MBB: Little East

[warriorcat]

Keene State has posted its schedule for 2016-17

http://www.keeneowls.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/schedule

[middhoops]

Going to Willimantic for the opening tourney next month.  Any suggestions for where to stay close to campus.  Restaurants, etc?

[amh63]

Midhoops...going to a Eastern Conn State University Tourny? 
ECSUAlum and 7Express, please provide some assistant. 
ESCUAlum has previously given me some eating places info. However, never stayed in the area since I stay with friends in nearby areas.  My best man  who often puts me up has moved to the Chapel Hill NC.area  ECSU is not too far from Storrs, CT, but that UConn site is still short on motels, hotels.  Do not know which is closer...New London or Middletown...two sites of Nescac schools.

Boy, really need to edit my posts here.  Losing my command of American English and cannot blame auto correct.

[amh63]

Middhoops...another thought.  Maybe you can ask your cuz who has connections in the athletic dept to provide suggestions.  Maybe book a room where the MBB team is staying?  Better yet, have the AD make the reservations! . 

[gordonmann]

New London is closer to Eastern than Middletown. I went to high school in NE CT and took my SATs at ECSU.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I don't hold the fact Gordon went to high school in NE CT against him... says the guy who finished his last two years of high school in the very corner of NW CT.

[7express]

Going to Willimantic for the opening tourney next month.  Any suggestions for where to stay close to campus.  Restaurants, etc?

Sorry!  I'm a bad person to ask for where to stay, eat, etc.  Usually I just come in for the game(s) than head right back downstate to Trumbull.  I heard the Willimantic Brewing Company is pretty good.  Was going to stop there last year when I was at E.O. Smith HS up the road in Mansfield but it was a rainy night and couldn't find any parking out front, so went home.  That and a couple other restaurants are downtown on Main St.  Take a right out of the campus and it's only like a quarter mile from downtown.

New London is closer to Eastern than Middletown. I went to high school in NE CT and took my SATs at ECSU.

When you consider how far Willi is from route 2 and from route 395 I think Middletown is closer since 66 is a straight shot.  I can get from Middletown to ECSU in about 30 or 35 minutes, and it's probably about the same from New London.

Edit: Lets check Google Maps.  Obviously results will be skewed at 12:45 AM on a Saturday, but the miles are the same: To New London is 28.9 miles and during a weekday PM rush hour will take around 35-50 minutes. 
To Middletown: 30.1 miles and will take on average 40-55 minutes.  So yah about the same.  You can go faster on 395 but 395 is out of the way so to speak from New London.  66 through rural Eastern & Central Connecticut normally doesn't get much traffic outside of Portland (right before the bridge) and Hebron (at route 2).

[ECSUalum]

Middlehoops, UConn has the relatively new Nathan Hale hotel right on campus, (12 mi north of ECSU on CT RT 195), but like Amherst's Lord Jeff Inn, is full if there are any sports/other activities going on, and, typically on weekends.  Manchester CT is 18 miles away and has a bunch of hotels off I-84.  Middletown and New London are both 30 miles, to Willimantic but, as 7 says, Middletown is a straight shot east up CT Rt 66. Middletown also has some nice restaurants right on Main street.   Willimantic Brewery is by far best eating establishment, (next door to ECSU south campus on Main St), especially if you like fresh beer, which is made on site in a glass enclosure, so if they are brewing you can watch the process. You can order a flight of, I think 5 home brews to taste, which is cool as well. WilliBrew is located in the old Willi Post office building, and the bar is of beautiful quarter sawn oak, like the rest of the building interior.  Food is also very good, ie,  jambalaya, fish and chips, steamed mussles in garlic/wine, and they have excellent burgers.

Hope this helps

PS, 7, sad so see Coach Campbell has retired from WCSU.  He did a terrific job in his 30+ yrs at WestConn.  I wish him the best in his retirement!!

[ECSUalum]

ECSU plays a host of NESCAC teams this year, ie Conn College, most likely Middlebury, and Trinity in tournaments, Williams, and of course Amherst!!  Should be another exciting season.  Hopefully Coach Geitner has backfilled for Tre Preston, their all LEC, ROY, top scorer, who graduated this year.

