MBB: NESCAC

[P'bearfan]

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to watch my first (and most likely my last) game at Bates' Alumni Gym.  What a fantastic setting for a game!  As many others on this board know, the gym has a look and feel like few others in country and the crowd is very active!

I only wish the game was equal to the venue.... this was simply not the Polar Bears' night.  Bowdoin's offense was stone cold - especially in the first half; the P'bears missed treys, mid-range jumpers, lay ups and even one dunk.  Much credit to Bates' half court defense which was quite aggressive and took Bowdoin out of their rhythm.  Bowdoin will need to figure out a way to respond to this type of defensive pressure in the future b/c they will almost certainly face it again.

As another poster noted earlier, Bowdoin had no answer for the Delpeche brothers.  That's true.  In the first half, Bowdoin was fronting them to prevent the easy lob entry pass.  That approach worked somewhat well but it's not possible to break up every entry pass. The real issue appeared to be that when either of the Delpeche brothers caught an entry pass the back side help was late and they had a clear path to the rim.  In the second half, Bowdoin switched strategies by defending the Delpheche brothers with a back to the basket and bringing a double team in the front.  That approach was more effective and provides some  hope going forward.

A few bright spots for Bowdoin:

-Despite playing very poorly, Bowdoin "only" lost by 14.  The P'bears never really threatened but given how poorly they played overall this could have been much worse.  The team never gave up which is good.

-Bowdoin actually outscored Bates 36-31 in the second half but it was clearly not enough to overcome the hole they had dug themselves in the first period

-Jack Bors did a terrific job in the second half and successfully sliced through the Bates zone several times to attack the rim.  I'm not sure if he is 100% recovered from his early season injury but he must be close.

Hopefully this is a game that the Polar Bears can learn from and put in the rear view mirror.

Looking forward to the game against UM Farmington on Saturday.  Hopefully, Bowdoin can head into the Holiday break on an up note.

GoUBears!!

[amh63]

Caught a bit of Hoopsville last night and got to see a video of the winning shot!  Thanks 'd-mac'!
Also the rushed interview with HC Hixon provided insight to some of his player moves, IMO.  Check the interview out.
First, Hixon remarked to his friend, the Babson HC, he evpects/hopes?  to see Babson in Salem.
I thought Dawson on Flannery was a brilliant move late in the game.  It seems that the move was made in part to the fact that JMac had picked up two fouls early.  Hixon wanted JMac in the game and we saw what JMac can do offensively...he is the ultimate competitor, will do whatever is needed  to win.  A bit like Green and yes, like Willy Workman . 
In part to answer some poster's questions and my take...helped by a few Hixon remarked on... some personnel moves.  Sellew is getting more time at forward, replacing Nabatoff when needed.  Strength is inside though he seems to have an outside shot.  However, Coach Hixon remarked that against the likes of Babson, Sellew was not truely ready now.  When one looks at the Amherst players in the OTs, it was basically all experienced seniors and JMac.  Dawson is a senior player.  Players that knows where their teammates are.  Conklin came in for George when Babson may have to foul to get the ball...being that Conklin is statistically a better foul shooter. 
For Babson, they had their heros too...the PG that made threes in the first half...and off course Flannery.  Was Surprised to see Flannery bringing up the ball and being on the floor for every minute of the game.  Think it impacted his shot a bit in the second half.  Berman actually tipped/blocked a Flannery shot that fell short..and looked at first as an air ball. 
All remarked about Riopel's injury which i posted may influence his impact on both sides of the game. 
There is the game on Sat.  Three games this week for Amherst.  Believe Babson's first of the week was last night.  Yes depth does play a role along with talent and experience.  Both teams had a bunch of talent and experience on display last night...Amherst had more depth.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Hixon was great to come on Hoopsville last night... Brennan ended up coming on a few minutes later as well... really nice of both of them after such a crazy game.

Just an FYI: Babson is done playing until December 30 when they travel to Chicago for a single game (Babson alum wanted them to come to Chicago so is helping with the costs and such).

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Might be hard to read into Flannery's numbers the last few weeks... he sat out last Friday with an apparent foot ailment/injury... I wouldn't be surprised if it was bothering him prior. What is more surprising is in the last two games - 90 minutes of basketball - he has played in 89 minutes since sitting out. Good athletic trainer they have! Though, having the next three weeks off probably a factor as well.

Or, imagine what he could do if his foot didn't hurt?

[NEhoops]

nescac1, another player that reminds me of McCarthy is Brian Baskauskas. Not the best shooter on the floor, but always made big shots.

Bates typically plays Babson and Flannery tough. Bates had beaten them the last two years, so you know they were looking for revenge. It seems like the game this year was somewhat of a perfect storm. Babson is a tier about Bates, but not 30 points better. 

Simonds had a great game when Bowdoin played at Babson, who was guarding him?

