MBB: NESCAC

[OhioRed17]

Lumbercat - Hard to say how he will do in the NESCAC. He is a big body who is a load down low. Saw him play several times this year. Seems to play better against other less mobile bigs rather than smaller more athletic posts who can catch him in space. At times he was non-existent. Definitely has some upside but the question is can he get in basketball shape and does he have a good motor/commitment. From my perspective didn't seem like he was in great shape this season and could have accomplished more. Should have been one of the best players on that Loomis team (who I know has a couple of other kids going DIII) and I don't think he was in their top 4 or 5 in scoring on the year. I would say this is a good pick-up for Bates because it is hard to find bigs at the DIII level and he has upside but its going to take some hard work for him to realize that upside.

[lumbercat]

Thanks Ohio Red (and Grey?)
Appreciate the insight from a guy who has seen the kid play.
Bates coach Furbush has not had much to work with in the way of big men during his time with the Garnet and Black. I know he runs a grinding program and openly expresses his preference for a tough 6'5" or 6'6" kid (Ellis) over a big guy who may lack a "motor" as you point out.
I believe this will be a test for the young coach who has done a fine job in Lewiston. Furbush will face a new challenge next year in terms of nurturing a kid with the gift of size and making him the best player he can be. It'll be another test for young Bobcat coach which will make it interesting in the CBB next year.

Kilcullen is a local kid from my neck of the neck of the woods. His dad played at BC in the early 70's. Lost track of him after he went to a PG prep year. He then he turned up at BC which was a surprise. Admittedly I can over react on some of these recruits but Kilcullen will be a very good NESCAC player when it's all said and done.

My question is how the heck do they always pull these kinds of deals off at Amherst and Williams? I guess being the top rated academic institiutions in the country has a lot to do with it but they seem to grant themselves more athletic latitiude than some of their conservative NESCAC foes. No sour grapes, they are great schools and the class of the conference. They serve as a motivating influence for the CBB schools which seem to be eternal underdogs but I look forward to watching Colby, Bates and Bowdoin navigate these challenges in the league next year.

[NEhoops]

Great activity considering its only May, should be an exciting year in the NESCAC.

Its hard for NESCAC schools to get transfers because the application deadline for them is so early in the year, (March I think) compared to most other D3 schools. The player looking to transfer basically has to decide they are leaving before their season is over. I'm surprised that Kilcullen even went to BC in the first place, definitely a great educational opportunity, but have to wonder how much playing time he would have earned over his four years. He was heavily recruited by most of the NESCAC and probably established a good relationship with Coach Maker during that time. He should be a strong player for them as a face up four man.   

I think it's clear to see that Bates is the top team in the state of Maine up to this point as well as in the foreseeable future. Coach Furbush has done a solid job thus far, but will continue to have some obstacles to overcome in getting his program into the top tier of the league.

Amherst and Middlebury as the top two and then who???

[Mr. Ypsi]

Great activity considering its only May, should be an exciting year in the NESCAC.

Its hard for NESCAC schools to get transfers because the application deadline for them is so early in the year, (March I think) compared to most other D3 schools. The player looking to transfer basically has to decide they are leaving before their season is over. I'm surprised that Kilcullen even went to BC in the first place, definitely a great educational opportunity, but have to wonder how much playing time he would have earned over his four years. He was heavily recruited by most of the NESCAC and probably established a good relationship with Coach Maker during that time. He should be a strong player for them as a face up four man.   

I think it's clear to see that Bates is the top team in the state of Maine up to this point as well as in the foreseeable future. Coach Furbush has done a solid job thus far, but will continue to have some obstacles to overcome in getting his program into the top tier of the league.

Amherst and Middlebury as the top two and then who???

Major League pitcher Charlie Furbush is a native of Maine - son?  nephew?

[nescac1]

I think next year will be pretty wide open in NESCAC (and, for that matter, in the region -- only MIT returns all of its key players -- and nationally).  I think the top tier going in will be Amherst, Midd, Williams and Wesleyan, and I could see any of the four winning the league, with Tufts as a dark horse. 

