MBB: NESCAC

[Old Guy]

Oh, so close for Middlebury to be in the Elite Eight. 21-7 with an acknowledged strong schedule. Pretty good year, no? 10-1 at home this year, 26-3 over the last two years. Lots of satisfied fans up here in ski country.

Jack Daly's performance in the NCAAs reminds us of what a special player he is, nobody quite like him. In the three tournament games he averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, remarkably versatile and effective, not flashy, utterly dependable, durable, consistent (a great effort — every day), high character.

I think Middlebury will be a force in NESCAC next year, despite big losses (Daly, Tarantino, Majors). Folger is the real deal, and Jack Farrell was exposed in the tournament as a confident, versatile player (19 & 15 points in the last two games). McCord will anchor the baseline. Dahleh came back from a year off due to injury and was a key player (averaged 10 pts in the NCAA tourney games), providing depth in the backcourt. Leighton '20 provides firepower from the arc. Delorenzo, Bosco, Kornaker all have potential to make significant contributions. Ingram, a FY, was a defensive specialist this year, and Cahill, another first year, was hurt during much of the year: he's 6'7" and can play. Dahleh and McCord are the only seniors next year.

I watched Swarthmore dismantle Plattsburgh 93-63. They take on Springfield today, having won all three of their games by 20+. They look like they could go all the way. We get to play them again next year, in Philly.

[Gabriel]

And Swarthmore does not lose much----Zonda, Walsh and Lammers with their replacements on board and ready to play.

[old_hooper]

Those that are familiar with Maker, do they think he could be a candidate at NYU?

[toad22]

Those that are familiar with Maker, do they think he could be a candidate at NYU?

No.

[jumpshot]

Forget 'bout it!

[Cards Fan]

On a crazy note - remember when Wesleyan's Springfield loss was considered a bad one? Sheesh! Who would've thought they were losing to a final 4 team?

[P'bearfan]

2012 was the last year no NESCAC teams made the Elite 8.  I think from 2010 through 2017 the NESCAC had at least one team in the Final Four every year save for 2012 and 2015 (when Trinity was the Elite 8 squad). 

How the tourney played out is not a huge surprise.  NESCAC had four teams that were all very good and very even this year, all clearly top-20 caliber teams, but no team that ever managed to be consistently great or ever really looked like a top-5 caliber team.  Three of the four NESCAC teams lost in toss-up games that went down to the wire.  I think any of the four NESCAC teams were capable for beating just about anyone in the tourney on any given day, but also losing to anyone in the tourney on any given day, and winning six in the row was just not going to happen in that scenario.  Hamilton losing to Springfield really surprises me, and especially tough to go out like that with a bunch of missed free throws down the stretch.  That's hoops, though. 

I watched some of the MIT-Midd game and I was very impressed by how well MIT is coached.  I loved the out-of-bounds pass along the baseline late in the game by MIT, I forgot that was even legal and I can't recall the last time I've seen that.  MIT was skinnier, smaller, and not as athletic as Midd, but they did a great job manufacturing open looks through brilliant ball movement, reminded me of 2014 Spurs-style basketball, and they can REALLY shoot the ball when they get a little bit of space.  If Jomard can find his game after so much time away (last night he just didn't have it, no surprise there) they will be tough to beat.  But, Ramapo's athleticism will pose a REAL problem for them.  Should be an interesting contrast because MIT shoots the heck out of the ball while Ramapo certainly does not, but Ramapo puts so much pressure on both ends with relentless quickness and strength.  To win that game MIT needs to make at least 40 percent of its 3's, maybe more.  Certainly doable for a team that shoots like that!

Looking way ahead to next year, Williams and Hamilton appear on paper to be the class of the league.  Both have tremendous junior and senior-dominated cores returning and Heskett and Gilmour are likely to be two of the best players in the country, while Hoffmann, Casey and Scadlock are returning all-league caliber guys.  Hamilton loses very little, Williams a bit more, but the Ephs do have the big x factor of Scadlock coming back.  And the Ephs seem to be bringing in some guys on the perimeter who can help out right away to fill in.  Both should start the season as top-10 teams.

Wesleyan should be strong yet again.  Hutcherson as a soph should be superstar and O'Brien and Bonner are both battle-tested seniors.  Wesleyan loses a lot up front and the x factor for the Cards will be how much their raw but very talented frosh big man James improves in the off-season.  He played few minutes down the stretch which surprised me.  He needs to be a major rim protector, rebounder, and interior finisher for Wesleyan to have another strong year.  Middlebury just keeps reloading and I have no reason to think next year's squad will be different despite the MASSIVE loss of Jack Daly.  Farrell and Folger look ready to step up as the next bit Middlebury stars and Midd's rising sophomore class should make a big leap forward.  Kornaker was jinxed by injuries this year but could be a break-out player if healthier. 

