MBB: NESCAC

grabtherim · April 05, 2013, 03:50:49 AM

Quote from: Vandy74 on April 05, 2013, 02:40:38 AM
Quote from: middhoops on April 04, 2013, 09:08:34 PM
Are you guys serious? This is going to cost me serious K, but c'mon. You would root for a non-NESCAC team winning the championship? Next year I'll root for my team to beat the LJs, but in Atlanta I hope Amherst wins by 30. Maybe more.

Careful Cuz,

I'm still the one drawing the heavy fire. Let me walk point. There is a lot being missed here. First of all, the success that Amherst and Williams have had recently in the tournament benefits Middlebury and all other NESCAC schools' basketball programs. Recruiting and ranking immediately come to mind.

Secondly, Amherst and Middlebury are not rivals in the traditional sense of the word. They have played some very important games against each other in recent seasons but if three years down the road they both have mediocre teams with no post season aspirations nobody will get too bent out of shape concerning the outcome of the contest between them. Amherst and Williams, on the other hand, have a rivalry going on that predates their NESCAC competition by over hundred years or so. Wesleyan is also involved. Meetings between these schools are big games regardless of team records. If Amherst were to win the NESCAC each year for the next 5 seasons, win a national title and go to 2 other final fours but lose to Williams each time the two schools played, the alumni would be all over Hixon's ass. As for my willingness to root for Amherst in games not involving the Panthers I've already mentioned my father and two brothers who went there. I grew up listening to an LP of Amherst fight songs while my father cooked breakfast on Sunday mornings. The father of my best friend next door, a Middlebury College English professor, was a loyal Amherst grad. My father was a state politician who lost an election in 1964. The press made a big deal of a democrat beating a republican. What bothered my father the most was that he was beaten by a Williams man. So I'm sorry if some of you don't like my support of the Lord Jeff's this weekend. If it makes you feel any better I would be much less inclined to root for Williams if they were the NESCAC team still playing.

Thirdly, much if not most of the animosity Midd fans are directing at Amherst involves the coach, not the players. I'm sure I'm not the only one who remembers an Amherst player (sorry, I don't recall which one it was) helping Kizel up off the floor when none of his Middlebury teammates were around to do it. These are fine young men, on both sides, playing a game. The BO incident is a done deal. It didn't determine the outcome of the game. Move on. Please. The only one directly involved with the right to hold a grudge is Jensen. I expect he'd tell you the same thing two players on my high school team told me when I asked if a series of unusually loud comments from the stands had distracted them during an important game. The taunts seemed to be coming from adults rather than students which is what made it of interest and I was covering the game for the local paper. They said that if they let such things get to them they didn't have their heads in the game. 'Nuff said. And while Jensen did miss that first shot he made the second along with 80% of the rest of them he took during the remainder of the season. Collectively the rest of the team did the same so they must have kept their heads in the game as well. This stuff entertains and bothers the peanut gallery, not the players.

Well, so much for my Karma. Middhoops, agreed. This weekend Lord Jeffs by 30. Next season Middlebury mops the court with 'em.

Well reasoned and said. i see your points. That being said, I see them winning by 15 or so, but would still rather see them lose by the same. Without going into details, my history and feeling about the rivalry with them is not yours. Suffice to say to this Yankee fan they are the Sox. Let me see, the next time I root for the Sox will be....Never. When they win, they will deserve all of the congratulations from outside and the long self type which will go on ad nauseum. To the winners go the spoils.

AncientSonOfHixon · April 05, 2013, 02:30:31 PM

Fully recognizing that this'll make the anti-Amherst folk here want to rend their garments, let me call out this cool blog about the LJ experience underway in Atlanta in case some who'd be interested haven't seen it: http://lordjeffs.tumblr.com/. Pix, video, and links to flickr galleries with all manner of airport-lounging, ankle-taping, practice-playing, and wistful-gaze-out-bus-windowing. Plus shots of Workman on stage with the D1 players in a joint interview by Jim Nantz. (And a hallway encounter w/Pitino.)

