Lol at Jake Ross making 1st Team over Coene. That's an absolute joke.

Smitty Oom, are you going out to Fort Wayne for Championship Weekend? I'm excited to see the All-Star game in person, but I'm trying to figure out how well it will be attended as it is directly prior to the Championship game. Likely going to risk buying general admission weekend passes when I get to Fort Wayne and show up to the All-Star game at about 3:30 when warm ups begin.

Okay, thank you for your input. Going to see someone play in the all-star game so I don't really care about sitting with the fans of any of the teams for the Final 4 and Championship games. I have been looking at Ticketmaster and it seems that they have changed their general admission seats to the back corners of the stadium on one side with the mid-to-upper level center court seats now sectioned off, while all the mid-to-upper level seats on the other side are general admission.

All-Star teams were just released. Looks like you were right with Jomard and Nichols getting the two nods for selections from the Northeast. Coene gets voted in by the fans and Echevarria gets the at-large nomination after losing in the Elite 8 to Swarthmore. Was really looking forward to seeing Nichols play in the Final 4, but it's great to see that the Northeast got the most all-star nominations for the game. Now that a majority of the NCAA Tournament has been completed, I'd probably want to revise my NE POY nomination and think it will now likely go to Echevarria, who played through two injuries in the tournament and was just a possession away from getting his team to the Final 4. I'm guessing we'll get confirmation of this in just a few hours with the All-Region Teams coming out today?

I'll be in attendance for the whole weekend. Flying in on Friday morning. Looking for opinions from those who have been to previous championship weekends, should I buy tickets in advance (I'm going with 4 other people)? I just don't want to travel all the way out there and it be sold out, especially when I am actually going to see someone specific play.

Quote from: Smitty Oom on March 05, 2019, 06:07:32 PM
Not saying I agree/disagree with the potential selection, but Jomard was an integral part of a MIT program that was a mainstay in the top 25 and had multiple NCAA tourney appearances during his 4 years. That counts for something as well, even though his stats may not match those of Coene.

I'm assuming they select based on this season's performance. Jomard averaged 17.8 and 4.8 and Coene averaged 26 and 9.5. For an all-star game, I think there is a pretty clear cut winner. Again, I'm obviously biased being an RWU fan but if you look at Coene's stats compared to the 7 other players nominated for fan voting it's almost laughable. Coene is in 3rd right now in voting and the two above him aren't within 10 ppg and 5 rpg of him. If the voting stays this way, I would like to think most could agree that Coene would be robbed of an all-star selection. Maybe the committee would consider him for an at-large selection at that point, but it seems as though those two spots will be reserved for two players on teams that get bounced from the second weeekend of the tournament.

I really hope everyone can take a look at the 8 players listed for the fan voting for the NABC All-Star Game and see how clearly the stats show that Austin Coene should be selected as an all-star. If Jomard from MIT does indeed get the nod from the Northeast Region, I think the committee that selected the players did a miserable job.

For the Northeast region, I think Ty Nichols was selected by the committee. I honestly can't think of another player that would have been picked over Austin Coene of RWU that's no longer in the NCAA tournament.

Quick question about the fan voting for the All-Star game. Are the players that will be listed at 12 PM those who are no longer being considered by the committee selecting the all-stars or just the top player from each region? More simply put, are the 6 players not selected by the fans out of all-star contention?

I guess this question was really directed at me as I've been the only consistent CCC poster for the past few years. Like you said, Nichols is a very impressive team and the CCC champion for the third year in a row. They finished 17-1 in CCC play this year, a conference that has finally been given a bit more recognition and respect with the emergence of Gordon College (sadly not selected for the NCAA tournament) and strong teams in Endicott and RWU. My RWU team finished winless against Nichols in the four seasons I've been following them. Nichols is just darn good. Unfortunately for the Northeast, two very strong teams in Middlebury and Nichols will face off in the first round of the NCAA tournament on 03/01.

