Quote from: Sticks11 on February 01, 2010, 07:53:33 PM
I'm trying to come up with a Colby all-time team but it's hard as many of their best players played before my time.  So I don't want to do a disservice or disrespect anyone I leave out.  But here are some names (more than 5) and hopefully others who are a little more familiar can chime in:

G - Rick Fusco (1980-83), 817 career assists, 260 assists in one season
G - Matt Hancock (1987-90), 3 Time All-American, National Player of the Year 1990, 2,678 career points (4th all-time in D3)
F - Harland Storey (1981-85), 2 Time All-American, 1,710 career points
F - Kevin Whitmore (1988-91), All-American, 1,367 career points
F - Brad Moore (1971-75) All-American, 1,935 career points, 1,392 career rebounds

G - John Daileanes (1989-92), All-American, 1,605 career points
F - Paul Harvey (1975-78), 2 Time All-American, 2,075 career points
G - Mike McGee (1977-79, only played freshman and sophomore years at Colby), All-American, 1,251 career points

Pretty good, Sticks.  Growing up in Maine and then at Bowdoin, I saw alot of these guys.  Hancock, Storey, and Whitmore are all Maine guys, and all well known from high school and summer leagues, etc.  Quietly, Mainers take real pride in hoops.  The state almost shuts down when the high school tourney starts, and local legends live on in Maine for a long time.  When I can, I still like to hit a few Bowdoin games, sometimes with my father.  If we make a Colby game, he always tells stories about one of their assistants who played in the 50s. 

Begrudgingly, I have to admit that Hancock was probably the best NESCAC player I've seen - just an unstoppable scorer from outside, inside and the free throw line.  I saw Nogelo 2 or 3 times at Bowdoin and Tufts, and he was amazing, but I still place him a notch below Hancock - granted, I saw Hancock much more frequently and my Maine bias may be showing.  I believe Hancock was invited to a couple of pro camps and then went to Europe.  His brother was a decent player at Bowdoin. 

Good discussion.  Brings back many memories of Maine high school and college hoops. 

Danilo - thanks for the link for the audio for Bowdoin/Colby.  Too long a ride to make it up, but I'd love to go.  CMS42 is right - it would be great if all NESCAC schools had a video simulcast. 

It's a great rivalry and has been for years.  Growing up in Maine, as a young kid I recall watching Rich Boyages' teams play some pretty strong Colby teams.  Things heated up again when Colby had Hancock, a homegrown Maine player whom we had all watched in high school.  An added element to the rivalry is Whitmore, who is also a Bowdoin grad.  Tomorrow may just add another chapter.  Two teams evenly matched - I expect the final 2-3 minutes to decide the game. 

And CCsalive, I certainly don't have a dog in the fight, but I'm rooting for CC because of you.  Keeping you fired up for another 7 days would be great for this board.  Your enthusiasm is appreciated in this corner. 

Great posts by all.  The enthusiasm is terrific. 

Looking forward to Bowdoin/Colby this weekend.  I saw them play each other in November at Bowdoin - so long ago that observations from the game are probably not entirely relevant.  Also saw Bowdoin at Tufts and a half of Colby at Tufts about a month ago.   Two similar, evenly matched teams.  Both play very hard.  Bowdoin seemed a bit bigger and deeper, but Colby's D seemed  slightly better, mostly because of Choice.  His D impressed me more than his offense, as he really shut down Pierce at Tufts who is a very talented scorer.   Home court is indeed an advantage but not one that Bowdoin cannot overcome.  I'd expect a good crew from Brunswick making the trip up to Colby.  I'm biased, but I'll take the points.

Does anyone know if Colby simulcasts video of the game online? 

Ehoops - good point about the importance of a president like Shapiro, not just to Williams, but to NESCAC in general.   

I didn't know Shapiro was the driving force in burying D4.  I heard the Colby president was advocating for D4, and may he keep doing so - keep that program mired in mediocrity. 

Glad to see that the head of the search committe, Avis, is a former athlete.   

