MBB: NESCAC

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Looks like I get to see Hamilton again.  I'll be at Swat for the games next weekend.  I have to apologize to the Continentals - I was down on them most of the year, but the defensive performance they put on this weekend was truly impressive.  That's a team worthy of Salem and I'm glad I'll get to see them battle for the opportunity to go.  I'm really hoping for a Ham-Swat sectional final - I'd love to see that matchup - it should be just as good as the battle with York, which was one of the best games I've seen in a long time.

Jonathan Patron might have something to say about that, Ryan. That man is an astonishing basketball player.

I'm glad I get to see him in person.

[P'bearfan]

Just watched Michigan defeat Purdue by 9 to win the Big 10 tournament.  Can't say enough about how impressive Duncan Robinson was.  He didn't light up the box score but he has become a very solid defender.  A testament to not only to his talent but also to a helluva a lot of hard work.  Robinson also plays smart ball;never forces anything. 

Congrats!

[Colby Hoops]

Mike Maker let go at Marist according to reports. No idea what his future plans are or if he has any interest in coming back to D3, but that man can coach. Not sure what the problems were at Marist, can't say I paid much attention. Would certainly be fun to see him back at the D3 level.

[Pat Coleman]

Mike Maker let go at Marist according to reports. No idea what his future plans are or if he has any interest in coming back to D3, but that man can coach. Not sure what the problems were at Marist, can't say I paid much attention. Would certainly be fun to see him back at the D3 level.

Thinking back on the discussions in our circles when he took the job, I think the problems at Marist are basically Marist-related. Not sure who could be successful there. Am I remembering correctly?

[nescac1]

Very sorry to hear about Coach Maker.  There is no classier coach in college hoops, and no better offensive mind.  It seems like recruiting top-flight guys to Marist proved to be the obstacle for his success there.  And honestly, recruiting wasn't really his strength at Williams (weird to say since he brought in elite talents like Duncan Robinson, Mike Mayer, Daniel Wohl, etc., he was certainly a solid recruiter, but he also had a few recruiting years that were less-than-stellar, and I think his best assets as a coach are player development and on-court strategy).  But wherever he lands, whether as a D1 lead assistant or a D3 head coach, they are getting a gem of a coach and human being. 

A few random Eph thoughts to end the year before I cede the boards to the remaining NESCAC squads ...

It really is a bummer that Williams didn't go further, but the Ephs always skated on thin ice a bit this year being so reliant on the offensive end on two players, either of whom might go cold from outside on any given night.  Ramapo is the kind of quick, athletic, relentless team that often gives the Ephs trouble, and that was a game I was not surprised to see Williams lose, especially when the shots just weren't falling.  Still, it was a tremendous year for Williams, winning the NESCAC title and making the second round of the tourney despite so much injury adversity.  And it speaks to how good a year they had that Williams beat Springfield handily, and Hamilton twice (once handily), and both are in the Sweet 16.  In fact, it speaks to how closely competitive NESCAC was at the top that the two best teams in the league, based on results and probably the eye test as well, both lost at home in Round 2, and the third and fourth best won on the road.  Just one of those years where anything can happen on any given night -- not just in NESCAC, but in the tourney as a whole it appears. 

Next year is a long time away but Williams has a lot to look forward to: Heskett and Casey are both returning and should be primed for big senior years -- Heskett in particular still has room to grow his game and may be in for a truly massive senior years.  The Karpowicz / Kempton duo I think will be significantly stronger in the middle (especially Karp, who needs to make another big leap forward in the offseason for the Ephs to reach their enormous potential next year), and the team has a slew of veteran role players in the frontcourt returning including Soto and Feinberg.  And of course, the eagerly anticipated return of Kyle Scadlock, who if reasonably healthy should fill in some of the biggest holes on  this year's squad, namely, an elite athlete, rebounder, defender and interior finisher who can go toe-to-toe with anyone.  With the emergence of Heskett and Casey as major scorers, and the likely emergence of Karp next year, Kyle will have the luxury of being one of four strong options instead of the lead option to start this season.  As good as this year's defense was, next year's team should be even bigger (I mean truly massive), stronger, and deeper 1-5, a scary thought for opposing offenses.  The Ephs will need to figure out how to create shots for Karp, Heskett and Scadlock in the paint, probably can't play all three at once very often, but it's a nice problem to have.

