MBB: Conference of New England

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wentworth is down in Texas to play D-1 UTPA tonight.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Here is my attempt at an All-First Semester First and Second Team. This list does not take positions into account and is in no particular order.

First Team:
Lance Greene
David Dempsey
Chima Ezeigbo
Sedale Jones
Pat Flanagan

Second Team:
Andre Shaw
Lachlan Magee
Ryan Birrell
Lambros Papalambros
Corey Therriault

I wanted to include Sheehan but he isn't shooting well, isn't rebounding, and isn't getting assists. There were too many guys that would have been in consideration for a third team so I decided not to do one. I'm sure this list isn't perfect but it isn't a bad jumping off point.

Really?  Ezeigbo is still coming back from the injury and Dempsey hasn't quite found his stride yet.

Flanagan and Birrell have been the best players so far.  I'd probably include Shaw and Jones simply because they're carrying their teams right now.  There's about ten guys that I'd be ok with at #5.

[uconn05]

I think swapping Shaw for Dempsey is justified.

I don't know anything about Chima's injuries but he has played in seven games and is averaging 16ppg, a league leading 11rpg, and 2.5 blocks. Naz has't been very good but I think he has played a high level.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I think swapping Shaw for Dempsey is justified.

I don't know anything about Chima's injuries but he has played in seven games and is averaging 16ppg, a league leading 11rpg, and 2.5 blocks. Naz has't been very good but I think he has played a high level.

I saw games #2 and #3 to start the season and he's at maybe 80%.  Hopefully he'll be back on top of things after the holiday.  He just wasn't able to be aggressive on the leg and his fitness may not have been at peak level.

He broke his leg last December on the trip to California and just got cleared to play a couple weeks before the season started (and after practice began).  I don't remember all the specifics, but it involved dozens of pins and multiple fractures.  I heard rumors that the doctor who did the surgery has been a Patriots physicians and still said this was the worst injury he'd ever seen.  I think more than likely it's lucky Chima's even playing basketball at all this year.

There were certainly signs of his ability - and maybe even at 80% he's among the top five in the conference, it's certainly a possibility.

I've got high hopes for this ENC squad once everyone is back after the holidays.

[magicman]

Wentworth hanging with D1 Texas-Pan American through the first 10 minutes of the first half as they are only down 1,  17-16.

[magicman]

Texas-Pan American creates some daylight from Wentworth as the Broncs end the half on a 11-2 spurt ot open up a 40-24 advantage over the Leopards.

[GC Oldtimer]

I hope you all don't mind too much but I would like to go back to something in some of the previous posts.  The WIT-Gordon discussion, while largely silly brought out a point that has mystified me for some time.  A couple of the posters inferred that Gordon is at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting and is some how restricted from going after "whomever they want."  This comes from the idea that as a Christian College Gordon restricts itself to only Christian athletes and that puts it at a disadvantage.  Now, I realize that this is what Gordon does, but is it really that much of a disadvantage?  If so, than someone please explain to me how Messiah College has eight of the last twelve national championships in men's soccer or their women have won four of the last seven and been runners up in three others?  What about Calvin College winning Basketball national titles in 1992 and 2000?  Or Weaton College winning womens soccer titles in 2004, 2006 and 2007?  Messiah was runners up in Field Hockey seven times since 1997...Calvin won a Volleyball National Title last year...etc. etc.  I know this is more than just hoops but it begs the question...is it the restriction or the recruiting?  Is it the part of the country?  Yes, Weaton is in that Basketball "friendly" part of the nation but is PA the soccer hotbet of the USA?  Maybe I am missing something for which I sure would like to be enlighted or maybe this has already been discussed here and if so I apologize but many of the schools are on break so I thought it would be a good time to get my question in.  Thanks all for your posting which provides good information and entertainment.  I am not located in New England so you all help me stay in touch.

[magicman]

Wentworth loses to Texas-Pan American 65-48. Eric Prue with 14 pts and John Fragnoli with 10 are the top scorers for the Leopards.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wentworth comports themselves well, losing by only 19.  They represented themselves and the conference well.

