MBB: NESCAC

CCsalive · July 25, 2006, 12:03:32 PM

Be afraid of CC...be very afraid. After one year at Bridgton Academy Shavar Bernier will be a Camel in 06-07...

http://www4.fosters.com/news2004/March2004/March%2002/Sports/sp_0302h.asp

And, so will this Vermont All-Stater also after a prep year getting bigger, faster , and better...

Ryan Thuma

Middlebury
6-0, senior
Guard

The player: Thuma averaged 22.4 points per game and was the focus of opposing defenses. He was the team's second leading rebounder (4 rpg) and also had over three assists per game.

Trophy case: Burlington Free Press All-State second team 2005; Metro Division Coaches first team 2005; North-South Senior All-Star Classic 2005; Merchants Bank-Rotary Twin State Game 2005; Co-Player of the Year Addison County.

Coach Chris Altemose about Thuma: "Ryan faced double- and triple-teams and still was able to carry us. He's a great shooter who kept us in games."

The future: Will attend New Hampton Prep and play basketball.

Its no coincedence that Tom Satran was an assistant on the Camels team that went undefeated and No. 1 in the land.

dman · July 26, 2006, 10:18:51 AM

if he spent one year at bridgton, where did he spend the other?

?

CCsalive · July 26, 2006, 10:44:44 AM

I suppose you could knock Bridgton, but I'm not sure that's what you're doing. Could you explian your logic?

My point was to share two of CC's incoming recruits because those "in the know" are well aware that: 1)Conn has everyone returning 2) Yes, Stone and Young, the two leading scorers, missed two conference games 3) Lost to Williams on the road at the buzzer on a desperation three...etc.

Conn beat Bowdoin, with Petrie, and CC returns everyone. How could anyone have Bowdoin anywhere other than bottom three in the league with Midd and Wes (with both of those teams expected to be much improved)?

Lastly, I expect Amherst to be beatable...I think they extended a lot of their leads with lights out shooting from Bedford and Casnocha, AND there has got to be a coup brewing over playing time...no longer will playing the solid senior veterans be the excuse for shrinking an over-talented bench...imagine if they slowed it down and pounded it inside? Olsen and Coulibaly would love that right?

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · July 26, 2006, 11:58:13 AM

I think he was saying that Bernier graduated in 2004 and he's coming this year, so what happened to the other year.

dman · July 26, 2006, 02:45:31 PM

exactly....my logic is that the student-athlete graduated from high school in 2004 and you said he spent one year at bridgton. did he spend two years there or what. i'm not "knocking" anybody......

formerbant10 · July 27, 2006, 05:03:46 PM

Rumor has it that Rob Kelly is just about all set to return to Wesleyan. That makes them much more credible to those "in the know."

I hope CC is improved. They've been young for the past 4 years, but it seems like the more recent recruits are a better fit for the program. If they get rolling early, they could do well in the conference....but I'm not sure (this still means its possible) if they are ready to overtake Amherst, Trin, Bates or Tufts. Not sure where they play all of those teams, I think Trin they have at home.....but that hasn't mattered in the recent past.

Every year when Amherst graduates players, the thought has been that they are going to slide. Unfortunately for the rest of the conference, that hasn't quite happened yet. They are very big and athletic and have some players ready to step up. Remember that Casnocha and Bedford were role players when they first started, as was Schiel and Lee and Donovan, Harper and Jones the year before that....

senatorfrost · July 28, 2006, 12:02:37 AM

Yes but Bedford, got a good deal of time as a Frosh. That was in 2003 when in my opinion Amherst had (before injuries) their deepest/most talented squad. Outside of Olson, tell me who else has gotten appreciable Frosh minutes since Wheeler. Harper, Donovan and Schiel also saw time as Frosh. Wheeler probably would have gotten more minutes had he arrived for the 2000-01 season, I might add.
I see it as a three or maybe a four team race. (Bates is the 'maybe') Amherst has to play the other three contenders away. I think this year coming up is anything but a walkaway. Remember Tufts took them to overtime 2x's AT AMHERST. Trinity beat them at Amherst and yes I am aware that the visitor has won the past couple Amherst v Trinity games, but I would still rather be at home. Summing up Amherst has a couple of really good players and the rest are at different stages of 'Potential'. I use the word 'Potential' because if you look at the record/stats you will not see the overwhelming juggernaut that many like to paint Amherst as being. Last year they won because they gave a great effort every game and got the playoffs at Lefrak. I saw two other teams that I thought were at least as good (talent wise)
As far as Frosh go from what I have heard the Ephs may have the best player in Schiffman Timmins from Delaware. He is supposed to be the real deal.
Wheeler is also supposed to be very good and Bates has a guard named Wilson who is most likely a better prospect than O'Keefe. Unfortunately that is all I know.

