MBB: NESCAC

[nescac1]

Last comment of the night: that is three trips to Salem in four years for Coach Maker and the Ephs.  Pretty darn impressive, and Williams will be the only squad in Salem with players making their third trip down.  And I know a lot of folks like to bash the opponents NESCAC teams face when advancing to Salem, but I'd put the path Williams faced during the last two post-season runs up against anyone: Wesley, Catholic, VWU this year, and Husson, Becker, VWU, Amherst in 2011.  A lot of very close wins over very tough teams, as VWU, Catholic and Amherst are all national powers, and Wesley, Husson, and Becker could all absolutely play.

[rlk]

From an MIT (NEWMAC) alum, good luck in Salem!  My experience there last year was unforgettable, even though we lost our semi to UW-Whitewater.

[FanJacket]

Watched the RMC v WPI game...then the RMC v Amherst...Amherst is legit and is deserving of #2 ranking (if not #1)...WPI I think not as #4.

[amh63]

Gosh this is a late post for me.  See that there is going to be a big beer and burger bash in Salem next weekend.  Need to save my pennies and get my ticket in the right area!
Saw the Amherst vs. RMC game...it was not too tense.  RMC's short rally near the end of the game had me guessing when Coach Hixon would empty the bench.   I saw the game slow down to a boring slow pace after the middle of the second half.....as if Amherst was sleep walking.  After the first half, any pace would be slow...I guess.  Agreed with several people that remarked...one on the air....that it was one of the best first half that Amherst has played in years.....against a quality opponent!  Caught a bit of the Amherst WBB and MIDD MBB games.  Too tight for me.  Had an early dinner engagement to go with my wife who was starting to get angry with me.  Social obligations comes first.
Congrats to all three "CAC" schools.  To Salem we go....need to get my wife to agreed to let me  borrow her new car and IPAD maybe?

[toad22]

Another great matchup with the Marlins tonight. Interestingly, the top four players for VWU were the same tonight as two years ago. VWU presented very serious problems for the Ephs, because VWU was not only faster than Williams (very few teams are markedly slower!), but VWU was also very skilled. Certainly, VWU was the best team Williams has played outside of Amherst, and probably Middlebury. VWU is also very well coached. We had a big advantage playing this game at home.

Looking forward, I wouldn't want to play Williams. They are a very tough out. They are a very good offensive team. Excellent inside play, combined with nice outside shooting. Taylor Epley is one of the few players I have observed, who plays better under pressure than any time else. He wants the ball when the game is on the line. Nate Robertson is a fierce competitor, and a veteran of NCAA tournament play (3 Salems in four years). In addition, Michael Mayer is a truly excellent center. Nobody this year has found a way to stop him. James Klemm is a 44% career 3 point shooter, and Daniel Wohl is a 6'6" guard, with a sweet shot, and a strong move to the basket.

[middhoops]

A month ago when the NESCAC had 3 teams voted into the top 10, I rhetorically (euphorically?) asked, "Who's a Power Conference?"  I was met with statistical data that clearly proved the NESCAC was not.
So, can I feel some vindication or are we going to believe that Massey guy who doesn't even post here?

[WPI89]

I am in awe of all things NESCAC - congratulations loyal posters.

[nescac1]

A few notes on the next opponents for NESCAC squads:

The Jeffcast announcers are fond of referring to Willy Workman as the "Lamar Odom of D-3."  I assume that he'll be guarding Aaron Walton-Moss, here referred to as the Lebron James of D-3.  Should be a heck of a match-up:

http://www.the-daily-record.com/local%20sports/2013/03/17/cabrini-gets-best-of-great-guard-matchup.modal

Kaasila may end up being the x-factor in that game for Amherst.  Cabrini doesn't play anyone over 6'6 and they are small across the board (starters are 5'10, 6'0, 6'1, 6'4, 6'6).  Despite being outsized, they've somehow outrebounded opponents in each of their three tourney games. 

Midd faces the opposite problem, as North Central seems to have a lot of very big, very versatile interchangeable players all around the 6'4 to 6'6 range.  Big guys who handle the ball and get a lot of assists, etc.

