Frankly, if Robertson is deserving of recognition so is Wolfin.

Quote from: nescac1 on February 25, 2013, 07:16:49 AM
Other than your Thompson argument, which I think is verging on the ridiculous after this past weekend in particular, I do think your all-NESCAC picks are pretty much dead-on, however. 

One quibble: I would like to see Nate Robertson get some love and I think he may, even though there is just a shortage of slots this year given how many strong players the league has.  Very hard player to evaluate by traditional metrics.  Great defender, leads the leagues in steals and does a great job bottling up opposing point guards (ask Toomey), makes the entire Williams offense go, handles the ball virtually the entire game, creates a ton for his teammates, clutch from the foul line, tough player who never sits, great leader, all the intangibles that you point to for Thompson as POY suggest that Nate belongs on an all-league squad.  On the other hand, his scoring numbers are not high (but much higher in the bigger games, typically, which is significant), he had a few more TO's than you'd like to see, and his three point shot (or rather lack thereof) has been an undeniable hindrance to his play this year.  Put it this way: if you ask any Williams fan if they would trade Nate for Nolan, not one would say yes (I'm sure Midd fans would make the same claim in the other direction, but the point is, they are the same type of guy in terms of the role they play exceeding their stats).  But despite all that, I still can't put Nate on the first team all-league due to the outside shooting issues, let alone argue that he is POY.  I'd definitely take him over Sha Brown, if it comes down to that.  He was a more valuable player.  I very much hope he earns an all-NESCAC nod.  He will really be missed, and PG is the only (albeit enormous) question mark / hole on what will otherwise be a loaded Williams team next year.

on a thoughtful, well focused post.  Your impression of Dave's Hoopsville comments about Middlebury were the same as mine.  His response to you, although paraphrased, indicates that, perhaps, he should seek political office, finding it necessary to qualify what he clearly said and, I believe, meant.
   Midd has gained, and earned, the respect of the teams who have played against them for the reasons well described in Magicman's SUNYAC post which he quotes.  That Dave may not be comfortable with this is really of no moment because, at the end of the day, and at least until this evening, the Panthers are 18-0.

Anyone know if Lamonte Thomas is still out?

Do you have a link to the Sporting News story?

Anyone know how the Middlebury campus and surrounding town fared iln this disaster for Vermont?

      You are so right on, Old Guy.  A win by any other name would not have smelled as sweet.

Any rumors about Jeff Brown leaving Middlebury for the head coaching job at UVM, which just opened up?  Certainly, he's a likely candidate.

   Coach Maker's positive interaction with his players before they left the court after the devastating final four loss is what coaching, at any level, should be about.  Good luck to him wherever he goes.

   Any news on Midd recruiting for next year?

   Does the NCAA issue any nationally printed press releases about the D3 tournament?  No t.v. this year (why?) but the Division is certainly deserving of some national recognition from the "governing body" or is there a travel restriction/limitation on press releases too?

Bucket

   I was not at either game this weekend, but watched the webcasts. I assumed that it was your son Locke was holding after Saturday's game.  I hope that nothing happened as ominous as your post reads.

   Disappointed that Bucket has not given his courtside perspective of last night's game.  Can't say enough about Panthers two away wins to clinch the NESCAC championship or their two away wins to get to the Final Four. Could even earn them a number 1 ranking.

   Locke was more than just a presence last night.  He played a solid all around game without getting into foul trouble.Wolfin's NINE assists, plus 16 points were worthy of some comment from the Big Two loyalists, looked at in a vacuum or otherwise.  There is no team in the NESCAC, in my opinion, that plays better as a team than Middlebury, a tribute to Coach Brown and the players themselves

   Thanks, EP and NESCAC1, for very thoughtful, well presented arguments.  While I still don't agree (sometimes the numbers dont mean everything...I saw both playoff games) your comments are obviously well taken, and great posts.

  Hey, EP, your Little Two mindset, in talking about NESCAC guards,overlooks the steady all season play of Midd's Wolfin and Thompson, who haven't done much except win 27 games this year...and they show up in the big games, just ask Wang and Toomey.  The primary role of the point is to set the offense and distribute the ball.  I believe that Wolfin led the league in assists and Thompson is probably the best defensive guard in the league.  For what it's worth, Kizel, who gives the Panthers a third dimension in the backcourt, was this year's ROY.

Thanks for your response, Pat. I'm sure you are correct if the poll is measured over a 12 year period.  But I refer to a single week only where, in my opinion, the outcome was, or should have been, obvious.  Of course games have been played since then, but these results do not impact on that week's poll, no?