Just to throw in yet another Division I comparison, the ECAC is a bit like the NIT tourney, and I think often when teams don't make the NCAA (e.g. Cincinatti or Hofstra, etc.) they take the NIT birth.  Now, some teams may turn it down and not go, which I think some in D3 do also with respect to the ECAC.

But my point is that sometime those D1 bubble teams go to the NIT or a team like Union who really had a good shot to win its conference tourney (LL title) and get an automatic birth, go to ECAC---------------and whether it's the NIT or ECAC, these teams arent fully committed to playing 100% whether consciously or unconciously, while their opponents (e.g. Ithaca) are really keen on winning the ECAC or playing extremely hard.   I think you can also see that from
SUNY-IT (Murphy's team) who also got an ECAC bid, and lost early also.

Union was a solid team this year in the LL, but I think Hamilton was just better.  I think went they went to the ECAC's, they probably just got beaten by a hungrier Ithaca team.

RJ,

Though it's not a perfect comparison by any stretch.........and people can agree or disagree with me........but I believe the situation with the Librerty League is analogous to the Division I  majors vs. mid-majors and the whole tourny selection...........Let me explain.......

There's a debate in D1 about the at-large bids and the mid-majors and smaller conferences VS. the bigger conferences (e.g. Big 12, Big East, ACC, SEC, etc.) and how many teams should get in.............Dick Vitale, Billy Packer, etc. etc. make the argument that the BEST teams should get those at-large bids and not the mid-majors b/c if you ask anyone who knows anything about college basketball who would win in a 1 game or best of 10 games-------Cincinatti or Hofstra or George Mason-----------everyone knows Cincy would dominate them.  Much like Louisville would too---and they werent even considered for an at large bid.

Long story short...........back to D3...............Hamilton is the best of a weak conference (a mid major, if you will).....whereas Amherst and the top half of the NESCAC are big time teams who are so far superior to the Liberty League or even conferences with St. John Fisher, etc.

So the Liberty League is down and even the good teams like Hamilton and Union can't compete with the big time teams (who are like Power conferences in Division 1).

I think you can go beyond the Liberty League and say you would be hard pressed to find many teams in New York State that are as good as the top teams in New England. 

Shooters,

Let's talk about how both Hamilton and SUNY-IT will both be powerhouses next season.

I think SUNY-IT competes for the SUNYAC title, while Hamilton will again win the Liberty League title.

CC,

as you a former hamiltonian..........you know how great murphy was and what he meant to the school, the community, and the people.

it's a shame the school treated him in such a manner.  The funniest thing about Hamilton these days is that most former players would root for SUNY-IT against Hamilton b/c of Murphy.

Murphy was the master of the big guys and the All-Americans.  Teke a look at how many former Murphy players and assistant coaches are head coaches or assistant coaches in college basketball today.  Says a lot about Coach Murphy.

Also, take a look at how successful many of Murphy's former players are in the professional world.  That says even more about Murphy.

Ulf......

whoa......buddy.........tobin is not my boy......by any stretch.  i dont like him.  read about 3/4 of my posts and you will see that much.

i agree with you.  tobin didnt have a strong strength of schedule this season and u are correct.  it showed against amherst.  that's why i said hamilton needs to stop playing teams like middlebury and wesleyan and take on real teams in the nescac even if they go 1-3 for the season against them.

utica is not a great team though.  gotta disagree with you there.  and if you think anyone on utica is better than TK, you are nuts.  TK is a phenomenal talent who would have been player of the year had Murphy still been coaching at Hamilton.  Fisher isnt anything special either.  Utica might give them a game, but both of those teams suffer from the same problem as hamilton-----weak conference schedule and crappy regular season games against sub-par opposition.

but i agree with ulf----as ive said before---tobin isnt a big time coach.  yes, he might have been above average at clarkson, but you are in the major leagues now coach.  you are at hamilton.  you replaced murphy----now try and win like coach murphy.

Hamilton will be dominant yet again next year DURING THE REGULAR SEASON.

There is no one that can compete with them---though St. Lawrence will finish second.

Hamilton, as others have pointed out, have the PLAYER OF THE YEAR in TK.

He will be a force next year---probably averaging a double-double based on the minutes he will see and another year in Anderson's system.  With Nick Jones back and a few others who have matured on the roster, I look for another 18-20 wins from Hamilton.

