MBB: NESCAC

[amh63]

Watched a bunch of D1 basketball games this weekend....not to get info for my bracket picks.  Some thoughts.
Watched the first ever Ivy Tournament held in the 90 year old Palestra in Philly.  Saw the Princeton vs Yale Final and an earlier Harvard game with their Duke player HC.  Commentators talked about how the Ivies are now getting higher level players into the league now.  Really?  Remember Bill Bradley at Princeton.  Remember top players from D.C. Going to Harvard and Columbia. Also remember when Harvard HC Tommy Amaker arrived at Harvard...10 years ago?...and basically cleaned house of the returning players.  My point here is that there are a number of players on the Nescac teams that would be contributors on the TOP ivy teams.  In the Ivies there is more emphasis on spending more of your time in school on your ONE sport.  Many years ago, an Amherst alum  was quite surprised that his WBB daughter was given a basketball soon after her arrival at Princeton...told to carry the ball around to classes!   Needless to say this alum directed his son and younger daughter to Amherst.  His son, a fine HS player, played at Amherst.
Watched a bit of a Northwestern game....first ever NCAA post season.  HC is another former Duke Player and assist coach.  Prez of Northwestern is a former Prez of Williams. 
Watched a bit of Vandy74's Commodores....congrats to them for their selection into the Big Dance.
Last comment...congrats to Williams....win one for the Nescac. 
For those going to Salem...caution in the Big Storm arriving late tonight into the NorthEast. 

[nescac1]

Congrats to Jeff Brown for being named New England coach of the year and to Matt St. Amour, Ed Ogundeko, Dan Aronowitz, Johnny McCarthy, Marcus Delpeche and Harry Rafferty for being named all-region:

http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-region/2016-17/northeast-men

[nescac1]

Solid point guard recruit for the Jumbos:

http://www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com/news/brady-nescac-bound

[amh63]

Mathteacher Jedi.....interesting pics!   Any info wrt to "gameface"?
The game was in LeFrak...typical crowd of fans....sitting on the floor and standing on the ends...purple and white curtain, etc.  The time frame was during my two sons' time at Amherst.  In particular, my younger son.  He was the taller of the two...6'2"plus and the better BB player.  Played only non varsity games due to his schedule/non school commitments.  Older son was a crew and Rugby participant.
Plus K

[Old Guy]

I had exactly the same sentiment when Bowdoin played Williams.  About 10 or 12 minutes into the first half they brought yet another big off the bench.  I remember asking myself "Exactly how many 6'-8" players do these guys have?!!"

Congrats on the great season.  I'm sure it ended earlier than you would have like but this was a great Midd team.

It did indeed. We thought we had a great chance to go to the Final Four. We lost. We lost to a good team that earned their win.

Today I was in the little market at the bottom of the hill below the college picking up my Globe and a cup of coffee - and a couple of friends approached me tentatively, and asked, "are you all right?" like I had lost a loved one. I wanted to say, "Screw you. What do you take me for?" I know they meant well. 

A couple of years ago, I chastised Bucket when he described a loss as "heart-breaking." Language inflation, I told him. It's a game. Reserve that language for something poignant and deeply sad, a personal tragedy. We went round and around on that. I love sports, at their best, because they evoke such powerful emotions - loyalty, intimacy, the ecstasy that comes with heated competition and exhausting physical effort. I constantly quote Al Maguire who said "the best thing in sports is winning; the second best thing in sports is losing." Living life fully, in the moment - what a gift, win or lose.

Coincidently, Coach Jeff Brown was in the store at the same time - that would be NESCAC Coach of the Year and New England Coach of the Year Jeff Brown. He wasn't wearing black, greeted everyone with a smile, and seemed not to be faking it. Hell of a year.

Middlebury won three games in the NCAA tournament, won the NESCAC Championship, finished the season 27-4, had the NESCAC Player of the Year - it goes on and on. Disappointing loss, yes, but not that hard to get over. One of the greatest seasons
ever, I think, in Midd sports history (and I'm so old now I am institutional history at Middlebury).

I fully expect Bucket to write and say, "Don't listen to Pollyanna - heartbreaking loss."

