team becomes a very average D3 Team. Take Snyder off the team and Williams wouldn't miss a beat.

Williams has yet to play a quality team except for Springfield and this will continue for a few more games, especially in the upcoming New York games. Keene State after the NY games might be on par with Springfield. Williams was tested early last season with no Rose and then a subpar Rose when he returned from his injury. This year's team has not been tested (one could argue that they have not been tested because they are very good) but I have concerns going forward that this team will struggle against the better Nescac teams due to their failure to develop any alternative and consistent firepower off the bench. Unlike last year where the tough early schedule benefited them later in the season, this year's early season cream puff schedule may hurt them when the games become tougher.

My own observation is that there is significant talent on the bench which has yet to be utilized. Unless I am missing something, it is either due to Paulsen's inability to change his rotation or figure out what is should be. My own guess is that it is the former. This too may haunt the team later on. The good news, however, is that this appears to be a very deep team and there is still some time before the real season starts to figure things out.

nescac1-It was a great year for Williams. Next season will be very exciting. Watch out for those Frosh.

Sorry to see Trinity lose.

nescac hoops-thank you for your excellent summary. I did enjoy my welcome to the board from those Amherst basketball experts who ridiculed my belief that Williams would be fine but needed time and experience.

Great job!

I don't want to take anything away from Olson who is an outstanding player. But, Shalvoy showed this weekend not only his leadership skills but his ability to create his own shot and to take and make crunch time shots. His mental toughness and his will to win makes him a more valuable player than Olson. While Olson sees passing lanes that other guards don't see and makes great passes, he didn't display the leadership required down the stretch to get a heavily favored Amherst team on their own court to the victory lane.

This writer would take Shalvoy over Olson when the chips are on the line.

Congratulations to the Ephs for beating Amherst on their home court.

Some of us tried to tell the Amherst fans on this site just how good Williams was going to be. I guess they arrived a little sooner than expected. And what's this about Paulsen not being a good recruiter/coach? Man, he did a great job with this team. And, the talent, with more on the bench, returns next season!