MBB: NESCAC

[7express]

good point Bucket.  its funny how the NCAA will tell SMC, we'll send you 450 miles by bus but not 550 miles.  Common sense never really plays into what the NCAA does
------------------------------------

As I said earlier in this thread I'm sure St. Mary's would rather bus to BWI and have a 90 minute flight to Burlington then a quick bus ride down route 7 to Middlebury then have a 8 to 9 hour bus ride to Rochester.

[met_fan]

fpc85.....here are my two bits.  Williamstown has two nice places close by.....one being the Williams Inn and another much pricier one on the other end.  Both are not cheap.  There are chain hotels in nearby North Adams, about 5-6 miles away.  There are also rooms in Pittsfield....a Hilton, if it is still a Hilton and there are a number of Inns/motels from Lee up to Lenox up to Pittsfield.  All these from Pittsfield will take at least a half hour or more to get to the BB game.  If you get a room near Holyoke/Springfield...the other end the Ma. Turnpike, it will take you about 45 minutes longer.  If you stay near Amherst/Northampton where there many new hotels it will take another half hour longer....unless you know the backroads..to Pittsfield or North Adams.  Not a good thing  to do this time of the year. These are based on my many visits many years ago to the Berkshires for work and play.....even the Williamstown theater events in the Summer and Tanglewood in Lenox.  
Better info should be forthcoming, I'm sure from other posters who have more recent info.

Williamstown is closer to the Albany area than it is to Springfield

[Major Hoople]

   Great point, Booya, and the Hoops poll has LOST its credibility, if indeed it ever had any.  I suggest that the President of the NCAA take a nine hour bus ride.  Perhaps it might improve his sense of fairness.   

[amh63]

met_fan....maybe true wrt distance.  Getting there by car is another matter.  I flew into Albany and/or Bradley A/P for about ten years heading to Pittsfield for work  year round.  The time was about the same but the roads were easier from Bradley. During the Winter period if I had to head towards the Berkshires....I would rather go to Ct. vice NY.  Usually, I would hold meetings in warmer areas during the cold periods.  Anyway, each to their own.

[toad22]

Albany is 55 minutes from Williamstown. Bradley is 2 hours away. There are plenty of OK motels in Williamstown. I think the chamber of commerce has a list, and the Williams college website as well. Williamstown is a very active summertime destination, so there are lots of places to stay, and quite a few restaurants as well.

[Pat Coleman]

 Here was a school that D3Hoops made a "stink" somewhat about losing a chance to host.  

Suppose that's the case but that's because the NCAA women's committee screwed them over by not communicating their change of plans to the men's committee.

As for the poll, I think we'll see when it's all said and done where the credibility is. In the tournament Whitworth has beaten No. 12 and Middlebury has beaten No. 23. We'll keep an eye on how it goes.

[senatorfrost]

  Nothing original to say. Add my name to those who feel Middlebury got robbed.

[Bucket]

As for the poll, I think we'll see when it's all said and done where the credibility is. In the tournament Whitworth has beaten No. 12 and Middlebury has beaten No. 23. We'll keep an eye on how it goes.

And how about before the tournament? You know, in the games that the pollsters had to take into account? Did Whitworth beat a ranked team all season? And was their loss to a ranked team? As long as you are bringing up games against ranked teams, I think these are fair and legitimate questions.

[LustyLarryintheToilet]

earlier today i mentioned how Espn radio's sporting life did a story on a Middlebury fan that attends a lot of games.  Very inspirational tale, but there is no link for it on the espn website.  However, according to the report, a tv version of the story will air on an upcoming E:60 when the news magaizine returns.  If i hear exactly when it will air, i will post.

[Old Guy]

Well, the Middlebury lads will be going to a "remote location," after all. It's too bad. Middlebury hoop has played at this high level for only a few years (unlike the Jeffs and Ephs), so the enthusiasm for the team in the school and town is sky high. This success is new and very exciting. Were the game at Middlebury, the atmosphere would be raucous and positive, another sellout.

Rochester is far - and it snows there every day. I know: I lived in Cleveland for six years and often had to drive that part of upstate New York from Buffalo to Syracuse to get to family and friends in New England - the snow belt, lake effect. I don't know if I can do 300 miles on the wicked Thomas E. Dewey thruway in March.

Maybe the school will put on a bus, I hope so. Many of our most devoted fans are athletes on other teams and it will be hard for them to get away. Practice. I may be hunched over my computer screen next Saturday. We'll see. I thought we had another home game in this wonderful season. Disappointing.

[Bucket]

Old Guy,

The Bucket Family is going, and you're welcome to hitch a ride with us, though I can understand if the prospect of a 5+ hour drive with a 4 year old is less than appealing. Let me know. You know where to find me.

[walzy31]

I haven't watched 'herst in person since '08. Any idea what time they play on Friday? Any suggestions for rooms or should I get a room closer to Amherst.
Jim and Cindy Meehan I hope to see you there!