The biggest question for the Ephs next season is who will be a primary backcourt ball-handler and shooter to play next to Casey?  I think the answer most likely will come from a frosh class that already looks really loaded, and perhaps is not yet complete.  All three frosh look like potential early contributors, especially highly-touted wing recruit Jovan Jones.  Spencer Spivy has a sweet-looking shot and a nice handle and may be able to slide into the Cole Teal role early in his career.  Or one of the underclassmen guards who saw little time this year might step up after a big off-season ... Mickey Babek being the most likely candidate.  Another option is for Henry Feinberg to move down to the 2, but that isn't really his natural position.  Still, he would add even more strength and size ot the starting lineup if he could play in the backcourt. 

Last thought on Williams heading into the off-season -- congrats to the senior group of Teal, Greenman, Kroot and Galvin on stellar careers in purple and gold.  It's far from the biggest, most athletic, or most talented group of Williams players to come through the purple valley, but they were all winners who played really, really hard and made contributions beyond the box scores.  Teal, Kroot and Galvin a few months after signing on saw the coach who recruited them depart, along with the team's star player,.  A combination of that and a lot of backcourt injuries thrust them into much bigger roles than expected as underclassment.  As more talent arrived, their playing time and roles ebbed and flowed over the years, and Kroot and Galvin had to overcome some injury issues, but all did whatever Coach App asked of them and worked their tails off on the court.  Their legacy is a strong one: a Final Four and then a NESCAC title in their final two years.  And of course, there is Mike Greenman -- a 5'7 guard who isn't especially quick or athletic, who overcame two serious injuries of his own, to lead the team to a national title game, a final four, and a NESCAC title in three of his four seasons.  Greenman will always be remembered for his great play down the stretch in the two Final Four runs as well as his miraculous NESCAC championship weekend as a senior.  He is a guy who maximized every inch of his potential and I think if he wants it will have a long career in hoops coaching.  Congrats to the seniors on a great four (or five) years!

And good luck to Midd and Hamilton, who I hope continue to represent NESCAC well!

[Colby Hoops]

As a relatively new Williamstown resident I got to see a bunch of the Williams team this year and agree with your analysis Nescac1. The team is absolutely loaded for next year, but there are a couple of interesting questions. Ball-handling is definitely one, and it would be nice if Babek or one of the freshman prove capable of running the offense. For instance, handling the pressure from a team like Ramapo would have been an even bigger problem without Greenman, Galvin and Teal to help break the zone. There is also going to be a bit of a quickness gap on the defensive end when it comes to containing quick point guards. Galvin and Teal were both very valuable on that front.

Finally, I think it will be interesting as Scadlock works his way back. He was deservedly Williams leading shot taker early in the season (and was very effective). With him, Casey and Heskett all together it will be interesting to see the shot distribution. It seems Heskett is content taking a more passive role when Scadlock plays, and I think Williams is much better with the more aggressive Heskett we saw in the second half of the season. Williams offense promotes movement and passing very well, but it's clearly a different team than it was when Scadlock left. Scadlock and Heskett have both had times when they've floated and not been aggressive at points in their career -- finding the right balance of that will be interesting.

[nescac1]

All excellent points, Colby Hoops.  Ball-handling is definitely a big question mark headed into next season for the Ephs.  Ideally, this is something that some of the returning wings can really work on in the off-season since Williams may end up playing at times without a traditional true PG, and may be more of a ball-handling-by-committee type of team.  Also, hopefully Casey can plan all off-season on being the full-time point guard, where I assume he will be most needed given the talent around him.  If he scores a few less points and averages an extra assist or two, that may be the way to go.  And again, I hope at least one incoming first-year can help.

I also agree that Heskett's game really blossomed after he became the clear first option, and that he has to continue in that role next season.  His offensive game is now so well-rounded and so potent that he needs to be a 20 ppg type scorer, and he can reach that level without taking a massive number of shots, even.  He should be even better next season.  Scadlock isn't as skilled offensively but is a more well-rounded player who can thrive in a number of different roles.  Ideally, in my view, he comes back and a plays a role sort of like Dan Wohl did on the 2014 Final Four team (only an amped-up version) -- elite defender and rebounder, great finisher in the open court, occasional playmaker or shooter in the half-court offense when things get bogged down.  Not having to carry the load on offense should free Scadlock up to be a terror on defense and the boards.  His presence will also allow App to be really creative as I think Kyle (if he enters the year healthy, huge knock on wood!) can defend any position 2-5 depending on match-ups, so just by adding him to the mix, that gives the Ephs a lot of different looks.  Long wait to see how it all turns out! 

[ephoops]

All excellent points regarding the prospects for Williams next year.

