MBB: Conference of New England

[mass_d3fan]

In my ever so humble opinion, its not at all about who your best player is.  It is really about how a coach defines the roles he wants his players in.

It also depends on what your definition is for your "best" player.  Do you need your "best" to be a PG?  Or do you need a PG who understands his role and still a very a good player and runs the team in a way the coach desires, but is not considered to be your best player?  Does it pay to have a phenominal PG, but average or less than average players that can't take advantage of what the PG can do as far as opening up scoring opportunities.  Assists only get counted if someone makes a bucket off a good pass or drive & dish.

Does "Best" =

best shooter?
best scorer?
best defender?
best ball handler?
best "big" ?
best "all-around" ?

these terms tend to be open to individual interpretation and evaluation.

A great scorer may considered to be the "best" on a
particular teasm, but he may not have the defensive ability to play the same number of minutes on another coaches team.  Some coaches consider a lock-down defender who can score when his team needs it as the best player.


Hugenerd can maybe give some insight into how best changes based on the make-up of a team in referencing wether Jimmy B (definitely MIT's Best Player before the current group started last year)would have been the goto guy if he were on the current team.  Lets assume he he came in with the current group or was a soph last season.  My bet is that he would havce been a very good player, but when you put him on the court with the group from last year, he is not going to be the dominant game-in game-out scorer.  He would have his big games from time time-to-time, but he would also have games where he his numbers would be down in favor of Hollingsworth, Kates, Tashman  and others.  Then coming into this year, he would have been a component to machine, not the engine.

There has already been a little discussion in regards to this point of "best" in the NEWMAC forum in regards to who was the MVP/POY to this point.  Acouple of guys who are high profile scorers, or Kates a PG.  People see these roles differently when it comes to things like awards and descriptions like "best player".

[mass_d3fan]

I do agree with Nerd, start by finding the best 1 & 5 possible is how construct a solid team.

I mean on both ends, not just offensively. On the offensive end, I am a true believer in the inside-out concept.  If you can't establish a solid inside game then your going to have success against weak teams and on those nights when your perimeter guys are red hot.  What are you going to do on the nights when foul trouble, poor shooting or just good D by your opponent is shutting down your perimeter scoring?

[tcccfan2010]

It all boils down to guard play though. If you don't have a guard who can handle the ball and distribute it to your bigs then your toast. Look at Gordon this year. They look trigg and bajema and did a poor job of recruiting and they can't get the ball over half court. They have two great bigs with Walker and Dempsey yet they are getting killed because they can't get the ball over.

[Hugenerd]

Bartolotta is a whole different situation.  Any time you have someone getting triple teamed and still scoring 28 ppg, thats someone who is going to score a lot no matter the situation (also, I am not sure if the National POY is a good case study to use when we are talking about the position you need most on a team.  I am sure if anyone had a choice between a solid point guard, and the national POY who happens to be a 2, everyone would pick the national POY).

If he played with Kates and Hollingsworth (which actually could have happened, Kates played a post grad year and Hollingsworth went to Brown for a year), I dont think Bartolotta's production would have gone down, I just think his role would have changed.  He probably would have had to work less for his shots, because Kates could have set him up or from kickouts from Hollingsworth in the post.  Therefore, conceivably, his production could have gone up, with more open shots, more freedom on offense to crash the boards and get easy put backs, less focus from the defense, not having to worry as much about concerving energy because he had to play 40 a night, etc.  Maybe his total shots would go down, with more being distributed to Hollingsworth, but we will never know because it didnt play out that way, so all we can do is speculate.

[tcccfan2010]

Watch out for Gordon the second half of the season...the will finish in the top 3 in the league. you heard it here first.

[WITball]

lets pump the brakes on saying that walker and dempsey are "great" bigs...ill give you solid/good...but great is a reach

[tcccfan2010]

Dempsey is a special player, there is no one in this league that can guard him, if he gets his outside shot going he is deadly. He will be the POY before he graduates. Walker is a solid big that would start for any team in the league.

