Quote from: lefrakenstein on March 24, 2013, 10:16:47 AM

Quote from: Titan Q on March 24, 2013, 09:55:46 AM

Quote from: toad22 on March 24, 2013, 09:41:04 AM
It really isn't fair for me to criticize NCC for their play. I only watched, in person, one game. They had a fine season. They certainly deserved all the success they had. My comment was more about the game, which played like an early 90s Big East game. That is the style of play that nearly drove me to give up the game!

From the opening tip, the officials seemed to really let both teams play, allowing a ton of contact all over the floor without whistles.  In the 1st half, for example, NCC center Landon Gamble had several low post shots where there was quite a bit of contact without fouls being called.  Derek Raridon drew contact a few times as well without getting to the FT line.  The loose whistle went both ways - Amherst offensive players dealt with the same thing on the other end.

The way the officials called the game really turned it into a physical slugfest.

I disagree with this. While at time the refs took a 'let them play' attitude, at other times they called absurd ticky-tack fouls. NCC had something like three moving screen fouls in the first half. There were instances where very little contact drew a foul (at one point, after Toomey's second foul w/ 9 min to play in the 1st half, the broadcasters even commented 'I guess we'll just chalk that up to a good-old-fashioned make-up call"). The issue was that the refs were not consistent at all.

At least the Referees didn't intercept any passes.

Quote from: middhoops on March 17, 2013, 04:32:13 PM
Did a college hoops double header yesterday.  Saw Vermont lose in their conference tourney at home to Albany.  Bummer.  Then saw Midd eke out a win (thank you Mr. & Mrs. Kizel) over Ithaca.
In the Sunday morning Burlington Free Press, largest paper in the state; there were four stories about the UVM loss and nary a word of the Middlebury win, advancing to the Elite 8.
Is it that way in every media market? 
Does this mean we are "fringe" folk?

Actually, Bruce Bosley (Midd webcast play by play guy), has a nice write-up on the Midd-Ithaca game in the Free Press.  It's on pg 17A. Great pic of Pete Lynch as well.

take time to determine PT, rotations, chemistry. We'll be good; it may take some time. Nice to start with Kizel/Jensen/Roberts (Bulluck, Brierly, Churchill).

Old Guy:  Don't forget Sinnockson!  That's a pretty darn athletic group.  You're right on, it will take a few games to gel. 

Quote from: jdex on March 09, 2013, 06:11:46 PM
Cortland saw Middlebury finish both halves with more verve, and that closing punch meant curtains for one heckuva RDragons campaign. Down by nine at the half after an all but even opening 17 minutes, Corts quickly made noise in the second period but still trailed by eight with 14:27 left. Rising to over 50 percent shooting from the field, the hosts tied matters at the 10 minute mark and with 8:53 left took a 55-48 lead on K. McMahon's inside 3-point play. Cortland would score just eight points the rest of the way. J. Wolfin struck from beyond the arc on the heels of McMahon, and though the Panthers were certainly no ball of fire themselves coming down the stretch, grabbed the lead on J. Kizel's bucket at 3:28. Thirty-seconds later and reliable Dragon B. Manning connected for three and a 60-58 CSt advantage. Kizel free throws knotted it at 2:31. P. Lynch's inside deuce at 1:42 produced a lead the Midds never relinquished. The margin grew to five at 0:27. L. Herron's triple cut it to two at 0:17. Lynch free throws were the clincher.

Kizel was the brightest of lights in the win with 22 pts(7x12fg, 3x6 3s, 5x6fts. J. Jensen off the bench landed 13 pts(7x7fts), 11 rebs, and Lynch had 10 pts. McMahon posted the game of his career with 24 pts(11x15fg), 11 rebs, 3 assts. J. Winter had 17 pts(5x12fg) and didn't attempt a three. J. Smith experienced tough times in a five point outing (2x12fg, 1x8 3s). Manning posted nine points (3x6fg -- all treys)

Yes, the difference wound up at the FT line -- Midds 17x21, Corts 4x7. Didn't see the contest, but we don't question the contrast. Bigger physically, Panthers probably earned 'em. Otherwise, CSt 26x56fg, Midds 22x51fg. Panthers 34-29 reb edge but near even till late. Few turnovers, Midds 11, Corts 10.

A salute to both ......

.  Correction:  Winter had 12 pts.

Middlebury is hosting the NCAA skiing championships.  It is my understanding that they did not put in a bid to host next weekend.

Quote from: Charles on February 26, 2013, 11:06:18 AM

Quote from: middhoops on February 26, 2013, 10:53:08 AM
Middlebury played Curry on a neutral court in the '11-12 season.  Sedale Jones was 3-12 and 0-2 from three pt range.  Papalambros fared not much better, 2-6/1-2 in a Panther romp, 83-54.
Lynch was 6-6.
Nolan Thompson didn't suit up for the game.

