MBB: NESCAC

[AmherstStudent05]

I agree with almost all of this, PN.  And, scarily enough, I still maintain that DR was the second best/most important player on last year's Williams squad!  I am definitely not sorry to see Mayer and Robinson go.

[Bucket]

The biggest thing, with more teams in some of the regions means more ranked teams, which means more games against ranked teams.  More teams will also lessen the Northeast benefit of being able to schedule weaker opponents who also have good records.  There just isn't going to be as much margin for error as our region has enjoyed the last few years.

yes, but these rankings that people are getting all worked up over have no official merit whatsoever. Do some people not realize that these rankings are just a website's attempt to poll the opinion of 25 folks on who they think the best teams in DIII basketball are?

It's a website opinion poll, people. Yes, these SIDs, coaches, and media have hoops knowledge, but I think you are crediting them with an impact that is just not warranted.

No, I'm talking about the regional rankings.  Those do matter.  The NE has always had some advantages because of the sheer number of schools in the region.  Regions are much more even numbers wise this year.  That will have a huge impact on what the SOS and vRRO numbers look like.  We saw last year how important vRRO was to Pool C bids - not just wins, but total games.  Teams from the Atlantic and Great Lakes are going to have a better chance to get those now, which means more teams with better resumes competing for the at-large slots come March.

Sorry. I misunderstood. Yes, regional rankings are another kettle of fish, entirely.

[P'bearfan]

I am definitely not sorry to see Mayer and Robinson go.

Can I get an AMEN!

[polbear73]

P'bearfan: I like your viewpoint better than my own. I am rooting for you to be correct!

[Bucket]

Looking forward to tomorrow's Midd-Skidmore tilt. The thoroughbreds are always a scrappy, intense, spirited bunch, and they have an absolutely fantastic player in Aldin Medunjidin.

If Dylan Sinnickson can't go (sprained ankle) and with Matt Daley still on the shelf, this game will afford a good opportunity for a couple of players to really step up.

[toad22]

It is my understanding that Duncan Robinson didn't just break Nik Stauskas' 5 minute 3 point shooting drill total, he shattered it by a whole lot. Since I get this info indirectly, i won't quote numbers. From a selfish perspective I wish he was still at Williams, but I know his heart is in playing basketball at the highest possible level, and you can't get much higher than Michigan. The fun part of this is to get stories back that describe how the coaching staff can hardly believe what they lucked into. They did nothing to earn the right to Duncan's talents, he just fell in their laps.

[Jumbo Fan]

So, Hamilton is 7-0, albeit against a very soft schedule.  Still, that's an impressive start after being written off following the transfer of Hart.  Hamilton is doing it with balance, with many different contributors, and varied contributions from game to game.  Ewing Theory at work, potentially??

Tufts, meanwhile, is a fairly stunning 2-4.  Tufts' last two losses have not been bad ones ... games that went down to the wire against Top-25 opponents.  Still, with four regional losses already, the Jumbos have already placed themselves in a position where they will likely need to win the NESCAC tourney to earn an NCAA bid, considering they still have to play Babson, Amherst, Trinity, Bowdoin, Colby and Bates on the road, plus Williams and Midd at home ... hard to imagine going better than 5-3 in that stretch.  The Jumbos may miss the steady hand of their former starting backcourt more than anticipated (Firepong and Cohen were more valuable than their statistics would indicate), as the leading assist man averages only 4.2 assists and no one else averages more than 2.5, which is insane when you can just lob the ball to Sabety for dunks or layups at least three times per game.  Also, the three perimeter starters are struggling to shoot the ball in a MAJOR way ... Ferris, Smith and Haladyna are combining to shoot around 30 percent per game overall, and around 20 percent per game from three.  That means teams are going to collapse on the two big guys over and over until they prove they can hit a shot.  The team's foul shooting is also abysmal which is a problem and probably will cost them at least one or two close games if it does not improve.   

Ferris, while reputed to be healthy, must just not be the same guy physically as he used to be, which is sad ... as a sophomore he was a physically imposing, well-rounded guard who could hit jumpers or take it to the hole and bounce off guys to finish strong.  He averaged a very efficient 49/44/78 shooting, and led the team in free throw attempts.  This year, he has yet to attempt a SINGLE free throw through six games, signalling that his former explosion to the rim is missing.  More difficult to explain is Haladyna's shooting regression, from his first year to this year he's gone from shooting 44 percent from 3, to 36 percent, to 17 (!) percent.  He is an excellent shooter with deep range, and playing with two good bigs should theoretically create a lot of open looks, so it's really bizarre.  I'm not sure if it's a system issue, or lack of a true point guard on the squad, or lack of chemistry, or what, but Tufts still has plenty of individual talent and time to figure out what is ailing them offensively, and the Sabety-Palleschi combo should theoretically create a mismatch inside vs. every team they face.   