Amherst, once again, could go a variety of ways.  Riopel and McCarthy are as a duo an enormous loss on the wing.  But if Tim McCarthy comes back healthy to go along with Josh Cherry (who was stellar down the stretch) and Mobley, the Mammoths should be OK on the wing.  Grant Robinson should be much improved as a sophomore and Amherst looks loaded on the interior.  Schneider can be an all-league guy (or more) if he keeps improving at the rate he has been, no big in NESCAC outside maybe Karpowicz has more upside and it seemed to start to click for him late in the season.  Sellew is solid but I look for Fru Che to get more and more minutes at the 4, he is a beast.

Tufts looks like the team with the biggest drop off from this year to next.  The Jumbos are decimated by graduation and return zero seniors.  The Maine teams all look like they will be significantly improved but they have a long way to go to catch the top half of the league.  Still, they will be far more competitive and Bowdoin in particular could do some real damage.  Trinity will be very not-fun to play as always but also will still be lacking a go-to scorer especially with Gendron graduation.  Conn is Conn. 

Of course, all of this could change dramatically with unexpected transfers, departures, and with many recruits still to be announced!

Congrats to MIT and Springfield -- I don't think ANYONE had two NEWMAC teams in the Elite 8 this year.  As demonstrated by Babson's recent success and now this season's deep runs by two other squads, no one can sleep on NEWMAC anymore ...

Here's hoping you're right!

[amh63]

Been out of town at a happy family gathering. Anyway, besides checking in on the Amherst's women, have not watched much MBB. 
Before closing down on this board for the season, can anyone explain how two elite 8 teams play a game that had the underdog..non ranked team ...score 130 points in beating the ranked team...that scored 98!  Guess not much defense...heh!

[nescac1]

It's pretty crazy that Springfield is in the Final Four.  In the first semester, they lost three straight to Williams, Trinity and Amherst, none of whom were playing like world-beaters at that point, and none of those games were even close.  I will note, however, that Jake Ross didn't look totally right to me at that point of the season and I'm guessing he was dealing with an injury or illness.  Moreover, Springfield has clearly improved tremendously since then, and they have also added Cam Earl to the starting lineup which gave them another big perimeter threat to open things up on offense.  Still, though, quite an improbable run for the Pride.  Personally, I'm happy to see any New England squad do well and showcase the depth of talent in the region, and I'm pulling for Springfield to pull off two more big upsets.  Anything seems possible, this year!  In light of the recent success of Babson, MIT, and Springfield, NEWMAC has shown that its top teams can compete with anyone in the country.  And MIT figures to be even better next year, while Springfield returns its two stars for two more seasons.   I'm sure that Hamilton is hurting knowing it easily could have been them in the Final Four with just one more free throw made down the stretch, but that's even more motivation for Hamilton's loaded senior class to be uber-ready for next season. 

Thanks to Toad for reminding me that Nebraska Wesleyan coach Dale Wellman is a former Williams assistant coach, under Coach Paulsen.  So a reason for Eph fans to pull for them.  And of course, if Ramapo wins it all, it makes Williams' close loss in the tourney look a heck of a lot better!  The only team I'm decidedly pulling against is Wisconsin-Oshkosh, but I've learned from long, painful experience NEVER to bet against a WIAC team once they make it to Salem ... they just seem to have a knack for eeking out the big victories. 

[Mike Rejniak]

​Dear D3 Faithful ,
     I have read many of your posts throughout the years and even met some of you in person, but for those who I haven't met, let me introduce myself: my name is Michael Rejniak and I have spent over 14 years coaching Division 3 basketball and love what our division has done and continues to do for  the sport of basketball. One of the greatest things about Division 3 basketball is the brotherhood that we all have with one another (coaches and players alike). My wish is to showcase the talents of D3 on a national stage in The Basketball Tournament (TBT).  You may have heard me speak about this on the Hoopsville Marathon with Dave McHugh of D3hoops.com (at the 6:11 mark). The TBT is a national tournament that is televised in July/August on ESPN after the NBA season is over. My goal is to put forth an all-star D3 team (current players are ineligible) and have them compete in this tournament to take on Former D1 / semi-pro's to prove that D3 deserves the same respect as other NCAA divisions. The team is mostly complete with former student-athletes from all over the country competing. Once the roster is complete we will be sure to release it through d3hoops. Former Babson College National Champion Matthew Droney '17 will also be assisting me on this journey.

