MBB: NESCAC

[amh63]

FYI type comments while waiting for the games to begin.
As of tonight, there are now only 2 undefeated Div1 schools and 5 undefeated Div3 schools.  To paraphrase some media analyst...." it's better to learn from a close win than a close lost."
I would think Frank U  prefers single malt Oban than burbon....being from the "Far North" region of MA.

[Panthernation]

On our blog we've posted five things to watch for with the 2012-13 Middlebury basketball team. This is a short list of some of the small (and big) things that individuals do really well and a large reason why Middlebury remains undefeated in the month of January. Here's a link to the site, if you'd like to read more: http://blogs.middlebury.edu/panthernation/

1) How Nolan Thompson defends ball screens: Nolan is, quite simply, as good a perimeter defender as I've seen at any level of basketball. Number 25 is as consistent a player as you will see, and does almost everything well on the defensive end. Having said that, his ability to slip through ball screens is exceptional and stands out when you watch him play. Because he is so often asked to guard the best scorer on the other team, Nolan frequently guards guys who are constantly around the ball and often coming off of ball screens. A large part of being a great defender is positioning in anticipation of the play around you. Nolan's ability to get under or over screens without losing his defensive leverage is all about positioning and anticipation. Before an opposing player can set a pick on Nolan, he either steps inside the screen, hugging his man without fouling or retreats underneath the incoming screen, rendering the pick irrelevant without sacrificing his defensive positioning or giving his man a lane to the basket. If you appreciate basketball, and the intricacies of how the game is played, Nolan Thompson is as fun to watch as it gets.

2) Peter Lynch's footwork in the post: An undersized power forward, Lynch is generously listed at 6'6", making his style of play that much more impressive. As a junior last year Lynch shot better than 63% from the field, the best mark in the NESCAC. While Lynch is one of the strongest players in the conference, trailing possibly only Amherst's Pete Kaasila in brawn, it's his footwork that separates him from other post-up players. Consider for a moment that Kaasila, who's 6'9" and 260 pounds scored just 6.8 points per game last season while shooting 57% from the floor. Lynch meanwhile, scored 9.8 points per game and was the most  efficient big man in the conference. This year both big men are shooting better than 66% from the floor, but Lynch is averaging nearly five points per game more. The difference between Lynch and Kaasila — the three inches and 45 pounds aside — is in their footwork. Kaasila is a good finisher and has an array of post moves, including a deft hook shot, but does not have the foot speed or the balance that Lynch has. Lynch's ability to maneuver in the post is so good, it can get him into trouble — he was called for four travels in the Panthers' recent win over Bates.

3) The court vision of Jake Wolfin: It's hard to say that there's a common misconception about something related to Middlebury sports, because that requires there to be a collective opinion about the particularities of Middlebury sports and that's a stretch. However, during my time covering Middlebury sports, the player who students most often misunderstand is Wolfin. They think he turns the ball over too much, or shoots too many quick jumpers. Well, last season Wolfin led the NESCAC in assists (5.2 per game) and had the fifth best assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference, ahead of 1st team NESCAC selections Aaron Toomey and Shasha Brown. Of course Wolfin turns the ball over, but far too many people are concerned primarily with his turnover rate. What they don't see is what Jake sees — and that makes him different. Number 5 has NBA-level court vision and is the primary reason Middlebury scores so efficiently from the floor. He passes teammates open and is second to none when he's leading the break, which includes his pull up jumpers in transition (PUJIT), which are, contrary to popular belief, an effective transition shot. First, PUJITs expand the floor and keep defenders from collapsing the lane; second, when Wolfin takes a jumper on the fast break, it almost always comes in rhythm and when he has a clean, open look at the basket, which means he's more likely to make the shot. With Wolfin shooting 39% from three on the season, the pull up three is a good shot. And finally, if he does miss, his teammates running down the court are in great rebounding position to collect the loose ball.