Again: for Amherst fans only. Others: you were warned.

gordonmann · April 05, 2013, 02:43:57 PM

There are some really cool shots in there. Very interesting photo compositions.

magicman · April 05, 2013, 06:52:37 PM

ASOH,
Thanks for posting the pictures. Plus k.

fanfromct · April 05, 2013, 07:36:32 PM

While we're waiting for the big game on Sunday, I thought I'd pass along info on Will Hanley - Bowdoin '12. He was MVP of the Silver league for this season, which ended two weeks ago. He then signed with Valencia of the ACB - the top Spanish league, and had his debut last weekend.
He managed to get the #5 Top Play of the week for the league. The link to the video is below.

http://www.acb.com/top7kia.php

Panthernation · April 05, 2013, 10:13:08 PM

Quote from: fanfromct on April 05, 2013, 07:36:32 PM
While we're waiting for the big game on Sunday, I thought I'd pass along info on Will Hanley - Bowdoin '12. He was MVP of the Silver league for this season, which ended two weeks ago. He then signed with Valencia of the ACB - the top Spanish league, and had his debut last weekend.
He managed to get the #5 Top Play of the week for the league. The link to the video is below.

http://www.acb.com/top7kia.php

Wow, Will Hanley is playing in the same league as Rudy Fernandez? That's crazy. Fernandez was a big part of Spain's last two silver medal finishes in the olympics.

In related news, Ryan Sharry is enjoying a really strong season in Luxembourg: http://www.basketnews.lu/?p=8086#more-8086

Watching those two play against each other last year was one of the best matchups in the NESCAC.

Vandy74 · April 06, 2013, 06:37:25 AM

Quote from: Panthernation on April 05, 2013, 10:13:08 PM
Quote from: fanfromct on April 05, 2013, 07:36:32 PM
While we're waiting for the big game on Sunday, I thought I'd pass along info on Will Hanley - Bowdoin '12. He was MVP of the Silver league for this season, which ended two weeks ago. He then signed with Valencia of the ACB - the top Spanish league, and had his debut last weekend.
He managed to get the #5 Top Play of the week for the league. The link to the video is below.

http://www.acb.com/top7kia.php

Wow, Will Hanley is playing in the same league as Rudy Fernandez? That's crazy. Fernandez was a big part of Spain's last two silver medal finishes in the olympics.

In related news, Ryan Sharry is enjoying a really strong season in Luxembourg: http://www.basketnews.lu/?p=8086#more-8086

Watching those two play against each other last year was one of the best matchups in the NESCAC.

Thanks for the link PN. Interesting stuff. It's good to see that there is a level of professional play where d3 hoopsters can excel.

AncientSonOfHixon · April 06, 2013, 07:41:32 AM

fanfrom and Panther, great links, thanks for posting. Like Vandy, I'd love more info on NESCAC'ers abroad from anyone who has it. Has seemed for past decade that Amherst kids (including Olson, now-LJ assistant Kevin Hopkins, + numerous others) have shuttled through a pipeline to German leagues--which I've always assumed are significantly lesser than even 2nd-level Spanish ones (much less the Spanish premier league; serious accomplishment by Hanley to be there). But I don't know if I'm right.

Meanwhile, anyone else watch that whole "Top 7" Spanish video and think: "Ah, so THAT'S where 'matador' defense comes from...."

ba-dump-dump. (We'll be here all week ladies and gentlemen. Be good to your waiters and waitresses.)

AmherstStudent05 · April 06, 2013, 11:24:15 AM

Looking forward to Atlanta tomorrow! Who else is going to be down there? Do I just pick up a ticket at the arena? Is there a "reserved" Amherst cheering section? Does anyone know of any good early lunch places near Phillips Arena?

I am a little nervous about going tomorrow. Amherst is 0-2 in Salem games that I have personally attended (I don't count the stupid John Carroll game), and 5-1 in games I couldn't make. I figure that my bad luck doesn't apply in Atlanta though!

Does anyone know who will be officiating tomorrow's game? I know that criticisms of officiating can get very stale very quickly, but I have to say that I was terribly disappointed by the officiating in Salem a few weeks ago. I saw every game save for the MHB-St. Mary's game, and I thought that the officiating was uniformly dreadful (I feel like I can say this more comfortably because Amherst fortunately was not harmed by the officiating). Both North Central games were particularly bad. I don't know if Salem featured regular ODAC crews or and "All-Star" crew featuring a mix of refs who normally don't work together (like the NFL does for the playoffs), but whatever it was, I hope it is something different tomorrow!

