MBB: NESCAC

[Old Guy]

I will be making the trip to see the 2 best freshman in the NESCAC....Kena Gilmour & Matt Folger on Saturday at Pepin.

Huge game for both teams. Middlebury has the experience, the home court & Hamilton does not have a quality road win this year.

Big Mike - welcome to the board. I might change my name to OldGuy41. Why? That was my number in college. Mostly, I got 41 because the jersey fit. I never wanted my number to suggest I was comparing myself and my modest abilities to anyone else. 33 in New England, boy, that's confidence. Yet I admire those those kids who don't worry about comparisons: the ones who pick #9 or 7 in baseball, or 23 or 6 in hoop, or 4 (sorry, Boston emphasis) or 99 in hockey, or 32 in football. Those kids have confidence. Also #0 or 00 or 13 - numbers that draw attention to themselves. Couldn't have worn Jayde's shine-in-dark, look-at-me shoes. But I was a guy who got floor burns to get minutes - I didn't have his game. 

[jumpshot]

Ephs trail the plague by 9 at the half with the plague shooting well and moving and passing the ball skillfully. Ephs hurt by poor shooting, inability to defend pick and roll, and a bit anxious on offense due to turnovers, steals.

[P'bearfan]

Background: 

12pm Saturday ECAC game of week in late 70's   ...1 game a week
High school PA announcer 4 years 79-83
1983 Syracuse WAER worked with Tirico, McDonaugh, Papa (Raiders-A's) Grew up with Big East ..

BigMike33....welcome to the board...very glad to have you join us.

I grew up with the old Big East as well....helluva a conference  (I refuse to write "those were the days because that will make me sound as old as I often feel)

[jumpshot]

The plague tops a game EPHS team by 8 as a result of good shooting, dominant points in the paint, sound passing and pace, and better defense. Not complicated even without playing to their potential....

[BigMike33]

P bearfan & old guy...thanks for the welcome.... we got a lot of bball to break down for sure...

[lumbercat]

Old Guy-
No need to footnote the Boston bias- Commendable that you preferred Russell over Wilt, Orr over Gretzky, Ted over DiMaggio and Brady over anybody. your fondness for the Bobcats is revered in the Boston/Lewiston "extended" metropolitan area....but at the end of the day- Good luck to your Panthers hoops.

[JEFFFAN]

Not much to add to the earlier post on the Amherst win over the Ephs tonite.   I admit to being impressed with the Amherst defensive performance over the past 10-12 minutes.   The offense is clearly not a great one for the Jeffs this season, but the team's ability and willingness to clamp down defensively was very impressive.  With the history between the two schools, a win over Williams is always to be respected and valued!

Do any of the Jeff posters have any thoughts on the lack of playing time for some of the highly regarded freshmen?

[ContinentalDomer]

Hamilton hit an incredible 22-36 from the arc tonight in a walkover. Final score
127-82.  Seven players in double figures.  Grinnell-esque.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Old Guy-
No need to footnote the Boston bias- Commendable that you preferred Russell over Wilt, Orr over Gretzky, Ted over DiMaggio and Brady over anybody. your fondness for the Bobcats is revered in the Boston/Lewiston "extended" metropolitan area....but at the end of the day- Good luck to your Panthers hoops.

I won't weigh in on Orr vs. Gretzky (too different to really compare), but be it noted (by this Red Wings fan) that both Orr and Gretzky have stated that Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, was the Greatest of All Time.

[amh63]

I posted on a game played the other night in the SUNYAC that had both teams scoring over 100 points.  Grinnell style it may seem...but Hamilton good shooting aside gave up 80 plus points.  Seems that defense was missing somewhere.  Sorry ContinentalDommer.
Defense is hard work but necessary to go deep in the post season.

JEFFFAN.....yes to your question.  No Comment here.

[ContinentalDomer]

Defense matters bigly, of course.  But if you check out starters' minutes and who was on the floor for the vast majority of that 48-point second half by Wells, I think you'd form a markedly different impression.  Points allowed numbers v Wesleyan, Conn College, and Williams are likely much more telling than the last 10 minutes of AAU ball tonight.

I posted on a game played the other night in the SUNYAC that had both teams scoring over 100 points.  Grinnell style it may seem...but Hamilton good shooting aside gave up 80 plus points.  Seems that defense was missing somewhere.  Sorry ContinentalDommer.
Defense is hard work but necessary to go deep in the post season.

JEFFFAN.....yes to your question.  No Comment here.

[Old Guy]

Old Guy-
No need to footnote the Boston bias- Commendable that you preferred Russell over Wilt, Orr over Gretzky, Ted over DiMaggio and Brady over anybody. your fondness for the Bobcats is revered in the Boston/Lewiston "extended" metropolitan area....but at the end of the day- Good luck to your Panthers hoops.

