MBB: NESCAC

[warriorcat]

Springfield's one point win over Amherst was a very enjoyable game. The Pride, who have mostly freshmen and sophomores playing, absorbed a valiant comeback attempt. Missed free throws by both teams in the last couple of minutes gave both teams the chance to win.  Having seen Springfield play last month, they showed much more maturity and confidence tonight.  Dawson had a terrific second half for Amherst who trailed throughout the second half.  Interesting shot selection by Amherst in the final couple of possessions

[jumpshot]

I've never been a fan of the plague's (or anyone else's) longstanding policy of playing a weak non-conference schedule. This year seven of nine opponents did not challenge, only two, Babson and Springfield, did.

Talk among yourselves ....

Tonight's discipline and cohesive team play by Springfield bodes well for a young squad, if sustainable, which has not always been the case in recent years.

[JEFFFAN]

I've never been a fan of the plague's (or anyone else's) longstanding policy of playing a weak non-conference schedule. This year seven of nine opponents did not challenge, only two, Babson and Springfield, did.

Talk among yourselves ....

Tonight's discipline and cohesive team play by Springfield bodes well for a young squad, if sustainable, which has not always been the case in recent years.

Amherst could/should have two losses, easily.   They were behind the entire Babson game and the entire Springfield game.   Not sure what is happening offensively as they try to find their identity, especially with Dawson taking so many shots, but they don't deserve to be undefeated and Hixon knows that better than anyone.   It doesn't mean they won't put a great run out there but right now there remains a disconnect offensively that really smacked them tonight.   And why McCarthy didn't push it in and try to get the tie and then go to OT still seems a little surprising ...

[jumpshot]

JEFFFAN, you're right about taking a lot of shots ----22% of all the team's shots, and on average 15 per game in 24 minutes of playing time. McCarthy next at 19% of all shots, Racy and George behind at about 10% each. Wonder what the players would say about that distribution to date ....

[nescac1]

Final play of game.  Pretty bad-ass block of McCarthy by frosh Jake Ross:

https://twitter.com/gregallen20/status/809216131546435585

Ross is the best frosh in New England since Robinson and Flannery three years ago.  He should be very much on the radar for national frosh of the year. 

[nescac1]

One more note on Ross.  You can see at the bottom of this article a video of him blocking Jayde Dawson on the possession prior to his block of McCarthy.  That's right -- on back-to-back outcome-determinative possession, Ross, a frosh, blocked Amherst's top two players shooting three pointers in transition, without coming close to fouling either.  This after carrying the offensive load for Springfield (presumably against McCarthy, one of the best perimeter defenders maybe in the country).  That's just ridiculous.  Ross struggled with his shooting in the second half vs. the Jeffs, but still, a 21-10-3-3 line is damn impressive vs. the top team in the country. 

https://scstudentmedia.com/2016/12/14/springfield-mens-basketball-knocks-off-nations-no-1-amherst-71-70/

Springfield's other frosh -- two others of whom started and had big games against Amherst, and two others who played off the bench -- are also really impressive.  That class, led by sure-fire future all-American Ross (who was an absolute steal by Springfield -- apparently a few D1s soured on him when he decided to play football as a senior in high school), might ultimately be better than Babson's current senior class led by Flannery.  Of course, frosh are frosh and will be inconsistent, but as a fan of a team who plays Springfield every year, I'm not looking forward to watching them develop together. 

This loss by Amherst shouldn't come as a huge surprise -- they were bound to have a let down at some point, and right before finals, on the road (in their first road game in nearly a month) is an understandable time to have it.   Also, Riopel, who I'd say is Amherst's third-best player and certainly most efficient offensive player this year, didn't play; the Jeffs will certainly be very happy to (presumably) have him back healthy in January.  Still, as good as Amherst is, like all teams at this point in the season they have some areas to improve upon. What surprises me the most is that they haven't found a way to get their really talented and experienced big guys more opportunities inside -- George in particular is a guy who seems like he can do more, but his playing time has been oddly curtailed this year.  And if the Jeffs have an achilles heel, it is certainly free throw shooting -- hitting below 60 percent on the year is brutal for a team with so many talented shooters. No one in the starting lineup right now is even at 70 percent from the line.   It won't matter in most games, but at some point, against a very good team in a big (say, NCAA) situation, that could burn them. 