Midd is probably the pre-season favorite just due to the experience and the recent record, and they will be highly motivated after the NCAA flame-out.  Kizell, Thompson, and Wolfin gives them the most experienced perimeter group in the league, which is significant, and they have about five or six good athletes to throw at teams in waves up front (Jensen, Sinnickson, Merryman, Lynch, Roberts, tremendous depth and size at the 4 and 5).  Still, Sharry was an enromous presence, and without him there is no go-to scorer inside and no all-American caliber guy on the roster (though Kizell could get there).  Midd's D will continue to carry them though. 

Amherst has easily the top returning duo in Workman and Toomey, both of whom should be all-American guys, but a lot of question marks behind them.  Barrise is a big loss as he opened things up for other guys on the team.  They need at least two guys from Kaasila, Williamson, Kalema, and last year's frosh (Barry?  Mussachia?) to step up to be reliable supporting scorers.  The Jeffs are very big and very athletic, but outside of Toomey, there aren't any proven perimeter scorers, which could be a problem, and Toomey has to carry a heavy burden as the primary ballhandler, facilitator, AND shooter on the team.  Amherst has a huge roster so maybe someone will emerge as that second three point threat. 

When you consider all of the injury woes suffered by Williams, it's actually pretty amazing they were as competitive as they were, coming within one shot of beating Amherst twice and Midd once.  Williams I expect will be much improved, so long as they have better fortune with health, and the Ephs will have a more favorable schedule with most of the key NESCAC games at home.  Mayer is ready to break out and his continued emergence is the key to the season; Robertson and Mayer, if the former stays healthy and the latter continues to progress, are as good a center-PG combo as you will find anywhere.  Epley needs to become a consistent second scorer after Mayer; he did it in flashes last year, but he could be an X factor if he plays more consistently the way he did at his best.  Klemm and Rooke-Ley, with better health, I think should contribute a lot more and will be guys who hurt defenses from deep, they are two of the best shooters in NESCAC.  That is a pretty nice starting five, and all five guys can really create on offense.  The questions for the Ephs are (1) interior defense and rebounding, as the starters are once again undersized and (2) depth -- will Kilcullen or the frosh help right away?  Will Wohl emerge (he seems to have the talent and works hard)?  Who else will provide scoring off the bench? 

Wesleyan will be the other contender.  It is now or never for them to break through and earn an NCAA big and I think they will do so.  They have the top group of seniors in NESCAC and finally had some big wins last year, just need to bring it consistently from the start of the season.  They are super-quick on the perimeter and give other NESCAC guards fits.  Sha Brown is a force and there will be more depth around him next year.  Wesleyan needs to find some more interior scoring, that is their biggest question mark, not of ton of size or post scoring, but they did have some young players who looked promising and may emerge to help Callaghan out.

Tufts I think could also break through as they play hard and together and are deep, unlike past Tufts taems that didn't always play to the talent level, this is a gritty group that overachieves, and now has a lot more experience. 

Everyone else will be fighting for the second division, Trinity is going to be very good soon, but is still probably another year away from contending.    Could be a long year for Bowdoin (loses a ton), Colby, and Conn in particular. 

[lumbercat]

I believe Major League Pitcher Charlie Furbush is Coach Furbush's brother.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Thanks, lumbercat.  I had no idea the coach was so young, but checking the Bates website I see he (like Charlie) is from South Portland, so you are probably correct.

[lumbercat]

The hiring of Coach John Furbush took place at a time that marks a period of change in Athletics at Bates.

Bates athletic director Kevin McHugh took over the position at Bates in 2007 when AD Suzanne Coffey thankfully departed to Amherst where the AD job presents fewer challenges.  Coffey presided over a multi year, record setting, losing performance by the Bates Football team. Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, most womens sports and even the national powerhouse Bates Track program stuggled mightily during her tenure. She couldn't fix anything. Bates sytems and facilities remained static under her watch and sunk sadly to the bottom of the conference. No punches can be pulled on the quality of her performance at Bates and many wonder how she nailed the Amherst job???

