MBB: NESCAC

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

On another note, while St. Joe's Vermont may not be very talented at basketball, they absolutely CRUSH it in terms of names.  Just an absolutely tremendous collection of hoops names, Key and Peele-level stuff.  Consider:

Kreem George
Quiddus Terry
Mickalous Snowden
Quadarius Spence
DQ Abernathy

and my favorite,

Junior FanFan

I wasn't sure whether to believe you on the names so went to the roster.  And - sure enough - there is a player named Junior FanFan!   Best name of all time in my book!

http://www.csjfightingsaints.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/roster

Don't sleep on DQ Abernathy.  I'm totally checking into my hotel room in Salem as DQ Abernathy.  I might just adopt it as my actual name - my go to alias, for sure.

[Pat Coleman]

Is that for Dairy Queen or for disqualification?

[amh63]

Most interesting to me wrt the names of the players from a small, small school in VT is the combination of the first and family name.   Very unusual first names for the first five listed players.  The family names appear very "English" or UK to me.  Maybe, I been viewing too many BBC shows.
No comment on the last listed name.

[Greek Tragedy]

On another note, while St. Joe's Vermont may not be very talented at basketball, they absolutely CRUSH it in terms of names.  Just an absolutely tremendous collection of hoops names, Key and Peele-level stuff.  Consider:

Kreem George
Quiddus Terry
Mickalous Snowden
Quadarius Spence
DQ Abernathy

and my favorite,

Junior FanFan

I wasn't sure whether to believe you on the names so went to the roster.  And - sure enough - there is a player named Junior FanFan!   Best name of all time in my book!

http://www.csjfightingsaints.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/roster

Don't sleep on DQ Abernathy.  I'm totally checking into my hotel room in Salem as DQ Abernathy.  I might just adopt it as my actual name - my go to alias, for sure.

There was a player on PS-Berks last year that was on my fantasy team. My wife caught the name and she insists that we call our next pet the name: Bubba Waples.

[P'bearfan]

Most interesting to me wrt the names of the players from a small, small school in VT is the combination of the first and family name.   Very unusual first names for the first five listed players.  The family names appear very "English" or UK to me.  Maybe, I been viewing too many BBC shows.
No comment on the last listed name.

Family names as first names is also a Southern tradition, e.g. Knox Dobbins.

[polbear73]

Bowdoin, despite committing 28 turnovers hung on to beat Pine Manor by 6 after being up by 14 in the second half.  For Pine Manor it was the third straight loss to a NESCAC team, previously losing to Trinity and Middlebury.  Simonds and Reynolds led the scoring and O'Neil had 13 rebounds.  The turnovers continue to be a problem for the Polar Bears, 35 points were scored off of them last night, and would prove fatal against Hamilton and Amherst who come to Brunswick this weekend. 

[amh63]

Today is Wednesday...the "hump" day in D3 sports for me.  Being it is hump day, I will make a somewhat forward editorial comment wrt "sports"...that may provide some responses similar to the ones dealing with Player names.
I spent most of my working career in highly technical areas...some cutting edge, like chip design.  I have in retirement retreated away by choice and laziness....like reading hardcover books and newspapers vice online.  I am amazed with persons who play fantasy sports and electronic games...though I admit to being a pinball machine player addict in my youth.  I worry about my grandchild wrt to time spent on IPads and phones.  Anyway, in my " look see" into the College of St. Joe in VT...the one with the interesting player names, I was struck with the listing of a varsity sport for both men and women called "e- Sport"!  I assume it is those electronic games available today.  Most interesting to me....and raises many questions.  Can see a possible NEW board to post on...not me since I do not understand the fast moving Brave New World....like BitCoin...ahead.  Any Comments??

[ronk]

 Amh63- Have twin grandsons who spend a lot of time on their phones and e-games. At least 1 will be a candidate for being an e-game sports major in college. Not favored by his father, but I see it happening.
Just brought home today a mag from the library with a feature article on a professional e-sports league getting off the ground; if there's anything worthwhile in it, I'll let u know.