[ECSUalum]

Eastern Connecticut's roster has been published this morning!  Of note in the newcomer category is former WCSU standout Kendal Marquez of Willimantic.  I remember him being a deadly outside shooter and excellent with the basketball back in his freshman, (2013/14), season where he averaged 10 ppg for Coach Campbell. I remember saying to myself, "how did Geitner not pick him up coming out of Windham High"? It seems he went off the radar screen either in the 2014/15 or 2015/16 season at Western.  Perhaps 7express has more details.  From an article I found online it seems like he has connections to ECSU via his father and mother!  http://www.norwichbulletin.com/x1233656961/Kendall-Marquezs-future-bright-for-Windham  Anyway, if Kendal can pick up from where he left behind at WestConn, he will be an impact player this year.  Freshman newcomers are Carlos Gonzalez Guard  5-10, 165lbs from Springfield, MA/The MacDuffie School; Darius Smith, Guard, 5-8, 160lbs, Danbury/Immaculate. and finally Jake McCarthy, Center, 6-8, 235lbs  from Berlin/Berlin .
Returnees of note are standouts all LEC 6-4, 190lbs Sr forward, Hugh Lindo and all LEC 6-3, 210lbs Jr guard Tarchee Brown.  Other returnees include 6-11 290lbs Sr center David Canny; 6-5, 240lbs Sr. Center, Brandon Kuczenski; and, 6-5, 205lbs So. Forward Leonel Hyatt.
Overall looks like Coach Geitner reloaded after the graduation of All LEC guard Trechone Preston and defensive specialist Kevin Leumene.
 

[7express]

Looks like the coaches poll was released the other day:

http://littleeast.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/releases/20161109_MBBpoll

No clue how Dartmouth (without Rezendes) is going to score as many points as they allow on the defensive end because that is probably STILL going to be an awful defensive team.  How's Wright knee??  Is he healthy to start the season, or is he out.  D-3 has the Owls at number 19 in the country, but they are only predicted 2nd in the conference.  Not sure what many newcomers are I think Western only has 1 senior and that senior Tre'Von Perry has been taking classes at the "Payton Siva get 6 years of education while still playing basketball" academy.  Seems like when I graduated in '14 he was already a junior.  Bobby Bynum has had his moments, and Jauch Green played very well towards the end of last season, so looks like they'll have to carry the Colonials.  Could be a long season, luckily their non LEC schedule is an absolute joke, so hopefully they can gain some momentum heading into 2017 when the games count.

I would've had with projected record in the conference:
1) Keene (11-3)
2) Eastern (10-4)
3) USM (9-5)
4) Plymouth (8-6)
5) Dartmouth (7-7)
6) Western (6-8)
7) RIC (5-9)
8) Boston (3-11)

[AllStar]

Looks like the coaches poll was released the other day:

http://littleeast.com/sports/mbkb/2016-17/releases/20161109_MBBpoll

No clue how Dartmouth (without Rezendes) is going to score as many points as they allow on the defensive end because that is probably STILL going to be an awful defensive team.  How's Wright knee??  Is he healthy to start the season, or is he out.  D-3 has the Owls at number 19 in the country, but they are only predicted 2nd in the conference.  Not sure what many newcomers are I think Western only has 1 senior and that senior Tre'Von Perry has been taking classes at the "Payton Siva get 6 years of education while still playing basketball" academy.  Seems like when I graduated in '14 he was already a junior.  Bobby Bynum has had his moments, and Jauch Green played very well towards the end of last season, so looks like they'll have to carry the Colonials.  Could be a long season, luckily their non LEC schedule is an absolute joke, so hopefully they can gain some momentum heading into 2017 when the games count.

I would've had with projected record in the conference:
1) Keene (11-3)
2) Eastern (10-4)
3) USM (9-5)
4) Plymouth (8-6)
5) Dartmouth (7-7)
6) Western (6-8)
7) RIC (5-9)
8) Boston (3-11)

Dizel Wright is back now for the Owls.

You mentioned Western's non-conference...I was wondering why they were playing teams such as Dean and New Rochelle.

Nice to see you on the boards again!

