MBB: Little East

[jayhawk]

Difficult to say whether Garay or Spears would not be play this year. They are both point guards. Also difficult about Lippe as well. One issue is that Garay and Lippe were freshman last year behind a very deep Amherst team that was laden with seniors. Kalema is more of a combo guard- however it is clear that David Kalema has done an excellent job and has grown tremendously since he played at the beginning of last year. Ray Barry who had a season ending injury last year is likely to come back over the coming months and add to the rotation. He is reportedly a solid player who is extremely quick and a very determined player. Considering the loss of the seniors from last year Amherst is a work in progress but appears to be doing well. Hixon is doing a nice job of mixing and matching players. Since Coach Hixon plays lots of players many underclassman  do have some experience. Amherst has been playing two freshman, Connor Green and Ben Pollack who are both contributing and look to be very promising. Tufts also has two freshman Haladyna and Tom Palleschi, a big man who rebounds well who are playing and contributing.

[amh63]

Jayhawk.........nice post on Amherst....but wrong board me thinks.

[7express]

Thats weird, watching the RIC/Emmanuel women's game and they have media timeouts.  I wonder if its going to be the same for the RIC/MIT game later??

[7express]

RIC up 36-14 at the half.  Held MIT to 5 first half field goals and turned them over 11 times.

[Argylebballer]

RIC beats MIT 68-44. The RIC offense looked better and the defense was great again.

[ECSUalum]

Congratulations to the Rhode Island College mens basketball team and Coach Walsh for a outstanding job vs the #1 nationally MIT Engineers this evening.  I know MIT have some key injuries, but this game shows RIC always reloads and is always dangerous even after losing stars Akinrola and Choice to graduation.

[amh63]

Watched the video feed from Rhode Island.  MIT was a taller team but RIC was quicker,,,,played tight defense.  Other than Kates who scored 27 points from outside and drives to the basket, MIT, IMO, at this time is a "paper lion".  It indeed is a two person offense and one did not shoot well tonight.  Even the tall subs of MIT did not get into any game flow.  The "big" recruit from overseas took the last two foul shots and clanked both.  Hard to believe that RIC "squeaked out " wins in their 4 previous games.
Congrats to the Anchormen....knocking off the top team in the nation tonight!

[7express]

68-44 RIC over MIT.  Not sure of final stats, ill post then in a bit when I get back from Hartford later.

[7express]

Thursday results:

Boston 92-78 over Suffolk.
I can't believe Boston is actually a favorite to beat Western on Saturday (I'd make them a favorite the way the 2 teams are playing).  Rashjeem Benson had 31 points on 14-19 shooting and Brian Clarke (17) and Carl Joseph (15) also joined Benson in double figures.  Going into the LEC opener Saturday, this team has shown it can actually score some points this year (averaging 78.3 ppg so far have gotten 70 in all 6 games), but can they stop anyone??  If they can, this has the potential to be a top 4 or 5 team.
Salem 87-57 over Plymouth.
Petey Skevas was the only Panther in double figures with 14 points.  Hanell Valez had 20 points in 21 minutes off the bench to lead the Vikings.
RIC 68-44 over MIT.
This game has been covered enough and I'll let someone that was actually there comment on it.  As I stated earlier, RIC held MIT to 5 first half field goals, and MIT had Mitchell Kates score 27 points, and the rest of the team combined for 17.
Conference goes to 18-19 in OOC action.

Friday starts LEC play as the lone game is Keene 78 @ Dartmouth 76 to open up LEC play for the current season.
No idea why this game is on Friday, and not on Saturday like the other conference games are.  2 teams that score and don't play much, if any defense.  Keene averages 71.8 ppg and gives up 72.5.  Dartmouth averages 65.3 and gives up 76.8 and have given up 87 & 94 the last 2 games.  Both teams have been dissapointing so far, but Keene has more talent and they SHOULD win, but knoqing how they roll they won't.  That's why I made the prediction by 2.

