MBB: NESCAC

[ronk]

FYI - The Scoreboard/Schedule isn't showing the video link to the Midd-Alvernia game currently so here's the link to the F&M page.  It is listed on their schedule so I'm assuming they will be showing the game. 

http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/fandm.portal#

The Middlebury page says it's on video.  D3hoops.com says only the 2nd game (Franklin & Marshall vs. Baruch) is on. 
If it's not on:  Midd fans can text 520-822-6033 for updates or we'll post it for you should the game be really compelling.
Vandy and I are in our 60s.  This digital instancy is as daunting as it is delightful for us.  Some of you guys remember not finding out who won the Ali-Frazier, March 1971 fight til the next morning, right?

  That was the only pay-per-view fight to which I've ever gone.

[lumbercat]

P Bear Fan-
You  have a great passion for Bowdoin Basketball....thats great and I respect it!....I always felt for Polar Bears  hoops since most of the passion in Brunswick has been profoundly with the Polar Bear Hockey program.....I know that hoops is the underdog in Brunswick given the great Hockey tradition but looks like you guys will have a fine team this year even without your great PG Hurley...wish you the best.

Bates is rebuilding a bit this year with a number of Frosh but they will hang tough under coach Furbush who had some difficult cuts to make this year as he re structures the Garnet program with a strong recruiting effort....at the end of the day rest assured on this....Bates will never, ever be out worked or out hustled......that is the hallmark of Bates Basketball.....with that work ethic and some new size in the front court....who knows.

You guys will be the favorite in the Maine State Series this year with a legit 7 footer in Swords and Pieri who is ready to break out as well....Colby is a little slow but has some shooters and Bates is young so I imagine they will be trying to hang with you guys as best they can......Long live the CBB!

[nescac1]

Another amazingly epic job by the Middlebury hoops bloggers with their season preview. 

http://sites.middlebury.edu/panthernation/

When you guys are gone next year, I am not sure where I am going to get my detailed breakdown of the skill set of the 17th guy on the Midd roster .  Seriously, very comprehensive and thoughtful NESCAC preview.  Maybe the D3hoops.com guys can hire you to do an entire preview of Division III for next year ... Pat Coleman, think about it! 

I am pleased to see that you have three Ephs on your all-NESCAC first team, but I am pretty sure that would be unprecedented in NESCAC history.  I do think Daniel Wohl has first-team talent, but he would have to beat out some pretty strong players to get there.  Might be a year early for him ... (plus, there is only one ball to go around, so someone's stats are going to have to suffer a bit).  I agree 100 percent with your projected all-rookie team.  That is an absolutely LOADED group and excludes a lot of very talented rookies that will make big contributions right away.  This could be a historically good first-year class for NESCAC.   

The local paper has its Williams preview posted:  http://www.thetranscript.com/localsports/ci_24528164/great-expectations

Nothing too surprising, the only interesting tidbit is that it notes that Duncan Robinson is in contention for the fifth starting position on the Ephs, along with veteran Weinheimer.  It's clear either way that Mayer, Robinson, Epley, Weinheimer, Rooke-Ley and Wohl are the top six, with Kilcullen the back-up center. It will be interesting to see who emerges from the Thoreson/McCreary/Greenman/"Oronowicz" [sic] group to earn the remaining time on the perimeter.  Four very different skill sets, but all guys who can make solid contributions.  I can't imagine that any team in the country can top the talent of Williams' starting five (and to be honest, I thought the same last year), the key to success will be getting a lot more production off the deeper and more experienced bench than last season, in which the Ephs often struggled whenever the starters took a breather (and were forced to play starters a few too many minutes in big games vs. deep teams like St. Thomas). 

I'll also be curious to see as well how Darrias Sime makes the transition from the gridiron.  If nothing else, having him and Greg Payton around during practice should toughen up the other guys vs. more physical opponents.  I'd love to see Coach Maker experiment with a pressing unit of Sime, Payton, Wohl, Weinheimer, and McCreary or Greenman for a few minutes at a time, no way it will ever happen, but I bet that unit could wreak absolute havoc on an opposing offense. 

Speaking of detailed, check out the RIC media guide:
http://www.goanchormen.com/teampages/MediaGuideArchive/2014Men%27sBasketball.pdf

With the injury to Coppola, I'd say RIC is now the toughest New England competition for NESCAC schools.  Although Tahrike Carter is a big loss for the Anchorman, they brought in a very impressive recruiting class featuring several strong first-year players who should contribute a lot right away (four of their frosh are highly-regarded), as well as some veteran transfers.  They look very deep, bigger overall than they have been in some time, and will be far better offensively, and as always will play their signature lock-down defense. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Two consecutive weekends.

Panthers have a home game on Tuesday.

It's Green Mountain, right?  Couldn't they just send the intramural champs to play that one and save themselves 12 hours on the bus?