FPC85,

Amherst will play RIC in the 5:30 game.
You're welcome to spend Friday night at my house in Northampton. Personally, I would much rather go on 5 hour drive full of hoops excitement with an Old Guy and the Bucket family than spend a night in Williamstown.

Also, I can safely guarantee that the Meehan parents will be in attendance this weekend.

[mass_d3fan]

Gentlemen

I just wanted to drop my 2 cents in here on Amherst.  This weekend in Worcester was the first time I had seen them play. Very Impressive Team!  The best I personally witnessed this year.

I went to the WPI/Harvard game back in December and Amherst now is better than the Ivy Leaguers were then.  Admittedly, I am basing that on an extremely limited sample of games, but I have no doubt the talent level at Amherst is right there with what I witnessed at Harvard.  I wish them good luck in their game with RIC.

On the game with WPI, this game was dominated by the Lord Jeff's Perimeter players. WPI had been a top team in the statistical numbers when it came to defending 3-pt shooter, but lately they had been doing a lot of sagging off weak side shooters and giving up a lot of open look 3's.  It cost them in the NEWMAC title game when MIT went 8 for 15 and it killed them against Amherst as the Lord Jeffs went 15 for 29.  Every time they needed a bucket – Meehan, Waller, Barrise or Toomey responded.

I have stated before in the NEWMAC forum that I am an 'old school' fan of inside play.  I really enjoyed seeing the great execution of that from Amherst.  They did not have to dominate the game with their interior offense and Kaasila & Holmes only combined for to go 5 for 10, but I appreciated how when they did go in there, the entry passes were on the money and got there on time. The Lord Jeff's bigs were getting the ball quickly and in position to immediately attack. They did frustrate Carr on the inside, but I thought he played pretty well against them on the defensive end and rebounded well.  He had a couple of blocks that prevented dunks. I do not believe the ankle was a big factor for him this weekend. Even if he had a standout offensive game, the end results would not have been different. The simple fact is Amherst is a better team.

I learned a couple of things over the weekend about Carr that I think make his level of play this year quite remarkable.  I was talking to a few people that are much closer to the program than I am and they were telling me that he has only been playing serious basketball for a little over four years. Apparently he was a very good baseball player  and that was his primary focus.  He just played basketball when it was in-season.  Until his junior year in high school, he never really thought about basketball in college and did not follow the path most of today's college basketball players are on (AAU, select teams, etc).  He had a standout junior year in high school and then lost his entire senior year to an ACL.  I know he played his frosh year at WPI with a brace, but barely played any minutes.  Basically, he just finished his third year of really being just a basketball player.  I am not sure there are too many players making all-conference first team that have taken a similar route. He still has a lot of things he can improve on and I think the poor offensive game on Sat. will motivate him in the off season.  His play was a major factor in WPI's success this year.  I do not think too many of us were looking at them as a team we would see in the NCAA 2nd round back in early Novemeber.  They had a great season and ran into a better team this weekend.

I do not think Amherst should have too much difficulty with RIC if they continue to play as they did in these last two games.  If you look back at the WPI/RIC game from December, Carr completely shut down Akinrola and dominated the paint on both ends of the court.  If Akinrola can't play or is limited in someway, RIC has no one else who can even begin to compete with Amherst's bigs. Granted, RIC is playing better now than when I saw them, but I do not see any way RIC can handle Amherst on the inside or on the perimeter.  The Lord Jeffs were 25 for 50 on 3-pointers this past weekend.  The Lord Jeff's are peaking at the right time of the year.

Also, to the parents of the Amherst players & the coaching staff – you should be very proud.  I had a chance to congratulate quite a few of them before I left and to a man they each were very gracious and thanked me for coming to the game (even though it was obvious from my jacket that I was a WPI supporter – LOL).   

[The Voice]

Well, my two cents can't add much. A travesty that Midd doesn't get to host. The crowd Saturday was the best I've seen in six years of announcing games. It was also my last game announcing for my alma mater, as I am 99.9% leaving Vermont after this season. Watching Brooks get absolutely shut down was amazing from up close. Luis Alvarez has been a pest all year to opposing guards and he put on a clinic in the round of 32 in his limited minutes. Also, Locke's dunk was his best of the year in Pepin, thanks to Joey Kizel's continued excellence in the late season.

Bucket, I hope the whole family can make it to Rochester, especially the little guy. The Panthers need their number 1 fan! Sadly, unless Rochester or Salem need a PA announcer, it's unlikely I can front gas and hotels to make it to either site. I was really hoping for Sweet 16 and Elite 8 hosting rights with our 26-1 record, including wins over the #1 and #8 teams in the country on consecutive nights, but it isn't meant to be, apparently. Pat, any idea if the NCAA is looking for a PA announcer for the Final 4?

[Pat Coleman]

No -- in the 13 years I've been to the Final Four they've had only two PA guys and their regular guy is coming back as usual.