[amh63]

FYI ...First, there is on the Amherst website, photos of the game and crowd and a short U-tube video of Amherst high lights of the game.
Second to correct someone's initial impression of the crowd, it was a big student crowd for a midweek game and even the local fans were out in force.  People were continuously coming in after the 7 pm start.  Amherst student section is opposite the visitor bench.  Visitor fans normally sit behind their team.  In one photo, there is a group of quiet older fans..Babson fans lost.. among the cheering Amherst students who thought they were "Dukies" in Cameron Stadium.  Some students were bare chested with lettering painted on their chests.
Facing the Amherst bench are stands normally where parents and old visiting alums and some faculty sits.  Behind the Amherst bench is the place where local Amherst fans..alums, schoolstaff, etc. sit.  There was a bunch of young men sitting there.  Probably prep school players from local schools like Deerfield.  There could be next year's and future prospects in the stands.  Heard somewhere that JMac's younger brother is on his way to Amherst.  Note, ED1 acceptance notices for all sports went out recently and there maybe some IVY level transfer prospects in the stands.
One last note....Amherst's opponent on Sat. Lasell, just beat the No 19 ranked team, Keene St..  Lasell did lose to Babson earlier in the season badly.  It will be Amherst's third game this week!

[jumpshot]

Ephs play their best game to date in beating a young Springfield team 87-69 to move to 8-1 before the Christmas break. Much better offensive pace with five players in double figures, improved individual and team defense (a must for this team), as well as rebounding. Only 9 turnovers, fewer careless, unforced errors. Even a few fast break points; some good play inside by the bigs. Hope the improvement and confidence carries over the break ....

Happy Holidays to all -

[nescac1]

Really nice end to the semester for the Ephs as they rebound from an awful performance vs. Wesleyan with two solid wins.  Today, the Ephs beat a rebuilding Springfield team on the road behind a first-half offensive performance that was the best Williams has played all year, just tremendous ball and player movement and team basketball.

Great balance for the Ephs, with 21 from Aronowitz, 19 from Teal, 16 from Scadlock, 11 from James Heskett.  All four of those guys played very well on both ends of the floor.   Heskett has developed into a tremendous sixth man who is instant offense off the bench, but it is his defense which is most improved from last year -- he works very hard and moves really well for his size.  Scadlock has improved his finishing from early in the year, when he struggled with turnovers and fouls close to the basket; he's now using his size to overpower guys without bowling them over on the move.  He needs to continue to be patient with his interior finishing, but looks like he is playing far more under control. Teal continues to attack the basket far more effectively than in prior years while still being deadly from 3, and Aronowitz, after a few off games, ended the semester with two straight more typical performances for him.

Shout out to Michael Kempton, who had his best all-around game as an Eph -- 10 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and solid rim protection in only 17 minutes.  He had several beautiful pick-and-roll finishes, showing really excellent movement for such a big guy.  He has really great hands.  All of the Eph young bigs continue to improve and will be force to be reckoned with as a unit in future years ... right now, all are still learning, but each game show some great signs.  Matt Karpowicz had a very nice game as well backing up Kempton, he is going to be a very dynamic post scorer down the line.

Springfield is not as tough or as cohesive as usual, which is unsurprising given that they are dominated by frosh and have no seniors.  The Pride will struggle this year but as soon as next year could well be contending in NEWMAC as they have a really good frosh class.  Springfield did play tougher on D as the game went along and credit to them for not giving up despite at one point being down 27 in the second half. 

Jake Ross is the best freshman I've seen all year and has to be a candidate for national frosh of the year -- he has an old-school game, think Adrian Dantley, he has tremendous post moves and despite being undersized on the interior is a force inside thanks to his strength and savvy.  He's also a good shooter from deep and especially from mid-range (another vanishing skill), can drive it, and defends well for a frosh (although Aronowitz did take him to school a few times in the post).  He's going to be an all-American and his crazy-good averages (21-10-3 for the year) don't lie.  Springfield also has a burly center who reminds me of an Eph from the 90s, Rob Williams ... Anthony Reynolds.  Like Williams his butt is worth an extra four inches of height, basically.  Juwan Bennett, playing his first game of the year after being injured, also looks like a dynamite talent, as does another frosh, Heath Post.  I am not looking forward to playing Springfield in 2-3 years as that group matures together.  Springfield's top six scorers in fact were all first-years!  Babson and WPI should enjoy beating up on them this year while they still can ...

[toad22]

It was fun to watch Williams get out early and effectively against Springfield. The first half was the best for the Ephs in the Coach App era. They finished the first half ahead 52-31, with really balanced scoring. Particularly effective were the forwards, Aronowitz, Scadlock, and Heskett. That three man rotation scored 28 points in the half, and 48 points in the game.

[nescac1]

Surprised none of the Midd folks have chimed in yet. Caught the end of that game -- two huge plays by seniors to preserve the victory, first Brown swiped a rebound from the Skidmore center to earn a key late possession, then St. Amour, not known for his ups, blocking the final attempt as time expired.  Clutch, smart plays by two guys who know how to make them. 