[Old Guy]

On another note, while St. Joe's Vermont may not be very talented at basketball, they absolutely CRUSH it in terms of names.  Just an absolutely tremendous collection of hoops names, Key and Peele-level stuff.  Consider:

Kreem George
Quiddus Terry
Mickalous Snowden
Quadarius Spence
DQ Abernathy

and my favorite,

Junior FanFan

Good names indeed. Junior FanFan is a classic, but I think not quite up the level of God Shammgod, good player for Providence a few years back. Wikipedia reveals Shammgod had a 12 year pro career (drafted in the 2nd round by Washington) and is now an ass't with the Mavs.

I think the roster of Albertus Magnus compares favorably with St. Joe's, even without Jaqhawn Walters: Jahmerikah Green-Younger, Yahya Bilal, Hanif Bilal, Jemaa Yuori, A-Jen English, Amir Maddred.

And our men at court side, online play-by-play announcer Bruce Bosley and PA guy Bucket never missed a beat. The best in the business.

[Gray Fox]

Zach Baines  formerly of Middlebury.

http://d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-region/west/2017-18/atr-occidental-baines

[nescac1]

It's not quite at the imagine-Williams-with-Duncan-Robinson level of "what if" over the past three years, which will always be the all-time great NESCAC what if, but Middlebury with Baines would be pretty darn scary this season ...

Wesleyan with a nice bounce-back win last night, but still no Kevin O'Brien.  We might get some clarity in the confusing mess that is NESCAC this weekend, but more likely, things will get even more confusing.  Some of the big games that clear up the pecking order, or further muddy the waters:

Friday: Williams at Trinity and Hamilton at Bowdoin are both big games. 
Saturday: Tufts at Wesleyan (the game of the weekend for sure) and Amherst at Bowdoin
Sunday: Middebury at Trinity. 

Tufts, Wesleyan and Trinity are all kind of hanging on at the back end of the Pool C picture right now, and Bowdoin could work its way into the picture with a home sweep.  Two losses for any of them this weekend would be brutal, and even one would make things a pretty big uphill battle going forward.  Bowdoin and Trinity both have chances to make big statements with home games against two top-flight opponents.   A 2-0 weekend for either would be big both in terms of earning a home game in the NESCAC post-season and putting their hats firmly in the Pool C ring.  But an 0-2 home weekend for either would end any realistic chance of either a home NESCAC playoff game or a Pool C bid.  The stakes are highest for both of them this weekend, I'd say. 

Six teams are very closely bunched, in terms of overall records, between 13-5 and 14-3.  Eight of eleven teams are at either 2 or 3 league wins.  Right now, there are nine teams with a realistic chance of hosting a first-round NESCAC playoff game.  That number should decline by at least a few teams after this weekend ...

[gordonmann]

I was pretty sure you were making up Junior FanFan until I checked the CSJ roster. 

[Old Guy]

Zach Baines  formerly of Middlebury.

http://d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-region/west/2017-18/atr-occidental-baines

Baines is a really nice player. Everything that I hear is that while he left Middlebury abruptly it was with no hard feelings and a lot of friends on the team. This article fills in some blanks regarding motive for leaving. Young Guy was an RA in his dorm and reported he was well-liked and engaged in reslife. I think everyone here wishes him well and is glad he is content and productive at Oxy, but it's still a little hard for some (like me) not to wonder what he might have done in NESCAC play. His departure certainly did allow for opportunities for others to emerge and take on roles that otherwise might not have been available as Midd proceeded to the NESCAC championship last year (and this year?).

[P'bearfan]

instagram.com/p/BeaX_ZnAA6v/

Former Polar Bear Will Hanley has apparently been working on his outside shooting

[Old Guy]

instagram.com/p/BeaX_ZnAA6v/

Former Polar Bear Will Hanley has apparently been working on his outside shooting

That's quite an outside shot! He looks great, really filled out. What a good NESCAC player he was. All his game needed in college was an outside shot (and maybe a right hand, is that right?). As I recall, he never took a three. I remember a great game for Middlebury in Brunswick between two good teams. Midd handled Hanley quite effectively by putting 6'10 Andrew Locke on him, and laying off.