MBB: NESCAC

[Bucket]

Many Middlebury fans both publicly and privately have speculated that a lack of leadership could be a problem for this team. Here's a different take: http://sites.middlebury.edu/panthernation/2013/11/24/what-ails-middlebury/

Amen. Couldn't agree more with all that you write.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

For what it's worth... Gordon and my commenting on some calls we don't understand or agree with doesn't mean the conversation after the game(s) is about the officiating. It wasn't. Gordon and I also commented quite often about why calls where the right ones under the new emphasis the NCAA has dictated (per rules committees and others). But again, when people have talked about these games at the Hoopsville Classic, including coaches I have asked directly about it, officiating has not been the topic of conversation and there have not been complaints.

[lefrakenstein]

Based on the few games played to date, Emerson college maybe the " snake in the grass ".  Babson and Brandeis are having a slow start.

Don't sleep on Brandeis. They only have 1 loss and that was by only 1 point against a perennially solid RIC team. They also crushed Framingham State, a team that handily beat Emerson. Babson is also 3-0. Babson plays Bowdoin, Brandeis and possibly Tufts before they play Amherst, so we should have a decent idea pretty soon of how good they are.

Also Westfield St., Amherst's next opponent, was 23-6 last year, although they did graduate a 5'6 guard who averaged over 20 pts/game as well as two of their other leading scorers.

[AmherstStudent05]

The biggest problem I saw from Middlebury was they lack a calming presence.  The "leaders" on the team all seemed to get frustrated quickly and remain so for some time, led by Kizel.  They were shaking their heads and harping at the refs almost from the opening tip.  Despite all the poor play, they were still in the game with three minutes to go.  I think they could have won if there was someone on the floor calming guys down and keeping their heads together.  Obviously, that guy should be Kizel, but he also seems least likely to do it.  If they find that guy, they could be very, very tough to beat.  Stevenson was very good, but Middlebury lost because of the mental game.

Thanks for the insight, Hoops Fan.  This is why it is nice to receive first-hand reports -- to pick up important tidbits that are not readily available from a box score, or perhaps even a webcast.  Of course, I was not at this game on Friday night, so I have no reason to challenge your assessment.  However, for whatever this "outsider's" opinion is worth, to the extent you are saying -- and I may well be reading too much into this -- that Middlebury will only go as far as Kizel's leadership, character and example can take them, I suspect Panther fans will be in for a fantastic year when it is all said and done.  I think everyone in the NESCAC by now has learned to be careful of doubting that young man.  Personally, if I were a Middlebury supporter, I would be much more concerned with getting Jensen (and Sinnickson) healthy again.

But again, I truly do appreciate this type of observation and analysis.  Naturally, most discussions on this board are driven by stats.  This is perfectly understandable -- they are objective, quantifiable, and easy to discuss -- moreover, when all you can see of a game are the "Live Stats" (ahem, Amherst), there really isn't much else to talk about.  But of course, basketball can be about so much more than a box score.  Your post brought me back to one of my most enduring Amherst basketball memories -- one about the legendary Andrew Olson. 

In 2006, the year after I graduated, I drove down to Salem to see Amherst take on Wittenberg in the Final Four.  Early to midway thru the First Half, it looked like Witt was going to blow us out of the gym (this was before we had ever won any games in Salem, and I think it is fair to say that many of the Amherst faithful entered the Salem Civic Center with at least a passing thought -- or really just a fear -- that we might not quite be on the same level as the other National elites).  I cannot adequately explain or describe it, but Andrew Olson willed us back into that game in that First Half.  That team had a lot of tremendous veteran leaders -- Bedford, Wheeler, and T-Mac off the bench in particular -- but the then sophomore PG was the one who propped us up when it looked like the floodgates were about to open.  Yes, he made a couple of baskets, but his stat line (14 points, 3 assists, 4 turnovers) in no way captures all that he contributed on court that day.  I think you just had to be there to appreciate it (though unfortunately, we still lost a heartbreaker and had to wait another year for Salem glory).

[P'bearfan]

A few more thoughts on the Bowdoin win. 