4) James Jensen's defensive versatility: Jensen will receive strong consideration next year for NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. He is the NESCAC version of Tayshaun Prince: his length and quickness allow him to guard everything from interior post players who play with their back to the basket to ultra-quick point guards — both of which he has guarded this season. Amherst forward and reigning NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year Willy Workman is the only other NESCAC player for whom that's true; Jensen is in rare company. With plus defenders in Kizel and Wolfin, Middlebury already has a good defensive backcourt. Adding Thompson and Jensen into the mix is hardly fair. Both can guard just about any kind of backcourt player, and Jensen's ability extends into the front court. The number of guys he can't guard fits on one hand. In particular, watch him next time he lines up opposite the opposing point guard. Notice how he stays low, maintains his defensive stance and uses his legs first to stay in front of his man before using his arms to disrupt the passing lane and affect shots.

5) Joey Kizel's finishing ability: Kizel can score in so many different ways. He can get to the basket, where he finishes as well as any guard in the conference. Though he's a selective shooter, Kizel takes, and makes, a high number of shots with an incredibly high degree of difficulty. In particular, Kizel has mastered the step back jumper, which he often utilizes from the elbow area late in the shot clock to get enough separation to release his shot. If you've read this blog, then you know that Kizel had an incredibly efficient season last year, posting a .537/.506/.912 line (FG/3PT/FT percentage). Exactly zero NBA players in history, according to basketballreference.com have finished a season shooting better than 53% from the floor, 50% from three and 91% from the line as Kizel did last season. Only seven players in the history of the NBA have had .500/.400/.900 seasons: Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Price, Kevin Durant, Reggie Miller and Jose Calderon have all done it once, while Larry Bird accomplished it twice and Steve Nash has done it a stunning four times. Of all of them, Nash is the only player in NBA history to finish a season better than .500/.470/.900 (http://bkref.com/tiny/LapyN), but still finished with worse numbers than Kizel in every category. While Kizel doesn't face the same caliber defense that Nash and others face, and his season is only 30 games long compared to the 82-game NBA schedule, Kizel shot a better free throw percentage — a shot that is no more difficult in the pros than in college — than Nash during his 2007-08 MVP season and exceeded the free throw shooting of seven of the 11 combined seasons between the other guys on the list. If you're worried about sample size, Kizel made 114 of the 125 free throws he took last year, eclipsing the number of made and attempted free throws of Calderon (109-120) during the 2007-08 season. Popp attributes Kizel's tremendous success to his methodical approach. "Joey Kizel's patience to take what the defensive gives him [jumps out at me]," he said. "Coming off a 1st-Team All NESCAC season, you would anticipate a player of his status to look for his own more. Not Kizel. He is as patient as it gets. His unparalleled ability to let plays develop on both ends of the floor is very, very special."

[frank uible]

The Gettysburg address was 275 words plus or minus a few depending on the version referenced.

[lumbercat]

Frank- another one of your classics.
By the way is Panthernation the Middlebury SID?

[amh63]

Amherst wins over Hamilton in a last second layup by Big Pete, assist from Aaron Toomey....79-77 in Clinton.  It was tied 40 all at the half on a last second 3-pointer at the half by Hart of Hamilton causing Coach Hixon to just shake his head in disbelief.  Hamilton scored primarily from outside in the first half...shooting over 53% from 3-point range in the first half.  Amherst kept themselves in the game and took a lead for awhile by shooting over 53% from outside....Connor Green making 4-4 from outside.  Amherst had 4 players in double figures with Big Pete Kaasila leading the team with 21.   Will add my two bits on Sat. about the last 31.1 seconds of action with the score tied at 77 all and Hamilton with the ball.......key word here...defense.  Guess Amherst will learn from this 'Close win" against a determined Hamilton team that seemed to hit anything that they threw up on Amherst.

[Bucket]

Frank- another one of your classics.
By the way is Panthernation the Middlebury SID?