Kevin McHughs's arrival as AD was a breath of fresh air for Bates Athletics. Facilities have been upgraded with the crowning jewel being the new Football restoration at Garcelon Field. But most importantly, the details that reflect passion, management and caring throughout the program have been addressed sucessfully from recruiting, to uniforms and equipment, to parents programs along with community service interaction and alumni involvement within the Bates Athletic Community. You name it, anything within the scope of Bates athletics has been upgraded since 2007. The difference is profound.

Bates faithful are hoping the incoming President will bring a passion for athletics that matches the enthusiasm that we see from college leaders at Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan and Tufts. Fresh in the minds of Bobcat followers is outgoing President Elaine Tuttle Hansen. She was a thinly veiled detractor towards athletic advancement throughout her tenure at Bates. At one point she was said to have expressed a move to de- emphasize athletics and withdraw from the NESCAC with Athletics being conducted at the intramural level. (She should have applied at Oberlin).

Maybe thats why she's now on a southbound flight to Baltimore and Johns Hopkins. Wonder how that Johns Hopkins' nationally ranked D1 Lacrosse arsenal residing at a D3 college with impeccable athletic credentials will look to her ? ...........Don't look at the recruiting files Elaine!  They won't have to worry about her athletic phobias in Baltimore, the JH athletic department values and understands the importance of college sports at their great academic institution. Ms Hansen's involvement will no doubt be restricted to other areas.

Following her exit from the Bates campus many old Bobcats claim to have heard a faint chorus of the Bates fight song resounding mysteriously throughout the streets of Lewiston for days following her departure as she drove out of town on I-95 south toward Johns Hopkins.

Enter the new era in Bates Athletics of which John Furbush is a leading example. AD McHugh took a chance on the hiring of  young Furbush who was only 25 or 26 if memory serves correctly. The result has been most  favorable  for Bates Hoops as Furbush has performed very well. He learned great lessons in his struggles against Colby great Whitmore which will serve him well in the future. He's a young guy with an immense amount of energy alot like his Bobcat mentor Joe Reilly.

Kudos to the new athletic administration for making some gutsy changes. Another similar move is the hiring of young Baseball skipper Mike Leonard at the ripe old age of 26. Leonard is a former Big East all star at UConn and Red Sox farmhand. Young, but supremely qualified, his influence on the Bobacat baseball program is another great positive for McHugh's game plan. He's a baseball guy who will make a difference.

What is being imparted these days at Bates, in the halls of the Garnet and Black, is a great display of a profound reinstatement of passion and commitment to the values and rewards of Athletics in a great academic environment.  Academic and Athletic excellence travel on the same train and that message is resounding these days in Bates Athletics.

[nescac1]

Lumbercat, I hate to defend anyone affiliated with the Lord Jeffs, but I have to give my grudging respect for the job Coffey has done at Amherst.  Yes, Amherst has a lot of institutional / resource / recruiting advantages over Bates, but the fact is that Amherst's athletic program has really taken off since she arrived.  Williams was basically dominating Amherst across the board in the majority of sports for many years prior to Coffey's tenure, and the combination of Coffey and Tom Parker (who arrived a few years earlier to head admissions and is not shy in professing his interest in athletic success) has flipped the script to the point where Amherst dominated Williams, and NESCAC in general, this year in athletics, particularly in high-profile team sports.  (A ton went right for Amherst this year, and a ton went wrong for Williams in various sports, and I expect things to settle into a closely-contested equilibrium going forward, but the era of regular Williams supremacy over Amherst is likely over, which is good for the rivalry but less good for Williams fans). 

Amherst under Coffey's tenure has managed to recruit better athletes, improve athletic facilities (notably with the announcement of the new football facility), hire a string of really good coaches, and even managed to regularly bring in scholarship-level transfers to bolster sports teams even further.  So whatever she did wrong at Bates, she has done right at Amherst.  Maybe she has the admissions, financial and administration support she lacked at Bates, maybe she just grew into the job, but her success speaks for itself.  Williams and Midd used to be head and shoulders above the rest of NESCAC across-the-board in athletics.  Now it's a trio, with Williams, Midd and Amherst essentially even in terms of the strongest overall athletics programs (Trinity is close, they tend to have several dominant teams each year, but aren't as consistently good in as wide a variety of sports as the big three).  A pretty remarkable string of accomplishments in five years, topped by a 2011-12 season that was undoubtedly the best in Amherst's recent (at least for the past 25 years) athletic history. 