[LECFAN32]

Congrats to ric, really seemed like the better team won, and I know this is beating a dead horse, BUT after it was known that MIT would be down two all region to all america quality players for much of the season, why would this team still have received such a high ranking, if indiana were without cody zellor this season would they still be number 1? not a perfect science, but still, this team looked like a one man show with 4 slow plodding bigs.. . Seems as though this ric team has changed its identity completely, and is focusing in on being a sufficating defensive team, with their offense which will definitely improve throughout the season, this could turn into a team that is very dangerous, especially if guys like deciantis (spelling?) established his outside shot to open up the lane for penetration from carter etc.

Keene should be fine against umass dartmouth, as the corsairs are still figuring it out, although the games i saw were without clayton who is probably their most impactful player, then again the owls are looking like defense is a foreign language, and playing down to whoever they are facing that night..

[Pat Coleman]

Because in the preseason it wasn't known, actually. Last week in the first regular season poll they lost a couple No. 1 votes.

[mass_d3fan]

Because in the preseason it wasn't known, actually. Last week in the first regular season poll they lost a couple No. 1 votes.

Pat,

   I think the real question is more about this weeks poll.  With the knowledge that those two are obviously non-factors until at best much later in the year, why would anyone still consider them #1? Losing a couple of first place votes seemed a bit silly to me. The excuse that no one really knew for the preseason poll was invalid for this week's poll.  I have read the ongoing debates here about the eye test versus W-L records and strength of schedule, but LECFAN32's point is spot on, you take away a clear cut All-American center and one of the best 3pt shooters in the country from a team and you still believe they are the best in the nation? I could see still being top 25, but not #1.

[Argylebballer]

Why on the Little East board are we trying to lessen a big out of conference win by a LEC team?
We should be beating the chest of our league and saying yet again the LEC makes another step toward being elite.

[Pat Coleman]

Two things -- one, I did not engage in a formal campaign to inform all 25 voters of the lineup change. (Frankly, to do so would be somewhat disingenuous, since I was not in a position to do so for the other 55-60 teams under consideration.) Second, there will always be voters who will hang onto a team until they lose. The fact that a couple of voters switched off MIT before they lost shows there was already some discomfort with them at No. 1, even while unbeaten.

No, of course *I* don't believe they are the best in the nation, but some did. Unfortunately, the preseason information we received indicated those two as returning starters. If we had gotten accurate information, you and I would not be having this discussion right now.

[ECSUalum]

A nice interview with Coach Walsh last night on Hoopsville, McHugh does a great job with his broadcast BTW.
Walsh was asked does he think the LEC is underated, his response was yes, but the coaches use the lack of attention, as incentive to play well throughout the season, (a bit of paraphrasing here).  With Keene's defeat of Middlebury last year, MIT's loss last night to RIC, and WCSU/ECSU performances last year, IMHO the LEC is starting to earn that recognition vs NESCAC and NEWMAC.  BTW, it was great to see MIT and RIC schedule a game together, (God bless the coaches for doing this), and similarly, Keene has come out with a pretty strong schedule.  Dont know why any of the other NESCAC/LEC teams do not have MIT on their schedules, as it would make for some outstanding contests and give D-III some better publicity vs the brainless hype the Grinnell game got
I think last year the LEC turned the corner WRT if the Conference should be getting more notoriety, (3 teams qualification for the NCAAs).  RIC, well is RIC, ECSU is getting better, and while this year may be an off year, Coach Geitner is transforming the program with a great defense oriented game and better recruiting every year.  Western is having a down year, but Campbell will sort this out, and finally it remains to be seen if Keene State is the real deal this year.  Martin has to have a banner season, and Wright and the rest of the crew have to rebound, and they must improve on defense.  Finally UMB will make some noise this year, I can see its program starting to come around, (hope its not a one off). 
However.......as Walsh says, let the CAC and the other conferences get the limelight, the LEC will continue to use it as an incentive to UPSET