[P'bearfan]

I had exactly the same sentiment when Bowdoin played Williams.  About 10 or 12 minutes into the first half they brought yet another big off the bench.  I remember asking myself "Exactly how many 6'-8" players do these guys have?!!"

Congrats on the great season.  I'm sure it ended earlier than you would have like but this was a great Midd team.

It did indeed. We thought we had a great chance to go to the Final Four. We lost. We lost to a good team that earned their win.

Today I was in the little market at the bottom of the hill below the college picking up my Globe and a cup of coffee - and a couple of friends approached me tentatively, and asked, "are you all right?" like I had lost a loved one. I wanted to say, "Screw you. What do you take me for?" I know they meant well. 

A couple of years ago, I chastised Bucket when he described a loss as "heart-breaking." Language inflation, I told him. It's a game. Reserve that language for something poignant and deeply sad, a personal tragedy. We went round and around on that. I love sports, at their best, because they evoke such powerful emotions - loyalty, intimacy, the ecstasy that comes with heated competition and exhausting physical effort. I constantly quote Al Maguire who said "the best thing in sports is winning; the second best thing in sports is losing." Living life fully, in the moment - what a gift, win or lose.

Coincidently, Coach Jeff Brown was in the store at the same time - that would be NESCAC Coach of the Year and New England Coach of the Year Jeff Brown. He wasn't wearing black, greeted everyone with a smile, and seemed not to be faking it. Hell of a year.

Middlebury won three games in the NCAA tournament, won the NESCAC Championship, finished the season 27-4, had the NESCAC Player of the Year - it goes on and on. Disappointing loss, yes, but not that hard to get over. One of the greatest seasons
ever, I think, in Midd sports history (and I'm so old now I am institutional history at Middlebury).

I fully expect Bucket to write and say, "Don't listen to Pollyanna - heartbreaking loss."

Old Guy - great post!  +K to you.

FWIW, I would never describe your perspective as Pollyannish.  It's exactly the opposite; almost stoic. 

While I agree with your sentiments, I know that I haven't always displayed this same level of equanimity.  I'm certain I described Bowdoin's loss to Amherst this year as "heart-breaking" both here on this board and to others in person.  One of the many reasons I admire Coach Popovich so much is that he knows what is really important.  "The measure of who we are is how we react to something that doesn't go our way".

[toad22]

The team takes off for Salem, by bus, tomorrow, quite early. My map says the distance between Williamstown and Salem is 625 miles. I'm sure the players don't care at all, but it certainly couldn't feel like the NCAA particularly cares. There were flight options, but they were so long, with so many stops, traveling in so many different groups, that they all made the bus sound pretty good. Good luck to the Ephs!

[Bucket]

I had exactly the same sentiment when Bowdoin played Williams.  About 10 or 12 minutes into the first half they brought yet another big off the bench.  I remember asking myself "Exactly how many 6'-8" players do these guys have?!!"

Congrats on the great season.  I'm sure it ended earlier than you would have like but this was a great Midd team.

It did indeed. We thought we had a great chance to go to the Final Four. We lost. We lost to a good team that earned their win.

Today I was in the little market at the bottom of the hill below the college picking up my Globe and a cup of coffee - and a couple of friends approached me tentatively, and asked, "are you all right?" like I had lost a loved one. I wanted to say, "Screw you. What do you take me for?" I know they meant well. 

A couple of years ago, I chastised Bucket when he described a loss as "heart-breaking." Language inflation, I told him. It's a game. Reserve that language for something poignant and deeply sad, a personal tragedy. We went round and around on that. I love sports, at their best, because they evoke such powerful emotions - loyalty, intimacy, the ecstasy that comes with heated competition and exhausting physical effort. I constantly quote Al Maguire who said "the best thing in sports is winning; the second best thing in sports is losing." Living life fully, in the moment - what a gift, win or lose.

Coincidently, Coach Jeff Brown was in the store at the same time - that would be NESCAC Coach of the Year and New England Coach of the Year Jeff Brown. He wasn't wearing black, greeted everyone with a smile, and seemed not to be faking it. Hell of a year.

