MBB: NESCAC

[jumpshot]

Clearly the Ephs have been playing much better individual and team defense, with some more rebounding, contributing to their recent wins. Several weeks ago I said without doing the hard work of basketball, defense and rebounding, and relying on good shooting every night, the Ephs would be erratic.

Way to go, guys and Coach (es), keep up the intensity on the defensive end!

[amh63]

Interesting game up in Maine for Amherst.  Amherst fell behind against a overall shorter but game Bates team.  Good crowd on hand in the iconic gym.  Amherst goes into halftime with a 31-30 lead after being behind for most of the first half.  Amherst builds a 6-7 point lead in the second half only to have Bates come back with about 8 minutes to go....Amherst has dominated the boards and there were few TOs for both teams.  Amherst big men were in foul trouble.  Time out and offensive changes made by HC Hixon.   Amherst's tallest player comes  back in and has a "coming out party of sorts".  Amherst wins big! The 6'10" Center has a double- double in pts and rebounds and 3 blocks.  Leads the team in pts with 20 plus pts and 10 rebounds.  A FY player playing small forward also has a double- double in pts and rebounds.  JMac plays PG in the 8 min period.  Downside is that  Sellew is injured...shoulder injury...taken out of the game twice.  Oh yes, Amherst ups it's defensive play.
See that Hamilton beat Tufts in Medford....Mr Pace plays an "average" game in the lost...scoring 13 pts vice the 27 points against Amherst.  Go figure....Matchups?

[Bucket]

Congrats to Jack Daly for establishing a new career assist record at Middlebury. His eight assists this afternoon give him 558 career dimes, surpassing the previous total of 553 set in 2013 by another tough as nails point guard, Jake Wolfin. Daly also bested the single-season mark that he set last year; he now has 184 assists (and counting) on the season.

A terrific senior weekend for him and his senior teammates—Adisa Majors, who hit the game-winning shot against Bowdoin yesterday, and Nick Tarantino, who's layup off Daly's record-setting assist had to be especially meaningful for the best friends and 4-year roommates.

[nescac1]

Tremendous weekend for the Ephs.  Williams continues to play as Jumpshot noted radically improved defense - five straight games giving up 58 points or less, very impressive.  Teams are just finding little space to operate inside the three point arc vs. the Ephs, and most of the three point looks are closely contested.  Bowdoin is a good shooting team and hit some outside jumpers but outside of the three point line got absolutely nothing.  Only 9 made two-point shots on 29 attempts tells the story for Bowdoin; the Ephs gave up almost nothing inside the paint.  The most impressive guy for Bowdoin was Zavier Rucker who had a number of very nice plays including a beautiful around-the-back dribble leading to one of Bowdoin's few interior buckets.  He will be a very good point guard going forward, especially if he can add some outside shooting to his game.  Jack Simonds, who single-handedly killed Williams last year, was nearly invisible, great defensive effort to stymie him. 

The key sequence of the game was courtesy of Adam Kroot.  Bowdoin made one big run in the second half to close to four.  Then Kroot had a beautiful block on a corner three point shot followed by nailing a corner three of his own.  That six point swing was enormous.  From that point forward, Bowdoin seemed totally out of gas and the Ephs administered the knock-out blow.  Great to see Kroot earn some time on senior day and make a big impact.  The other two healthy seniors, Galvin and Teal, both played really hard and were effective as well, especially on defense. 

James Heskett was absolutely ridiculous on offense for the Ephs.  He did it from everywhere on the court -- threes that he made look like layups with his quick and easy release, very, very difficult finishes off cuts to the rim inside, stop-and-pop jumpers, post scoring, and one thunderous dunk.  I've only ever seen two other Eph forwards with his offensive skill level: Mike Nogelo and Duncan Robinson.  I'm not putting him in that class, at least not yet, as an overall talent -- Duncan was only a frosh, of course, when he was playing at a similar level, and Nogelo could also rebound and distribute at a truly elite level.  But in terms of the entire scoring package?  Those are the only two Eph forwards who have ever had a comparable skill set in my view.  And Hesketts seems to only get better with each passing week.  Unfortunately, the rest of the squad struggled mightily to get the ball in the basket.  Karp was effective but limited by foul trouble.  Teal continued to drive effectively but struggle with the deep ball (two did go halfway down before rimming out).  Casey had one of his periodic really off shooting nights.  And no else is much of a threat.  But the D was so good that it really didn't matter today.  And on the plus side, the Ephs finally had a great free throw shooting day.

