MBB: NESCAC

[Red1]

Bates won, and it looks like the game was pretty comfortable for them (as it should have been). 

Pat,

What'd you think of the bobcats performance tonight?

Cheers,
Red1

[David Collinge]

Final was 73-56.  Not bad for a team that hasn't played in a month.

[Pat Coleman]

Might've been too comfortable. They were pretty impressive but not as good as the top three ranked teams I've seen so far (Ohio Northern, Wooster, Mississippi College).

But that's just based on today's one-game observation. Obviously they have a chance to change that next weekend. And they will definitely stay on my Top 25 ballot.

[mrmike88]

Pat,

Where does Zack Ray stack up in your book compared to the other elite guards of D3?

[walzy31]

TOMORROW:

Amherst - 85
Williams - 59

I can't wait.

[formerbant10]

Originality should have its limits.  I'm sorry, but Jeffs, Ephs, Jumbos, and Bantams are all just plain lame.

Camels, Mules, Polar Bears and Bobcats are terrible choices for an animal.  None of them are very intimidating/menacing/clever... they've got nothing going for them.

I think the top two are Panthers and Cardinals.  Not particularly original, but at least you can tell they're sports teams rather than country clubs.

Camels as I understand are pretty clever.  Polar Bears are extremely intimidating.  Bobcats are pretty menacing, as are Panthers.  Cardinals on the other hand are not so intimidating/menacing/clever.  While they are a more accepted mascot, they are pretty boring.

Don't be jealous you weren't a Bantam 

[nescac1]

If you are going by actual mascot, not team name, Williams is clearly the best (Purple Cows, very cool and looks great on a t-shirt) although of course I'm biased.  And Amherst is clearly the worst (big colonial dude who killed native americans with smallpox infested blankets, hooray!  I'm surprised they haven't changed that mascot yet, if it was Wesleyan's Lord Jeff surely would be no more).  I'll also support polar bears, jumbos, camels  and bobcats for originality.  Having intimidating, generic NESCAC mascots would make as much sense as having goofy, fun, original Big 12 mascots: the mascots accurately reflect the NESCAC culture.   It ain't Division I after all. 

I love that Wesleyan used to be the Methodists.  They should definitely revert back, if only to have the only ironic mascot in the nation.  (For those unfamiliar, Wesleyan is the most lefty / activist school in NESCAC and among the most liberal / non-religious in the country -- I doubt that there are more than 1 or 2 actively practicing Methodists on campus). 

Sounds like, unless Tufts or Conn can make a major run, Trinity, Bates and Amherst are positioning themselves as the three NESCAC teams with the best shot at earning an at-large bid should they fail to win the conference tourney.  The rest of the league are all dangerously close to falling out of contention.  We'll have a much better sense after the next two weekends. 

Go Ephs!

[JeffRookie2]

Ive always been amused by the Jeffs and Ephs, simply because it means that the school's founders had the audacity to not only give the school their last name, but to essentially make the make the mascot the 'fighting me's.' Pretty bad-ass if you ask me, although they clearly didnt plan on having the schools go co-ed. For what its worth, the Amherst womens' volleyball team refuses to be known as the Lady Jeffs and goes instead by the FireDogs.

[Col. Partridge]

FWIW (and I'm sure you knew this), Lord Jeffery Amherst was long dead when the school was founded and thus he did not name the college after himself.

Williams and Amherst are not alone in this regard--Yale teams are commonly referred to as Elis in honor of their founder.  I'm not sure if anyone else does this.

[David Collinge]

Williams and Amherst are not alone in this regard--Yale teams are commonly referred to as Elis in honor of their founder.  I'm not sure if anyone else does this.

The Cleveland Browns.

[eclinchy]

Bates just cruised to victory in the Union invitational today... 81-66 final score.

I'm starting to think the Bobcats can contend for a NESCAC title...

[Red1]

We'll know just how good Bates really is (and just how good the big 4 in Nescac really are) next weekend.  Go Bobcats!!!

Red1

[La Verdad]

Amherst beats Williams 64-45.  Sounded like Williams hung around for the first half, but didn't have anybody to defend Amherst's big men in the paint.  Dan O'Shea apparently broke a bone in his hand.  Looks like Jones and Hopkins are finally going to get a chance to play some serious minutes, which could mean trouble for the rest of the big men in the NESCAC.

[JeffRookie2]

Nice job on the scoring by the williams sid. The score sheet has andrew olsen--which is semi-forgivable since people on this board spell olson wrong all the time--but they also have ryan baskauskas on the stat sheet. I guess this just shows that they are incapable of doing a professional job over there.

Also, does anyone know why Adolphe didnt play?

PS I knew Lord Jeff didnt actually name the team, just joking around.

[met_fan]

Sure you were.  The NESCAC appears not to be up to the level of the past few years, although next weekend will provide Bates and Trinity the opportunity to stake out second-best status (or I guess possibly the top status in Bates' case).