FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[SpringSt7]

Yet another nice try by jefffan caught by multiple knowledgeable folks....

Actually he just got his facts confused.  If you search "Dave Hixon vs Williams college basketball" the first link brought up informs you that his teams defeated the Ephs in 17 of their last 21 meetings.

That number sounds wrong too but I'm not as confident. Either way it's lopsided. Those 2019 games, man...

[Vandy74]

Yet another nice try by jefffan caught by multiple knowledgeable folks....

Actually he just got his facts confused.  If you search "Dave Hixon vs Williams college basketball" the first link brought up informs you that his teams defeated the Ephs in 17 of their last 21 meetings.

That number sounds wrong too but I'm not as confident. Either way it's lopsided. Those 2019 games, man...

From the Amherst Basketball site:

Legendary Amherst College head men's basketball coach David Hixon '75, who holds the record for number of wins in a single sport while coaching at Amherst, has decided to retire, Director of Athletics Donald Faulstick announced today. During his storied 42-season career at his alma mater, Hixon was the third coach in men's basketball history across all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) divisions to surpass the 800-win mark. His overall record of 826-293 places him 15th on the NCAA's list of most wins in men's collegiate basketball.

Additionally, Hixon's Amherst teams defeated archrival Williams in 17 of the last 21 contests the two schools played.

[maineman]

Middlebury will be tested in both remaining games if they want to have a chance at grabbing part of the title with Trinity. (With Wesleyan's help). Both Hamilton and Tufts can play and if the Panthers lose the turn over battle, providing short fields to their opponents, they could be on the short end of things.  Hamilton hasn't defeated the Panthers in a long time and sometime it is going to happen.  That game is at home, but Tufts will be on the road, adding to the challenge.

[Charlie]

Middlebury will be tested in both remaining games if they want to have a chance a grabbing part of the title with Trinity. (With Wesleyan's help). Both Hamilton and Tufts can play and if the Panthers lose the turn over battle, providing short fields to their opponents, they could be on the short end of things.  Hamilton hasn't defeated the Panthers in a long time and sometime it is going to happen.  That game is at home, but Tufts will be on the road, adding to the challenge.

Let's face facts Hamilton is bad and only beat Williams this year because frankly Williams was bad as well. So there is slim hope they could beat Middlebury. Now Tufts is a different story. They have been the best offense this year in the NESCAC. I know statistics say that Trinity leads in a great deal of categories. I really think but for a few Coaching blunders and special team mishaps that Tufts would be the League leader. I think Middlebury is going to find them a tough match up especially since Middlebury has to travel to Tufts. I always give edge to home team. This will be classic game as neither team can stop the others offense.

[MidDay]

Middlebury will be tested in both remaining games if they want to have a chance a grabbing part of the title with Trinity. (With Wesleyan's help). Both Hamilton and Tufts can play and if the Panthers lose the turn over battle, providing short fields to their opponents, they could be on the short end of things.  Hamilton hasn't defeated the Panthers in a long time and sometime it is going to happen.  That game is at home, but Tufts will be on the road, adding to the challenge.

Let's face facts Hamilton is bad and only beat Williams this year because frankly Williams was bad as well. So there is slim hope they could beat Middlebury. Now Tufts is a different story. They have been the best offense this year in the NESCAC. I know statistics say that Trinity leads in a great deal of categories. I really think but for a few Coaching blunders and special team mishaps that Tufts would be the League leader. I think Middlebury is going to find them a tough match up especially since Middlebury has to travel to Tufts. I always give edge to home team. This will be classic game as neither team can stop the others offense.

I don't mean to look past Hamilton, because they will surely be looking to play spoiler this weekend, but looking to a final weekend of the season against a challenging Tufts squad and a tough Trinity game, with the championship on the line.

I don't usually say this, but go Wes!

[Nescacman]

Middlebury will be tested in both remaining games if they want to have a chance at grabbing part of the title with Trinity. (With Wesleyan's help). Both Hamilton and Tufts can play and if the Panthers lose the turn over battle, providing short fields to their opponents, they could be on the short end of things.  Hamilton hasn't defeated the Panthers in a long time and sometime it is going to happen.  That game is at home, but Tufts will be on the road, adding to the challenge.

Middlebury has been very good since Cole Kennon has come back at QB. Couple that with the facts that Middlebury plays very well at home, Hamilton is not good on the road, and Hamilton's defense is horrid, we give the Conts less than a 1% chance to win this game. If somehow the Continentals did win this game, it would easily be the biggest upset of the year in the NESCAC. Wish that wasn't the case, but it is.

[Nescacman]

We did a bit of analysis on home field advantage this year in the NESCAC. Overall, the home team is a combined 21-14. The differential is even more pronounced among the better team/top teams in the league. Hartford State, Middlebury and Wesleyan are a combined 10-1 at home in 2022.

[The Ghost of John Wesley]

We did a bit of analysis on home field advantage this year in the NESCAC. Overall, the home team is a combined 21-14. The differential is even more pronounced among the better team/top ties in the league. Hartford State, Middlebury and Wesleyan are a combined 10-1 at home in 2022.

And Trinity, Midd, and Wes are a combined 9-1 on the road so far in 2022, with the lone road loss being the game Wes dropped in Brunswick.

Could it be that the teams with the best records in the league... don't lose many games home or away? This data is shocking! 

(Just pulling your leg, Nescacman)

[BigKat]

Have seen both teams play twice. 1 pct seems high

[jmcozenlaw]

I saw that Trinity was all over the news today and assumed it must have been about their football program. But alas, it was over much more important matters.........to a fractional minority (one hopes). NESCAC proud!! John Wayne is rolling over in his grave. God, I miss those days!! Let's Go Football!!!