Next weekend Williams/Midd at Hamilton / Amherst should be fun.  The winner of Midd/Hamilton very likely earns the top seed in NESCAC, but Williams has an outside shot at well with a sweep while Midd loses two.  And then of course, there are several big rivalry games including in the mix.  With three teams fighting for the last two spots in the NESCAC playoffs, and six teams (four of whom are very strong Pool C candidates) fighting for the four home spots, it should be a wild last weekend ...

[Old Guy]

Whatever Jeff Brown said at the half of today's game, he should copyright it and use it again: 39-37 at the half against Colby, then Midd went on a 32-6 run in the first 8 minutes of the second half to make this one a laugher. Cathartic after last night's struggles.

Hard to single out players — the big guys (Tarantino, McCord, Majors) had a another good night (7-10-7 respectively in rebounds, in short minutes). Farrell was a dervish, all over the floor; Daly finished some beautiful drives and had 8 assists. Again, remarkably balanced scoring: Daly 14, Folger 10, Majors 9, Farrell 8, Tarantino 7, Kornaker 7, Leighton 6, Daleh 6, McCord 6.

Mea culpa. Last night, commenting on the Bowdoin game, I reported on an atrocious no-call on the refs, after a double-dribble that everyone but the three "blind mice" saw. Well, I was informed tonight by people who should know and whom I trust explicitly that the refs actually made the right call, no call: O'Neil got the ball low and fumbled it, dropped it, picked it up, sure looked like a dribble (and used to be, but no longer — it's allowed), then he looked to make a play, dribbled the ball, and found Simonds in the corner for an open three. Looked like a violation, but wasn't. So I am recommitting to not commenting on officiating (hard but possible).

Too soon you get old, too late you get smart.

[D3HforLyfe]

It's that point in the season where suddenly senior nights are coming and going, playoffs are nearing, and seasons will begin to end with each passing week. With that, I thought it was a good time to get my final thoughts out there on the 'CAC hoops slate that it has been, postseason award predictions, and a little more. The best time of the year is not too far off (March Madness!!!!)....Anyways, here you go.