I won't weigh in on Orr vs. Gretzky (too different to really compare), but be it noted (by this Red Wings fan) that both Orr and Gretzky have stated that Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, was the Greatest of All Time.

I had Orr AND Gretzky (4 and 99)

[Old Guy]

Defense matters bigly, of course.  But if you check out starters' minutes and who was on the floor for the vast majority of that 48-point second half by Wells, I think you'd form a markedly different impression.  Points allowed numbers v Wesleyan, Conn College, and Williams are likely much more telling than the last 10 minutes of AAU ball tonight.

I posted on a game played the other night in the SUNYAC that had both teams scoring over 100 points.  Grinnell style it may seem...but Hamilton good shooting aside gave up 80 plus points.  Seems that defense was missing somewhere.  Sorry ContinentalDommer.
Defense is hard work but necessary to go deep in the post season.

JEFFFAN.....yes to your question.  No Comment here.

Probably won't find a lot of Midd fans responding to these posts. Everybody here taking the Continentals very seriously. Glad we got 'em at home this Saturday. The Panthers will have to play their A game. Hamilton is sneaking up on no one in NESCAC now. It will be fun to see them.

[grabtherim]

Old Guy-
No need to footnote the Boston bias- Commendable that you preferred Russell over Wilt, Orr over Gretzky, Ted over DiMaggio and Brady over anybody. your fondness for the Bobcats is revered in the Boston/Lewiston "extended" metropolitan area....but at the end of the day- Good luck to your Panthers hoops.

I won't weigh in on Orr vs. Gretzky (too different to really compare), but be it noted (by this Red Wings fan) that both Orr and Gretzky have stated that Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, was the Greatest of All Time.

I had Orr AND Gretzky (4 and 99)

I know this is not a hockey forum but have to throw this in.  Orr and Gretzky did the right thing out of the proper respect in calling Howe, Mr Hockey the Greatest of All Time, but anyone who ever laced 'em up and saw Orr in his prime knows that he was not only the greatest but he was by miles.  He did things no one ever saw before or since.  He took a plodding position to a scoring level never imagined before much the way the Babe did with home runs, and did not sacrifice defense while doing so.  As a teenager, he would go end to end in a flash around the best in the world, score and then quietly skate back to center ice for the faceoff almost embarrassed by his freakish talent.  In an era when a defenseman was considered a stud for scoring 15-20 goals, Orr had 47.  With all of his offensive skills, no one was better in defending the defenseman's toughest task, the 2 on 1 against.  No one.  Remember, all of this comes from a fan of another Original 6 team who Orr abused for years not from one of the Boston faithful.  I once thought that perhaps my opinion of Orr may have been tainted by the emotions of seeing him as a kid, then I went back and watched a bunch of highlights and it all came back.  He was even better than I remembered.  No doubt in my mind, the best who ever lived.       

[BigMike33]

I'm driving 4 hours each way over the weekend to catch this Hamilton game. As a Middlebury backer....I'll talk....

Hamilton has yet to put a big road win. Unlike Middlebury, they followed up their 13 point loss at Tufts with a loss at Bates...while on same path, Middlebury sat tied with Tufts with 1 minute to go in game and after losing a heartbreaker in the end took care of business at Bates.

Middlebury has road wins at Eastern Connecticut, College of Staten Island & Bates &...a national win on neutral against Illinois Wesleyan.

I believe Tufts is top team in NESCAC but also need to see them split @Trinity & @ Amherst first weekend in February. Tough Road & Neutral games peel back the onion on teams.  In D3, teams practice in facility that they host games. Players are REAL comfortable shooting in their home gyms, even more than D1. Big takeaway for me of my first NESCAC season. 

Folger & Gilmour do not face-off directly as it is 4 vs. 3.  Fans end game seeing the excitement & promise each brings to their team in different facets of the game. Gilmour & Folger are future stars.  A couple of Folger blocks on consecutive trips as has happened at least 6 times this season will create fast break points..usually a St. Amour pull up 3 & then Jake Brown layup and this defensive fueled 5 or 6 point run will be the difference in creating separation between the teams so that Hamilton is always playing catch-up from this point in the game. 

Folger blocked shots on consecutive trips in second half at Tufts, then changed a shot next trip which fueled this type of mini-run and Middlebury's biggest lead of game at 58-53.  Palleschi then hit a 3 and KJ Garrett slammed a monster man-child dunk and game was tied where it see-sawed for 12 minutes until Palleschi broke tie with corner jumper in last minute.

Worst..absolute worst thing you can do...is fire all your bullets.  127 points last night means a few missed jumpers at the Pepin on a Saturday afternoon with a healthy crowd & an aggravated Panther squad.  Our final...Middlebury 90 Hamilton 79.