I know they get a bad rap, especially in regards to coaching/underperforming with the expected talent, but the Jumbos really are better than their record. They went neck and neck with MIT, Brandeis and Babson (all away games) and we know what the latter two teams both did in Amherst. 

Quote from: nescac1 on December 04, 2014, 07:50:41 AM
So, Hamilton is 7-0, albeit against a very soft schedule.  Still, that's an impressive start after being written off following the transfer of Hart.  Hamilton is doing it with balance, with many different contributors, and varied contributions from game to game.  Ewing Theory at work, potentially??

Tufts, meanwhile, is a fairly stunning 2-4.  Tufts' last two losses have not been bad ones ... games that went down to the wire against Top-25 opponents.  Still, with four regional losses already, the Jumbos have already placed themselves in a position where they will likely need to win the NESCAC tourney to earn an NCAA bid, considering they still have to play Babson, Amherst, Trinity, Bowdoin, Colby and Bates on the road, plus Williams and Midd at home ... hard to imagine going better than 5-3 in that stretch.  The Jumbos may miss the steady hand of their former starting backcourt more than anticipated (Firepong and Cohen were more valuable than their statistics would indicate), as the leading assist man averages only 4.2 assists and no one else averages more than 2.5, which is insane when you can just lob the ball to Sabety for dunks or layups at least three times per game.  Also, the three perimeter starters are struggling to shoot the ball in a MAJOR way ... Ferris, Smith and Haladyna are combining to shoot around 30 percent per game overall, and around 20 percent per game from three.  That means teams are going to collapse on the two big guys over and over until they prove they can hit a shot.  The team's foul shooting is also abysmal which is a problem and probably will cost them at least one or two close games if it does not improve.   

Ferris, while reputed to be healthy, must just not be the same guy physically as he used to be, which is sad ... as a sophomore he was a physically imposing, well-rounded guard who could hit jumpers or take it to the hole and bounce off guys to finish strong.  He averaged a very efficient 49/44/78 shooting, and led the team in free throw attempts.  This year, he has yet to attempt a SINGLE free throw through six games, signalling that his former explosion to the rim is missing.  More difficult to explain is Haladyna's shooting regression, from his first year to this year he's gone from shooting 44 percent from 3, to 36 percent, to 17 (!) percent.  He is an excellent shooter with deep range, and playing with two good bigs should theoretically create a lot of open looks, so it's really bizarre.  I'm not sure if it's a system issue, or lack of a true point guard on the squad, or lack of chemistry, or what, but Tufts still has plenty of individual talent and time to figure out what is ailing them offensively, and the Sabety-Palleschi combo should theoretically create a mismatch inside vs. every team they face.   

Indeed, Ferris is not the same player since nagging injuries end of sophomore year and throughout junior year slowed him down. Surgery before school started this year. Not sure what is up with Haladyna. Agree coaching is their main downfall, but they are getting better with each game they play, so there is some hope for a respectable NESCAC season.

Thanks for sharing nescac1. A good Vermont story, David and Goliath story, d3 school and Thanksgiving story rolled into one. Vermont (my home for the last 19 years) is a wonderful place to live the SVT coach is adding to that.

If all goes well, Ben Ferris will be allowed to start practicing again in mid-December, and back in games in January. And in his humble opinion, he thinks the new foul rules are ruining the game! (the Jumbos have racked up a ton of fouls thus far)

Ferris has stress fractures in his pelvis. I'm not sure how long he will be out for.

What doe highest floor mean?

A well spoken and mature young man!

Want to respect privacy, but he should be ok, just cannot play.

Bad news for the Jumbos... Tom Palleschi will no longer be playing ball. Medical issues. I have not seen the new recruits yet, not sure who will be able to step into the big roles.

Hello all, I'm new to posting, but have been reading the NESCAC board for a couple of years now. Looking forward to the weekend, but more so to next season.