MBB: NESCAC

[NEhoops]

Skill level is what differentiates the divisions, but it's all relative. While the game has changed, I think there is still a lot to appreciate in the Nescac and D3.

[pinseeking1]

Midd played a smothering and collapsing zone defense, which flustered the Bobcats' ability to generate much offense inside. They also beat the Bobcats down the floor for a bunch of easy baskets. Unfortunately, low percentage shooting on threes kept Bates from making it close in the second half.

[P'bearfan]

Bowdoin notches it's first NESCAC victory by defeating Williams 81-71.

Overall this was an entertaining, back and forth game.  It was also the Polar Bears most complete game this season which was great to see.

After a very tight first half Bowdoin went into the break trailing by 3. However at least three starters had been on the bench with 2 fouls for the last 3 minutes of the first period (Simonds, Fuller, O'Neill). And Fuller and O'Neill had been on the bench with at least 6 minutes to go.  That boded well for the P'bears.

Bowdoin opened up a small lead at the start of the second half.  The Ephs knotted the score about half way through the second stanza.  Bowdoin re-established a lead and kept it until the last minute when the Ephs were forced to foul and the deficit grew.

GoUBears!!!

[Old Guy]

All in all, a good weekend for the Panthers, playing Tufts tough Friday night in Cousens and beating a game Bates team in Hinkle Fieldhouse in Lewiston today. Very proud of the team. It's never easy to play in Alumni Gym (as we've discussed) and Midd came out and blitzed the Bobcats from the opening tap - Jake Brown in particular who scored the game's first nine points and effectively took the crowd out of the game in the first minute. That was important. This Saturday game on the road after a tough Friday game is never easy, and the Panthers came out with great energy and aggression and took control of the game. Crowd started to awake when Bates cut it to eleven or nine in the second half, but Midd always responded with a big hoop.

Brown was easily the best player on the floor today. Tarantino got the deuxieme etiole. Midd maintained a double-digit lead from about half-way through the first half till the very end (went up 12 at the half on a corkscrew baseline jumper by St. Amour at the buzzer). I realize I have celebrated Jake here often, but he was himself and even better today (24 points and 6 assists): pushing and shoving the ball down the other team's throat. The other team scores and it's "Oh sh**, here he comes again!" He made some very improbable shots (8-19 from the floor, 7-7 from the line).

I sat by accident in front of the Bates President (she trash-talked me for wearing my colors!) and I said (I thought helpfully)"Middlebury really likes to play fast," and she said, with attitude, "so do we." Okay, Prexy, let's see who plays fast better. Middlebury doubled the Delpeches early and challenged the guards to beat us from the perimeter: the Bobcats were 6-18 from three, okay but not decisive.

Bates has surrounded the Delpeches with some effective players. I think there's room for them to improve as Coach Furbush figures out his best backcourt rotation. Their new player, Spellman, a 6'2" (maybe) 175 lb backcourtman, looks a bit like a middle-schooler, hardly chiseled and athletic, but he is a very creative player, he slithers through traffic, and can shoot the ball (14 points today off the bench, in 24 minutes). He'll be a handful as he further acclimates.

The Delpeches are formidable. Bates fans certainly wish they had another year or two as they are playing with confidence and élan. They are now on the floor together for long stretches and really protect the rim. Middlebury guards who love to go to the hoop were forced to alter their shots on numerous occasions today. Malcolm had five blocks.

I'm always happy to go to games at Bates where I learned to love the game as a kid. So many ghosts there. Today, I went with Young Girl, a first year at Bates, and Cousin Wendy, an alum. No ambivalence for me (Go Panthers!), but plenty for my daughter. I will always root for the Bobcats unless they are playing Midd. I hope they keep getting better and better - they've already won the Little Three (Bates-Bowdoin-Colby). Relax, amh63 ( and others), I know there's only one "Little Three." Maybe CBB, the State Series, can be the Little Little Three.