Middlebury has the easiest region/draw in the tournament. Stop complaining. It would take an enormous upset or choke for Middlebury to not reach Salem.
Sit back and enjoy the games, sheesh.

I have no idea what Charles is talking about, but the '11-12 regular season game between Middlebury and Curry is completely irrelevant to the game Saturday.  Curry played with both Amherst and Williams, and knocked off Wesleyan this season.  Middlebury knows they need to bring their "A" game.

Quote from: Charles on February 26, 2013, 11:06:18 AM

Quote from: middhoops on February 26, 2013, 10:53:08 AM
Middlebury played Curry on a neutral court in the '11-12 season.  Sedale Jones was 3-12 and 0-2 from three pt range.  Papalambros fared not much better, 2-6/1-2 in a Panther romp, 83-54.
Lynch was 6-6.
Nolan Thompson didn't suit up for the game.
[/qu11-ote]

Quote from: nescac1 on February 24, 2013, 05:58:49 AM
Lots of good, insightful comments.

First, other than forcing the ball in transitions leading to turnovers and a few easy scores the other way, I will agree with Bucket that Williams can not play any better offense than it did yesterday -- the half-court sets were astoudingly effective.  In fact, Maker said after the game that it was the best game the team has played since the Guilford game in 2010, and I'd agree with that.  The Ephs executed the half court offense perfectly vs. a very good defensive team, and hit a lot of tough threes to boot.  They will have to play like that again tomorrow, which will be no easy feat.  Defensively, however, Williams could have played a bit better.  Unfortunately, Amherst is tougher to guard than Midd -- more guys who can really hurt you -- so even if Williams plays better on defense (and it wasn't for lack of intensity, just that Midd had the zone diagnosed in the second half, really found that soft spot in the middle, and in man-to-man, Lynch torched them and they didn't help enough / make adjustments), there is no guarantee they will get more stops. 

I agree that Lynch was the best big man on the floor (and the best player, actually) in the Midd-Williams game. Mayer was great too, though.  Yes, he got a lot of great feeds inside, but he still had to convert.  He also scored quite a bit off of second-chance points and did a tremendous job on the offensive boards, and his presence inside, as always, created room for his teammates.  Granted, Mayer didn't have as many high-degree-of-difficulty converts as he typically does, whereas Lynch was really the engine of the Midd offense.  Lynch has improved dramatically each year.  Really knows how to use his strength to create space, and great finishing touch.  I'm happy to see him graduate.  Hard to see where Midd's interior offense will come from next year with Lynch leaving. 

Someone very good will be left off the all-NESCAC teams this year.  If Workman, Toomey, Mayer, Kizell, Thompson are the top five, that leaves Sha Brown, Ben Ferris, Scott Anderson, Matt Vadas, Lynch, Robertson, Epley, and Kaasila as viable candidates for the second team.  Maybe Callaghan too, but Wesleyan's team woes should prevent more than one guy from earning that honor.  All of those guys are very worthy of recognition. 

Mayer is already an elite big guy, but I would like to see him add just two things to his game to make him unstoppable: first, more strength.  Lynch was able to bump into Mayer just enough to create space to shoot over him, despite a height disadvantage.  If Mayer could add another 5-10 pounds of muscle, it would be much tougher to do that.  Second, sometimes he has so many crazy (and effective) moves that he relies just a bit TOO much on finesse in finishing inside.  Every once in awhile I'd love to see him do a quick pump fake and then simply go up strong using his full height and bulk, rather than kind of leaning away as he shoots (something you would normally coach against, but he usually makes those).  He would draw even more fouls that way and keep defenders off balance.  But again, these are minor quibbles of a guy who is an elite offensive player, a very strong rebounder, and an improved defender (who does happen to struggle with Lynch, but he is hardly alone).

Actually, Midd has the two best players on the floor, as Kizell was also out spectacular on both ends.  But Williams has the 3rd through 7th best, and that was the difference, the Ephs' balance.   

Interesting commentary on the crazy Mayer / Lynch play in OT, obviously, could not see what exactly was going on on the webcast.