[frank uible]

In the last ten years Trinity has been better than any other NESCAC school in the college sport which is most important to a plurality of Americans.

[nescac1]

True, but it's been behind Williams, Amherst and Middlebury in the sport in which students at NESCAC colleges care about and consistently follow (not to mention, a sport in which NESCAC schools are nationally competitive).  Moreoever, as consistently good as Trinity has been in fooball over the past decade, its period of true dominance seems to have passed it by, as it has only won one NESCAC title since 2005, while Amherst and Williams have each won two during that span (both via undefeated seasons), and Midd has also won one. 

And of course, Trinity's BEST sport is the one LEAST important to a plurality of Americans ...

[watercow]

While I do so with a heavy heart (but grudging respect), I want to second nescac1's endorsement of Coffey's tenure at Amherst. While I had no idea she came from Bates and have no idea what kind of job she did there, for whatever reason (and likely a complex interaction of many factors) the Amherst athletic dept. thrives under Coffey's watch. Candidly, whoever is responsible for hiring--and retaining--the string of first-rate coaches deserves a statue. Obviously, from a recruit-perspective, Amherst's academic draw is tough to beat. At the same time, the admissions criteria limits Amherst's pool of potential recruits. While basketball and football have improved, its Amherst's non-marquee (more individual) sports that have truly thrived of late (e.g., track, x-c, tennis, swimming, etc.).

[frank uible]

nescac1: Just goes to show that for better or worse once again NESCAC students are out of the mainstream.

[nescac1]

Frank, considering the mainstream, I'd say for better. 

[walzy31]

The hiring of Coach John Furbush took place at a time that marks a period of change in Athletics at Bates.

Bates athletic director Kevin McHugh took over the position at Bates in 2007 when AD Suzanne Coffey thankfully departed to Amherst where the AD job presents fewer challenges.  Coffey presided over a multi year, record setting, losing performance by the Bates Football team. Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, most womens sports and even the national powerhouse Bates Track program stuggled mightily during her tenure. She couldn't fix anything. Bates sytems and facilities remained static under her watch and sunk sadly to the bottom of the conference. No punches can be pulled on the quality of her performance at Bates and many wonder how she nailed the Amherst job???

Kevin McHughs's arrival as AD was a breath of fresh air for Bates Athletics. Facilities have been upgraded with the crowning jewel being the new Football restoration at Garcelon Field. But most importantly, the details that reflect passion, management and caring throughout the program have been addressed sucessfully from recruiting, to uniforms and equipment, to parents programs along with community service interaction and alumni involvement within the Bates Athletic Community. You name it, anything within the scope of Bates athletics has been upgraded since 2007. The difference is profound.

Bates faithful are hoping the incoming President will bring a passion for athletics that matches the enthusiasm that we see from college leaders at Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan and Tufts. Fresh in the minds of Bobcat followers is outgoing President Elaine Tuttle Hansen. She was a thinly veiled detractor towards athletic advancement throughout her tenure at Bates. At one point she was said to have expressed a move to de- emphasize athletics and withdraw from the NESCAC with Athletics being conducted at the intramural level. (She should have applied at Oberlin).

Maybe thats why she's now on a southbound flight to Baltimore and Johns Hopkins. Wonder how that Johns Hopkins' nationally ranked D1 Lacrosse arsenal residing at a D3 college with impeccable athletic credentials will look to her ? ...........Don't look at the recruiting files Elaine!  They won't have to worry about her athletic phobias in Baltimore, the JH athletic department values and understands the importance of college sports at their great academic institution. Ms Hansen's involvement will no doubt be restricted to other areas.

Following her exit from the Bates campus many old Bobcats claim to have heard a faint chorus of the Bates fight song resounding mysteriously throughout the streets of Lewiston for days following her departure as she drove out of town on I-95 south toward Johns Hopkins.