Middlebury won three games in the NCAA tournament, won the NESCAC Championship, finished the season 27-4, had the NESCAC Player of the Year - it goes on and on. Disappointing loss, yes, but not that hard to get over. One of the greatest seasons
ever, I think, in Midd sports history (and I'm so old now I am institutional history at Middlebury).

I fully expect Bucket to write and say, "Don't listen to Pollyanna - heartbreaking loss."

I will never say don't listen to Old Guy–it's virtually impossible, for one. He never stops talking! (For those who don't know us well, take this with a pillar of salt. There are few people on this planet I enjoy engaging in conversation with more than my dear friend.)

Naturally, I find myself admiring his point of view, but I also want to challenge parts of it, especially "not that hard to get over." Ok, in the grand scheme of things—Syria or a basketball game—yes, of course. But, allowing for perspective, this team's dream of Salem coming up a game short, on the stage and in the manner that it did, will ache for some time, especially for those closest to this goal (and I'm not talking about me or other fans, but rather the players and coaches who literally worked toward this goal every day until Saturday). I mean, 15 years hence, I still find myself thinking about games that I coached (jv high school, not exactly high stakes!) in which we lost at the buzzer, replaying possessions over and over in my head. How long will these current players and coaches be replaying Saturday night's game in their respective heads? And I think this is entirely legitimate and understandable.

Sunday morning, I sat in a corner of a high school gym in rural Vermont with one of the Panther assistant coaches; our sons play on the same youth travel hoop team. While our boys warmed up, we commiserated, grieved even. The pain was real. I wouldn't have called the feeling disappointment. (And, to be clear, I would call this grieving directional, grieving for the young men, not for ourselves.)

Digression, kind of: Appropriate place to recognize that we lost to a great team who deserved the win; Williams was terrific.   

Of course, we're adults, blessed with perspective, so I would agree with OG's assessment of Coach Brown greeting well wishers: of course he wasn't faking it. It was, indeed, a hell of a year, a lot to be happy about, but I think it's possible to be grateful for the ride while also still hurting at the same time.

Last note on heartbreak—and this is where things get interesting, at least to me.

On Saturday morning, my 83-year-old father had a heart attack. (His heart, quite literally, broke.) While my dad rested comfortably in a hospital bed hundreds of miles away, I arrived at Pepin for Saturday night's game. On my mind were both life and death and a fervent hope for a specific outcome in a basketball game. Neither was in conflict, I'd argue, both in their proper perspective. Earlier that day, I had told my dad not to watch the game. When faced with serious issues, we often turn to humor to diffuse tension, so I think my specific words were, "For a cardiac patient, the worst thing to do would be to watch this game tonight."

I learned he had ignored my advice when I received a text from him that night before I had even left the gym: "So close. Hurts." And he wasn't talking about his heart. At least not his physical one.

Epilogue: My dad is fine, successful angioplasty yesterday, hospital release today. The "pain" associated with Saturday's loss will recede for all, though for some it might not entirely go away, perhaps ever, and I think that is ok. And all will move forward.

Last thought: About 15 minutes after the game's end, my 10-year-old son emerged from the Panther locker room; he's a water boy for the team. As he made his way over to me, I could see that he had been holding back tears, and as he reached my side, he began to silently cry. On the car ride home, though, the tears had been wiped away, and he began to break down next year's team.

Hell of a year. Good luck to Williams. May we all look forward to November.

[nescac1]

Wow, great stuff Bucket.  Glad your Dad is doing O.K. 

On a much lighter note, I encourage folks to listed to the Hoopsville interview of the Whitworth coach and/or read some of the articles about him.   A really kooky, quirky, entertaining guy, NOT your average men's basketball coach speaking in predictable platitudes by a long shot ... and obviously, what he's doing is working. 

[amh63]

Toad22....thanks for the info wrt Williams travel plans.  Been wondering how the Tufts and Amherst  WBB teams are getting to Calvin College in Michigan...do not know the distance by bus and when will airports be dug out, etc..
Bucket...is your father in Va.?
In my years of watching Nescac sports live, I have got to meet a number of the posters here "live", including Bucket and his family.  I, my wife and late mother have visited and toured Washington and Lee, the college associated with Bucket and his father.  My oldest son had applied to W&L  and even gave a talk at W& L wrt a geology research project...leading to his Amherst honors thesis.  The HBC of W&L is an Amherst alum.  There is an Amherst assistant BB coach that was a player at W&L.
I cannot help think that if Midd was going to Salem, Bucket and his family would have made a side trip to W&L.....being that it is just " a hop and skip" up the road from Salem.
Hope you do not mind this side topic Bucket.  Your son is 10!  Wow!