How YOU can help our former elite D3 basketball players

While the end prize of this tournament is a monetary prize, being a D3-lifer, the goal is not the money (we all know that's not why we get into coaching), the goal is to bring an end to the stigma of Division 3 basketball, an awareness of how talented our student-athletes are and that we can compete (and win) against the best. We do need to raise funds for an entry fee, travel, meal and housing expenses for the athletes. In order to do this, we are conducting a crowd-funding campaign through GoFundMe to help make this a reality. These athletes need your support! Just think -- if every Division 3 school donated just $10, we will have raised over $4,000!!!! The link to the GoFundMe Page is below and please SPREAD THE WORD and email me with any questions/concerns at WeAreD3TBT@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your support and Dave and I look forward to this "D3 Dream Team" taking the court this summer.-Mike Rejniak

Support "We Are D3" In The TBT

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[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

It's pretty crazy that Springfield is in the Final Four.  In the first semester, they lost three straight to Williams, Trinity and Amherst, none of whom were playing like world-beaters at that point, and none of those games were even close.  I will note, however, that Jake Ross didn't look totally right to me at that point of the season and I'm guessing he was dealing with an injury or illness.  Moreover, Springfield has clearly improved tremendously since then, and they have also added Cam Earl to the starting lineup which gave them another big perimeter threat to open things up on offense.  Still, though, quite an improbable run for the Pride.  Personally, I'm happy to see any New England squad do well and showcase the depth of talent in the region, and I'm pulling for Springfield to pull off two more big upsets.  Anything seems possible, this year!  In light of the recent success of Babson, MIT, and Springfield, NEWMAC has shown that its top teams can compete with anyone in the country.  And MIT figures to be even better next year, while Springfield returns its two stars for two more seasons.   I'm sure that Hamilton is hurting knowing it easily could have been them in the Final Four with just one more free throw made down the stretch, but that's even more motivation for Hamilton's loaded senior class to be uber-ready for next season. 

Thanks to Toad for reminding me that Nebraska Wesleyan coach Dale Wellman is a former Williams assistant coach, under Coach Paulsen.  So a reason for Eph fans to pull for them.  And of course, if Ramapo wins it all, it makes Williams' close loss in the tourney look a heck of a lot better!  The only team I'm decidedly pulling against is Wisconsin-Oshkosh, but I've learned from long, painful experience NEVER to bet against a WIAC team once they make it to Salem ... they just seem to have a knack for eeking out the big victories.

In total they lost five in a row and six of eight in that stretch.

[Homer]

I am happy Springfield is in the final four. I watched Jake Ross limp off the court a couple of times against Amherst.  He was injured in that losing stretch. Springfield is peaking at the right time. I hope they follow babson and bring the championship east again. A question. Springfield was ranked 7th and Amherst 8th in the rankings before the conference championships. Amherst lost to wesleyan a higher ranked team in the semis.  Springfield lost to WPI a unranked team in the semis. Springfield was ranked 7th in the final rankings Amherst was ranked 11th. That's confusing to me. Thanks.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I am happy Springfield is in the final four. I watched Jake Ross limp off the court a couple of times against Amherst.  He was injured in that losing stretch. Springfield is peaking at the right time. I hope they follow babson and bring the championship east again. A question. Springfield was ranked 7th and Amherst 8th in the rankings before the conference championships. Amherst lost to wesleyan a higher ranked team in the semis.  Springfield lost to WPI a unranked team in the semis. Springfield was ranked 7th in the final rankings Amherst was ranked 11th. That's confusing to me. Thanks.

I honestly thought Ross' season was likely over watching that Amherst game.

As for Springfield's ranking... it is where they were supposed to be per the criteria. Remember, the final week adds data, but it doesn't force them to change everything. On Hoopsville, my mock selections partners argued Amherst to be higher, I disagreed. We went with their call (2-1) vote, but it turns out my thinking was a bit more accurate. Their criteria info was better than Amherst's, but it wasn't like they should have been leaps and bounds higher either.

There are also other teams to consider. It isn't in a vacuum. Committees tend to be looking at three, four, five or more teams simultaneously because they have to. You can go and make a decision between Team A and B... then compare B to C and realize C might be better than A... then bring in D and realize your order might be altogether different. Amherst WL% eventually hurt them too much. Maybe not playing a full compliment of 25 games (per NESCAC rule) put them in this boat of not having one more game to add to all the data sets (which could have made a difference).

[jumpshot]

Dave, as I mentioned earlier, what hurt amHerst most was that over one-third if their wins in a mediocre record were against weak out-of-conference teams, a long-standing aspect of their scheduling.

[nescac1]

Not surprised to hear that Ross was hurt during Springfield's rough patch.  He was not visibly injured vs. Williams, but while I thought Williams had a great defensive strategy vs. him, he clearly lacked his usual lift and explosion. 

A few notes on promising future NESCAC players ...

A few NESCAC-bound players (and surely more yet to be announced) listed in NEPSAC's all-New England honors.  Jovan Jones (Williams) and Will Phelan (Amherst) named all-Class A, and Tyler Aronson (Tufts) named co-POY in Class B. 

University's Spencer Spivy, bound for Williams, put up a 45-12-5, and then followed up with 22 points, in two overtime victories in the Northern California Class III State Playoffs.  He was also recently named his league's POY for the second time. 

All four of those players look like they could make a strong impact early in their careers if afforded the opportunity.  Aronson in particular, given all that Tufts loses to graduation.