MBB: NESCAC

[LarryBasketball33]

Plucking coins off the top of backboards actually originated with Earl Manigault, the Harlem legend known as The Goat.

I love this anecdote:

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finished his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and had his number retired at the Los Angeles Forum, he was asked who was the greatest player he had played with or against. After a long silence, he answered, "That would have to be 'The Goat'".

http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Earl_%22The_Goat%22_Manigault

Bucket - Around the same time as "The Goat" or maybe even a few years earlier there was a playground legend in New York who played with Connie Hawkins and others by the name of "Jumpin" Jackie Jackson.  He supposedly pinned a Wilt shot at Rucker Park after which a angry Chamberlain left the park.  Street legend has it that he was the 1st to take a quarter off the top of the backboard.  Jackie did not play in the NBA but had a long career with the Gobetrotters in the 60s and 70s.  How do I know all of this so well? His brother Nathaniel Jackson was my middle school science teacher.  If you want to read about some fascinating NY hoops legends, you will probably find some stories on-line about Fly Williams and Herman the Helicopter Knowings.  Decades later people in Rucker Park the mecca of NYC Basketball still speak about them in awe.   
http://www.jumpinjackiejackson.blogspot.com/

[ronk]

Middhoops..you got it!....as previously posted....not good with names but remember features.  Thanks!   What a team....had a very short guard in Towne and a true 7 footer in "Tall Tom"...my nickname for him.   Then the 6' 4" leaper that was rumored to be able to pluck a coin from the Top of the backboard!

Not just 7', but 7'4"; the 2nd best team in the country that year was Maryland(Tom Mcmillen, Len Elmore, John Lucas) who lost to this NC State team in the ACC final in 3OT; at that time, only the ACC tourney winner got into the NCAA, no multiple at-large teams from the same league.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Plucking coins off the top of backboards actually originated with Earl Manigault, the Harlem legend known as The Goat.

I love this anecdote:

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finished his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and had his number retired at the Los Angeles Forum, he was asked who was the greatest player he had played with or against. After a long silence, he answered, "That would have to be 'The Goat'".

http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Earl_%22The_Goat%22_Manigault

Anyone know?  Did the Goat have the same origin as now (Greatest of all time), or was he called the Goat for a different reason?

Interesting that 'goat' has too such different meanings (in contemporary usage) - the guy who blew the game vs. greatest of all time!

[Bucket]

His last name was pronounced like Nanny Goat, which kids used to call him when he was a kid. Was shortened to The Goat, and he would later say "as in, greatest of all time."

[Pat Coleman]

Actually, I wouldn't let the labeling difference between Gamble and Mayer make a difference in this process, by the way. Not afraid to put two post players on the same team, as a coach would definitely do the same.

That was going to be my next question - is there a reason that it has to be X Guards, X Fs, X Centers or is it random?

It has been our belief throughout that an All-American team should reflect a team that can take the floor. It is most definitely not random.

[daoustian]

Haven't seen anyone else link to this yet -- interesting background about Toomey and his recruitment in HS: http://www.hpe.com/sports/x145785557/Toomey-finds-home-at-Amherst

[daoustian]

Also in the quality journalism realm, a bit from Amherst assistant Kevin Hopkins's hometown rag.  I had no idea there was also a Wash U-Montana.  Better keep this away from the UAA board.  http://saratogian.com/articles/2013/03/31/sports/doc5158dd6f70453306314317.txt

[Vandy74]

Plucking coins off the top of backboards actually originated with Earl Manigault, the Harlem legend known as The Goat.

I love this anecdote:

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finished his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and had his number retired at the Los Angeles Forum, he was asked who was the greatest player he had played with or against. After a long silence, he answered, "That would have to be 'The Goat'".

http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Earl_%22The_Goat%22_Manigault

Bucket - Around the same time as "The Goat" or maybe even a few years earlier there was a playground legend in New York who played with Connie Hawkins and others by the name of "Jumpin" Jackie Jackson.  He supposedly pinned a Wilt shot at Rucker Park after which a angry Chamberlain left the park.  Street legend has it that he was the 1st to take a quarter off the top of the backboard.  Jackie did not play in the NBA but had a long career with the Gobetrotters in the 60s and 70s.  How do I know all of this so well? His brother Nathaniel Jackson was my middle school science teacher.  If you want to read about some fascinating NY hoops legends, you will probably find some stories on-line about Fly Williams and Herman the Helicopter Knowings.  Decades later people in Rucker Park the mecca of NYC Basketball still speak about them in awe.   
http://www.jumpinjackiejackson.blogspot.com/

This takes me back some.  I was at Vandy when Fly Williams showed up at Austin Peay.  What a player!  Fly is open.  Let's go Peay.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Without a doubt - THE greatest fan chant in college bball history!