[Pat Coleman]

The team takes off for Salem, by bus, tomorrow, quite early. My map says the distance between Williamstown and Salem is 625 miles. I'm sure the players don't care at all, but it certainly couldn't feel like the NCAA particularly cares. There were flight options, but they were so long, with so many stops, traveling in so many different groups, that they all made the bus sound pretty good. Good luck to the Ephs!

The NCAA can't force airlines to create specific flights. Aside from chartering planes, what else can they do? Hey, American, can you add 20 seats to your flights out of BDL and make it a non-stop to ROA?

[toad22]

The team takes off for Salem, by bus, tomorrow, quite early. My map says the distance between Williamstown and Salem is 625 miles. I'm sure the players don't care at all, but it certainly couldn't feel like the NCAA particularly cares. There were flight options, but they were so long, with so many stops, traveling in so many different groups, that they all made the bus sound pretty good. Good luck to the Ephs!

The NCAA can't force airlines to create specific flights. Aside from chartering planes, what else can they do? Hey, American, can you add 20 seats to your flights out of BDL and make it a non-stop to ROA?

Understood. Williams has chartered several times in the past, not sure why it wasn't available this time.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The team takes off for Salem, by bus, tomorrow, quite early. My map says the distance between Williamstown and Salem is 625 miles. I'm sure the players don't care at all, but it certainly couldn't feel like the NCAA particularly cares. There were flight options, but they were so long, with so many stops, traveling in so many different groups, that they all made the bus sound pretty good. Good luck to the Ephs!

The NCAA can't force airlines to create specific flights. Aside from chartering planes, what else can they do? Hey, American, can you add 20 seats to your flights out of BDL and make it a non-stop to ROA?

Understood. Williams has chartered several times in the past, not sure why it wasn't available this time.

Is it 1000 miles?  I know there used to be a distance that they would charter - Whitman got a charter to Marietta this past weekend, right?

[Pat Coleman]

The team takes off for Salem, by bus, tomorrow, quite early. My map says the distance between Williamstown and Salem is 625 miles. I'm sure the players don't care at all, but it certainly couldn't feel like the NCAA particularly cares. There were flight options, but they were so long, with so many stops, traveling in so many different groups, that they all made the bus sound pretty good. Good luck to the Ephs!

The NCAA can't force airlines to create specific flights. Aside from chartering planes, what else can they do? Hey, American, can you add 20 seats to your flights out of BDL and make it a non-stop to ROA?

Understood. Williams has chartered several times in the past, not sure why it wasn't available this time.

Is it 1000 miles?  I know there used to be a distance that they would charter - Whitman got a charter to Marietta this past weekend, right?

I have heard the radius was 900 but I don't keep up on that enough to know if that's still true.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The team takes off for Salem, by bus, tomorrow, quite early. My map says the distance between Williamstown and Salem is 625 miles. I'm sure the players don't care at all, but it certainly couldn't feel like the NCAA particularly cares. There were flight options, but they were so long, with so many stops, traveling in so many different groups, that they all made the bus sound pretty good. Good luck to the Ephs!

The NCAA can't force airlines to create specific flights. Aside from chartering planes, what else can they do? Hey, American, can you add 20 seats to your flights out of BDL and make it a non-stop to ROA?

Understood. Williams has chartered several times in the past, not sure why it wasn't available this time.

Is it 1000 miles?  I know there used to be a distance that they would charter - Whitman got a charter to Marietta this past weekend, right?

I have heard the radius was 900 but I don't keep up on that enough to know if that's still true.

Sometimes it is circumstances... per the tweets about Rhoades in the first round. I'll try and see what makes those decisions... but there might be a chance the weather also had an affect on flights... airlines, even charters, not sure where their planes would be.