MBB: NEWMAC

WPI89 · February 25, 2014, 05:09:53 PM

Thanks guys.

AMH63 - WPI vs. MIT/Emerson winner is at 1 and the Babson/Springfield game is scheduled for 3.

Tickets are crazy cheap but parking is a pain. Likely would need to find a spot on the street. Spring Break is the next week (classes end March 6) - so campus should be hopping.

I will be at the Boynton - local pizza/pub down the hill from WPI (5 minute walk up the hill to Harrington) shortly after 11 on Saturday - I would love to buy you a beer - as the saying goes - it will already be late afternoon somewhere!

NEHoopsFan99 · February 26, 2014, 01:26:32 AM

Babson PG featured on the front page of D3Hoops. Very interesting story! Now I'm starting to get why they've had such a turnaround as of late

http://www.d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-region/east-northeast/2013-14/babson-kenny-ross-i-ii-iii

amh63 · February 26, 2014, 01:19:27 PM

WPI89.....Thanks for the invite....was not looking for it

My plane comes into Bradley just before noon....so I should be up at Amherst about 1 PM. Amherst is hosting. with their game starting at 2PM. The Williams vs Middlebury game starts at 4PM. Our tournaments overlap. Plan to meet up with a bunch of Middlebury posters/fans for beer on me afterwards. You are most welcome to join after your game....though it will be a long day. Tickets at LeFrak may cost me money!....3 bucks! Guess it is to pay for the refs/cops and help. Students with ID are free.....you can pass for one but do not know how you can get one....maybe get Racy to slip you his

Just a thought. Update! Adult tickets are 6 big ones.....need to take out a loan here.

NEHoopsfan.....Babson also has a great front court freshman who maybe up for ROY in the conference among many other regional awards.

WPI89 · February 27, 2014, 11:21:28 AM

MIT beats Emerson. Sets up WPI-MIT. Just about the match-ups we would have predicted 4 months ago. I actually went into last night thinking Emerson may beat MIT though.

Followed the stat-cast on my phone last night. MIT never trailed after 13-12 early. Fairly comfortable despite a few runs mid second from Emerson. If MIT shoots the 3-ball like they did last night, they will stay with WPI - who has been struggling to score as of late. Game in the low to mid 60's will be interesting. If WPI gets up over 70 - they could win comfortably.

In a "way-over-thinking-it" sort of way - I was rooting for MIT last night. I do not think a loss Saturday to MIT keeps WPI from a pool C bid (it is tough to beat any decent team 3 times!). Picture would have gotten fuzzier if WPI lost to Emerson Saturday for the second time.

Will be fun.

rlk · February 27, 2014, 02:04:02 PM

Quote from: WPI89 on February 27, 2014, 11:21:28 AM
MIT beats Emerson. Sets up WPI-MIT. Just about the match-ups we would have predicted 4 months ago. I actually went into last night thinking Emerson may beat MIT though.

Followed the stat-cast on my phone last night. MIT never trailed after 13-12 early. Fairly comfortable despite a few runs mid second from Emerson. If MIT shoots the 3-ball like they did last night, they will stay with WPI - who has been struggling to score as of late. Game in the low to mid 60's will be interesting. If WPI gets up over 70 - they could win comfortably.

In a "way-over-thinking-it" sort of way - I was rooting for MIT last night. I do not think a loss Saturday to MIT keeps WPI from a pool C bid (it is tough to beat any decent team 3 times!). Picture would have gotten fuzzier if WPI lost to Emerson Saturday for the second time.

Will be fun.

Emerson's a strange team. They've slain two giants, but they're only 13-13 overall and 6-8 NEWMAC and didn't look very impressive when we (MIT) beat them 71-66 despite a sloppy game on our part (we beat them 80-61 in their gym, although that wasn't representative).

mass_d3fan · February 28, 2014, 03:43:53 PM

Nice article on Chad Labove and Matt Harrington of WPI.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20140225/COLUMN11/302269952/1009/SPORTS

The article also reveals a couple of disturbing pieces of information for WPI fans. Both Ryan Kolb and Aaron Davis are injured. This explains recent subpar games for Kolb as well as the absence of Davis over the past few games. Hopefully this week of rest has helped both. Kolb has only scored 12 pts in the last 3 games on 4 of 21 from the field. The article says Davis is questionable for the NEWMC tournament.

This team has struggled to win recently. I watched the Clark game last weekend online and came away very unimpressed. In a game that should have been an easy victory, they surrendered an early 20-5 lead and Clark had the ball with under 2 minutes to go with a chance to tie the game. Big performances by Longwell and Mastacusa brought home the win for the Engineers.

I think they win tomorrow, but I think they lose to Babson on Sunday if the Beavers defeat Springfield .

WPI89 · March 01, 2014, 10:59:04 AM

Walking down the hill on campus. MIT bus just pulled up. Getting excited. Will be fun!

WPI89 · March 01, 2014, 01:36:03 PM

29-29 at the half. Great d. Ugly o? Going with ugly o. MIT pg Frankel best player on court. Davis in and out with knee. Wpi makes some 3's we are ok.

WPI89 · March 01, 2014, 02:07:15 PM

Omg all MIT!

WPI89 · March 01, 2014, 02:48:07 PM

madzillagd · March 01, 2014, 02:59:34 PM

Quote from: WPI89 on March 01, 2014, 02:48:07 PM

Better be rooting for some conference leaders to win their conferences.

MIT just controlled the pace, very methodical and converted everything it felt like. 61% vs 20% will do it every time. Even with 10 mins left if felt like it was over because MIT was milking the clock so well.

rlk · March 01, 2014, 05:05:37 PM

My eyes are popping out of my skull. I couldn't believe that box score. That had to have been the best half of basketball our guys have played all year. MIT's obviously a D-oriented team, but holding WPI to 17 in that second half must have been something else.

Andrew Acker is running for UAP (undergraduate association president). If that doesn't seal his win...

Meanwhile I'm stuck in Brookline with this never-ending cold.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · March 01, 2014, 06:29:03 PM

Williams and Brockport both avoided scares today. I wonder if Middlebury's performance will move them up the rankings, though.

WPI89 · March 01, 2014, 08:53:40 PM

Back home in CT. Wow what a mess. I am going to stay completely radio silent until after the picks next week.

Good luck to all teams still playing tomorrow.

Hugenerd · March 02, 2014, 02:45:42 PM

With the win today, I believe its 6 years in a row that MIT has either won the NEWMAC tourney or regular-season crown (at least shared the title) and made the NCAA tourney. Congrats to MIT.

As for the game, I was able to watch online today, and the tempo was controlled almost throughout by MIT. The score was close at times, but the game was played at MIT's pace. To this end, I think Springfield's decision to go to zone about 8 minutes into the game was critical. At that point, MIT was up 19-14, but the game was more up tempo, which is Springfield's style (if you translate the score from the first 8 minutes to a 40 minute game, your looking at scoring in the 70s, 80s, or 90s). However, once Springfield went to the zone, even though it curbed some of MITs interior scoring, MIT was able to milk the clock (as they love to do) and Springfield was never really in their offense flow the rest of the game. I don't know if the result would have been different either way, but that stuck out to me.

Hopefully MIT gets shipped out of the region and can have a nice run in the tourney. Congrats again to everyone on the MIT squad.