Panthernation is a Middlebury student, one of two who runs the Panther Nation blog:
http://blogs.middlebury.edu/panthernation/

[ronk]

On our blog we've posted five things to watch for with the 2012-13 Middlebury basketball team. This is a short list of some of the small (and big) things that individuals do really well and a large reason why Middlebury remains undefeated in the month of January. Here's a link to the site, if you'd like to read more: http://blogs.middlebury.edu/panthernation/

1) How Nolan Thompson defends ball screens: Nolan is, quite simply, as good a perimeter defender as I've seen at any level of basketball. Number 25 is as consistent a player as you will see, and does almost everything well on the defensive end. Having said that, his ability to slip through ball screens is exceptional and stands out when you watch him play. Because he is so often asked to guard the best scorer on the other team, Nolan frequently guards guys who are constantly around the ball and often coming off of ball screens. A large part of being a great defender is positioning in anticipation of the play around you. Nolan's ability to get under or over screens without losing his defensive leverage is all about positioning and anticipation. Before an opposing player can set a pick on Nolan, he either steps inside the screen, hugging his man without fouling or retreats underneath the incoming screen, rendering the pick irrelevant without sacrificing his defensive positioning or giving his man a lane to the basket. If you appreciate basketball, and the intricacies of how the game is played, Nolan Thompson is as fun to watch as it gets.

2) Peter Lynch's footwork in the post: An undersized power forward, Lynch is generously listed at 6'6", making his style of play that much more impressive. As a junior last year Lynch shot better than 63% from the field, the best mark in the NESCAC. While Lynch is one of the strongest players in the conference, trailing possibly only Amherst's Pete Kaasila in brawn, it's his footwork that separates him from other post-up players. Consider for a moment that Kaasila, who's 6'9" and 260 pounds scored just 6.8 points per game last season while shooting 57% from the floor. Lynch meanwhile, scored 9.8 points per game and was the most  efficient big man in the conference. This year both big men are shooting better than 66% from the floor, but Lynch is averaging nearly five points per game more. The difference between Lynch and Kaasila — the three inches and 45 pounds aside — is in their footwork. Kaasila is a good finisher and has an array of post moves, including a deft hook shot, but does not have the foot speed or the balance that Lynch has. Lynch's ability to maneuver in the post is so good, it can get him into trouble — he was called for four travels in the Panthers' recent win over Bates.

3) The court vision of Jake Wolfin: It's hard to say that there's a common misconception about something related to Middlebury sports, because that requires there to be a collective opinion about the particularities of Middlebury sports and that's a stretch. However, during my time covering Middlebury sports, the player who students most often misunderstand is Wolfin. They think he turns the ball over too much, or shoots too many quick jumpers. Well, last season Wolfin led the NESCAC in assists (5.2 per game) and had the fifth best assist-to-turnover ratio in the conference, ahead of 1st team NESCAC selections Aaron Toomey and Shasha Brown. Of course Wolfin turns the ball over, but far too many people are concerned primarily with his turnover rate. What they don't see is what Jake sees — and that makes him different. Number 5 has NBA-level court vision and is the primary reason Middlebury scores so efficiently from the floor. He passes teammates open and is second to none when he's leading the break, which includes his pull up jumpers in transition (PUJIT), which are, contrary to popular belief, an effective transition shot. First, PUJITs expand the floor and keep defenders from collapsing the lane; second, when Wolfin takes a jumper on the fast break, it almost always comes in rhythm and when he has a clean, open look at the basket, which means he's more likely to make the shot. With Wolfin shooting 39% from three on the season, the pull up three is a good shot. And finally, if he does miss, his teammates running down the court are in great rebounding position to collect the loose ball.

