MBB: NESCAC

nescac1 · September 18, 2011, 06:04:14 PM

Sporting News preseason hoops preview out. Williams ranked fourth, which seems about right -- Troy is a huge loss but most of the other top teams are also missing big pieces. VWU is number one and I agree: they looked nasty last year and lose no one. Midd and Amherst both listed in other contenders (a few dubious choices ahead of Midd, like St Mary's who fell to them in NCAA plus lost its top two guys, and F&M which also lost a ton). Congrats to James Wang and Ryan Sharry both of whom were named first team preseason all Americans. Will be quite a battle for NESCAC player of the year, including dark horse Will Hanley who should not be overlooked.

Old Guy · September 19, 2011, 12:28:59 AM

Just took a look at Middlebury's schedule this year: 8 home games, 15 away.

Middlebury was dropped by Union and Colby-Sawyer (one of Midd's two regular season defeats two years ago) because those teams have obligations in new leagues (I'm told). We pick up two NCAA tourney teams from last year - Gwynedd-Mercy and potentially Ramapo in the second and third games of the season (Ramapo Tourney: Ramapo, the host, plays Yeshiva, a weak team. If Midd loses to Gwynedd-Mercy, likely we get Yeshiva; otherwise, it's Ramapo). Panthers dropped Green Mountain College - not a competitive game.

Challenging schedule, relative to previous years.

Major Hoople · September 19, 2011, 09:55:46 AM

Do you have a link to the Sporting News story?

nescac1 · September 19, 2011, 10:25:58 AM

Good to see Midd kicking it up a notch. Williams seems to have a solid out of conference schedule this year as well. They play a SUNYAC team who made the NCAA tourney last year plus Ohio Northern, who I think will end up in the top 25 after graduating no players from a solid team in a power conference, in addition to the traditional "non" conference games vs Amherst and what I imagine will be a very strong Wesleyan team. I don't think the Sporting News preview is available online but easy to find at most newsstands.

Pat Coleman · September 19, 2011, 12:01:23 PM

Union's league expanded, yes.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · September 20, 2011, 09:42:53 AM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on September 19, 2011, 12:01:23 PM
Union's league expanded, yes.

Colby-Sawyer is in a new league this year, so they likely had to make some schedule changes.

amh63 · September 20, 2011, 10:47:53 AM

Looked at Amherst's schedule.....keyed by Old Guy's remarks wrt Midd. I believe the changes one sees on the schedules this year throughout the conference reflects the addition of Hamilton into the mix. Amherst has a very long stretch of away games. In addition, the impact of Hamilton games have changed the early part of the season for Amherst. In years past, Amherst would host a 2-day tournament....filled with weak teams and follow-up with a "regional-area" school tournament that rotate among the schools. This year, the season starts with the tournament of the Springfield-Holoyoke school. The tournament seems to have been modify to be held at several sites and includes an out of region school. Anyway, this year the schedule is also skewed to more away games....helps the number game in the rankings? This year, the season ends at home with the killer Williams and Midd. games back to back. Have marked it on my schedule to attend the games! Hope to see you there Old Guy!

nescac1 · September 27, 2011, 05:28:10 PM

Amherst hoops newsletter, including biographical info on this year's recruits:

https://www.amherst.edu/media/view/346145/original/Fall%2B2011%2BNewsletter.pdf

jumpshot · September 29, 2011, 09:48:00 AM

A random bit of information ---

I learned yesterday while watching a soccer game that the Centennial Conference (Johns Hopkins, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Gettysburg, McDaniel, etc.) permits four weeks of fall practice with full-scale four practices each week for Spring sports (total of 16 practices) with coaches. Anyone know whether this rule is common among Division III conferences? To my knowledge NESCAC does not allow anything more than captain's practices. Thanks for any information.

TheHerst2and4 · September 29, 2011, 10:10:09 AM

Quote from: nescac1 on September 27, 2011, 05:28:10 PM
Amherst hoops newsletter, including biographical info on this year's recruits:

https://www.amherst.edu/media/view/346145/original/Fall%2B2011%2BNewsletter.pdf

Rumor has it Quarterback Bryce Monroe 6'0 PG from Bel Air, MD will also try out. Including returning players, and if Roshard Bryant returns from an injury, that leaves 23 guys that we've heard of thus far, some tough decisions will have to be made.

Pat Coleman · September 29, 2011, 10:53:30 AM

Quote from: jumpshot on September 29, 2011, 09:48:00 AM
A random bit of information ---

I learned yesterday while watching a soccer game that the Centennial Conference (Johns Hopkins, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Gettysburg, McDaniel, etc.) permits four weeks of fall practice with full-scale four practices each week for Spring sports (total of 16 practices) with coaches. Anyone know whether this rule is common among Division III conferences? To my knowledge NESCAC does not allow anything more than captain's practices. Thanks for any information.

Most Division III conferences permit the full spring practice for fall sports and fall practice for spring sports. A handful do restrict further than NCAA rules and the NESCAC is definitely among them.

jumpshot · September 29, 2011, 10:33:51 PM

Thanks, Pat, for the information. I am most appreciative of your response.

nescac1 · September 30, 2011, 08:01:06 AM

One bit of NESCAC off-season news that I don't think has been reported here (reported on the MIAC board), Taylor Hanson, who had a very strong frosh year for Conn College last year and looked to form a strong nucleus for the next three years with Matt Vadas, transferred to Carleton. Conn continues to really struggle with guys leaving the program, seems like at least one key player quits or transfers each year ... without him Conn is going to have an even tougher time matching up with the other NESCAC big guys.

7express · September 30, 2011, 01:27:39 PM

Haven't really looked at the NESCAC schedule, only glanced over them to see if Western had any OOC games. How's the addition of Hamilton going to effect the NESCAC schedule?? Since they have an odd number of teams now they can't do the pairings that they have used for the last few years.

grabtherim · September 30, 2011, 03:49:42 PM

Quote from: nescac1 on September 30, 2011, 08:01:06 AM
One bit of NESCAC off-season news that I don't think has been reported here (reported on the MIAC board), Taylor Hanson, who had a very strong frosh year for Conn College last year and looked to form a strong nucleus for the next three years with Matt Vadas, transferred to Carleton. Conn continues to really struggle with guys leaving the program, seems like at least one key player quits or transfers each year ... without him Conn is going to have an even tougher time matching up with the other NESCAC big guys.

What the heck goes on at Conn College to make so many kids leave leave the Mens Basketball team? If one or two left over the past few years, it would be one thing, but there seems to be a consistent pattern of this happening.