MBB: NESCAC

[middhoops]

And, in fairness, Old Guy made the example of other 'unathletic' guys and their effectiveness.  He seemed to me to defend Ziemnik, not trash him. 

[Titan Q]

They both look so unathletic and slow. How are they ranked in the top 5? Wow.

IWU's starting PF Victor Davis (http://www.iwuhoops.com/images/vichope.jpg) is a very athletic player.

As is forward Eric Dorth (http://www.iwuhoops.com/dortchhanover.JPG) who played 17 minutes last night and made "athletic" plays all over the floor. 

IWU has a pretty nice mix of big/strong, skilled, and athletic guys.

[Titan Q]

I took the suggestion just after I read it and watched the last ten minutes of the game and the overtime. The score was tied at 61 and I thought both teams looked awful from that point on - wish I had seen the first 30 minutes. All they did was miss shots, from the floor and the line, and turn the ball over, and foul.

A couple thoughts...

1) I think we'd all agree that it's hard to truly judge a team from one game alone...let alone 15 minutes.

2) The end of that game last night absolutely turned into the physical, nasty, ugly, grind it was projected to be - no doubt about it.  Keep in mind, these were the best two defensive teams in the CCIW hooking up, and two teams that know each other really well, and sometimes those types of matchups turn ugly.  Especially late. Had you watched the first half (44-41 IWU at the break), maybe you would have had a different impression of each team offensively, who knows.  Or even the first half of the IWU/NCC meeting in Bloomington on Jan 23 (41-38 at the break) - http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/iwu.portal# (On Demand video).

I watch a lot of D3 video streams and come away with certain impressions of teams.  Often I find that those impressions are a little off once I watch the same team again. 

[Charles]

They both look so unathletic and slow. How are they ranked in the top 5? Wow.

IWU's starting PF Victor Davis (http://www.iwuhoops.com/images/vichope.jpg) is a very athletic player.

As is forward Eric Dorth (http://www.iwuhoops.com/dortchhanover.JPG) who played 17 minutes last night and made "athletic" plays all over the floor. 

IWU has a pretty nice mix of big/strong, skilled, and athletic guys.

I watched the second half unfortunately Davis played very little, he had 3 fouls, a missed layup, an unecessary technical and a missed 3. Saw a rebound I think also. However what I saw was a team that could struggle in an up and down game. Don't remember if I saw anyone in the game wearing a shooting sleeve though, so that is in itself is good. Looking forward to seeing them play Amherst or Williams, though I think they may struggle against a faster guard oriented team from another conference.

[Titan Q]

However what I saw was a team that could struggle in an up and down game. Don't remember if I saw anyone in the game wearing a shooting sleeve though, so that is in itself is good. Looking forward to seeing them play Amherst or Williams, though I think they may struggle against a faster guard oriented team from another conference.

That's just not accurate, Charles.  IWU is a fast-paced team that gets the ball and runs.  Their preferred pace is an up and down game....it's just that North Central makes it really hard to play that pace because they are so physical and so good defensively.

Wheaton in the CCIW is a perimeter-oriented team, with outstanding guards, that plays an up-tempo pace.  Here is the On Demand video from the IWU/Wheaton game on Feb 2 at IWU...

http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/iwu.portal#
(The game starts at about the 35:00 mark.)

The pace in that game is very different than the pace late in the game last night.

I think one of the reasons IWU is 21-4/13-1 is that they can play both an up-tempo game, as well as a grind-it-out type affair.  They've played each style numerous times this season.

[Bucket]

Here's a thought: we're a few days away from the NESCAC semis and final. As good a team as IWU may be, can we get back to discussing, you now, the conference tournament and leave the discussion of hypothetical regional match-ups for another day?

[middhoops]

Amen.

[grabtherim]

Here's a thought: we're a few days away from the NESCAC semis and final. As good a team as IWU may be, can we get back to discussing, you now, the conference tournament and leave the discussion of hypothetical regional match-ups for another day?

Way to go Bucket, saying what many of us are thinking. Matchups galore. Anyone know if Wohl is playing?

[madzillagd]

Well as you can guess mono isn't a thing you get over quickly so I don't think you'll see Wohl out there, especially when the Ephs have most likely already locked up a NCAA spot at this point.  You don't want to extend it any further if you can possibly get him back in the first couple weeks of the NCAA.

[amh63]

The semifinal games in LeFrak should be exciting to see live and well contested by teams that respect each other.    So why is it  So Quiet on the Eastern Front?   Williams vs Middlebury on a neutral site!
Remember watching the LJ battling Williams on Friday and Middlebury on Saturday  last year, both in a packed house and the games going down to the last shot.  I was there with my view blocked by involved students......memories galore.     So why are there no gauntlets thrown down?
Unfortunely I must be in the DC ...only a hour away by air...family/house guests to entertain,  as well as grand-dogs.    Hoping to see several of the teams in LeFrak this week end later in Salem.

Speaking of Salem.....Bucket...the area where you grew up has more fine colleges than Western Mass...
W & L, VMI, Roanoke, Virgina Tech,  Sweet Briar,  Liberty, etc.   Oh yes...my wife suggest visiting the Eric Carle Museum just down the road from the gym on Hampshire college....your son will enjoy
it...may even see Eric there.

