MBB: NESCAC

nescac1 · September 28, 2017, 10:53:45 AM

From the top 25 board, someone posted the Street & Smith's pre-season top 10.

1. Babson (31-2)
2. Ramapo (26-3)
3. Williams (23-9)
4. Whitman (31-1)
5. Augustana (24-9)
6. Wisconsin Whitewater (22-7)
7. Hanover (26-4)
8. St. Johns (19-9)
9. Swarthmore (23-6)
10. North Central (18-11)

WPI89 · September 28, 2017, 02:17:46 PM

Interesting top 10

Amh63 - yes for sure - love to meet in the real world and yes - i am only a couple of miles fromW estern and still like to go tot some of their games against top teams. Hope to see you there.

nescac1 · October 02, 2017, 07:11:37 AM

I don't think it's been mentioned here yet -- although not positive -- but Kevin Hopkins hired Jake Brown as his assistant at Muhlenberg. Keepin' it in the NESCAC, and Jake at least has good coaching bloodlines!

P'bearfan · October 03, 2017, 06:58:05 AM

Quote from: nescac1 on September 28, 2017, 10:53:45 AM
From the top 25 board, someone posted the Street & Smith's pre-season top 10.

1. Babson (31-2)
2. Ramapo (26-3)
3. Williams (23-9)
4. Whitman (31-1)
5. Augustana (24-9)
6. Wisconsin Whitewater (22-7)
7. Hanover (26-4)
8. St. Johns (19-9)
9. Swarthmore (23-6)
10. North Central (18-11)

Interesting list. One of my son's former HS teammates is a guard at Swarthmore. He is a very talented scorer and earned Conference Player of the Year as a Sophomore last year. Congrats to Coach Kosmalski who has turned around the Garnet program in a very short time period.

nescac1 · October 03, 2017, 12:31:37 PM

Kosmalski has done an incredible job at Swarthmore, which didn't exactly have a history of elite basketball before his arrival. He should be snatched up by a smart high-academic D1 school some point (especially since he was a long-time assistant at Davidson).

Another early NESCAC commit, Andrew Snoddy (the high school teammate of Tufts-bound Tyler Aronson) to Bates: https://twitter.com/asnoddy3?lang=en

amh63 · October 03, 2017, 12:42:42 PM

Nescac1...thanks for the connection. Seems the fine player has a fine HC at Rivers. The HC is a former Amherst MBB player and an assist coach at Tufts.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh · October 03, 2017, 03:42:11 PM

In case it wasn't mentioned (I haven't done the page searches), Rob Kornaker just stepped down from St. John Fisher. His son will be a freshman playing at Middlebury under Jeff Brown this season. Might we see volunteer assistant Kornaker? LOL I know he is looking forward to seeing his son play at Middlebury.

Ubuntu · October 09, 2017, 08:17:41 PM

New to D3 help me out. Compare the top of the GNAC to the middle of the NESCAC. Are they comparable? I am posting this also on the GNAC part, just trying to get my bearings.

nescac1 · October 09, 2017, 08:43:57 PM

I'd say the top team (J&W or AMC) in recent years would likely be a middle-of-the pack NESCAC squad. I can't imagine that any other GNAC team would be any better than a bottom two team in NESCAC. And all but the top few would struggle mightily.

middhoops · October 09, 2017, 10:21:39 PM

Albertus Magnus plays at Middlebury this season, so you can compare apples to apples.

amh63 · October 10, 2017, 10:11:20 AM

Middhoops.....good point.....BUT there is a flaw in the GNAC comparison. That is the players that compose the NESCAC and those found in recent top teams as suggested by Nescac1 such as J&W and AMC. In particular AMC, a school that seems to bring in stud players by transfers and make a quick rise to the top...only too often to lose in the post-season. Several seasons back, J&W, the one in RI?, was playing in the post season at Tufts. J&W had fine players with good Press clippings and a run and gun style game. Tufts' Team had some key injuries and played a different style. Tufts' HC in his likeable style suggested he might just play a run and gun style game with the players he had available. Tufts ran with J&W and the game was won by Tufts. The CAC teams have a base of solid players and overall better game coaches, IMO.
I'm referring to the 2015-2016 season and the Sectional game hosted by Tufts. J&W came in ranked 16th and Tufts was ranked 20th. Tufts won, 101-85.