Did anyone see the Amherst recruit from Exeter play?

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · July 28, 2006, 09:20:58 AM

Yeah, if Amherst makes it out this year, they will really have earned it.

formerbant10 · July 28, 2006, 10:01:56 AM

Bedford averaged just under 6 points playing 14 minutes per game. Decent amount of time for a rookie, but he was definitely a role player.

nescac1 · July 30, 2006, 04:39:35 PM

I heard that Williams has a few more tall, talented swingmen who can shoot coming in, one a 6'3 guard from California, one a 6'5 shooter from Virginia. That gives them at least six recruited players, including two big guys and four swingmen, three of whom are in the 6'3-6'5 range. The Ephs now have a ton of depth at the 2/3 position, the question is how fast can all the young frosh / sophomores begin to contribute as go-to scorers. Should be a fierce competition for playing time at those spots which I think will make the Ephs stronger as the season gets longer. Of course, center is a huge question mark but I have a feeling Weisbrot and Timmins will form a pretty potent combo by the end of the year, just need experience.

I think Bates will close the gap and give Amherst a real run this year -- they have almost all of their scoring back, seem to add some talent, and had some injuries last year. Their late-season collapse should add fuel to their fire, they have the best group of seniors in the league, and they get a lot of key games at home. Otherwise, those, Amherst is still the big dog -- as good as Bedford is, Coulibaly, Baskauskas, the frosh Wheeler and McLaughlin is still an incredibly deep and talented group of swingmen, they have more size than anyone else in the league up front and those centers are now all very seasoned, and Olsen makes their entire engine run. I say Amherst 1, Bates 1A, then a big group in the middle.

If the Wesleyan big guy is indeed coming back, there are no longer any gimme games in the league -- Midd has everyone back from a young team, and Wesleyan has four legit players with Taylor, Pelletier, Ashe and Shepperd. Still not a playoff team, but a lot more competitive.

On a historical note, nice article on Crotty/Nogelo's summer league team. Must be a hell of a tough league if their team is only 6-2, considering that is two of the best div III players of the last decade:

http://www2.townonline.com/watertown/schoolSports/view.bg?articleid=545457

JeffRookie2 · July 30, 2006, 07:20:16 PM

I know I'm biased, but I said it last year and I'll say it again... amherst remains the class of the league until someone knocks them off. IMO, tufts is the odds on favorite to be the top challenge, because even without dan martin they will still have plenty of talent in weitzen, shepard, black, o'keefe, etc. Weitzen might even be able to start next year if he has gotten his fat ass on a treadmill. Bates will be good too, but I just dont think they have what it takes to win the league. Bowdoin will be bad without Petrie, he was their only real offensive threat. Williams is always scary.

I cant wait to see what Dan Wheeler's little bro can do. Dan says his brother is better than he is, so that bodes well.

Off the court, WAMH has good news to report. We will be going digital next year, so no more crappy AM quality broadcasts. We're going big time!

JeffRookie2 · July 30, 2006, 07:23:14 PM

So I guess my prediction for next year is:

Amherst
Tufts
Williams
Bates
Trinity
Conn
Colby
Bowdoin
Midd
Wes

I know Williams might seem high there, but I dont think they will stay down three years in a row.

formerbant10 · July 30, 2006, 08:01:49 PM

I'm sure Sheldon would love to have Cohen on his team, but I believe you mean w/o Dan Martin. And Weitzen's advantage is his physique. He can post up smaller guys and go by bigger guys. He's learned how to play at his particular size and I wouldn't want him to lose much weight.

And most older brothers say their younger siblings are better, whether they are or not. He has to prove it on the court first.

JeffRookie2 · July 30, 2006, 09:15:58 PM

yes, good point, i mis-typed. I changed it.

JeffRookie2 · July 30, 2006, 09:44:17 PM

One thing I would really like to see the Jeffs do is recruit a big, tall, thick bruiser to d-up on some of the interior players in the league. We have been getting it handed to us by rhoten, weitzen and players like the two guys on wittenburg for far too long. We need someone who can play defense in the post even if they are a complete liability on the offensive end.

O'Shea leaves his feet EVERY time. Its the most frustrating thing to watch. It must drive Hixon up the wall. Jones is good on the offensive end but doesnt play defense, and Hopkins is even worse. Goldsmith is the only one i have any confidence in, but it doesnt seem like he has much confidence in himself down low. I just want ONE kevin pittsnogle-esque scary looking ogre preferably with tatoos to enforce the lane, i dont care how low we have to drop the admission standards.