Agreed that Firepong is an excellent defender.  After the Thompson/Workman duo, he is in the next group (Jack Roberts, Jensen, Robertson, Wohl, Epley and Kalema all belong also) of top-notch NESCAC defenders.  I'm sure there are a few others from outside of the top four teams (Glen Thomas from Wesleyan, for example), but that group has consistently stood out.  Palleschi did little in the first Williams game so I didn't realize just how good he is.  His footwork and moves are incredible for a young guy.  He made Big Pete look silly out there a few times (although struggled at times on defense, no surprise considering he was often matched against Williamson for some reason, no prayer of hanging with him, and had to help off Big Pete a lot -- one-on-one, he did as good a job as you could ask on Kaasila, made him take tough shots at least).  He and Mayer are, by leaps and bounds, the top returning posts in NESCAC. Palleschi-Ferris a great duo to build around for the next year years.  Tufts could use one more interior guy to help Palleschi out, maybe it will be Sabety or a current first-year. 

Finally, not to beat a dead horse, but re: Thompson, I'd say that a NESCAC semifinal game counts for a lot more in determining the POY race than any one (or even two) regular season games vs. outmatched opponents.  If Thompson had separated himself from the field before that game, then yeah, I would give him a pass, but I can't see how you could put him above even Kizell watching the two of them play.  Kizell just makes plays all over the court, on both ends, and makes the entire Midd offense go.  Thompson (usually) nails open shots and locks one man down on defense.  He doesn't really create for his teammates on offense, nor is he a shot-blocking center like an Andrew Locke who changes the entire defensive complexion of the game.  He usually (though not yesterday) takes one great offensive player totally out of the game, but doesn't really affect anyone else on the floor, doesn't get steals or blocks off the ball as a help defender, for example.  What he is -- a steady, clutch, efficient offensive player and the best one-on-one perimeter lock-down defender in NESCAC, maybe ever in NESCAC -- is good enough for first-team all conference in my book.  But I think that, if you ask any coach who they worry about most on Midd, it's Kizell, let alone in NESCAC as a whole.

In two losses vs. Williams this year, here is what Thompson averaged: 6 points, 6.5 boards, 2 assists, despite playing OVER 40 mpg.  Shot 4-14 from the field, 2-9 from 3, 2-5 from three.  Those were two of the three big games Midd played this year.  The fourth biggest game, the one point win over Tufts, he scored 8 points on 2-6 shooting in 36 minutes.  He played much better in the big Amherst game, but when you are a non-factor offensively vs. two of the only three ranked or even also-receiving-votes teams you play all year, you simply can't be POY, not in a league with three to four other potential all-Americans.  Workman would still get my vote for everything he does on both ends.  Thompson would finish, at best, fifth on my ballot.  Most damning of all is this:  Midd played three great teams this year.  They lost all three games.  In those games, Thompson was the second best player for his team in one (vs. Amherst), and no better than the third in the in other two (vs. Williams).  He simply can't be POY based on those performances.  Heck, it's hard to even put him on the first team based on that, but that is where the rest of his entire body of work comes in. 

Compare that to, say Workman.  In three big games vs. Midd and Williams, he played D nearly as effectively as Thompson, but averaged a 22-13-4, and shot lights out from 2 and from 3.  He also played great in both Tufts games.  If two guys both play DPOY-caliber defense (Thompson better at locking down a man one-on-one, but Workman creates a lot more turnovers as he takes more risks), and one elevates his game to dominate offensively vs. elite opponents, and one fades into the woodwork a bit vs. elite opponents, how is this even a conversation??

Wow!

Quote from: lefrakenstein on February 10, 2013, 10:02:29 PM
I have to say, watching Midd get crushed on the boards today by Trinity, I'm not sure how well the Panthers are going to match up with Amherst.

We'll see what happens, but at any rate, Midd will need to play better on Tuesday than they played this evening.

Brilliant!

Quote from: nescac1 on January 12, 2013, 08:29:26 PM
OK, Midd fans a BIT touchy here.  I said they've been winning with a combination of grit, clutch play, and good fortune.  I stand by that.  When you win two of your last three games when the other team has the ball with a chance to win in the last possession, and in one game misses the shot, and the next "slips," that would, I'd say, be considered fortunate -- but also clutch!

A few other points.  First, it wasn't Thompson, but Merryman, who bumped Sha.  Sha may have been slipping already, I'm not sure, but Merryman definitely was moving, and definitely knocked into him, they showed the play twice up close on the video and there was no doubt it could have been called a foul.  Now, again, it was a 50-50 call.  But somehow Wesleyan got called for a foul when a Wesleyan player and Nolan Thompson were both fighting for a 50-50 rebound, and if you call a foul there, you have to call the foul on Merryman.  Two close calls, both went Midd's way, down the stretch. 