However, that won't mean anything, if they don't play tougher non-conference opposition during the year.  As I've pointed out 20 times on here, they lost to a subpar Utica College team and a subpar Williams College team.

Yes, I know Utica is still in the tourney, but they are a joke.  St. John Fisher is also nothing compared to the NESCAC teams.  Hamilton needs to get back to the days when they played tough, NESCAC games (even if only 4 or so) against maybe a combination of Tufts, Trinity, Amherst, Williams, among others.

casey,

what about culkin?  the guy was a legend at skidmore.

Can someone size up the Tufts-Amherst matchup?

Curious to know the summary of the first 2 games.  Were they close?  What are the teams' respective strengths and weaknesses?

CMK,

Valid point my friend.  You are correct sir.  I do remember more than a couple games where Coach Murphy's teams failed to close people out.

Let's hope the Continentals show up tonight and give a big effort.  If they come out and try their best and just get beaten by a better team, I'll be satisfied with the team and its coach.

Hamilton keeps it close tonight if................

1) They get out to a good start and keep the crowd out of the game

2) Welchons and TK combine for at least 40 points.....the higher the # the better.

3) Someone else besides those 2 players can make a contribution offensively (e.g Jones, Peck, Giorgi, Valenti).

4) Hamilton must pick it up defensively by using its press effectively, but switching up its defense throughout the game to try to keep Amherst off balance.

I think the reason there have been so few posts is that many of us didnt see the game, and a lot of us who tend to post here recently (me included) were happy that Hamilton escaped with the victory.

I'm only going to say this b/c I know perhaps it will spark some posts from Shooters and others.......but I'm being totally serious.............I spoke with people who have been around Hamilton basketball all season (and have seen a lot more of there games than me this season) and they said Hamilton had a big lead (double digits----climbing to 12-15 points at times I think)...........and that the coaching, yes you read correctly, the coaching by Tobin Anderson........i.e. poor coaching by Anderson allowed Plattsburgh to come back in the game on the Continentals.  Apparently, Hamilton........as has been the problem all season long...........could not close out inferior teams..........allowing them to hang around, hang around, and then make it a battle down the stretch.

I know I've knocked the guy a lot------or at least presented the arguments why he's not as good a coach as some on this site make him out to be (old Clarkson loyalists included)............but I'm telling you that the perception is that he is not a big time coach and his team can't close people out.   HOWEVER.....as someone who witnessed the Hamilton blowout of Union in the LL finals...........I give him credit for that big win and not letting Union back in..............BUT...........throughout the season that game appears to be more the exception than the rule when it comes to Hamilton closing people out.

if hamilton played amherst 10 times, Amherst would win 7 or 8 times.

The question is:  Will tonight be one of the 2 out of 10 times Hamilton has a shot to win the game?

I don't think so..........but as posters have said above......that's why the play the games.

Hamilton had a tough time with Plattsburgh which is further evidence that they will struggle to stay in the game with Amherst.

The Contientals and Jeffs will be a hell of a game, but I just don't see Hamilton being able to do any one thing good enough to take Amherst out of their game plan.  Hamilton would have to get out to a lead early......and make Amherst play from behind.  If Hamilton gets behind early, I think Amherst will be able to use the crowd to its advantage.

I see Hamilton hanging around for the whole game, but never really making a significant run to get close enough to scare the Jeffs.  However, if Hamilton can be in the game down the stretch (say 5:00 minute mark of the 2nd half), then we could have an upset in the making.

Shooters...

I agree----if you can barely get by Plattsburgh, you are unlikely to get by Amherst.  The game also went to OT which might take more out of hamilton.

I predict Hamilton down by about 9-10 at the half and the game never really being within Hamilton's reach to win.  One of those games where maybe they make a run to bring the game from down 13 or 14 to down 7, but they never really get any closer than that.

Amherst is just too tough and physical.

Hey but SUNY-IT had a hell of a year.

I know they lost to Brockport, but they problems with Brockport all season.  I think they lost both regular season games to them, as well as tonight.

But overall, a huge success story considering they lost Nick Grimmer to graduation this season and were able to do as well as they did in the regular season and then have an outstanding performance in the SUNYAC tourney before losing in the finals.