Not surprised by those Massey stats.  I think Cameron on Wesleyan is the nastiest one-on-one defender I've seen this year. Also an excellent rebounder.  Doesn't give much offense, limiting his minutes, but when Wes needs to lock down a hot guard or wing they can bring him in to cause havoc.  When it's him, Cormier, Regan and Johnson hounding your ballhandlers there is not much space to operate, even without a big time rim protector like Tufts has. 

Nescac in general has a lot of these very high level wing defenders with spotty at best shooting running around, part of the reason the league has been such a slog this year.

Gyimesi gets his 4th NESCAC Player of the Week award.

Nescac has 3 teams in NCAA D3s top 25 rankings.
1. Wesleyan
7. Trinity
9. Tufts

Going to be an exciting Nescac tournament! Hamilton coming in at #22

Just noticed that Hamilton was down two starters up front plus a key back up big against Tufts (not a frontcourt you want to be short-handed against, for sure).  Not sure what the status of those three are going forward, but their availability certainly will impact Hamilton's odds of making the NCAAs. 

Quote from: jumbomumbo on February 10, 2025, 12:51:23 PM

Quote from: nescac1 on February 10, 2025, 09:51:13 AMThe NESCAC team defensive stats continue to be pretty wild. 

PPG, nationally: 1. Trinity, 5. Wesleyan, 7. Williams, 14. Bowdoin, 20. Amherst. 

Opponent FG percentage, nationally: 1. Trinity, 3. Bowdoin, 4. Williams, 11. Amherst, 16. Wesleyan, 25. Tufts

Opponent 3 point percentage, nationally: 3. Bowdoin, 4. Williams

Beyond raw defensive stats, Trinity and Wesleyan are, incredibly, 1st and 2nd nationally in scoring margin (Tufts is next at number 20, that one Trinity game really hurt in that regard), and the NESCAC big three all rebound the ball really well: Wesleyan 8, Tufts 14, and Trinity 17.  Tufts is unsurprising as such a big and strong team, but Wesleyan and Trinity are not very big and neither has a big guy who owns the glass.  Both are deep, athletic, and relentless, and everyone who plays - especially their guards - really get after the ball. 

Trinity's statistical profile is obviously stellar and their three losses were all tough single-digit losses to good teams (Babson - back when they were healthy and rolling - in double OT, Williams, in a bit of an off game, and Wesleyan) and after dominant wins against Tufts and Bates, they really seem to be in a groove right now - seem primed for another deep NCAA run.  Like several NESCAC teams, their one weakness is three-point shooting efficiency: their defense seems to be right where it was last year, but they miss having a guy like Callahan-Gold who can hit it anytime from anywhere. If a team is going to upset them early in the NESCAC/NCAA tournaments, it's likely because they have a brutal outside shooting day, as they did against a Williams team they certainly were favored to beat.       

The only NESCAC players showing up in many national individual stats are Hank Morgan - he's 21 (and climbing) nationally in scoring average, and 38 in FG percentage, Gyimesi, who's an impressive 9th nationally in FG percentage and 36 in RPG, and David Brennan, who is 12th nationally in rebounding.  Every NESCAC player who is tasked with blocking him out is going to be delighted to see Brennan's eligibility expire; one of the most physical, relentless dudes the league has seen.  I feel like Gyimesi, Morgan and Regan are all at this points lock for one of the five D3 hoops all-American teams.  Vetter would need a big finish to the season to squeeze on. 

Despite all the aforementioned defensive stats, I'd like to put big $$$ on the Williams-Amherst 81 point over, please (even though I agree it will likely be the typical ugly slugfest between those two teams).  The Ephs' offense can still get bogged out without that one alpha star who can just will his way for a tough bucket when things grind down, but it has at least shown some signs of life averaging 78 per game during this four-game win streak (against, granted, not the toughest slate of opponents). 

For the Ephs, Evan Glatzer has provided a spark and looks fully back to the player he was prior to his injury last year.  He's averaged 7-5-3 plus 2 stocks per game on stellar shooting (64 percent from the field, and even hitting the 3-ball) over his last seven games, which may sound modest, but is a big step up from his prior rate of production (was at 3.3 ppg before this stretch) and nearly all his baskets seem to come at critical moments to swing momentum.  His one off game during the last seven was Middlebury, which obviously did not end well for the Ephs ...

Yates, Lee, and Hansen seem to take turns having great two or three game stretches for the Ephs - if Williams can get all three going at the same time they will be a tough out going forward.  In light of how Hansen and Lee have improved over time, I expect that trio to form a really tough top three scorers next year, but if the team wants to make a run down the stretch the Ephs need them to step up as a trio a bit sooner than that.  A few hot games from outside from Porter would also help. The Ephs also need to gang rebound and protect the glass in tight games, second-chance points continue to be an issue as the Ephs simply do not give up many clean looks in the half court when the defense is set, as their stats reflect, but there are too many possession which end in a bucket after two or three offensive boards. 