St. Thomas looks scary on paper (as you'd expect from the number one team in the country).  They shoot an insane 53 percent from the field and 42 percent from three, both figures which either lead the country or are very close to doing so.  Very deep and efficient team.  And in big games they seem to really crank their defense up a notch ... no opponent has scored more than 62 vs. them in this year's tourney.  They are very balanced, and have guys who have done it before on the big stage ... C Tommy Hannon and PG John Nance combined to score 32 on 10-13 shooting in the 2011 national championship game.  Their only weakness appears to be spotty foul shooting, which has cost them or nearly cost them a few times this year.  But still, scary.  But the way the Ephs are playing I am confident they will be able to hang.  They seem not to have a big-time shot-blocker, so Williams will need to do what they did vs. VWU and get past the pressuring perimeter defenders to break down the D and consistently get the ball to Mayer and Epley inside.  Easier said then done. 

[amh63]

Middhoops......go for it!  You have the evidence.
WPI89....Thanks for the warm praise. +karma.  Did you watch/attend any games?
Amherst was on break...but LeFrak looked full....not "packed" as in a student filled section.  Most of the vocal support seemed to be coming from the RMC supporters.  Liked the announcer's comment after a small child went to the floor to touch/feel it.....only in D3!  Western MA has many fans of good college BB....attentive knowledgeable ones that clap after seeing good play on both sides.  Kalema, Workman and of course, Williamson had dunks.  One announcer...called my 10 feet lift-off dunk of Kalema in an earlier post as incorrect....will settle with him later.

[frank uible]

Your correspondent's perfectly subjective standard is that a dunk is something less than a great athletic feat unless the dunker stands 5'7" or less excepting extenuating circumstances such as the dunker's carrying something on his back at least as heavy as a two holer outhouse (without the necessity of one or both of the holes being occupied).

[Bucket]

Wow, Ithaca bailed Midd out there at the end.  Ithaca had a great score to go up by one with six seconds left, Kizell was dribbling totally out of control and headed for a TO it seemed, but an Ithaca guy sort of got into his way and fouled him (and yes, it was certainly a foul), Kizell hits the two clutch free throws.  NESCAC two-for-two in the Elite Eight.  Hoping Williams can make it three.  Midd was on fire from three -- most of the looks were wide open, often set up by Kizell (he had a great game initiating the offense), Ithaca was extremely slow to rotate defensively and seemed to purposefully be leaving Wolfin open for a good chunk of the game, that strategy backfired.  Ithaca played very well offensively and Midd, like Ithaca, strangely left Maravich wide open from three on multiple occasions.  The Warech-Thompson battle in the second half was a good one, as Warech was able to use his strength to score some very tough shots, but Thompson really made him work for everything.  Midd was owed a bit of good fortune in a close game, and the Midd senior guards Thompson and Wolfin were simply on fire.  Congrats to Midd for making Salem two times in three years, no easy task!

should have been a no call. hate to see the refs decide the games. again...

That's right, Charles. And Middlebury lacks senior leadership. And Wesleyan was the second best team in the NESCAC this year. You are nothing if not consistently obtuse.

[Old Guy]

Middlebury played great against Ithaca. Terrific game, good basketball, both teams playing at a high level. The game was sold-out at mid-week - great atmosphere. Ithaca shot 42% for the game, 50% from three (9-18), 75% (15-20) from the line.
Midd was 48%, 56% (14-25), 81% (13-16). And both teams were playing intense, tough defense. A pleasure to watch (though heart-stopping)

Ithaca was very impressive: Warech goes to the basket so hard, Maravich shoots the three and can otherwise play - very tough (6-9 fg, 5-7 3pt, 6 boards), Rossi controls the ball and finds people (7 assists, one turnover). 12 of their 36 rebounds were offensive - lots of second chance points. Inside-outside, fast, tough, how'd they lose eight games?

Midd shot so well. Outside shooting kept us in the game, gave us leads in the second half. At the beginning of the game, Ithaca chose not to guard Wolfin at all on the arc, left him wide open, their scouting report obviously had noted his inconsistencies from three. It appeared they wanted to get in his head. Wrong guy. He missed his first - "Oh no!" (I think it was Midd's first shot of the game), then he drained about four in a row. Very satisfying for him, and all Midd fans. Thompson consistently hit his beautiful high arching shot, like Wolfin, 6-10 from three. Kizel only took seven shots (4-7), but was 4-4 from the line.

The Bombers really bottled up Lynch most of the game. (Why "Bombers"?) Their big guys are quick and smart. Lynch's foul shooting has been so important: don't send him to the line (4-4 yesterday, 78% for the year)

Nobody you'd rather have with free throws with the game on the line than Kizel. He loves the last second excitement, thrives on it, not afraid to make a mistake. His last drive with seconds ticking off - of course, he was nearly out of control: it reminded me of his mad dash last year against Scranton that tied the game just before the long bomb at the buzzer that won it for the Scrantons at the buzzer. He loves driving in traffic, the closer the quarters the more he likes it.