Nichols is made up of one of the best backcourts in the country in guards Marcos Echevarria and DeAnte Bruton. To be honest, Bruton's success on the court has been overshadowed by Echevarria the past few years, and I'm almost tempted to say that Bruton is the better overall player. Regardless the two are quite a difficult duo to handle. The other starting guard, Nate Tenaglia, has done a good job of replacing sharpshooter Tyler Dion, who transferred to Worcester State this year. Tenaglia is a small wingman that can hit the 3 ball when called upon and might be the best one on one defender on the Bison. That being said, I think this is one of the weak spots of Nichols as they lack a true defensive stalwart that can contain an opposing team's star player. Nichols also has a strong starting front court in Jerome Cunningham and Matt Morrow. Cunningham is a very athletic yet undisciplined big man who sometimes seems to do more talking than playing. Morrow has developed into a very reliable presence down low and is a double double machine. Nichols plays a pick and roll offense, loves to take transition 3s, and typically dictates the pace of the game. If they are hitting their 3s, I truly believe they can beat any team in the country. They play man to man defense and in my four years of following the CCC I have maybe seen them run a zone defense on one occasion. One spot they're also weak in is depth, as they play about an 7-8 man rotation in competitive games. They don't have a single player off the bench who averages more than 6 ppg, demonstrating just how much they've relied on their starters the entire season. This can take a tole on players like Echevarria and Bruton, both of whom have averaged more than 33 mpg this season. If we're really going to nitpick the Bison, we can discuss the scenario where they get cold from deep during a stretch within a game. Unfortunately, they don't have any players who really take the ball to the hoop and get fouled for easy FT attempts. Nichols has only averaged 16.7 FTA per game this year, while they have shot a respectable 73% from the line. Echevarria and Bruton, who combine for over 40 ppg only get to the line 6.6 times a game. I hope this has given you some insight into the Nichols Bison. I'm a big supporter of the CCC and I'm hoping they can make a run in the NCAA tournament!

Getting past Middlebury will be a testament to how good this Nichols team really is. To be honest, I haven't followed Middlebury this year and just know they've had some very competitive games against Endicott in the past couple years. It also seems that Middlebury has been very up and down this season, more recently the latter after being upset by Tufts in the first round of the NESCAC tournament. They'll be coming into this game with over two weeks off. Luckily for them, Nichols is notorious for starting games off slow and is really a second half team. As far as how much of a run I think they can make this tournament, I can see Nichols as a Sweet 16 Team. Second round they'll likely play Rowan, who plays Emerson (NEWMAC Champion - a team that should not be overlooked) in the first round, which is a team I know little to nothing about. If they were to get to the Sweet 16, they'd likely be playing Amherst, who would be hosting at that point in the tournament if I'm not mistaken? Amherst is the hottest team in D3 basketball and with a tournament game at home, I really don't see Nichols coming out on top in that potential matchup. And not to sound cliche, but anything can happen in the NCAA tournament, so I would not be surprised at all to see Middlebury facing off against NESCAC foe Amherst in the Sweet 16.

Thanks for the input nescac1! You definitely have a better idea of the NESCAC talent than I do. Have the all conference selections been made? I wanted to put Robinson in my projected 1st Team All-NE Region, but there are 3 players averaging 25 ppg in the NE this year that I think will take those 1st Team All-NE spots. Robinson should make 2nd Team and is definitely a future All-American. Many of the NESCAC players will get to make their case in the NCAA tourney which is an advantage. I could see them sneaking a second player onto the 1st Team, but I'm leaning more towards the CCC getting two players. Regardless, the Northeast is a very talented region!

I agree with that  To clarify, I was saying that Ty Nichols will minimum be 1st Team All-Northeast Region and is definitely the front runner for NE POY. Maybe the way I stated it in my previous post was confusing.

Quote from: Smitty Oom on February 26, 2019, 07:31:24 PM

Quote from: D3ball1845 on February 26, 2019, 07:26:00 PM

Quote from: NEsoccerfan20 on February 26, 2019, 01:18:24 PM
I would think Ty Nichols out of Keene State would be considered for 1st team AA. Saw him play a few times and he's easily the best scorer in new england. His overall numbers are very good and he's third nationally in scoring at 27.3 ppg.

I am almost certain Ty Nichols will win Northeast Regional Player of the Year and he will definitely at minimum be on the 1st Team All-Northeast Region Team. I think 1st Team All-American isn't unreasonable, especially if Keene State can make a run in the NCAA Tournament. My best guess would be that he ends up as 2nd Team All-American, which is a huge accomplishment in itself. I'm a big follower of D3 basketball in the northeast and my guess for 1st Team All-Northeast Region players and All-American likelihood are as follows:

1. Ty Nichols, Sr. (Keene State), All-NE POY, 1st or 2nd Team All-American
2. Austin Coene, Sr. (RWU), 2nd or 3rd Team All-American
3. Kena Gilmour, Jr. (Hamilton), 3rd or 4th Team All-American
4. Bradley Jomard, Sr. (MIT), Honorable Mention All-American or not selected
5. Sean Bryan, Jr. (Salem State), Honorable Mention All-American or not selected


I would be very surprised if the first three players on the list were not selected to 1st Team All-Northeast Region. Other players I'd consider in place of Jomard and Bryan would be Jake Ross, Jr. (Springfield), Marcos Echevarria, Sr. (Nichols), Brian Hogan-Gary, Jr. (Johnson and Wales) and Grant Robinson, So. (Amherst). Echevarria likely has the most to gain from the NCAA tournament after his prolific career at Nichols. I'd love to hear other perspectives, although I know most are focused on the beginning of the NCAA tournament and not post-season honors.