Now, Midd's amazing record speaks for itself.  They are consistently a gritty, clutch, well-coached, excellent defensive team.  I've said that before, and I'll continue to say that.  They almost never seem to have a let down, and when they do, they quickly get together and recover during the course of the game.  You have to bring your A game to have a chance against them.  I also think all those close wins are reflected a bit in Midd's (other than one year) struggles in the NCAA tourney during its amazing run of regular-season excellence.  In the NCAAs, EVERY team brings its A-game and top intensity level every single night (typically).  So Midd's advantage in that regard is negated.  But during the grind of the season, for four years running now, Midd never has a let down, and never looks past an opponent.  That is incredible and a testament to Coach Brown and the players he recruits.  I think right now Williams is better, but do I think the Williams-Midd game will be close to a toss-up?  Absolutely. 

As for this year, yes, I do think Midd is overrated in the polls.  I don't think Williams is a top-three team nationally right now, and at least right now, Williams is clearly playing substantially better than Midd.  A top-three team would not let games vs. Bates, Tufts ANY Wesleyan all go down to the last possession.  And I do think that Midd has played a ridiculously weak schedule this season.  And yes, they've beaten all the teams in their path, and that ain't nothing.  But looking at, for example, Williams' non-NESCAC schedule, I'd argue that the Ephs will play SEVEN non-conference opponents better than ANY non-conference opponent Midd has or will played: the non-conference Wesleyan and Amherst games, Luther (which is a really good team), Springfield, Salem State, Curry (that is the only one may be arguable) and Stevens.  And this is not one of the tougher Williams schedules I've seen.  I just think that Midd should try to schedule a FEW more games against the better programs in the region, rather than the parade of weak teams they've scheduled this year.

Twitter link of story announcing Ryan Sharry's recent pro signing:

http://www.propartnersports.com/2012/09/04/sharry-inks-deal-in-luxembourg/

Congrats to Ryan and entire Panther program.  Well done and good luck!

Quote from: frank uible on May 24, 2012, 10:26:33 PM
When speaking of success in athletic programs among NESCAC colleges, one should not overlook Middlebury - dominant in skiing seemingly forever, a primary factor in hockey for a very long time, a factor in lacrosse for a long time and in soccer relatively recently. Probably a worthy sport or two has been omitted.

Midd has won 31 NCAA National Championships since the NESCAC lifted the ban on team participation in NCAA tournaments in 1995, the most of any d3 school in the country during this time frame.

Quote from: sp0rtsfan on March 06, 2012, 05:58:16 PM
It's hard to believe the NCAA gods would take a chance on awarding a site which has a gym capacity of only 1,200....I knew Middlebury had a great women's XC program but didn't know about their quality men's hoops program. Seems like they heavily recruit from the Jersey area - 5 on the roster from that state.....Will probably not be making the pilgrimage to Vermont this weekend but would definitely like to meet Ronk, Augie, and Saratoga at a future Royals game (Were you there at the game against Drew in Madison ?)..

Middlebury has won 32 National Championships in 8 different sports since the NESCAC lifted the academically motivated ban on NCAA postseason team play in 1995, more than any D3 school in the country during that time period.  Their athletic staff have hosted dozens of regional, sectional, and final 4 events, and do a great job at putting them on.  To get a feel for the success of  Middlebury College athletics make sure you check out the NCAA trophies, National Championship team pictures, and Sports Illustrated articles in the atrium that connects the gym to the pool and the hockey rink.  You will be blown away. 

Quote from: augie on March 06, 2012, 09:17:16 AM
Nescac1,Your are a little confident with Middleury.Let me tel you a little story.                                                                                                               Last weekend sitting in the lounge of the Crowne plaza with a couple parents from Scranton i also noticed Becker fans. Well to make the story short the lady got up and start walking out of the lounge as she was walking she turned around and said to the other Becker fans i will see you in Middlebury guess how that turned outand then to find out it was the coaches wife.It is good to be confident but do not be over confident because the Royals are peaking right now.

I guarantee that there are no Midd (or any other teams for that matter) players, coaches or coaches wives that are anything but respectful of the abilities of every team coming to Midd this weekend.  Any team in the country can win or lose this weekend. It only takes hot performances or less than stellar performances by any of the Teams.

Quote from: amh63 on March 05, 2012, 06:22:49 PM
Back again....got to the Staten Island site rather quickly....must have had a senior moment in my last attempt.
I am taking the mature calm approach to this weekend's match up with F&M.  Let Coach Hixon work it out.
Let the F&M coach worry about how to match up with Amherst.  Amherst has the size, quickness and speed where it is needed.  Amherst's seniors will match F&M's seniors with experience.  My only question is on the defensive side. WCSU's DQ Brooks who can score on anybody was stopped.  Who was matched up with him?....or was he having an "ordinary night" shooting?
7Express...who was at the game...please give me some data.

An organized defensive team can frustrate a slasher like Brooks.  He had only 11 against Midd in the Tourney last year.