4) James Jensen's defensive versatility: Jensen will receive strong consideration next year for NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. He is the NESCAC version of Tayshaun Prince: his length and quickness allow him to guard everything from interior post players who play with their back to the basket to ultra-quick point guards — both of which he has guarded this season. Amherst forward and reigning NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year Willy Workman is the only other NESCAC player for whom that's true; Jensen is in rare company. With plus defenders in Kizel and Wolfin, Middlebury already has a good defensive backcourt. Adding Thompson and Jensen into the mix is hardly fair. Both can guard just about any kind of backcourt player, and Jensen's ability extends into the front court. The number of guys he can't guard fits on one hand. In particular, watch him next time he lines up opposite the opposing point guard. Notice how he stays low, maintains his defensive stance and uses his legs first to stay in front of his man before using his arms to disrupt the passing lane and affect shots.

5) Joey Kizel's finishing ability: Kizel can score in so many different ways. He can get to the basket, where he finishes as well as any guard in the conference. Though he's a selective shooter, Kizel takes, and makes, a high number of shots with an incredibly high degree of difficulty. In particular, Kizel has mastered the step back jumper, which he often utilizes from the elbow area late in the shot clock to get enough separation to release his shot. If you've read this blog, then you know that Kizel had an incredibly efficient season last year, posting a .537/.506/.912 line (FG/3PT/FT percentage). Exactly zero NBA players in history, according to basketballreference.com have finished a season shooting better than 53% from the floor, 50% from three and 91% from the line as Kizel did last season. Only seven players in the history of the NBA have had .500/.400/.900 seasons: Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Price, Kevin Durant, Reggie Miller and Jose Calderon have all done it once, while Larry Bird accomplished it twice and Steve Nash has done it a stunning four times. Of all of them, Nash is the only player in NBA history to finish a season better than .500/.470/.900 (http://bkref.com/tiny/LapyN), but still finished with worse numbers than Kizel in every category. While Kizel doesn't face the same caliber defense that Nash and others face, and his season is only 30 games long compared to the 82-game NBA schedule, Kizel shot a better free throw percentage — a shot that is no more difficult in the pros than in college — than Nash during his 2007-08 MVP season and exceeded the free throw shooting of seven of the 11 combined seasons between the other guys on the list. If you're worried about sample size, Kizel made 114 of the 125 free throws he took last year, eclipsing the number of made and attempted free throws of Calderon (109-120) during the 2007-08 season. Popp attributes Kizel's tremendous success to his methodical approach. "Joey Kizel's patience to take what the defensive gives him [jumps out at me]," he said. "Coming off a 1st-Team All NESCAC season, you would anticipate a player of his status to look for his own more. Not Kizel. He is as patient as it gets. His unparalleled ability to let plays develop on both ends of the floor is very, very special."

  Wow, I'm even more impressed that Scranton was able to win against this group in the NCAA sweet 16 game last year.

[Bucket]

What a night for Nolan Thompson, both the offensive and defensive player of the game in Middlebury's 85-68 win over Conn.

I'll lead with the defensive: he was in Matt Vadas's grill--and head--all game, denying the Camels' leading scorer the ball all game and hounding him relentlessly when he did have it. Vadas entered the contest averaging 22 ppg. He finished the night with 7 points on 2-6 shooting. And he fouled out, the last couple of fouls leaving Panther bodies sprawled on the hardwood.

Offensively, Thompson finished with 22 points on 7-9 shooting and a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc. He also grabbed seven boards and dished out 3 assists.

Speaking of assists, Jake Wolfin had 6--enough to become Middlebury's all-time career leader, passing Ben Rudin. he also came up with 3 steals.

Kizell was Kizell: 19 pts, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals. Foul trouble limited Lynch to just 16 minutes, but he made the most of his time on the floor, scoring 9 pts on near perfect-shooting.

Bench points came in bundles: Merryman with 14 (a perfect 3-3 from 3) and Jensen 11, to go with 7 boards. More disturbing bench notes were Nate Bulluck and Dean Brierley leaving with what seemed fairly significant injuries.

The game was tight for about 30 minutes--Conn lead by 2 at the half--but Midd slowly asserted its will midway through the second half and pulled away for the 17-pt win.