However, one glaring weakness that needs to be addressed is rebounding.  Given the team's size, there is no way they should get crushed on the boards by a team like Ramapo.  The team's rebounding margin in all games and in conference-only games was +0.6 and -0.2, respectively. 

If Williams wants to win (not just contend for, but win) a national championship next year, they must significantly improve their rebounding.

[frank uible]

The fundamental question is "did the kids have fun".

[magicman]

Looks like I get to see Hamilton again.  I'll be at Swat for the games next weekend.  I have to apologize to the Continentals - I was down on them most of the year, but the defensive performance they put on this weekend was truly impressive.  That's a team worthy of Salem and I'm glad I'll get to see them battle for the opportunity to go.  I'm really hoping for a Ham-Swat sectional final - I'd love to see that matchup - it should be just as good as the battle with York, which was one of the best games I've seen in a long time.

Jonathan Patron might have something to say about that, Ryan. That man is an astonishing basketball player.

I'm glad you feel that way Greg, all of us here in Plattsburgh feel the same way and are quite happy we have him back next year. Tough matchups in that sectional and all 4 teams have a chance.   

[toad22]

All excellent points regarding the prospects for Williams next year.

However, one glaring weakness that needs to be addressed is rebounding.  Given the team's size, there is no way they should get crushed on the boards by a team like Ramapo.  The team's rebounding margin in all games and in conference-only games was +0.6 and -0.2, respectively. 

If Williams wants to win (not just contend for, but win) a national championship next year, they must significantly improve their rebounding.

Though I would love the Ephs to rebound the ball better, I doubt it will happen, unless we change our team personnel, and the offensive and defensive systems we play. Williams is just not set up to make rebounding a high priority. I'm happy when we can just stay within shouting distance of the other team!

[middhoops]

Respectfully, Toad: with a team that could have some combination of Scadlock, Heskett and Karpowicz/Kempton on the floor at the same time, why do you say the Ephs aren't set up to make rebounding a priority?
Even adding Feinberg to that group looks like a lot of very tall and mostly athletic beef on the floor.
I ask this without knowing the personnel nearly as well as you.

[toad22]

Respectfully, Toad: with a team that could have some combination of Scadlock, Heskett and Karpowicz/Kempton on the floor at the same time, why do you say the Ephs aren't set up to make rebounding a priority?
Even adding Feinberg to that group looks like a lot of very tall and mostly athletic beef on the floor.
I ask this without knowing the personnel nearly as well as you.

I haven't checked the NCAA stats in a while. Last I checked, Williams was in the top 15 in defensive rebounding, in in the worst 15 in offensive rebounding. Williams spreads the floor, and almost never has more than one player in position to get an offensive rebound. That is unlikely to change,unless the system changes. I think I am going to leave it to Coach App to decide if they need to change things around to get more rebounds.

[Old Guy]

Looks like I get to see Hamilton again.  I'll be at Swat for the games next weekend.  I have to apologize to the Continentals - I was down on them most of the year, but the defensive performance they put on this weekend was truly impressive.  That's a team worthy of Salem and I'm glad I'll get to see them battle for the opportunity to go.  I'm really hoping for a Ham-Swat sectional final - I'd love to see that matchup - it should be just as good as the battle with York, which was one of the best games I've seen in a long time.

Continentals gotta get better unies - ugly, man, especially the road uniforms, with black sneakers. Look like an AAU club. Well, maybe not: that could be their psych.

[Old Guy]

Looks like I get to see Hamilton again.  I'll be at Swat for the games next weekend.  I have to apologize to the Continentals - I was down on them most of the year, but the defensive performance they put on this weekend was truly impressive.  That's a team worthy of Salem and I'm glad I'll get to see them battle for the opportunity to go.  I'm really hoping for a Ham-Swat sectional final - I'd love to see that matchup - it should be just as good as the battle with York, which was one of the best games I've seen in a long time.

Jonathan Patron might have something to say about that, Ryan. That man is an astonishing basketball player.

I'm glad you feel that way Greg, all of us here in Plattsburgh feel the same way and are quite happy we have him back next year. Tough matchups in that sectional and all 4 teams have a chance.

Check in, Magic-man. We need your posts. I watched Swarthmore dismantle Middlebury in our gym by 20 (and then beat Wes by 22 —  and Wes beat us twice!), and I watched Midd handle Plattsburgh by 24 (though without Patron!) also in our gym, but early in the year (Dec 5). I am really taken with Swarthmore's balance and discipline (not to mention talent!). Can Plattsburgh, with Patron, beat them? Give us a preview, Magic-Man, of that match-up.