Quite a weekend in NESCAC hoops - Bowdoin knocks off Williams, Amherst goes 0-2 (there's some celebrating in New London tonight!), Wes bounces back, Hamilton drops a pair but gains respect, Tufts justifies its ranking. Few guarantees this year. Fun.

[7express]

Conn with a huge comeback to take the lead late only to be thwarted by a McCarthy special -- the umpteenth clutch game-tying three of his career.  Headed to OT in CT.

Not anymore.  The better team - Conn College - was victorious in overtime.   Jeffs really chasing their tails right now.   Neither George nor Dawson played the last five minutes or in overtime, the latter after trying a quick three and then incurring a charging foul on two separate trips down court.   Defensively they were not very good in overtime without George as CC really took it to them inside.  Kudos to CC to take it to an Amherst team that is shaken right now.

Am I officially allowed to say that my Jeffs are struggling mightily now?

It was probably Conn College's championship game.  Will they win another CAC game the rest of the year??  They get Bowdoin & Colby at home to end the year, might get 1 of those 2.  Maybe Wesleyan (is that even a rivalry anyways??)  I don't see them beating Bates, Tufts, or Williams on the road, but who knows I've been proven wrong before!

[middhoops]

7Express; yes, Conn College looks like a good team.  The Camels have some quality wins (Eastern CT, Mass-Dartmouth, Amherst) and a 9-5 record.  They gave Middlebury all they could handle for most of the game on the road. 
They stand a good chance of making the conference tournament this season.

[warriorcat]

What a great conference race we are witnessing. Outside of Colby, I think you can make an argument for any one of the other teams to make the tournament. Anyone willing to speculate that one of the traditional powers might not be playing in the post season this February?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Really good point.   I remember a friend telling me 25 years ago that D3 basketball was "good players shooting threes" and he is so correct.   What surprises me is the lack of movement on the part of all five players on offense.   It is so often the guard driving and then dishing to 2-3 guys standing outside the three point line or the traditional dump it inside for the five footer.   I went to a very good Ivy League game last night - I understand, not the highest level of D1 hoops - and the ball movement by Yale was outstanding.    All five players moving to get open.   I have not witnessed very much of that at even the highest of D3 teams.

I don't agree with this statement at all... maybe what you are seeing locally, but I have seen some great ball movement among some very good teams this season from around the country. Hardin-Simmons, UW-Eau Claire, Ramapo, just to name the three teams I saw in Las Vegas. While I understand you may not see it where you are, the best of the best still move incredibly well and the ball movement is on point. That is the difference between those who have a chance at conference and national titles and those who do not at this division.

[grabtherim]

Really good point.   I remember a friend telling me 25 years ago that D3 basketball was "good players shooting threes" and he is so correct.   What surprises me is the lack of movement on the part of all five players on offense.   It is so often the guard driving and then dishing to 2-3 guys standing outside the three point line or the traditional dump it inside for the five footer.   I went to a very good Ivy League game last night - I understand, not the highest level of D1 hoops - and the ball movement by Yale was outstanding.    All five players moving to get open.   I have not witnessed very much of that at even the highest of D3 teams.

I don't agree with this statement at all... maybe what you are seeing locally, but I have seen some great ball movement among some very good teams this season from around the country. Hardin-Simmons, UW-Eau Claire, Ramapo, just to name the three teams I saw in Las Vegas. While I understand you may not see it where you are, the best of the best still move incredibly well and the ball movement is on point. That is the difference between those who have a chance at conference and national titles and those who do not at this division.

I agree. There is good basketball and good movement at every level including high school.  I'm sure you can find a game or two on youtube of  Coach Hurley's St. Anthony's High School team from from Jersey City.  Forty plus years of 16-18 year old kids who move as well as any basketball players in the country at any level.  While talent is superior as you step up in college divisions, speed of the game and play above the rim are the bigger differences between them. Good coaching and practices at any level show on the floor in good ball movement and guys doing the same without the ball. I've seen it in our league for years.  Not every night, and it varies based on talent and coaches.  If you haven't seen it, you're probably not watching enough games.   