Been following Nescac since early 90's, and with Stan O's retirement, I can't help but reflect on the impressive quality of coaches that have and/or still do walk the sidelines in Nescac, in particular, the old school of Hixon, Sheehy, Whitmore, and Stan O.

I don't know the exact stats, but those 4 veteran coaches mentioned above have won a huge number of games - (2000 wins or so?).   Different styles perhap, but bottom line, all are/were excellent and talented coaches. 

The one game I saw Bowdoin play this year was against Colby last Saturday. 

Since Choice is a topic of conversation, my observations from that one game are that Choice is very talented but not quite consistent enough for 40 minutes to be considered among the best players in Nescac.  At times I thought he was the best player on the court.  At other times, I wasn't even aware he was on the court. 

Two mitigating factors to be offered in his defense: 1) Bowdoin impressed me with their physical, aggressive D - better than average, and 2) Colby's offense didn't necessarily seem geared toward getting him frequent touches but rather toward the 3 from their guards.

Overall, without having the benefit of seeing the other all Nescac contenders, but having seen alot of Nescac games/players over the years, my limited impression is that Choice, based on his lack of consistency and based on Colby's dismal record (evidently their new president is already de-emphasizing athletics based on Friar's research - much appreciated in Brunswick), would not merit all Nescac this year, but should be heard from in the future. 

The info provided on this board is great.  I made it to Brunswick over the weekend and saw the Polar Bears for the first time this year, and had a solid knowledge of the team from your observations.

I came away impressed with the team.  They have talent, led by Hippert, but equally important, they were more physical than I recall other Bowdoin teams being.  Talent and toughness are two of the key ingredients needed to win consistently on the road in Nescac.  They're an easy team to root for.

I haven't had the benefit of seeing any of the higher seeds (Amherst sounds loaded), so I can't provide any meaningful insight as to how Bowdoin will stack up in the post season, but I expect they'll show up and at least compete in a hostile environment.

As for D4, apparently the president of Colby is pushing for it.  In the same way Amherst, Williams, and Wesleyan few themselves as a troika within Nescac, Bowdoin, Bates and Colby have similar ties, and lobbying is coming from Waterville on the subject.  Much would be lost with a D4, not just in hoops, but also in other sports, such as hockey at Bowdoin, which is an important part of the fabric of the Bowdoin experience. 

I'm sure you alums of other Nescac schools can share similar sentiments about the role competitive sports plays at your school.  D4 won't - just like intramurals don't -  stir the student body. 

Long time reader, first time poster here.  I've enjoyed and been impressed by the commentary here for a long time.  Passion is a great thing.

Growing up in Maine, there are a handful of players we all knew of.  Hancock was one of them, as was Cindy Blodgett on the women's side.  Then going to Bowdoin, I saw him several times.  In spite of our respective records any year, Bowdoin/Colby was always a heated rivalry - a game worth going to, even up to the frozen tundra known as Waterville. 

The guy was unstoppable - much more than a "gunner."  Big, strong, and a pure shooter with range who also liked to penetrate, create contact, and draw fouls, as evidenced by his 800 foul shots.  Colby was loaded at the time, with a couple other eventual All Americans, but Bowdoin often played them tough.  Winning National POY was played up big in the Maine papers.

In my 7-8 years of going to Bowdoin games pre- and post-graduating, he was the best I saw in NESCAC.  (As an aside, I do recall seeing Rick Boyages when I was younger - solid point guard.  Hancock's brother was also a guard for Bowdoin after Boyages.)  I heard that the Celts invited Hancock to training camp and then he played on travel teams in US and Europe.  For years, his team won the Maine Hoop It Up 3-3 tournament and I think went to the national finals once.  A couple of years ago, a buddy in Portland told me that Hancock was still playing and tearing it up in and around Portland.  The guy can just play ball. 

Just some feedback from a native Mainer.   Glad to see the increased chatter about Bowdoin.  Anytime the Bears beat Williams it's notable.