[TheHerst2and4]

What surprises me the most is that they haven't found a way to get their really talented and experienced big guys more opportunities   

Couldn't agree more nescac1, and taken alongside the previous discussion about their point guard's shooting volume, it becomes an issue. Call me a purist, but I think it's ultimately problematic when your point guard is putting up the most shots on your team. When he's on, you're gonna win some games, but when he's not it can be crippling to your team.
Not to be over simplistic but the point guard controls the game; he's touching the ball every play, the other guys on the court rely on him to get going. So when he's off and taking most of the shots, your whole team is going to be off.
You just don't have this problem with a balanced point guard or even a pass first point guard, if he's off he can still influence the game by getting other guys touches.
I can't help but think back to the guys I got to watch during my years at Amherst, Olsen, Crotty, Zack Ray, Pat Martin. None of those guys had issues scoring, but still got their teammates involved and put them in the right situations to perform. It unifies a team when your point guard steps in and says let's get Dave a touch down here, or let's get Johnny on a backdoor. Then those guys also don't feel pressured to put up bad shots because they don't know when they'll get another touch.

I might be overanalyzing or maybe just getting salty with age. Amherst will certainly be fine and let me be clear I think Jayde is a very good player. My concern is that this issue does bode problems for a deep run, with that philosophy there's too much reliance on one guy to be on.


As an aside, read through that list of Amherst suggested nicknames, it's so Amherst it hurts, cringeworthy really. jumpshot if you had any hand in getting the "Hamsters" on that list, a tip of the cap to you, well played

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

When it comes to scoring PGs, its not so much about how many shot, but whether he's taking the right shots.  I think Dawson was close to the most impressive player in that Babson game because he made the right passes in addition to calling his own number in the right spots.  He was trying to do a little too much against Springfield.

I don't think anyone's upset about him taking 20 shots per game.  30 might be pushing it.

[jumpshot]

Word on the street is that amH63's post prior to the Springfield game about the plague playing its younger players to gain experience showed up on the locker room board prior to the game.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Word on the street is that amH63's post prior to the Springfield game about the plague playing its younger players to gain experience showed up on the locker room board prior to the game.

Maybe, but if a team needs some poster's comment to get up for playing the team ranked #1 in the country, they've got some serious issues!

[Canvas Hightops]

Spfld did the NESCAC no favor.
Expect Hixon to rally his ridiculously talented squad.
Does anyone expect them to lose more than 1-2 games from now until March?

Watched the game last night. 
nescac1 is spot on.
Jake Ross is the real deal. 

[JEFFFAN]

Spfld did the NESCAC no favor.
Expect Hixon to rally his ridiculously talented squad.
Does anyone expect them to lose more than 1-2 games from now until March?

Watched the game last night. 
nescac1 is spot on.
Jake Ross is the real deal.

Jake Ross is an excellent player.

[Old Guy]

Not to be over simplistic but the point guard controls the game; he's touching the ball every play, the other guys on the court rely on him to get going. So when he's off and taking most of the shots, your whole team is going to be off.
You just don't have this problem with a balanced point guard or even a pass first point guard, if he's off he can still influence the game by getting other guys touches.

Dawson's a fascinating study. He may be a shoot-first point guard of the type we haven't seen much in NESCAC (maybe Sha Sha Brown of Wesleyan; Graham Safford - Bates; Ben Rudin - Midd). They are prominent in the NBA (Curry, Westbrook, Rose, Isaiah Thomas).

Coach Hixon has an impressive talent on his hands in Dawson. How he gets the rest of the team to work with Dawson, to meld and perhaps subordinate their impressive talents, is the test.

[grabtherim]

Not to be over simplistic but the point guard controls the game; he's touching the ball every play, the other guys on the court rely on him to get going. So when he's off and taking most of the shots, your whole team is going to be off.
You just don't have this problem with a balanced point guard or even a pass first point guard, if he's off he can still influence the game by getting other guys touches.

Dawson's a fascinating study. He may be a shoot-first point guard of the type we haven't seen much in NESCAC (maybe Sha Sha Brown of Wesleyan; Graham Safford - Bates; Ben Rudin - Midd). They are prominent in the NBA (Curry, Westbrook, Rose, Isaiah Thomas).

Coach Hixon has an impressive talent on his hands in Dawson. How he gets the rest of the team to work with Dawson, to meld and perhaps subordinate their impressive talents, is the test.

Rule, rules rules.  Baloney.  You run your system as best you can, but you coach to win based on the talent you have or what you end up with on the floor in the case of injury, a kid having a terrible or great night or foul trouble. 
 

[PeterEscobar]

Spfld did the NESCAC no favor.
Expect Hixon to rally his ridiculously talented squad.
Does anyone expect them to lose more than 1-2 games from now until March?

Watched the game last night. 
nescac1 is spot on.
Jake Ross is the real deal.

Jake Ross is an excellent player.

Ross is also going to be a two-sport athlete at Springfield as he is planning on playing lacrosse this spring. Early rumors this past summer was that he was going to play football as well. What's even crazier is that Western New England was convinced that he was going to be a golden bear most of last season. Coach Tabb, who is going to do a great job at WNEU, was all over Jake Ross and had deep ties with him going back years. Adding to WNEU's pursuit was the fact that they are typically a player on the national lacrosse scene. Imagine him running thru the CCC... Sheesh...