D3HoopJunkie · October 10, 2017, 12:06:03 PM

As a proud supporter of Albertus Magnus and supporter of the GNAC in general I would have to agree with the statements that were made thus far by nescac1 and amh63. Albertus and JWU are the only team in the GNAC over the last few years who I would consider formidable opponents to NESCAC teams. I think its hard to base just overall because as we all know teams change drastically from year to year. For instance, I have no doubts that our team from 2014-2015 with Vic L, Eian Davis and Tavon Sledge would have been a top tier team in the NESCAC but if you look at say last years team, or the year before that I would have to say that middle of the pack would be a more accurate statement.

I think a lot of people underestimate both Coach Oliver and Coach Benton's (JWU) ability to coach in terms of the X's and O's. They are no doubt perceived more as "recruiters" but I really believe in both of their abilities to Coach what I call a complete game with the talent they have. I know Coach Oliver prepares meticulously before every contest and has a ton of experience at both the Division 1 and now Division 3 level. I have heard the same sentiments echoed toward Coach Benton as well.

No disrespect to the rest of my GNAC friends and teams but I think even they would agree with me that beyond Albertus and JWU, there is no real comparison to the NESCAC and I am more than comfortable with saying that because the NESCAC has certainly earned the honor as being in my opinion the top conference in the country.

amh63 · October 10, 2017, 01:29:02 PM

D3HoopJunkie....you are most generous. I must point out that a couple of years ago...2013-2014 season...Tufts lost to J&W in a season that did not break 0.500. Happen to see the info going back into the archives. Yes, Nescac schools have its up and downs

Middhoops, my friend, I now must put the game you cited on my list of ones to watch online.
I'm hopping to get up to some early games this year by "hook and crook". Does Midd play in LeFrak this season? If so, I'll try to get up so as to buy you and your Cuz a brew! Maybe even at the brew house of the Father of that favorite Amherst player of Midd fans..Willy W.
DHJ...more than an inside joke. Mention Amherst alum player W. Workman and many Midd fans still go crazy.

grabtherim · October 11, 2017, 09:12:37 AM

Quote from: amh63 on October 10, 2017, 01:29:02 PM
D3HoopJunkie....you are most generous. I must point out that a couple of years ago...2014-2014 season...Tufts lost to J&W in a season that did not break 0.500. Happen to see the info going back into the archives. Yes, Nescac schools have its up in downs
Middhoops, my friend, I now must put the game you cited on my list of ones to watch online.
I'm hopping to get up to some early games this year by "hook and crook". Does Midd play in LeFrak this season? If so, I'll try to get up so as to buy you and your Cuz a brew! Maybe even at the brew house of the Father of that favorite Amherst player of Midd fans..Willy W.
DHJ...more than an inside joke. Mention Amherst alum player W. Workman and many Midd fans still go crazy.

Nah, we don't go crazy. OK, we actually do... Willie "f-in" Workman. About the same as Bucky "f-in" Dent was for Sox fans until The Curse ended in 2004. Truth be told: Have to give the kid credit, he made a perfect play.

nescac1 · October 11, 2017, 10:03:59 AM

Always love a reference to box-out-gate!

"Official" practice starts in less than three weeks, and the season's first games are a little over a month away. It seems like it's been a quiet offseason -- any word on frosh/transfers to watch? The board has been curiously devoid of tales of new, potential high-impact players to keep an eye on ...

Last year NESCAC got three teams into the Elite 8, and two more into the tourney. After all the extensive losses across the board to graduation, repeating that performance would likely be a pretty big surprise. Conn College, Trinity, Bates, and Colby all look to be in pretty rough shape. I feel fairly confident that barring a massive infusion of talent, only one of those four teams makes the NESCAC tourney. Last year's three elite eight teams, Midd, Williams and Tufts, all return some really strong talent but also suffer some very big losses (especially Midd). All look like potential NCAA teams, barring bad injury luck, but whether they can repeast last year's level of success is anyone's guess. Hamilton, Bowdoin, Wesleyan and Amherst look like the biggest question marks and I think are closely grouped at this point ... all look like NESCAC tourney teams, and all have a pretty big upside/downside differential. Amherst is obviously the biggest unknown with SO many guys leaving, but a lot of inexperienced, but highly-regarded, players available to fill in the holes ... the team chemistry can only improve from last year, but a lot of guys will be learning on the job. I could see the Jeffs as a team that struggles early and peaks in the last part of the season. A finish anywhere between 2 and 7 in the league by the FKA Jeffs would not surprise me.