Old Guy....you should watch the game in the area between the pool and LeFrak...great view of the action and you can pace between the windows...at half time you can sit in leather chairs or view  photos of teams past that you played against.   Walzy can help with the directions or go through the Alumni Gym entrance and ask for help.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

You actually forgot about Lynchburg and Randolph as well... plus Hollins .

[Bucket]

Speaking of Salem.....Bucket...the area where you grew up has more fine colleges than Western Mass...
W & L, VMI, Roanoke, Virgina Tech,  Sweet Briar,  Liberty, etc.   Oh yes...my wife suggest visiting the Eric Carle Museum just down the road from the gym on Hampshire college....your son will enjoy
it...may even see Eric there.

I grew up in Lexington, home to W&L and VMI; my dad was on the faculty at W&L for 30+ years. I'm also a W&L alum, actually, as is my wife. (And dad and grandfather.) Yet I bleed Panther, not Generals, blue. Funny how life takes a turn that way.

[amh63]

Trying to adjust to the new software on this site and to the software on my wife's IPad.

Dave M.....yes I did forget those schools...my mind is slipping into the "clouds" these days and I can not retrieve.
Panthernation .....where are your bold words/ predictions of the games ahead....all 2000 of them?  Been going to classes, hey?
Bucket...figure you and your wife had some "southern education" based on you'lls writings.  Have visited Lexington..once to hear my oldest son give a talk there.  Actually, he was " recruited" by some of his HS classmates to go to W&L.  Alas, his daddy told him it was Amherst or the Army!   Have a sister-in-law that "finished" at Sweet Briar...so to speak.  I am a admirer of Robert E. Lee so went to Lexington to pay my respects.
Wish there was a Jumbonation...now that could produce a Big post to weigh down this board.
I know...back to my chores.

[nescac1]

A few thoughts.  Been away for a few days but I'll just say that it is ridiculous to impugn the midwest teams.  They have some advantages over NESCAC squads in terms of recruiting and developing depth in the frontcourt, and when Williams etc. have hit those teams in the tourney, I am typically impressed by the sheer number of bulky, strong, skilled bigs they have at their disposal.  Elite NESCAC teams will usually be extremely strong in the backcourt, and maybe have one, at most two, star bigs, but have trouble matching the sheer depth and physicality of the frontcourts from Illinois and Wisconsin teams. 

I look forward to the, I'm sure, enormously comprehensive game preview forthcoming from the Midd sports bloggers .  With Wohl out or very limited, it will not be easy for Williams to beat Midd, but if Weinheimer can keep playing at the level he has in recent weeks, he is a very solid replacement and can make things happen with his ability to drive on offensive and create turnovers defensively.  On the downside, with Thompson likely on Epley like glue again, and Nate and Weinheimer not guys who shoot a lot from deep, the Ephs will REALLY need Klemm to be hitting threes, otherwise, they will be heavily, heavily reliant on inside scoring off penetration or post moves.  On the other end, the Ephs absolutely HAVE to keep Lynch from getting the ball in one-on-one situations within a few feet of the bucket.  He scored a lot of easy hoops the last two times these teams have played.  Need to work hard to at least push him out of his comfort zone a little bit, or hope he gets in early foul trouble, which seems to be a common theme for him.  If the Ephs play zone a lot, they need to close out on shooters better than they did in the first half vs. Bates.  Man-to-man, the Ephs have looked very solid as of late, but with such a short rotation I'm sure Maker will use some zone to rest guys and keep them out of foul trouble.  The zone was very effective in the second half vs. Midd last time, but now that they have seen it and with a week to practice, I'd rather not give the Midd guards so many three point opportunities and make them work harder for shots off one-on-one moves. 

Appreciate the insight into Tufts since two key guys left the rotation.  I'm sure Amherst won't overlook the Jumbos, but I do think it's a year early for Tufts to really be a serious threat to win the title. 

[madzillagd]

On the downside, with Thompson likely on Epley like glue again, and Nate and Weinheimer not guys who shoot a lot from deep, the Ephs will REALLY need Klemm to be hitting threes, otherwise, they will be heavily, heavily reliant on inside scoring off penetration or post moves. 

If I'm Midd, I don't put Thompson on Epley to start the game actually.  Epley has struggled the past couple weeks shooting the ball against 'normal' defenders, I think I'd take my chances starting out with someone else guarding him.  You can always switch Thompson on him later, but why wouldn't you try to lock up Robertson or Klemm at the beginning of the game and see if Epley continues to struggle?  I think having Thompson on Epley to start the game is better for Williams because the other guys have stepped up a bit the past few games and if Epley isn't a factor this week they are better prepared to handle that than they were the first time these two teams played.  I know the Midd folks loved the fact that Epley went 1-6 last time but for me that's a great stat line from Epley because he didn't force up a bunch of shots. 

As for the Williams defense, I'm expecting to see 25+ minutes of zone on Saturday.  Bates came out 6-10 on 3s in the first half last week and Maker still stuck with the zone because the Ephs were up by a few points.  I'd expect more of the same this week.  If the score is close I'd expect them to stick with the zone even if Midd is making shots, knowing he can switch it up later in the game to try and apply some pressure.