My Power Rankings:
Middlebury - It's truly incredible that with a win Friday night at Hamilton (obviously not an easy one so I don't mean to act like it is theirs already) the Panthers would clinch another conference regular season championship. In the preseason, when I ill-advisedly put these guys FIFTH, I just couldn't see them rebounding from the loss of the St. Amour and Brown duo right away. Both of those players were so dominant in their own unique ways that I thought it would take time for this group to figure it out. Needless to say, the joke is on me. Coach Brown is a phenomenal coach and I underestimated the powers of Jack Daly. Kudos to everyone who has played a part in the formation of this dynasty.
Hamilton - It's truly incredible that with a win Friday night versus Middlebury (obviously not an easy one so I don't mean to act like it is theirs already) the Continentals would clinch their first conference regular season championship in program history. These guys have lived up to the bill and are a serious national contender. They have completely adopted the new age of basketball where you have 5 guys on the court that can all play multiple positions and can switch EVERYTHING defensively. Once again, I think it is a good thing for the league to have a competitive Hamilton. It feels like not too long ago the seniors on this team were freshman and were asked to somehow rebuild in the wake of the Matt Hart transferring decision. Well, they have officially built it and, unless they lose all three remaining NESCAC games AND their regular season finale versus 6-15 SUNY Cobleskill, I think it is safe to say they are heading to the NCAAs.
Williams - I have a lot of respect for Williams for how they bounced back after losing Scadlock. The Heskett/Casey duo has been the most formidable in conference play, a great supporting cast with a number of guys that can give big contributions on any given night, and (most importantly) App has these guys once again defending at the highest of levels. They are absolutely in the running in the NESCAC Tournament, and also are good enough to make another push to Salem if things fall their way.
Wesleyan - My team. I really like this group, but they make it really hard on me at times. Case in point, Friday at Trinity. I'm still not sure what I watched. The O'Brien excuse is a legitimate one -  He was their most important and impactful player when he got hurt, and the month long absence took its toll. However, the injury bug is one that most teams must deal with at some point in the season, and the good ones (case in point, Williams) regroup and keep moving forward. I still think this team is extremely dangerous. When healthy and clicking, perhaps the most dangerous in the league and one that could win championships in March. However, with Amherst on Tuesday and the always daunting Maine trip this weekend, there is also a scenario where they are sitting home in March. Make or break time in Middletown.
Amherst - I never want to count Amherst out because they are Amherst. When it comes to 'CAC hoops, their name is synonymous with winning. However, I don't see it this year for them. This is the least talented Hixon group in recent memory, and, even though they do play inspiring defense at times, they won't have enough to make a run in the NESCAC tournament and won't have the resume (barring what would be an immaculate 3-0 finish to the regular season) to be a Pool C team.
Tufts - I'm still a believer that a healthy Everett Dayton would have made this team very, very different from the one they are right now. In my opinion, Dayton was one of the best players in the league his sophomore and junior seasons, and the engine that propelled the Jumbos to an Elite 8, a Sweet 16, and a 'CAC regular season championship. Without him, they have played inconsistent and often uninspiring basketball. A lot of tough, contested shots from Pace and Savage (which both are good enough to make at times) and lackluster defense. They do have enough talent for a potential first round upset, but even if they do I don't see them as a real competitor to win the tournament, and are a stretch to make it out of Pool C at this point.
Trinity - As crazy and intense as he is on the sidelines, I continue to be impressed with Coach Cosgrove. NOBODY does more with less. Perhaps that just means he needs to recruit better? Maybe, but I applaud the fact that Cosgrove year in and year out finds a way to get his team to play as hard as they do. They are trending in the right direction as a team going into the home stretch, and with the Bates/Tufts road weekend ahead,Trinity could end up in a number of different places in the final standings. If I'm a top 4 team I don't want to play these guys in the first round because you know they aren't going down without a fight.
Bowdoin - They continue to be the team that I can't quite figure out in my own mind. On the one hand, the duo of Reynolds and Simonds is fun and can get really hot from the floor. More so, I think the supporting cast of O'Neil, Bors, and Farley is respectable and I am a big, big fan of freshman stud Zavier Rucker. On the other hand though, sometimes I watch this team and they just dont seem to have that "it". They seem to lack the toughness and grit that they would need to be a serious contender. I don't know, maybe it is just my bad internet feed but that is the feel I get from these guys. I could stand corrected and maybe these guys are able to get into the playoffs and upset someone first round. We shall see.
Bates - Spellman is really exciting and going to be one of the top players in the NESCAC for the next two years, and the carousel of other guards that compliment him (Coyne, Strickland, Mortimer, Gilpin...this list goes on) is competitive. They just lack the wings or bigs to seriously compete with the top dogs in the league. It's that simple. However, despite that fatal flaw and the under .500 overall record to prove it, these guys are still in a position to sneak into the NESCAC tournament. A Friday "Senior Night" game at Alumni Gymnasium versus Trinity is essentially a playoff game for both with Bates needing a win to stay alive and Trinity securing a spot with a win. That is going to be fun one, show up early if you want a seat!
Colby - There is a sun on the horizon for the Mules. The darkest days are behind them (I believe) and a nice young core has begun to find its footing, despite what their record might lead some to believe. The backcourt freshman duo of Tucker and Hanna is promising, they have elite shooting on the wings with Jefferson, Dorion, and Shagler, but my favorite piece for next year is Dean Weiner. I think he is a very good NESCAC big man who is skilled on the block, can operate on the perimeter, and - at 6'7" - is impressively leading the 'CAC in rebounding. While they will need to continue to upgrade in personnel to eventually climb into the upper half of the league, I respect that they play hard and think that things will continue to get better before they get worse. They got a big one this weekend against Conn College. Loser takes last place in the league. Especially since it is in Waterville on senior day, I think Colby should win it, but it definitely isn't a sure thing.
Conn College - ...

POY - Daly - Easy choice
DPOY - Sears - Easy choice
ROY - Hutcherson - Easy choice
Coach of the Year - Jeff Brown (Stockwell is deserving as well though) - Hypothetical: It looks like UVM is poised to run the table again in the America East and head back to the NCAA Tournament. If Coach Becker decided to make the jump to a higher level of D1 (similar to Mike Lonergan), do you think Brown could be in the running for the opening in Burlington? Would Coach Brown want that job?