[Gordonhoops123]

I hope you all don't mind too much but I would like to go back to something in some of the previous posts.  The WIT-Gordon discussion, while largely silly brought out a point that has mystified me for some time.  A couple of the posters inferred that Gordon is at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting and is some how restricted from going after "whomever they want."  This comes from the idea that as a Christian College Gordon restricts itself to only Christian athletes and that puts it at a disadvantage.  Now, I realize that this is what Gordon does, but is it really that much of a disadvantage?  If so, than someone please explain to me how Messiah College has eight of the last twelve national championships in men's soccer or their women have won four of the last seven and been runners up in three others?  What about Calvin College winning Basketball national titles in 1992 and 2000?  Or Weaton College winning womens soccer titles in 2004, 2006 and 2007?  Messiah was runners up in Field Hockey seven times since 1997...Calvin won a Volleyball National Title last year...etc. etc.  I know this is more than just hoops but it begs the question...is it the restriction or the recruiting?  Is it the part of the country?  Yes, Weaton is in that Basketball "friendly" part of the nation but is PA the soccer hotbet of the USA?  Maybe I am missing something for which I sure would like to be enlighted or maybe this has already been discussed here and if so I apologize but many of the schools are on break so I thought it would be a good time to get my question in.  Thanks all for your posting which provides good information and entertainment.  I am not located in New England so you all help me stay in touch.

GC Oldtimer,
I wouldn't say they are a disadvantage as much as they are forced to recruit from all over the country to find kids who are the right fit for Gordon, both academically, spiritually and basketball skill. As a school like Colby Sawyer has Bill Fotti recruiting the top guys from New Hampshire every year, Gordon has to be strategic in the money they are spending to get guys like Trigg from Kansas, Derr from Illinois, Gaskill from Ohio, etc. So I would say the only disadvantage is they have to spend their recruiting budget wisely in order to recruit across the country instead of just driving to see kids in New England. But with great academics, a great campus and a solid basketball program Gordon has put itself in a solid position to be a very appealing school.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Nichols is in sunny Daytona Beach for a tournament Wednesday and Thursday - playing Taylor (IND) and Stevenson.

[Chantastic]

GC Oldtimer,

There seems to be a tipping point where being a Christian College can help you get athletes.  If you look at the rosters of a school like Wheaton they are getting athletes from all over the country.

The interesting thing about a school like Gordon is that they very rarely compete for recruits against other TCCC schools.  Nobody's final choice comes down to Curry or Gordon.  Gordon is often competing against Messiah, Wheaton, Grove City, etc. and when they do compete against "secular" schools it is usually a question of money.

[D3Fan4255]

Now that Callo is back, I think Endicott is the clear favorite.

I think the next tier is WIT, Curry, Salve, and RWU.

Naz, Gordon, and Nichols are all about the same.

WNEC and UNE are brining up the rear.

If Curry adds a big during the break, and doesn't lose Lambros or Sedale, they could take out Endicott. Overall, if I have to make the prediction now, I'm going with a Endicott v. Salve in the final - EC winning. Salve has the odd combinatin of being young and having championship experience. That works as the tie-breaker for me (over Curry, WIT, and RWU).

I disagree, for some reason Phil Rowe has tons of talent each year and can't get it done. They were very athletic and got smoked by Gordon two years ago on the way to GC winning it all. Rowe can't get them to play together. And yes Schauer was the best all time coaches that Gordon has had, he was up there with Bill Fotti and Fotti can recruit whoever he wants with no limitations.

To go back to the post about Endicott and Phil Rowe, I'll have to respectfully disagree with GordonHoops.  Not to completely stir the pot, but if you look back at the roster from Rowe's first year with the team, 09-10, it was NOT filled with "tons of talent."  It was a team that the previous year had won 10 games, and were going nowhere fast.  I will give you that they were pretty athletic, but that does not equal talent.  Rowe and his staff were able to bring in Lance Greene at Christmas, and has brought in a stellar recruiting class each of the following seasons.  Installing a completely new style of play and new system comes with ups and downs, but to take a team with 10 wins the year before he got there, and win 17 after his first recruiting class gets there is pretty darn good. 

In Rowe's first year, there were players who might not have bought into his system, etc, but they are gone now.  He now has players who were highly recruited out of high school (i.e. Green, Makris, Magee, Henault) who chose to come play at a place where they know good things can happen.  If you look at the roster, the team is still very young and going through growing pains, but to put that on Rowe is completely crazy.  I think that by the end of the year, the Gulls are going to be one of the top teams, if not THE top team in the league, and MOST of that credit goes to Phil Rowe

[Chantastic]

I like Phil Rowe and it would be great for the strength of the league as a whole if EC can play to their potential.

In previous years it seems like Endicott has put together a roster that looks great in warmups.  In the actual games they seem disjointed.  Even this year, when I see that they give up 91 to St. Joe's (VT) in the home opener it makes you wonder how much things have changed.

It could be that experience is all they need.  The roster looks great on paper.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Nichols got crushed in their first Florida game, 53-70 to non-d3 Taylor.  They play Stevenson tomorrow.