Tufts defense is 13th nationally according to Massey. Wes is 2 and Trin is 10th

Trinity and Wesleyan you have backwards. Just a lot of really good smart defensive players in the conference.

Quote from: rdanie03 on February 09, 2025, 02:56:14 PMI think the most likely underclassman all-american in the NESCAC is probably Dylan Reilly. Elite shutdown defender and one of the best catch and shoot guys in league history

In the time it took you to write this post, Matt Saint Amour knocked down 10 triples.

Quote from: Bucket on February 10, 2025, 07:02:48 PM

Quote from: rdanie03 on February 09, 2025, 02:56:14 PMI think the most likely underclassman all-american in the NESCAC is probably Dylan Reilly. Elite shutdown defender and one of the best catch and shoot guys in league history

In the time it took you to write this post, Matt Saint Amour knocked down 10 triples.

Too good!!

Quote from: Bucket on February 10, 2025, 07:02:48 PM

Quote from: rdanie03 on February 09, 2025, 02:56:14 PMI think the most likely underclassman all-american in the NESCAC is probably Dylan Reilly. Elite shutdown defender and one of the best catch and shoot guys in league history

In the time it took you to write this post, Matt Saint Amour knocked down 10 triples.

Say no more

Quote from: jumbomumbo on February 10, 2025, 01:46:48 PMGyimesi gets his 4th NESCAC Player of the Week award.

It should be Regan, but if Gyimesi gets Tufts to win the conference tourney, I think he will get chosen as POTY

Quote from: rdanie03 on February 11, 2025, 03:14:31 PM

Quote from: jumbomumbo on February 10, 2025, 01:46:48 PMGyimesi gets his 4th NESCAC Player of the Week award.

It should be Regan, but if Gyimesi gets Tufts to win the conference tourney, I think he will get chosen as POTY

I believe voting is done before conference playoffs start, so those games won't matter

Quote from: Bucket on February 10, 2025, 07:02:48 PM

Quote from: rdanie03 on February 09, 2025, 02:56:14 PMI think the most likely underclassman all-american in the NESCAC is probably Dylan Reilly. Elite shutdown defender and one of the best catch and shoot guys in league history

In the time it took you to write this post, Matt Saint Amour knocked down 10 triples.

Any memories of Blake Schultz at Williams? Maybe not known as one of the best three point shooters but he hit a ridiculous 52% from three his senior year (77-148). That Williams team in 2009-10 shot 46% from three for the year! Still don't know how they didn't win the title, though that Stevens-Point team was good.

Blake Schultz also awarded the Jostens Trophy. Excellent competitor.

At this point in the season, I think I have seen every team play at least once. I wanted to throw an All-NESCAC team out there. There were 7 on both teams last year, so operating under that assumption.

First Team
Gyimesi, Tufts
Morgan, Hamilton
Regan, Wesleyan
Vetter, Trinity
Johnson, Wesleyan
Lawson, Colby
Morakis, Tufts

Second Team
Pouye, Bates
Okorougo, Trinity
Joseph, Middlebury
Espinosa, Conn.
Poulton, Colby
Singh, Hamilton
Lee, Williams

I'd like to get the leagues top shooting percentage and blocks leader in Bernstein on there, but I do think they'll try to get a Williams player on there. Cuavas will likely be ROY, but miss a team. I think Cormier, Stephens, Reilly, Brennan and Scherer all could make it too, but not sure.

Thoughts? 

Quote from: el_jefe_90 on February 11, 2025, 04:15:39 PM

Quote from: Bucket on February 10, 2025, 07:02:48 PM

Quote from: rdanie03 on February 09, 2025, 02:56:14 PMI think the most likely underclassman all-american in the NESCAC is probably Dylan Reilly. Elite shutdown defender and one of the best catch and shoot guys in league history

In the time it took you to write this post, Matt Saint Amour knocked down 10 triples.

Any memories of Blake Schultz at Williams? Maybe not known as one of the best three point shooters but he hit a ridiculous 52% from three his senior year (77-148). That Williams team in 2009-10 shot 46% from three for the year! Still don't know how they didn't win the title, though that Stevens-Point team was good.

A tired Blake Schultz front rimmed a 3 point shot. If that shot goes in, I think we win. The difference between winning and losing can be so tiny.

ItsATuftsSituation I think your list is pretty dead-on.  Six spots on first team I think are locked down but any of maybe seven guys could get the last spot (the Lawson spot; he's definitely in the mix but a lot depends on this weekend).

I think Hudson Hansen would probably edge out Lee as the Eph on the list if the season ended today but either or both could make it.

Tough to keep Cuevas off, but since he will be ROTY, it would open up another spot.