1st Team All-NESCAC
Daly
Casey
Gilmour
Pace
Heskett

2nd Team All-NESCAC
Spellman
Bonner
Riopel
Gendron
Reynolds

3rd Team All-NESCAC
Hoffman
Folger
Sears
Simonds
Grassey 

1st Team All-Rookie
Rucker
Robinson
Farrell 
Hutcherson
Draffan

2nd Team All-Rookie
Hanna
Tucker
Che
Jorden
James


The Other Guys (Either quirky favorites of mine or guys who it felt weird not having on these lists somewhere)
Starters
Daly - I know I already have written about him a lot so he shouldn't be here as well, but he is. I will never doubt this guys abilities again. More so than the ridiculous numbers (because some of that is due to usage) is everything else he does: the defense, timeliness of his plays, hustle, leadership, and his overall weird way of being extremely effective. A brilliant NESCAC player.
Dayton - Once again, I just wish he could have went out with a healthy senior season.
Labossiere - A talented scorer with a painfully little amount of help around him in New London? Someone had to take the crown from Matt Vadas eventually
McCarthy - Still not sure what happened to J-Mac this season. I was expecting him to average near 20, and be one of the best in the league. I'm not sure I will ever know. Whatever the reason, I'm still a big fan and respect the career this guy put forth in the purple and black.
Karpowicz - Outside of his NBA big man game which I love, I was sold from the moment I learned that he writes for NbN. Two more years in the NESCAC too, not good for the rest of the league.

Bench
Dwyer - No one endured the bad times over the past few years more than Dwyer. I hope he is enjoying the rebuild that he was so central in. It's sad that a beginning of the year injury locked him into his marginal backup point guard role (even though Doyle's length probably made more sense anyways). Regardless, he still has the tightest handle in the conference (including the deadliest in and out dribble in league history) and will always be one of my favorites to watch.
O'Brien - If he didn't miss most of conference play with an injury, I think the Cards finish at least 8-2 and O'Brien is a no-brainer first-teamer. So unique for the NESCAC. A 6'5" gritty, athletic point guard who is a great defender, has elite vision, and doesn't shoot outside of the paint. Excited to see what he will do not only to end the season, but more so in his senior campaign.
Savage - There will be no tryouts to see who steps fully into Vinny Pace's shoes next season. Savage is without a doubt a top shelf go-to NESCAC scorer. He has had to play second fiddle this season, but he is made to have his own team. I hope the Jumbos surround him with talent so we can see him try to lead a team to a NESCAC championship over the next two years.
Dixon - He missed some time early in the season with an injury, but I like this ace that Wesleyan has in the hole. 6'9", goofy long, goggles, and seemingly can really shoot it.
Weiner - A coach once told me, "Win the glass, win the game!" ... Weiner is leading the league in rebounding and has a nice rhythm to his game that most glass cleaners usually don't own. With a solid junior year in the books, I think he has a breakout senior season.   

My last post until at least the end of the season! Im sure I made some mistakes and left deserving people out, I apologize in advance. Thank you all for always being so much fun to read and enjoy the glorious hoops time that we have left...

[nescac1]

Great stuff at usual D3HforLyfe!  I think most of your analysis is spot-on and I'd have only a few minor quibbles. 

I agree with your all-league first team: I do think that 4/5 all-NESCAC spots are basically locked in and Bobby Casey has a big lead on the competition for the fifth spot.  No one else has been remotely consistent enough this season as players.  I think though it's still a race between Daly and Heskett for POY.  Daly does have an edge right now, but what Heskett has done since Scadlock got hurt has been truly unbelievable.  In conference play, Heskett has been especially out of his mind: 22.6-4-2.5, 3.5 made 3s per game, 1.3 spg (and excellent overall defense), and shooting 54/48/83. He's averaging an insane 1.63 points per shot attempt ...

Each carry their teams (in very different ways).  If, say, Heskett had a huge NESCAC tourney and Midd was upset early, I think Heskett could nab the award, and deservedly.  But yeah, Daly right now is in the lead. 