[Gray Fox]

LOS ANGELES — Andrew Johnson scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Zach Baines added 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, and the Occidental men's basketball team beat Chapman 77-64 at Rush Gym on Saturday.

Johnson, a two-time All-SCIAC selection who's leading the league in scoring with 23.6 points per game in conference play, was effective from the low block, going 7 for 13 from the field. It's his fifth double-double this season.

Baines, a transfer from Middlebury, was scrappy inside, contesting shots and finishing offensive rebounds and interior passes with good body balance.

------------------------------
Thank you Middlebury.

[jumpshot]

Just to be clear ----I pointed out the obvious decline in many "small skills" (go back and re-read my list), and did not criticize ball movement which is one of the essential elements to getting a lot of open threes. NESCAC, and other coaches, preach not holding the ball (making it "sticky").

So, as a general statement, ball movement is one of the skills NESCAC and D3 teams do reasonably well in my view. In fact, ball movement is in reality a dependency.

jefffan can defend his own nuanced statements if he so chooses ....

[Cards Fan]

I would not be surprised if Williams takes the 8 seed. They lost to solid teams, yes, but every team in the nescac is a solid team. I would consider them questionable to anything beyond one of the bottom seeds.

As for Midd, they look very solid to me. Some quality wins and some veterans on the team, I won't give them the clear "top dogs", as we are 4 games in and cannot even come close to considering one team the best, but they are definite contenders.

Amherst no longer poses the same threat they used to. Jayden Dawson seems to think he can rule a game all by himself, and recently has costed his team crushing losses. The loss to Conn proves that Amherst can't keep sitting back and telling themselves that they're the best. They now must go into each and every game each and every game with serious fight, and not give it up down the stretch (Wesleyan and Conn both had to comeback in the second half.)

No one seems to be talking about Tufts, which is strange to me, as they are 4-0. They were one of the top in the country to start the year, but even though their schedule hasn't tested them to a crazy extent, they do have a very quality win over Midd. I can see them far in the tournament.

As for Wes, they fell off hard, stringing 3 losses together to very beatable competitors. However, they've bounced back quite nice, with 2 high level wins over Amherst and Trinity. They've proven they can beat almost any team, but Jordan Bonner has been in a suit most of the season. They have talents in Rafferty and Kuo, who must lead this team if they'd like them to get a high seed.

[grabtherim]

Perhaps a bit off topic and I apologize, but a friend let me know that during the playing of the National Anthem before the Trinity Wesleyan game this past weekend, several members of the Wesleyan team chose to take a knee versus standing. If you support the players kneeling, I strongly disagree with you while respecting your opinion as well as the players right not to stand if they so choose.  By the same token, my feelings are perfectly encapsulated in this video from last March, before any of the Colin Kaepernick stuff ever happened.  Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams was not happy with the way his players had acted during the anthem at a game. This is how he responded.  Worth 4 minutes of your time, no matter how you feel. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qz58jMhDDA

[Old Guy]

Perhaps a bit off topic and I apologize, but a friend let me know that during the playing of the National Anthem before the Trinity Wesleyan game this past weekend, several members of the Wesleyan team chose to take a knee versus standing. If you support the players kneeling, I strongly disagree with you while respecting your opinion as well as the players right not to stand if they so choose.  By the same token, my feelings are perfectly encapsulated in this video from last March, before any of the Colin Kaepernick stuff ever happened.  Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams was not happy with the way his players had acted during the anthem at a game. This is how he responded.  Worth 4 minutes of your time, no matter how you feel. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qz58jMhDDA

And tell us about your military service, Buzz.

[jumpshot]

Having served in two wars, I, for one, appreciate Coach Buzz Williams capturing a teachable moment, and thank grabtherim for posting.