Was really impressed with Conn's Jared Shill--yet another talented freshman! He hails from Wolfin's hometown and high school, and he tallied an eyebrow-raising 18, getting to the basket effectively and shooting well from the perimeter.

The game was more of a dogfight than the score indicates. Hope the kids get some rest and are ready to go tomorrow.

[maineman]

What a night for Nolan Thompson, both the offensive and defensive player of the game in Middlebury's 85-78 win over Conn.

It was actually 85-68.

[Old Guy]

Went to the Midd-CC game with my wife tonight. CC played well, especially in 1st half. We went out to dinner after the game (my birthday: no gifts please; send money instead). She described Nolan's play as "elegant." Not a bad description. He played 38 minutes, taking the last two off as the subs went in.

[Bucket]

An old guy such as yourself should be in bed at this hour.

[grabtherim]

What a night for Nolan Thompson, both the offensive and defensive player of the game in Middlebury's 85-68 win over Conn.

I'll lead with the defensive: he was in Matt Vadas's grill--and head--all game, denying the Camels' leading scorer the ball all game and hounding him relentlessly when he did have it. Vadas entered the contest averaging 22 ppg. He finished the night with 7 points on 2-6 shooting. And he fouled out, the last couple of fouls leaving Panther bodies sprawled on the hardwood.

Offensively, Thompson finished with 22 points on 7-9 shooting and a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc. He also grabbed seven boards and dished out 3 assists.

Speaking of assists, Jake Wolfin had 6--enough to become Middlebury's all-time career leader, passing Ben Rudin. he also came up with 3 steals.

Kizell was Kizell: 19 pts, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals. Foul trouble limited Lynch to just 16 minutes, but he made the most of his time on the floor, scoring 9 pts on near perfect-shooting.

Bench points came in bundles: Merryman with 14 (a perfect 3-3 from 3) and Jensen 11, to go with 7 boards. More disturbing bench notes were Nate Bulluck and Dean Brierley leaving with what seemed fairly significant injuries.

The game was tight for about 30 minutes--Conn lead by 2 at the half--but Midd slowly asserted its will midway through the second half and pulled away for the 17-pt win.

Was really impressed with Conn's Jared Shill--yet another talented freshman! He hails from Wolfin's hometown and high school, and he tallied an eyebrow-raising 18, getting to the basket effectively and shooting well from the perimeter.

The game was more of a dogfight than the score indicates. Hope the kids get some rest and are ready to go tomorrow.

Agree, this was a much tougher win than the score indicates.  Thompson was in a zone especially early when it looked like he could not miss. Kizel seems to always score or make a big play at key points of games. It also seems that Lynch gets saddledwith a touch foul in physical games when so much more is going uncalled. Wolfin has been finding teamates since his arrival on campus. Getting the assist mark is testament to that. The issue for the Panthers now is depth. With Sinickson, Brierly and Bullock all out for who knows how long, who will step up when given the chance?  That answer may start unfolding this afternoon to a much better than their record Wesleyan squad. Finally, Bucket is right on point on the NESCAC freshman Midd has seen so far.  Shill was impressive.  Strong to the basket with the ability to finish or get to the line trying.

[nescac1]

Did not catch the Williams game, but nice for the Ephs to sweep Wesleyan (which continues to be the biggest mystery / disappointment in NESCAC given all of its talent).  Based on the game report, Wesleyan came out more ready to play, but a 22-0 run to end the first half by Williams was determinative.  Many of the same themes as we've seen throughout the season for the Ephs: shooting much better from the field and from three than their opponents (Williams is among the top five nationally in BOTH FG percentage AND FG percentage defense), but giving up more shot opportunities (in this game, 12 fewer field goal attempts).  The Ephs only turned it over 9 times which is a big step forward, but were killed on the glass, giving up 18 (!) offensive boards.  None of the five Eph starters are physically imposing presences ... Epley is very strong but not tall or a leaper, and the other four guys are just not particularly bulky or strong. Ryan Kilcullen appeared to be a guy who could help with his height, bulk, and athletic ability, but appears to have fallen out of the rotation in favor of more experienced guys. With all the zone they've been playing, some number of offensive rebounds are inevitable, but the Ephs will really have to work collectively to hit the boards because they simply can't shoot it THAT well every game