[P'bearfan]

Another amazingly epic job by the Middlebury hoops bloggers with their season preview. 

http://sites.middlebury.edu/panthernation/

Simply a wonderful preview!  Thanks for all the analysis. 

[John Gleich]

I think Troy was listed at either 6'5 or 6'6 NESCAC1

No way. Whttington was at least 7'0". Eye witness, I saw him in person many times. Against Middlebury.

LOL, +1!

[John Gleich]

I think Troy was listed at either 6'5 or 6'6, depending on the year, if memory serves.  But he most definitely was NOT any taller than 6'5, and even that may have been pushing it a tad.  He had extremely long arms for his height, ridiculous jumping ability, and unusual strength and quickness for his size, all of which combined to make him nearly unstoppable (when healthy, unfortunately he suffered a spate of serious injuries which hampered him at times including, in particular, vs. Wooster in the national semifinal) during late in his junior and throughout his senior year.

Dude had springs... and you don't have to look very hard to see some it enshrined in the halls of... Youtube? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7h-5bIP0Hg


I didn't see him play much, but when I did it was fun (even when he was playing against my Pointers). I love seeing a big guy who really KNOWS how to play and has the ability to do special things.

[madzillagd]

Nothing too surprising, the only interesting tidbit is that it notes that Duncan Robinson is in contention for the fifth starting position on the Ephs, along with veteran Weinheimer.

This is going to be an interesting thing to watch throughout the year.  I'm not surprised if Robinson is as good as it sounds that he's already being talked about as a possible starter.  However, I personally don't think that's necessarily the best rotation for the team.  I'm assuming that Weinheimer is going to get some decent minutes this year, he played 17 mins a game last year and I'd expect something similar this year if not more.  Last year the bench rotation was essentially Weinheimer, McCreary, McClelland and Hoffman.  None of those guys were big offensive threats and when played together they often had stretches of scoreless minutes.  Of those four, Weinheimer was the biggest offensive threat, but that was only on the drive and in transition, he rarely took an outside shot.

Assuming McCreary will get some minutes at guard as a senior, I don't think you necessarily want to pair up McCreary and Weinheimer regularly again in the rotation because you really don't have to.  That's two guys that don't shoot a lot of outside shots in an offensive that gives you a lot of outside looks.  I will not be at all surprised if Weinheimer starts this year and anything less than playing below average, I think he retains that spot throughout the year.  With four solid offensive players next to him, you don't need Weinheimer to score at all even though I think he will pick up a lot of points while others receive the attention of the defense.  By playing him off the bench, you now allow Robinson to get looks that he isn't going to receive playing next to the 4 starters.  If Robinson does end up starting though, I think there are a lot more offensive players this year off the bench that you won't get the disparity between the starters and the bench that we had last year. 

Also keep in mind, just because they start doesn't mean they end the game on the floor.  Even if Weinheimer starts, I'm not sure if Maker will elect to play him down the stretch of close games unless he wants his defensive quickness.  He may elect to have that extra shooter on the floor and in that case Weinheimer would probably find himself on the bench down the stretch. 

[Panthernation]

Our preview this year features player-by-player profiles, team capsules for everyone in the conference, all-conference teams, picks for every regular season game, analysis of the new scheduling format, and more.

Links for navigating our preview: http://sites.middlebury.edu/panthernation/2013/11/15/201314-basketball-preview/

Nescac1: Agreed. It is unlikely Wohl makes the first-team at least because by convention they will probably look to diversify. That pick for us came down to Ferris, Hart, and Wohl. We think the latter two have the highest upside of the group (though Ferris has the highest floor, if that makes sense), and Wohl is a more efficient, more complete player. If he grows into a 12, 6, 3, 55/45/75 player, and is contention for DPOY, it will be hard to justifiably keep any of the three off the first-team.

[Jumbo Fan]

What doe highest floor mean?

[nescac1]

Jumbo Fan, I believe that means that his worst-case productivity projection is the highest of the three.

Speaking of which, NESCAC play is under way as the Jumbos are currently in action, and Ferris is not playing -- hopefully he is not seriously injured or anything, that is the last thing the Jumbos need.  Tufts is playing a pretty awful team (like a number of other NESCAC squads are this weekend) so it will be hard to judge much from this game. 

[Panthernation]

Alvernia preview: http://sites.middlebury.edu/panthernation/2013/11/15/alvernia/

We added a bit to our big preview as well: http://sites.middlebury.edu/panthernation/2013/11/15/201314-basketball-preview/

[Jumbo Fan]

Ferris has stress fractures in his pelvis. I'm not sure how long he will be out for.

[nescac1]

Ouch.  That does not sound good.  Really tough off-season for the Jumbos. 

[madzillagd]

Nice video on Southern Vermont which includes a rarely captured on film endangered species: the 27 year old sophomore. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ7c7nS03mM#t=15