[Charlie]

Middlebury will be tested in both remaining games if they want to have a chance a grabbing part of the title with Trinity. (With Wesleyan's help). Both Hamilton and Tufts can play and if the Panthers lose the turn over battle, providing short fields to their opponents, they could be on the short end of things.  Hamilton hasn't defeated the Panthers in a long time and sometime it is going to happen.  That game is at home, but Tufts will be on the road, adding to the challenge.

Let's face facts Hamilton is bad and only beat Williams this year because frankly Williams was bad as well. So there is slim hope they could beat Middlebury. Now Tufts is a different story. They have been the best offense this year in the NESCAC. I know statistics say that Trinity leads in a great deal of categories. I really think but for a few Coaching blunders and special team mishaps that Tufts would be the League leader. I think Middlebury is going to find them a tough match up especially since Middlebury has to travel to Tufts. I always give edge to home team. This will be classic game as neither team can stop the others offense.

I don't mean to look past Hamilton, because they will surely be looking to play spoiler this weekend, but looking to a final weekend of the season against a challenging Tufts squad and a tough Trinity game, with the championship on the line.

I don't usually say this, but go Wes!

One side note that I think NESCAC has to do away with is CO-Champions. Any other League would decide a champion either by head to head competition or some other kind of formula. I would love to see in this situation some kind of final game between the two but we all know that will never happen.

[Nescacman]

Have seen both teams play twice. 1 pct seems high

For the record, we did say <1% chance....maybe anything >0% would have been a better way to say it?!? I suppose as long as they are still playing 11 v 11, almost anything is possible...

[Nescacman]

Middlebury will be tested in both remaining games if they want to have a chance a grabbing part of the title with Trinity. (With Wesleyan's help). Both Hamilton and Tufts can play and if the Panthers lose the turn over battle, providing short fields to their opponents, they could be on the short end of things.  Hamilton hasn't defeated the Panthers in a long time and sometime it is going to happen.  That game is at home, but Tufts will be on the road, adding to the challenge.

Let's face facts Hamilton is bad and only beat Williams this year because frankly Williams was bad as well. So there is slim hope they could beat Middlebury. Now Tufts is a different story. They have been the best offense this year in the NESCAC. I know statistics say that Trinity leads in a great deal of categories. I really think but for a few Coaching blunders and special team mishaps that Tufts would be the League leader. I think Middlebury is going to find them a tough match up especially since Middlebury has to travel to Tufts. I always give edge to home team. This will be classic game as neither team can stop the others offense.

I don't mean to look past Hamilton, because they will surely be looking to play spoiler this weekend, but looking to a final weekend of the season against a challenging Tufts squad and a tough Trinity game, with the championship on the line.

I don't usually say this, but go Wes!

One side note that I think NESCAC has to do away with is CO-Champions. Any other League would decide a champion either by head to head competition or some other kind of formula. I would love to see in this situation some kind of final game between the two but we all know that will never happen.

This is NESCAC's version of the "participation trophy". Our recollection is that NESCAC did use head-to-head as a league champion tie breaker in football for perhaps a year or two and then scrapped it for some reason. As we have discussed (and previously shared the link to the documentation on the NESCAC web-site), they are just happy with ties now.

[Charlie]

Middlebury will be tested in both remaining games if they want to have a chance a grabbing part of the title with Trinity. (With Wesleyan's help). Both Hamilton and Tufts can play and if the Panthers lose the turn over battle, providing short fields to their opponents, they could be on the short end of things.  Hamilton hasn't defeated the Panthers in a long time and sometime it is going to happen.  That game is at home, but Tufts will be on the road, adding to the challenge.

Let's face facts Hamilton is bad and only beat Williams this year because frankly Williams was bad as well. So there is slim hope they could beat Middlebury. Now Tufts is a different story. They have been the best offense this year in the NESCAC. I know statistics say that Trinity leads in a great deal of categories. I really think but for a few Coaching blunders and special team mishaps that Tufts would be the League leader. I think Middlebury is going to find them a tough match up especially since Middlebury has to travel to Tufts. I always give edge to home team. This will be classic game as neither team can stop the others offense.

I don't mean to look past Hamilton, because they will surely be looking to play spoiler this weekend, but looking to a final weekend of the season against a challenging Tufts squad and a tough Trinity game, with the championship on the line.

I don't usually say this, but go Wes!

One side note that I think NESCAC has to do away with is CO-Champions. Any other League would decide a champion either by head to head competition or some other kind of formula. I would love to see in this situation some kind of final game between the two but we all know that will never happen.

This is NESCAC's version of the "participation trophy". Our recollection is that NESCAC did use head-to-head as a league champion tie breaker in football for perhaps a year or two and then scrapped it for some reason. As we have discussed (and previously shared the link to the documentation on the NESCAC web-site), they are just happy with ties now.

I know I have ranted about this before but why does every other sport in NESCAC have playoffs except football. Especially this year how great would it have been to have a top four playoffs. All top four teams are so evenly matched. It really would have been geat to watch. Just saying it would be nice. I know the answer would be well they have all played each other during the season like the Ivy League does. However they also all play each other during the season in the other sports and they have playoffs ?

[BigKat]

Won't be an issue this year. Wes isn't nearly physical enough to hang with Trinity-especially when it's not played on their goat ranch field in the quad. And if the Nescacman's line isn't at least 28 for the Bants over the Conts, I'd be shocked.