But of course last night, the scorching shooting seems to have been the difference for Williams, including 52 percent overall and 61 percent from 3 (!).  Klemm and Wohl combined to go an incredible 9-11 from three.  Taylor Epley continued to be the constant dependable force on both ends, and right now I'd say has to be the early favorite for NESCAC POY, with Toomey, Vadas, and Nolan Thompson also in the picture.  Michael Mayer had his least productive offensive game of the season, going only 2-8 from the field and fouling out, but did chip in with six boards, 4 assists, and 3 blocks.  At least based on the stats (rough outing for Mayer, tons of threes for Williams) I'm guessing Wesleyan focused on the interior game, allowing shooters to get clean looks.   

The top three perimeter threats for Williams are right now shooting it at historically good levels, comparable to the Schultz/Wang/Rubin trio of marksmen from 2010:

James Klemm, despite being on the scouting report for every opponent thanks to his prolific markmanship over his career (he'll likely finish up second or third all-time among Ephs for three pointers made, with a slight possibility of eclipsing the record, which is really saying something for a school that has produced snipers like Mike Nogelo, Matt Hunt, Chris Rose, Chuck Abba, Rubin, Schultz and Wang) is shooting an absolutely insane 54/49/95 while nailing nearly three 3-pointers a game.  Taylor Epley, despite being a high-volume shooter, is not far behind at 51/47/88.  And Daniel Wohl has really picked it up at late and is currently at a 55/43/77.  There are a lot of guys in NESCAC shooting it very, very well right now.  In addition to the Eph trio, Nolan Thompson, Hunter Merryman (in particular, albeit off the bench in limited minutes), Keegan Pieiri, and Stephen Haldanya are all just insanely efficient offensive players, shooting lights-out in from 1, 2, and 3.  How a high school team with Merryman and Wohl as classmates ever lost, I have no idea. 

In addition to the rebounding issues, the biggest issue for Williams continues to be the bench production.  The bench is playing very few minutes in big games lately, and is scoring very little in those minutes.  The Ephs need to be able to rest their starters a bit more especially in back-to-back weekends, and hopefully some guys on the bench will get it going (or some other guys will get a chance), but clearly all five starters are going to be playing big minutes in almost every close game. 

In other NESCAC notes, Bowdoin was, as predicted, possibly exposed as a bit of paper tiger vs. their toughest opponent of the season, Tufts, who no one is going to want to play as they get more and more experienced.  One plus for Bowdoin ... Bryan Hurley posted 30 assists over the past two games, which I'd be willing to bet is a first in NESCAC history.  Hurley is putting up a ridiculous 8 dimes per game, third nationally. 

Midd keeps rolling and it's looking more and more like they will be undefeated heading into their big showdown with Williams -- I don't see them losing to Wesleyan or Hamilton home, and then it's two non-conference patsies before the Ephs.  The Ephs, on the other hand, have road trips to Hamilton and Amherst to get through before the Midd game.   

[frank uible]

Watched about 10 minutes off and on of Williams - Wesleyan game - audio was so bad that it constituted a net minus. Needless to dwell on the usual limited quality of the video. As has not infrequently been the case in recent years, Williams was careless with the ball - where is Mike Crotty when he is needed? Answer: the likes of Crotty only comes once in dozens of years. Bottom line is that ultimately turnovers will defeat this Williams team at least as fast and often as cold shooting.

[pick and roll]

Echo Bucket's comments - Vadas if my math is correct averages 16 shots a game and Thompson held him to six shots - pretty nifty - also kudos Jake Wolfin for the assist record - very unselfish player.