The Cameron Crazies are absolutely GREEN with envy!

[Panthernation]

Aaron Toomey named national Player of the Year:

http://www.nabc.org/awards/2013_NABC_Division_III_POY.pdf

[middhoops]

Legend or myth?  I have heard about grabbing a quarter off the top of the backboard but never seen the video.  Same with dunking twice on one jump.  I think I remember The Goat being quoted that the double dunk was impossible because of the amount of time you'd have to be at the peak of your jump.
Can anyone illuminate this further?  (this is why Youtube was invented, right?)

[lefrakenstein]

Aaron Toomey named national Player of the Year:

http://www.nabc.org/awards/2013_NABC_Division_III_POY.pdf

PN, per your tweet: "Toomey: 17.4 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.7 rpg, 1.4 spg, 44/43/90. DiBartolemeo: 22.6 ppg, 5.3 apg, 5.7 rpg, 2.0 spg, 46/46/91. NABC is a joke." I think you have to at least somewhat acknowledge that DB and his team just collapsed down the stretch. Rochester lost 4 of their last 6 games. In those loses Johnny D was 14-57 or under 25% from the field.  That includes an 0-8 showing in the Ithaca game. You can talk about Toomey not shooting as well in close games and loses but.... yikes, that takes it to another level. I think it's fair to question DiBarolemeo's POY candidacy given those numbers. Pat has explained elsewhere that, for instance, Raridon was higher on the regional teams than Gamble and Gamble higher on the national all-america teams than Raridon b/c the d3hoops crew thought that Gamble out-performed Raridon in the tournament.

And I know you guys would never agree with this, but I would say that Toomey is the obvious next choice, especially given some huge games in the tournament. His tourney averages: 19.3 ppg, 47% shooting, 5.5 rpg, 4 apg, 1.25 steals/game. Oh yeah, and his team hasn't lost since Dec. 6th.

Pat - can you comment? Was Toomey involved in the d3hoops.com POY discussion? Would you say Toomey was in "second place", or were there others between DiBartolemeo and Toomey?

[lefrakenstein]

Legend or myth?  I have heard about grabbing a quarter off the top of the backboard but never seen the video.  Same with dunking twice on one jump.  I think I remember The Goat being quoted that the double dunk was impossible because of the amount of time you'd have to be at the peak of your jump.
Can anyone illuminate this further?  (this is why Youtube was invented, right?)

the fact that no one has ever been able to do this in an NBA dunk competition makes me suspect 'myth'. But it would be awesome if it really happened.

[madzillagd]

ROY Tom Palleschi outed as a 41 year old man. 

http://instagram.com/p/XkFe6zTXQ5/

[Panthernation]

Aaron Toomey named national Player of the Year:

http://www.nabc.org/awards/2013_NABC_Division_III_POY.pdf

PN, per your tweet: "Toomey: 17.4 ppg, 4.9 apg, 4.7 rpg, 1.4 spg, 44/43/90. DiBartolemeo: 22.6 ppg, 5.3 apg, 5.7 rpg, 2.0 spg, 46/46/91. NABC is a joke." I think you have to at least somewhat acknowledge that DB and his team just collapsed down the stretch. Rochester lost 4 of their last 6 games. In those loses Johnny D was 14-57 or under 25% from the field.  That includes an 0-8 showing in the Ithaca game. You can talk about Toomey not shooting as well in close games and loses but.... yikes, that takes it to another level. I think it's fair to question DiBarolemeo's POY candidacy given those numbers. Pat has explained elsewhere that, for instance, Raridon was higher on the regional teams than Gamble and Gamble higher on the national all-america teams than Raridon b/c the d3hoops crew thought that Gamble out-performed Raridon in the tournament.

And I know you guys would never agree with this, but I would say that Toomey is the obvious next choice, especially given some huge games in the tournament. His tourney averages: 19.3 ppg, 47% shooting, 5.5 rpg, 4 apg, 1.25 steals/game. Oh yeah, and his team hasn't lost since Dec. 6th.

14-57 in four of six select games takes it to another level? In four of six select games during the exact same stretch of the season Toomey went 17-63. A stark contrast! Really makes up for JD's +5.2 ppg,+ 0.4 apg, +1.0 rpg, +0.6 spg, +2/+3/+1 shooting.

Not to mention the highly-touted "happens to have better players around him" (or "his team wins") metric for determining a player's value, which cements your case.