I think Echevarria would sneak onto the first team in front of the 4th and 5th listed, as you said it is close for those last couple spots. Another couple of players I would mention from the NE would be the duos from Emerson (Jack O'Connor and Geoffrey Gray) and Gordon (Eric Demers and Garrison Duvivier).

I agree that all those players will be considered for All-Northeast Regional Teams. The tough thing is that Coene and Jobard won POY for the CCC and NEWMAC, respectively. If you put Echevarria on 1st Team there is no way another CCC player makes it. Duvivier is definitely not going to make it as he didn't even make 1st Team All-CCC, although he should have. I bet the two Emerson players end up on 2nd-4th teams All-Northeast.

Quote from: NEsoccerfan20 on February 26, 2019, 01:18:24 PM
I would think Ty Nichols out of Keene State would be considered for 1st team AA. Saw him play a few times and he's easily the best scorer in new england. His overall numbers are very good and he's third nationally in scoring at 27.3 ppg.

I am almost certain Ty Nichols will win Northeast Regional Player of the Year and he will definitely at minimum be on the 1st Team All-Northeast Region Team. I think 1st Team All-American isn't unreasonable, especially if Keene State can make a run in the NCAA Tournament. My best guess would be that he ends up as 2nd Team All-American, which is a huge accomplishment in itself. I'm a big follower of D3 basketball in the northeast and my guess for 1st Team All-Northeast Region players and All-American likelihood are as follows:

1. Ty Nichols, Sr. (Keene State), All-NE POY, 1st or 2nd Team All-American
2. Austin Coene, Sr. (RWU), 2nd or 3rd Team All-American
3. Kena Gilmour, Jr. (Hamilton), 3rd or 4th Team All-American
4. Bradley Jomard, Sr. (MIT), Honorable Mention All-American or not selected
5. Sean Bryan, Jr. (Salem State), Honorable Mention All-American or not selected


I would be very surprised if the first three players on the list were not selected to 1st Team All-Northeast Region. Other players I'd consider in place of Jomard and Bryan would be Jake Ross, Jr. (Springfield), Marcos Echevarria, Sr. (Nichols), Brian Hogan-Gary, Jr. (Johnson and Wales) and Grant Robinson, So. (Amherst). Echevarria likely has the most to gain from the NCAA tournament after his prolific career at Nichols. I'd love to hear other perspectives, although I know most are focused on the beginning of the NCAA tournament and not post-season honors.

It's time for the semifinals of the CCC tournament and my rather long takes and predictions on what should be two very interesting games tonight. We have #1 Nichols, coming off a first round bye, hosting a rather hot and volatile #5 WNE team tonight at 7:00 PM. My predictions from earlier in the season are finally coming to light, as I saw Endicott falling and WNE rising as the final third of the season came along. Also, I correctly predicted CCC POY and could even be right about the CCC championship depending on the results of the two games tonight. So, it only took me 4 years to finally get a firm grasp on the upward bound CCC. We also have #2 Gordon hosting #3 RWU tonight at 7:00 PM. My comments and predictions can be seen below:

#1 Nichols (23-2, 15-1) vs. #5 WNE (12-14, 8-8), 7:00 PM

Nichols will be well rested after coming off a first round bye in the CCC tournament. They have not played a game in a week, which could be a double-edged sword if they have to shake off some rust in the first half. On the other hand, WNE rolls into Dudley after beating Endicott twice in the past week. Nichols has beaten WNE twice this season, with wins of 99-96 (away) and 83-62 (home). WNE has actually done a pretty good job handling two-time CCC POY Marcos Echevarria, as he only averaged 16.5 ppg in their two games this year. On the other hand, DeAnte Bruton has averaged 21.5 ppg against WNE this year and will undoubtedly be the leader of the Nichols team next season given Echevarria's impending graduation. WNEs real issue has been handling the Nichols' big men, specifically Matt Morrow and Jerome Cunningham, as the two have combined to score 21.5 ppg and grab 20.5 rbpg in two games against WNE this year. Sophomore big man, Zach Tavitian, will have to do a better job battling them on the glass and also produce on the offensive end if WNE is to pull off the upset. WNE is really going to have to lean on senior guard and 1st Team All-CCC player, Mikey Pettway, who is coming off a 34 point game against Endicott. Pettway has averaged 17.5 ppg, 4 rbpg, 2.5 apg, and 1 spg against Nichols this year. WNE will also need production from their two 3 point shooters who are often overlooked. I can see junior guard, Mike McGuire, having a big performance tonight if WNE is to advance to the CCC championship. I should also mention WNE freshman guard, Antonio Brancato, who has averaged 15.5 ppg against Nichols this season. However, it seems as if teams have figured the freshman out for the time being as he has only scored in the double digits once in the past seven games. In regards to game flow, I see Nichols coming out a bit overconfident and slow, taking a couple point lead or even being down by a few at halftime. Then, I expect to see the talented backcourt of Nichols to take over and slowly pull away from WNE in the second half, fueled by the what I expect to be rather large home crowd attendance to the game. WNE has shown they have the ability to play with Nichols, but I still can't ignore the fact that they average almost 16 less points away from home, even after their first round upset over Endicott. But who am I kidding, I would love to see WNE knock off Nichols so my RWU Hawks get a home game for the CCC championship. Spoiler alert at who I'm predicting to win the other game.