Second and third teams look mostly right too.  Honestly, it is a pretty big mess with about a dozen guys right now all of whom have credible cases for the second team, and I think the last few weeks of the season and especially the NESCAC tourney will likely clear that up a bit.

Just one quibble: I know you watch a lot more Wesleyan than anyone, and I am susprised you have Sears as a third-team all-league guy above Savage, McCarthy, Labossier, Krill, maybe even Karp despite the limited minutes.  Conn is terrible, yes, but they are basically a two-man team and that's not Labossier's fault, as he is quite good.  Even though McCarthy has struggled with his shooting this year he still does a ton for Amherst, from guarding the top opposing guy, to leading the team in rebounding and steals and being second in assists and scoring.  He is a bit miscast as a number one guy but is the perfect number two on any squad and I would not be surprised to see him end up second-team all-league.  Krill does a bit of everything, rebounding, inside scoring, three-point shooting, and solid defense to boot.  Eric Savage, you note his importance to an injury-ravaged Tufts team above.   

I've seen first-hand that Sears is a one-man wrecking crew on defense, he's given three different star Eph big guys (including Scadlock pre-injury) fits on that end.  But he is almost a total non-factor offensively (5.6 ppg, zero threes on the year, poor free-throw shooting, not a playmaker of any sort really) and just an average rebounder.  Personally, I'd rather have Krill from Wesleyan's forwards than Sears.  DPOY, though, Sears does seem worthy, he's easily the most versatile and athletic defender in the league (I think Dean Weiner would be neck-and-neck with him but for missing so much time). 

Your first-team all-rookie team is spot on.  Grant Robinson with a big late push could snag ROY but right now Hutcherson is the guy.  Draffan is legit good, it's a shame that Conn's troubles as a team (especially at the guard positions) probably hurt his stock. 

On the team note, after watching Bowdoin-Williams I'd agree that it's a bit odd that Bowdoin isn't better.  There is a lot of talent there -- loads of tall guys who can shoot it, a solid rebounder at center, a dynamic young point guard.  Frosh Sam Grad also has a really nice skill set for a big guy.  They did seem content to launch threes instead of really attacking inside with their big forwards, but part of that was the Ephs' defense to be fair.  Perhaps next year, losing only one guy who plays much and with a very veteran squad, will be Bowdoin's year. 

[Cards Fan]

Wesleyan improves itself to 17-5 at home against Amherst in style. The game was never close; the lowest the lead got to was 8.

The tides have turned in the Wesleyan-Amherst rivalry, as Wesleyan has now won 5 straight against the mammoths. This win also grants them the outright little 3 victory, which, as Wesleyan, Williams, and Amherst fans know, can mean a lot to a team.

[toad22]

Wesleyan improves itself to 17-5 at home against Amherst in style. The game was never close; the lowest the lead got to was 8.

The tides have turned in the Wesleyan-Amherst rivalry, as Wesleyan has now won 5 straight against the mammoths. This win also grants them the outright little 3 victory, which, as Wesleyan, Williams, and Amherst fans know, can mean a lot to a team.

Wait a minute, Williams and Wesleyan split, Williams beat Amherst the first time they played. Williams gets a piece of that Little Three title if they beat Amherst on Friday. Let's not jump the gun!

[middhoops]

Wasn't the Ephs' win in the NESCAC game and the loss in the Little 3 game?

[nescac1]

All W-W-A games are Little Three games.  Toad is correct: Wesleyan clinched at least a tie tonight ... but not outright. 

[Cards Fan]

Well I always thought that the little 3 winner was the winner of the little 3 games. Guess I'm wrong.

[toad22]

It's ok, you may still win it. Great win tonight.

[nescac1]

Regional rankings out:

http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2018/02/men-regional-rankings-first

In terms of Pool C implications, Hamilton and Midd could lose out and still are surely in.  Williams and Wesleyan are both very well positioned, but both could use at least one more win (either regular season or in the NESCAC tourney) in order to really feel comfortable.   It's highly unlikely for any other NESCAC team to squeeze into the NCAA tourney without winning the automatic berth.  Tufts has a shot if they make it to the NESCAC finals, otherwise, very doubtful. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Remember that a lot can change between this week and next. Not all of the data is being considered, so not use these as a guide... but a glimpse. Next week is the true guide as to where people sit for March considerations.