Go Jeffs!

grabtherim · April 06, 2013, 11:50:41 AM

Quote from: AmherstStudent05 on April 06, 2013, 11:24:15 AM
Looking forward to Atlanta tomorrow! Who else is going to be down there? Do I just pick up a ticket at the arena? Is there a "reserved" Amherst cheering section? Does anyone know of any good early lunch places near Phillips Arena?

I am a little nervous about going tomorrow. Amherst is 0-2 in Salem games that I have personally attended (I don't count the stupid John Carroll game), and 5-1 in games I couldn't make. I figure that my bad luck doesn't apply in Atlanta though!

Does anyone know who will be officiating tomorrow's game? I know that criticisms of officiating can get very stale very quickly, but I have to say that I was terribly disappointed by the officiating in Salem a few weeks ago. I saw every game save for the MHB-St. Mary's game, and I thought that the officiating was uniformly dreadful (I feel like I can say this more comfortably because Amherst fortunately was not harmed by the officiating). Both North Central games were particularly bad. I don't know if Salem featured regular ODAC crews or and "All-Star" crew featuring a mix of refs who normally don't work together (like the NFL does for the playoffs), but whatever it was, I hope it is something different tomorrow!

Go Jeffs!

Any of you Jeffs fans in ATL have a Valium for this guy?

lefrakenstein · April 06, 2013, 12:07:04 PM

Quote from: AmherstStudent05 on April 06, 2013, 11:24:15 AM
Looking forward to Atlanta tomorrow! Who else is going to be down there? Do I just pick up a ticket at the arena? Is there a "reserved" Amherst cheering section? Does anyone know of any good early lunch places near Phillips Arena?

I am a little nervous about going tomorrow. Amherst is 0-2 in Salem games that I have personally attended (I don't count the stupid John Carroll game), and 5-1 in games I couldn't make. I figure that my bad luck doesn't apply in Atlanta though!

Does anyone know who will be officiating tomorrow's game? I know that criticisms of officiating can get very stale very quickly, but I have to say that I was terribly disappointed by the officiating in Salem a few weeks ago. I saw every game save for the MHB-St. Mary's game, and I thought that the officiating was uniformly dreadful (I feel like I can say this more comfortably because Amherst fortunately was not harmed by the officiating). Both North Central games were particularly bad. I don't know if Salem featured regular ODAC crews or and "All-Star" crew featuring a mix of refs who normally don't work together (like the NFL does for the playoffs), but whatever it was, I hope it is something different tomorrow!

Go Jeffs!

I'll be there ASOH. I think the Amherst website said that the Amherst section would be behind the Amherst bench. As for tickets, I doubt that you'll need one at all, they'll probably just be letting people walk right in. As for lunch places there's not much by Phillips, but there are a bunch of fast food places in the CNN center and also a Mexican place that's mediocre. There's also a Legal Seafoods and a McCormick & schmicks right around centennial olympic park. If you want food recommendations in the greater Atlanta area, send me a message.

old_hooper · April 06, 2013, 12:50:45 PM

The top league in Lux is probably equivalent to the 3rd or 4th level leagues in Germany. Fletcher Walters played in the Germany and Lux and that was feedback to others. When in Iserhlahan Germany he was on a team (3rd level in German leagues) and they finished 3rd in his league and he was probably 1 of their top 5 players and in Lux best league he was one of the top player in the league.

Panthernation · April 06, 2013, 01:02:10 PM

According to @SportingVermont, Hanley has an Irish passport, and therefore avoids being counted as an American in the Spanish League, which is a significant hurdle to most college players. (In Luxembourg, each team gets two Americans. Ryan told us earlier this year that by virtue of his being American they expected him to put up 20 and 10 from day one.)

gordonmann · April 06, 2013, 01:08:29 PM

I'm sitting in O'Hare Airport, waiting to get on the plane for Atlanta.

There are a lot of people going to Atlanta, but they seem mostly interested in some other game. Something involving some school from Michigan?

frank uible · April 06, 2013, 01:43:20 PM

We do appreciate that none of those European league teams are any better than the first five guys who show on any morning at Rucker Park (or any similar venue), don't we?