Prediction: Nichols 87 WNE 73

#2 Gordon (22-4, 13-3) vs. #3 RWU (15-11, 11-5), 7:00 PM

This game is going to be an outright battle for who will move on to the CCC championship. RWU has to win the CCC Championship to get an NCAA tournament bid and Gordon would likely become a bubble-out team if they lose tonight. Before I get into the game, I want to congratulate senior swingman, Austin Coene of RWU, for being selected as CCC POY. It is well deserved and I'm hoping this results in him being considered for an All-American selection at the conclusion of the season. Additionally, I wanted to touch on the fact that Garrisson Duvivier of Gordon was robbed of 1st Team All-CCC honors. He had an outstanding season this year, as he led the CCC in rebounds and blocks while still averaging 18.5 ppg. Also, he is now only 23 points away from becoming the all-time leading scorer in Gordon Men's Basketball history. Keep that on your radar in what could be the final game of his career if things don't go Gordon's way tonight. Gordon has bested RWU twice this season, winning 94-91 in OT (home) and 103-94 (away). I usually never blame officials for the result of a game, but RWU was subjected to some of the worst officiating I've seen in their OT loss to Gordon. I've expanded upon this in an earlier post from this year, but the series really should be at 1-1 this season, not that it matters at this point in time. RWU is undoubtedly going to need a huge game from CCC POY, Austin Coene, who has averaged almost a triple double against Gordon this year, putting up 34.5 ppg, 9 rbpg, 7.5 apg, and 1.5 spg. However, Coene did take a ridiculous amount of shots in their last game, going 15-36 from the field. I don't think he will need to shoot as much tonight and I predict he will be around 20-25 FGA. Gordon plays a high pressure zone defense and I think Coene will have to continue facilitating on drive and kicks if RWU is going to pull this one out. RWU has been on fire from outside in the last four games, shooting 47-93 (515) from deep. If shooters Jake Heaton and Rich Pugliese continue to shoot well, I think RWU has a really good chance of coming out as the victors in this one. The key to getting open 3s against the Gordon zone is to have them collapse on drives by Coene and having him dish to his shooters on the wing or in the corner. I also want to give a shout out to sophomore big man, Drew Hart, who earned 3rd Team All-CCC distinction this year. He will take on the daunting task of matching up with Duvivier tonight. Sophomore JJ Pfohl will continue to take the reigns as RWUs floor general and a solid defender, although I would not expect him to take on Demers defensively tonight. Speaking of Demers, he has averaged 35.5 ppg, 4.5 rbpg, 4 apg, and 2.5 spg in two games vs RWU this year. He will likely be defended by RWUs Jake Heaton tonight, in what should be a great battle between these two. If Demers continues having his way against RWU, I wouldn't be surprised to see Gordon advance to the CCC championship. Gordon also has a couple of good shooters in Jake Haar and Noah Szilagyi that will need to be watched by RWU. If either of them scores above 15 points, I really don't like RWUs odds in this one. Garrisson Duvivier has averaged 28.5 ppg, 13 rbpg, 2.5 apg, 2 spg, and 4 bpg against RWU this year. This is not surprising whatsoever, as RWU has struggled to contain big men all year. They have actually done pretty well against the 6' 11" center, Parker Omslaer, keeping him at bay with 6 ppg, 7.5 rbpg, and 2.5 bpg in two games this year. Of note, RWU has gone into halftime with 9 point leads in both games against Gordon this year. RWU has really struggled as a team in the second half this season, which has cost them multiple games. If that is again the case tonight, look for them to come out with energy, a strong defensive mindset, and looking to control the pace of the game in the second half as it is do-or-die time for the Hawks. With respect to game flow, I would expect the Hawks to come out strong away from home and build up a 5-10 point lead by half time. Gordon will make their run in the second half and it will really be up to RWUs will power and determination to see if they can pull off the upset against the Scots tonight. I'm expecting huge games from Coene and either Demers/Duvivier, but I would expect one of the latter two to be held below 20 points tonight. I'll be in attendance at this game and if you're in the North Shore area you should consider coming as it will be a good one to see in person. Go Hawks!

Prediction: RWU 91 Gordon 86