Indeed, Ferris is not the same player since nagging injuries end of sophomore year and throughout junior year slowed him down. Surgery before school started this year. Not sure what is up with Haladyna. Agree coaching is their main downfall, but they are getting better with each game they play, so there is some hope for a respectable NESCAC season.

[grabtherim]

Agree with Bucket on rankings especially before conference play starts. Midd needs to keep on playing and improving before NESCAC games start. A loss is not only possible but probable when trying to find your rotation minutes. Not a big deal. Bottom line, the league is wide open and Midd should be in the mix. Saw the twins at Bates last year, they have a huge upside. Looking forward to seeing Bates again. One of several teams not to be taken lightly. Afraid a bum ankle  for Sinickson could really hurt tomorrow. Depth to be tested to make up for him if he cant play. Cant wait to see how they respond.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I agree with almost all of this, PN.  And, scarily enough, I still maintain that DR was the second best/most important player on last year's Williams squad!  I am definitely not sorry to see Mayer and Robinson go.

By the end of the season, Mayer was clearly the best player in D3 - though he missed too many games to be a viable POY candidate.  And Robinson would have been a national POY candidate , perhaps multiple times.  I can't recall any team ever losing so much talent simultaneously.

[Vandy74]

Looking forward to tomorrow's Midd-Skidmore tilt. The thoroughbreds are always a scrappy, intense, spirited bunch, and they have an absolutely fantastic player in Aldin Medunjidin.

If Dylan Sinnickson can't go (sprained ankle) and with Matt Daley still on the shelf, this game will afford a good opportunity for a couple of players to really step up.

Middhoops and I went to Saratoga Springs to see Skidmore play Plattsburgh.  Both teams put on a show in the 1st half designed to make visiting scouts leave early with no concern regarding upcoming games with either.  Medunjanin in particular was unimpressive fouling out in only 19 minutes of play and scoring just 6 points with 4 of them coming from the charity stripe.  Of course he returned to expected form the following game against Williams netting 26 points, adding 15 along with 5 assists and 6 steals the following day against Westfield State.  Personally, I liked him a hellava lot better that night in Saratoga.

[amh63]

I find any player with hard to pronounce last names to be a dangerous BB player. . Why is that?
Saw a pix of Christain Bale, the actor that played the Dark Knight...last picture.  He is the featured actor...plays Moses..in the expected blockbuster holiday movie.  Really has Sinnickson's dark looks and stare.  If you can, check with Dylan about the DK handle for him, if you can Vandy74..O.K.

[nescac1]

Hayden Rooke-Ley's incredible streak is over, but not before adding five more makes ... it's been a tough shooting night overall for him (2-13 shooting so far) so not surprised that the streak ended there.  Ephs in a tough battle with Springfield. 

[polbear73]

Low scoring game in Brunswick with Colby up 10 with 4 minutes to go. Bowdoin 1-12 shooting 3's. Palecki and Fuller out, depleting an already thin bench. Credit to Colby however, as they are playing well in second half.

[nescac1]

Really nice road win for the Ephs to end the semester.  Springfield is a tough, physical, well-coached team as always, and the refs really let them play ... very, very ugly, physical game out there, a lot of bodies flying around.  What was nice to see was the Ephs winning with defense, toughness, and grit on a day when the shots were just NOT falling.  That was by FAR the best defense Williams has played all year.  The Ephs' usually sharp-shooting backcourt was just off tonight .. Hayden and Greenman combined to shoot 5-28 from the field (ouch), although each did at least hit a pair of threes.  You know it's not their night when both those guys miss the front end of 1-and-1's ... and yet, Williams still won vs. a quality team.  Daniel Wohl has a big night to help pick up the slack, with 20 points, 7 boards, 3 steals, and tough interior D all game.  Darrias Sime gave a boost off the bench with physical play on both ends, including two blocks and lots of bouncing bodies around, and hitting an unexpected three pointer at a crucial juncture of the game.  It was not a thing of beauty, but if Williams can defend with that level of intensity going forward, the Ephs should be in good shape.  Great work to end the semester on a seven game winning streak. 

Hayden's streak had to end at some point, but wow, what a foul shooting exhibition he has put on through 10 games! 

[amh63]

Watched a bit of the Williams game.  Good win for the CAC against a tough Pride team.
Tufts loses to Babson in a back and forth game at Babson. Seems that Sabety is winning the conference for wearing the brightest color pair of shoes.  Salmon....does stand out along with his big frame.
Amherst wins over Emerson in LeFrak....was a close one for awhile but the LJs breaks it open in the last quarter of the second half against a solid Emerson team....a team that beat Amherst last season at Emerson.
Colby is winning at Bowdoin.  Bowdoin was leading in the first half, but did not look good Late in the game.
Middlebury is in a tight game, as expected against Skidmore.  Sinnickson is playing.
Guess you get the impression that I have been skipping around watching conference games. 
Oh yes, Hamilton  behind Vassar late in the game in Clinton.  Hamilton is closing the gap.