It was encouraging to see them stay composed when they got down early in the first half and just chip away at St Joe's lead.  The upperclassmen did a great job of re-asserting themselves in the second half - Pieri, Madlinger and Swords combined for 29 points in the 2nd half after only contributing a total of 4 points in the first.  Swords also had 3 blocks in the 2nd half that were huge.  That's great leadership.

Two bench players deserve real kudos as well - Lucas Hausman and the FY Neil Fuller. 

Hausman provided offense when Bowdoin really needed it - he scored 10 points in just 12 minutes in the first half and added another 9 points in 13 minutes in the second half.

At first glance Fuller's line for the game isn't that impressive: 0 pts and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes.  But what's not captured in the box score is the outstanding defensive job he did on St Joe's leading scorer Nicholas Jobin (a senior). 

Jobin finished the game with 24 pts; 6 reb; 5 assists in 35 min.  For the game Jobin avergaed 0.69 pts per minute.  However, that really doesn't tell the story.  When Fuller was on the bench, Jobin averaged 0.89 pts per min.  When Fuller was guarding him, Jobin's scoring dropped to 0.17 points per minute.  That's an 81% drop in production and a heckuva defensive effort.

Hopefully the P'bears can keep up the good team play!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

In place for Middlebury and St Mary's. Two best teams here this weekend, but one will go away winless.

[Panthernation]

Our thoughts heading into Middlebury's game with St. Mary's and why we won't be surprised if today's result is different from Friday's: http://sites.middlebury.edu/panthernation/2013/11/24/a-glance-at-st-marys/

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I thought I saw amh63 on my way in, but I may have lost him.  I'm right bring the scorers table again, repping my Eastern Nazarene colors, if anyone else is around.

[toad22]

Middlebury will be very good before the season is over. They have excellent talent. Remember, NESCAC teams are still way behind others in practice time. NESCAC has two weeks less to get ready, and coaches are forbidden from working with individual players, or even watching the team scrimmage before the official beginning (Nov. 1). Playing games after minimal opportunity to get organized, learn defenses, rotations, plays, etc., is extremely dangerous. Middlebury might have made a mistake playing very good opponents, when they weren't really ready. Middlebury's old method of booking only "cupcakes" for the first few weeks makes a lot more sense to me.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Found the Midd parents. Looks like a different team so far.

[middhoops]

Toad, I very respectfully disagree.  Better to lose a couple early to good teams than to cruise through November and December playing state colleges in Vermont, NY and NH.  This team is inexperienced and will be better for having played, Alvernia, Baruch, Stevenson and St. Mary's when the conference season begins.
I know what you're saying, however.  Being 15-0 is always fun.

[Bucket]

Egregious officiating going on here in Owings Mills. But go ahead, Dave, tell us it's not happening.

[toad22]

My point isn't that you should only play teams that you believe you'll beat. It is that the first 2-3 weeks of the season for NESCAC teams are the same as preseason for everybody else. The playing field just isn't level at that point. Why lose a game very early that you would win a couple of weeks later? You can easily lose an at large birth doing stuff like that. Of course, you never can be sure about anything. SVC didn't see itself as a sacrificial lamb, and beat Williams, regardless of all assumptions.

[Bucket]

Toad, I very respectfully disagree.  Better to lose a couple early to good teams than to cruise through November and December playing state colleges in Vermont, NY and NH.  This team is inexperienced and will be better for having played, Alvernia, Baruch, Stevenson and St. Mary's when the conference season begins.
I know what you're saying, however.  Being 15-0 is always fun.

I'm with Middhoops. These are largely pre-season exhibition games. NESCAC teams have only been practicing a couple of weeks, so why not really test yourself and see what you need to work on, give young players a great learning experience. If you win, an added bonus. If not you're improving as you head to the start of the main season.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Egregious officiating going on here in Owings Mills. But go ahead, Dave, tell us it's not happening.

I'm sitting here watching. There have been a lot of calls I wouldn't have made, but only two I thought were really bad. It's early season for the refs too. I've seen way more positioning issues this weekend than bad calls.