Very impressive day for NESCAC yesterday, a clean sweep (other than Bates' surprising home loss to Colby). The entire league is now guaranteed to be above .500 heading into the holiday break.  Should be a very fun conference season.  Amherst is going to be tough to beat -- Jayde Dawson seems to have emerged as a go to guy and is shooting the ball much better to complement his always-strong ability to penetrate.  Along with Aronowitz and Simonds so far one of the leading contenders for POY.

[amh63]

A busy sports day for me.  Watched parts of the Army vs Navy game in Baltimore.  Thought it had the feeling of an Amherst vs Williams game....like Wesleyan, the newest member being Air Forse .
Kept an eye on the Nescac ongoing games while watching the Williams game a little and even the terrific battle up in Maine.  Some thoughts.
Yes, the Colby win at Bates in the battle for the CBB was a terrific visual game.  Like the early Wesleyan vs Williams game, it was NOT a conference game.  It was a game that foul shots made or missed could have changed the outcome....a little like the Amherst- Babson game. Did notice one of the star front court players for Bates on crutches at the end of the game.  Any Bates or posters comments?
The Williams game had a good crowd...almost full in Springfield.  Wonder if it will be the same when Amherst visits next Wednesday.  Hope Amherst plays well. 
The Amherst vs Lasell game was closer than the score indicated, IMO.  Amherst, led by "bright shoes" Dawson jumped to a 23-3 lead early in the first half.  Then the Amherst offense went flat as the defense had no intensity.  Lasell got back into the game with fine play both inside and outside with basically a shorter team.  Lasell may have been within one and it was close at the half.  Even with Conklin, Riopel and Sewell in the lineup, there were TOs.  In the second half, Amherst went ahead by double digits again but Lasell caught up and went ahead in the latter part of the 2nd half.  With less than seven minutes to go, Amherst blew the game open and Coach Hixon put in a whole new team of bench players that added to the score in the last few minutes. Even though it was the third game for Amherst in the week, hope the "starters" learned something from the game.  Berman AND Dawson combo was also on the floor again.  Yes, Dawson scored over 30 again, but he took a third of the shots for Amherst.  His hot shooting did not stop Lasell's runs.  Amherst played better and the offensive flow for Amherst was better when Berman is in the game....the Berman and Dawson combo may have jump started the Amherst offense.
Two more games in Dec. for Amherst.  Interesting that Amherst's first Williams game is in Willytown and it is the conference game.  Both Williams games are on Wednesday...unusual schedule this season.

[Old Guy]

 or getting fouled. But a Midd defender (Brown or Daly, I don't know whom - my bad, I was wrapped up in the game) played some great D and he passed into the corner to Paris for a three which St. Amour blocked.

A lesson there. Matt was having another subpar night, but he came up big at the end of the game - at the defensive end! A pretty complete player. He is really being harassed by opposing defenses, double teamed off picks on the perimeter. A reasonable strategy. Make someone else beat you. Nice piece on Matt in the local paper, emphasizing all he does at the College off the court. http://addisonindependent.com/201612karl-linholm-importance-community-–-and-hoop

Last night, that someone else was Jake Brown, who may have had his best game as a Panther (22 points, 9 assists). He just took over at the offensive end when Midd was sputtering in the second half; he made some spectacular shots at the basket and showed a nice pull-up foul line jumper. Without question, he gets the premier etoile.

Another big, noisy crowd. Keep in mind if you're watching on-line that the camera is shooting to the opposite side of the main(student) section (as at Amherst).

The Panthers got some important contributions off the bench - 21 bench points from three players (Jones, Tarantino, Folger). Tarantino continued his fine play with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks. Folger showed a feathery touch - 8 points in 11 minutes.

A friend at the game lamented to me today that he thought Middlebury had played bad in the second half. I told him to go soak his head (more or less). Second half was two good teams slugging it out, neutralizing each other's strengths, like playoff basketball. On the other hand, Midd has to improve its free throw shooting - or risk getting burned in close games in the future: 57%, (8-14 yesterday). Next up: Illinois Wesleyan in NYC after Christmas.

[Old Guy]

Not sure why the first two paragraphs didn't appear: Mostly, I wrote about what an exciting game it was. Midd played an almost flawless first half, to go up 14, but no one thought the game was won at the break. Sure enough, Skidmore wiped out that lead in no time in the second half.

Skidmore is tough, especially the two Lithuanian guards, Medjunanin and Rutkus, they're big, strong, skilled, and blast to the hoop. Their big guy, Jackson, had some nice moves in the middle (5 hoops). At the end, St. Amour had a baseline runner rim out and Skidmore had the ball with 16 seconds left. They predictably spread the floor and gave Medjunanin the ball to go the hoop and finish or get fouled . . . 

[nescac1]

Crazy story out of Amherst, similar to the Harvard men's soccer team issue, but ... cross country??  Probably the last team one would expect this from ...

http://theindicator.wordpress.amherst.edu/special-reports/mens-cross-country-maintained-misogynistic-racist-email-chain

[jumpshot]

...but not the last college. Lots of social and cultural issues at what once wasn't such a struggling campus in an era in which student bodies across the country call for sanctuaries.