[7express]

Dean is a non D-3 outfit as I believe they are a 2 year JC located in Franklin, MA or somewhere right off 405, so really don't have a clue why we are playing them, though I think they are supposed to be decent.  If they wanted a decent team in central Mass they could've gone for Bridgewater State, Anna Maria, or Becker, or hell any of those 50 teams within a 40 mile radius of Boston...teams that are actually D-3 team!
New Rochelle just started adding men to the school enrollment after being an all-women's school for like the first 80 years or so it was open, so this is the first men's team that New Rochelle has had.......EVER!  Remember 2 (or 3) years ago when they played Pine Manor, the first year Pine Manor had a men's team??  That was bad enough, but at least they had a club team.  New Rochelle has had NOTHING!  At least there 2 or 3 games after New Years aren't terrible with Stockton & Mitchell.

[northeasthoopfan]

I thought the same thing , but Dean has actually moved to four years and has begun the transition to becoming an NCAA Division III program. I believe they are joining the NECC next year.

[7express]

Tuesday schedule:

Boston @ Mitchell 5 PM.
Beacons finished 6-19 and 2-12 in the conference last year while the Mitchell Mariners finished 9-15 and 7-9 in the NECC.  The oddsmakers have made the Mariners a 2 point favorite and I'll take Mitchell to win a close one 79-75.

Eastern Connecticut @ WPI 5:30 PM.
Last year they played at a neutral site with Eastern ranked in the top 20 and WPI getting a 10 point win.  They played well in the conference (12-2), but overall was a bad season with a loaded roster with the Warriors not reaching 20 wins for the first time since 2009.  The Engineers finished 20-7, reaching the 20 win plateau for the 10th straight year.  This game is listed as a pick 'em, but I think the Engineers are a better team and I'd pick them @ Eastern, at home it seems like a no brainer.   WPI 69-58

Salem State @ Dartmouth 7 PM.
First game for the Corsairs without Jordan Rezendes, how will the Corsairs replace his 29+ points per game.    Dartmouth made it to the LEC championship game last year, but will be hard to replicate that success this year.  The Vikings lost to Fitchburg State in the MASCAC championship game, but still finished over .500 for the 6th straight year, and for the 9th time in the last 10 years.  Dartmouth won by 14 @ Salem last year, and this year are a 6 point favorite at home, but I'll take Salem not only with the points, but to win straight up.  Will take some time for Dartmouth to find an identity, and it could cost them a few games in the first half of the year before they find one.  Salem 86-81.

Fitchburg @ RIC 7:30 PM.
In the 2nd year post Walsh they started out with a 78-51 win over Salem in the opener, and then crash landed with a resounding thud.  They lost 11 straight and 14 of their next 15 after that season opening win on the way to a 6-21 finish.  The Falcons finished 19-10 last year, with their season ending in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament, though they did get their first ever NCAA tournament win in the first round against a banged up Plattsburgh State squad on the road.  Coming off their first and most recent tournament bid (2012-13) the next season the Falcons were one of the worst teams in basketball finishing a dismal 2-22 the next season.  They played @ Fitchburg last season with the Falcons winning by 4, and they are a 2 point favorite this year at RIC, but I will take the Anchormen to win 65-63

Southern Vermont @ Keene 7:30 PM.
Keene comes into the season ranked #19 in basketball coming off a season which culminated in a regional semifinal loss and they have a strong supporting cast returning to Keene: Nate Stichell is now an assistant coach with the team, but most of the others from last year's team is back including guard Dizel Wright who missed most of last season with a knee injury, who should make filling Stichell's points less of a burden.  SV has finished a combined 49-8 and 32-0 in conference play the last 2 years, but don't get tested much in their bad conference.  Under the old Keene regime, this would be the classic trap game Keene would lose, but this is a different team, and Ryan Cain will have them ready to play.  Owls are a 2.5 point favorite and I'll take them to cover 82-79

UNE @ USM 7:30 PM.
UNE had their best season in a while last year finishing 14-13, their first year finishing over .500 since they won 24 games in the 2009 season.  They won by 11 at home last year, but haven't beaten the Huskies in Gorham since December 5, 2002.  Huskies are a 10 point favorite, but I'll take UNE with the points, but the Huskies to still win the game 76-69.

Rivier vs. Plymouth (@ NHTI) 8 PM.
Panthers won last year 79-55 and have won 3 straight by an average of 28.3 points.  The Raiders have finished a combined 8-42 the last 2 years which are 2 big reasons why the Panthers are a big 16.5 point favorite and I'll pick them to cover 78-58.