Enter the new era in Bates Athletics of which John Furbush is a leading example. AD McHugh took a chance on the hiring of  young Furbush who was only 25 or 26 if memory serves correctly. The result has been most  favorable  for Bates Hoops as Furbush has performed very well. He learned great lessons in his struggles against Colby great Whitmore which will serve him well in the future. He's a young guy with an immense amount of energy alot like his Bobcat mentor Joe Reilly.

Kudos to the new athletic administration for making some gutsy changes. Another similar move is the hiring of young Baseball skipper Mike Leonard at the ripe old age of 26. Leonard is a former Big East all star at UConn and Red Sox farmhand. Young, but supremely qualified, his influence on the Bobacat baseball program is another great positive for McHugh's game plan. He's a baseball guy who will make a difference.

What is being imparted these days at Bates, in the halls of the Garnet and Black, is a great display of a profound reinstatement of passion and commitment to the values and rewards of Athletics in a great academic environment.  Academic and Athletic excellence travel on the same train and that message is resounding these days in Bates Athletics.

Lumbercat,

I am confused by your post and I think that Nescac1 and watercow's responses sum up how most of the conference feels about Suzanne Coffey. I'm guessing there is some personal vendetta or something between the two of you, but just like making egregious claims about other school's athletic directors, this message board is not the most appropriate place to pry deeper into personal issues.

2007 when AD Suzanne Coffey thankfully departed to Amherst

We feel the same way! She has done a beautiful job continuing the Amherst Athletics legacy that Peter Gooding had built and we are thankful to her for that.

No punches can be pulled on the quality of her performance at Bates and many wonder how she nailed the Amherst job???

How did she nail the Amherst job? Well, she was supremely qualified and did a fantastic job during the interview process. Having already been an athletic director (and in the NESCAC no less) for a decade is pretty valuable experience when applying for... a job as an athletic director.

Bates faithful are hoping the incoming President will bring a passion for athletics that matches the enthusiasm that we see from college leaders at Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan and Tufts.

Tony Marx was the president of Amherst when Coffey arrived and remained there until the end of last year. He has said he would eliminate sports from elite college campus as they add no value to the college experience. As this is obviously ignorant and untrue, the office of development quieted him down a bit and he let the campus do its thing albeit somewhat divided (academic and athletic). I am pretty sure Marx does not constitute a president with "a passion for athletics (a passion for wine maybe)." Biddy Martin is a different story...she is bridging the campus divide.

AD McHugh took a chance on the hiring of  young Furbush who was only 25 or 26 if memory serves correctly. The result has been most  favorable  for Bates Hoops as Furbush has performed very well. He learned great lessons in his struggles against Colby great Whitmore which will serve him well in the future.

Another similar move is the hiring of young Baseball skipper Mike Leonard at the ripe old age of 26.

Coffey made hiring decisions of Men's Soccer Justin Serpone and Men's Lacrosse Jon Thompson, both 28 or 29 at the time of hiring. They have done okay, but not great compared to the Bates soccer and lacrosse programs... This sarcasm leads me to the part that confuses me most about your post:

Coffey presided over a multi year, record setting, losing performance by the Bates Football team. Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, most womens sports and even the national powerhouse Bates Track program stuggled mightily during her tenure.

...the details that reflect passion, management and caring throughout the program have been addressed sucessfully from recruiting, to uniforms and equipment, to parents programs along with community service interaction and alumni involvement within the Bates Athletic Community. You name it, anything within the scope of Bates athletics has been upgraded since 2007. The difference is profound.

I'll name it: Bates doesn't compete in the NESCAC in anything!
Middlebury, Williams, Amherst, Trinity, Bowdoin and even Tufts have all had teams win NESCAC titles or make it to title games of NESCAC championships. What has Bates done in the past five years?
When Suzanne was there, I remember a Bates basketball team with Zak Ray and Rob Stockwell that was a threat to beat any team in New England on any given night. I remember the women's basketball team being a juggernaut and the women's soccer team also being very strong during the Meg Coffin era. I am glad you are enjoying the parent programs and new uniforms, because not everything has been upgraded since 2007...