I came home and watched the second half of the Williams-VWU game. Also a great game, well-played. Williams looked so methodical winning. The score was tied, a couple minutes to go: Williams ran its offense, hit its shots, WVU didn't. Game over. Williams really looked good. Wohl, Epley, Klemm, pretty nice complements to the Robertson-Mayer ace point guard-big man tandem. With eight TV timeouts, depth is less an issue than during the regular season.

I'm bummed. I can't get to Salem next week - unbreakable commitments here (even for this, Old Guy? Alas, yes). I went two years ago. I am taking Young Guy to Atlanta for that Final Four. Maybe . . .

[AncientSonOfHixon]

Pathetically long-time lurker here, but I want to briefly join the fray to thank all you regular posters before the gang disbands—sadly, tragically, inevitably—over the next few weeks. I guarantee you, there are more of us lurkers than you think benefitting from the reporting here on the board; makes D3/NESCAC fanhood WAY more fun than it would otherwise be for those of us who can't see as many games as we'd wish. So: props. Bask in some gratitude. Also: Keep bringing it, on account of we're not done Quite Yet.

Other reason for posting now: am trolling for a scouting report. As soon as we learned Amherst's next opponent, I did what lots of us do: pulled up Cabrini's composite box. Immediately noticed a kid who leads their active players in scoring and rebounds (9.0), shoots 52% from the floor, takes almost no threes, is poor at the line, and would lead in blocks if he'd played the full season.... Figure: that's their Big. Then it turns out he's also Cabrini's assist leader and is just 6-foot-1. Aaron Walton-Moss. Exactly the kind of player you'll never see in D1. Exactly the kind of player who makes you love D3. Can't wait to see him—and how Jeffs try to defend. Have a feeling they're about to encounter a whole different stratosphere of "athletic."

So let's reset that hook: Aaron Walton-Moss. Scouting report? Anybody?

Meanwhile, huge congrats to Middlebury and Williams for helping make it three out of eight. I remain hopeful it turns into three out of four. As scary as the NESCAC foes would be for Jeffs, and as much as I love when Jeffs can beat them, I've come to love those two clubs in particular over the past four years that their seniors have been in action. Midd may be the best whole-greater-than-sum-of-parts team I've ever seen. Not that lots of the parts aren't superb, but what's better about basketball than seeing how a genius "team" can maximize its talents? Those guys will never forget the feeling of what it was like to play together. And as for Williams, let me add a word to what others have posted in admiration of the too-overlooked Nate Robertson. (How *does* this kid keep getting to the rim when he presents zero threat outside?) Fabulous competitor, from the moment he was a first-year. ...Also, re Mayer: Well, next year he'll be Kevin McHale circa 1986. (And I feel only sorrow for you young fellas who didn't get to see what *that* looked like.) Some nights he already is.

I'm gonna miss those teams. I wanna to see them against Amherst again before they're gone.

Not that I want them to win when I do.

[p.s. - "Why 'Bombers'? says Old Guy. Easy for him--"Panthers" supporter--to say. Those of us forced to live in houses of "Eph" and "Lord Jeff" glass can only look on in envy.]

[amh63]

For This, Old Guy?    Why Bombers?  Will ask my daughter who knows a coach at Ithaca College.   While we are at it...Why Purple Cow?
Atlanta trip?  Should not make promises that are in the hands of others.  If all conf. teams advance to the Final 4, Middlebury will have to go through Amherst.  Thinking on this matter, I will not be in Atlanta even if Amherst reach the title game....have to baby sit our grand child during NY spring break.  Hear you!

[amh63]

OLDSONOFHIXON....if I got it correct, welcome aboard......first you need to shorten your "handle".  How about OldHixon?  Nope...will get in trouble here.
Scouting report of the other Aaron...Nescac1's earlier post gives some background....did you read it also?  Anyway, the player is 200 pounds and seems to have attracted D! scouts in the past.  Likes to drive for points and will battle for boards, etc.  A little like the great player from A-M in New Haven.  An older talented college player who has returned to the game after time off to take care of Life Matters....a mature player who knows his game and strengths.   Seems that he and the other starting guard have been having some "press" on the matter of academics and their coach has a chip on his shoulder dealing with the matter.  My take on the subject.  When someone labels you little LeRon...you can imagine. 
Go over the team's schedule and check out games late in the season.  Of interest is the win over the cardinals of Wesleyan U. and other schools with BB reps.