[scout]

Dempsey is a special player, there is no one in this league that can guard him, if he gets his outside shot going he is deadly. He will be the POY before he graduates. Walker is a solid big that would start for any team in the league.

Saying that a team can start for any team in the CCC is not that big of a statement.

Please, check biases at the door and objectively speak about every team in the conference. It will save you a lot of ridicule and save people who have been here a while from the pains of redundancy.

Gordon is down this year. Plain an simple. They have a few solid pieces, but not enough to consistently be counted on to win.

[high flyer 21]

CCC league play starts this week.  The equality between the teams is very close this year.  Just to give an idea, the league leader in non-conference wins, New England College, beat Berkeley (N.Y.) on the road in overtime.  Gordon, currently #9 in pre-conference play, and Endicott, currently #4 in pre-conference play also both beat Berkeley (although Gordon's win similarly came in OT, while Endicott beat them more handily). 

Should be an interesting year.  Can't believe WNEC is 0-9 to start the year and Curry is 1-7.  Who really knows what the league standings will be 2 months from now.

[WITball]

BIG game tomorrow with WIT playing at Gordon...this is a classic rivalry and will be a great game...Big sam (not cement shoes) will need to hold down dempsey and walker while putting up solid numbers himself...I think WIT's guard play will be better than gordons but on a game like this it all depends on who shows up!  Should be a great game and I look forward to watching it!!!

WIT +10

[scout]

BIG game tomorrow with WIT playing at Gordon...this is a classic rivalry and will be a great game...Big sam (not cement shoes) will need to hold down dempsey and walker while putting up solid numbers himself...I think WIT's guard play will be better than gordons but on a game like this it all depends on who shows up!  Should be a great game and I look forward to watching it!!!

WIT +10

You think Gordon should win by 10 points?

Considering your bias, I think you meant WIT -10.

The favored team is minus whatever the margin is. The underdog is plus whatever the margin is. Don't set a line unless you know how. We appreciate the enthusiasm, though. I always like a good point spread.

[high flyer 21]

BIG game tomorrow with WIT playing at Gordon...this is a classic rivalry and will be a great game...

Agreed.  The Wentworth-Gordon rivalry has really heated up the past few years, especially after that huge playoff upset in 2007.  Apparently there was a lot of trash talking on Youtube between former Wentworth players (who were making personal attacks against Gordon as an academic institution) and Gordon fans, but we won't get into that here.  Good luck to both teams tomorrow night should be a great game.

[backboard]

BIG game tomorrow with WIT playing at Gordon...this is a classic rivalry and will be a great game...

Agreed.  The Wentworth-Gordon rivalry has really heated up the past few years, especially after that huge playoff upset in 2007.  Apparently there was a lot of trash talking on Youtube between former Wentworth players (who were making personal attacks against Gordon as an academic institution) and Gordon fans, but we won't get into that here.  Good luck to both teams tomorrow night should be a great game.

Not to spark controversy, but should that 2007 game still be considered an upset?  Wentworth went on to the win the championship and had a pretty stacked roster.  1 player of the year and 1 eventual player of the year.  Ok I guess I am trying to spark controversy afterall . . .

[CCC Talk]

There's probably only 2 or 3 of us on this board that were even following the league then.

Let's move on.

I like Wentworth by 5 or so tonight.

[scout]

There's probably only 2 or 3 of us on this board that were even following the league then.

Let's move on.

I like Wentworth by 5 or so tonight.

That game began, was, and ended with Sherrad Prezzie-Blue. The Gordon team was filled with talent, but SPB won that game single handedly.

As for tonight, I have no idea what will happen. Gordon has been polarizing to say the least, reaching both extremes in terms of results. Wentworth has had a little consistency, but their non-con wasn't anywhere as tough as Gordon's.

I'm of the belief that tonight's game will go on to say a lot more about these two teams going forward than anything so far has done to say about tonight.