MBB: NESCAC

[toad22]

Watched Colby Williams.  Not a Williams fan but I find them so interesting.  They don't go for Offensive Rebounds they just sprint back on D and make the other team run 1/2 court offense.  They sort of just strangle the other team.

I think that description of Williams' defense is really good. They would prefer to play half court defense, which they are very good at. A transition track meet type game is not something they want. I like the description of Williams strangling the opponent's offense.

[Mountain Man]

Matchups Gents...  We discussed earlier..
We had 2 defensive teams in Wesleyan-Trinity.
Trinity can only beat a team with weak offense. Enter Wesleyan

Coach Cosgrove & Kyle Padmore share game balls
Trinity shuffled lineup after previous set of games that was horrible.
Trinity played 9 Each who scored 5 points or more. Balanced time,balanced play,TEAM effort

Padmore made it his Super Bowl.
Take a look at Hutch first half = SHUT DOWN  0-5  ZERO Points  Padmore was beast
Padmore ties game at 65 on layup then assists on Jordan layup for 67-65 lead
Up two 69-67 Padmore a 49% foul shooter knocks down BOTH  DAGGER!!!

3 keys to win
15 TO's by Wesleyan including several key ones in last 3 minutes when they had a lead
Wesleyan 4-21 from 3
Padmore held Hutch to 15 including 0-7 from 3.
They made him drive for everything, it took a half for him to adjust.
Since he can make every shot...FORCE HIM to MAKE TWO's

[Conts Fan]

Hamilton has really struggled to play well in consecutive games for the past month...they will have to put together a really good half to win this one. They can't really afford a loss to Tufts when their final three league games are Midd, Williams, and Amherst. It doesn't appear that those three teams brought their A-games in the first half today either.

[nescac1]

Well deserved victory for Bowdoin which simply could not miss from deep all game.  Not the Ephs' best performance, a bit tired-looking out there, but not their worst either.  Jack Simonds looks like an all-American every time he plays Williams and he was simply unstoppable today.  As were all of the Bowdoin outside shooters.  Bowdoin hit more demoralizing late in shot clock shots vs Williams than I've seen all season. Very, very patient all game including on the game winner.  The league race is wide open with four two-loss teams facing each other this weekend. Should be wild. 

[Conts Fan]

The standings look like they're headed to a repeat of last year when five teams finished 7-3. I'm not sure if the teams at the bottom of the standings (with the exception of Conn) are better than we think or if the teams at the top are not as strong as they seemed.

[Conts Fan]

Either way, it's a nice departure from NESCAC football where the same teams usually dominate every year. At least in basketball, nearly every team is dangerous in any particular game.

[amh63]

TWO.....YES...TWO interesting game results today.  Both had a Huge underdog playing a highly ranked team.  Bowdoin was leading Williams... for a long time and the game went into OT.  Williams is ahead by two points with 17 seconds to go.  Bowdoin comes out of a timeout with the ball.  The Polar Bears makes a 3 pt shot and wins the game....0.02 sec. left after the shot.
At Hamilton, Tufts had a chance to win the game with 17 sec. to go in the game.  Refs call Tufts player for traveling in a crowd.  Tufts' coaches and players go nuts on the call.  Leave others to explain the call.  Tufts fouls to get the ball back....but loses the game in OT. 
TUFTS on the road loses by 30 pts to Amherst and leads Hamilton on the road for much of the game....only to lose a CHANCE to win the game by a questionable referee call, IMO.

[middhoops]

Idly waiting for Old Guy to give us the rundown from Waterville. 
It appears that with Bowdoin's win, Middlebury is in good shape going into next weekend at home against top flight competition.  Setting up a bit like Amherst's final weekend last season.  Or, so we hope.

[Mountain Man]

In a 10 team single game conference schedule there is no room for fatigue, mistakes or let downs

The human angle takes over & the talent on these teams is very close which means effort & mistakes become the difference.

The fair and balanced report on Williams-Bowdoin game will tell you that Casey hit a fall away 3 from corner late in shot clock. Feinberg hit a running two with one second left on shot clock after a loose ball scramble hit him in stride in the lane & then a 3 with 5 seconds on shot clock late in second half as the miraculous end of clock shooting WENT BOTH WAYS. Heskett had two solid up and under drives for buckets late in the shot clock in OT as well.

Coach App switch to a 3-2 late in 2nd half which delivered 4 stops = brilliant

Bowdoin outhustled a sluggish looking Williams on a back to back even though Heskett played this one after sitting out.
Credit to Simonds for giving up ball to allow corner pass to Grad for deep 3 for the win.
That was the basketball play not a senior fairy tale game winner that was really going to be a BAD shot

Williams in the NESCAC championship on a back to back = any other team in the NESCAC should sign up for that right now.
Whoever that team is I would favor to win...

[old_hooper]

All I can say is BANG!!!

[toad22]

Most years, including this year, Bowdoin is a middle of the pack Nescac team. As such, Bowdoin beats Williams more than any other team. Many years, including this year, clutch shooting by Bowdoin has been superlative in those games. Congrats to Bowdoin, they have done it again.

[Old Guy]

Quite a game in Waterville. I have not much wisdom to share, as I don't watch very objectively. I was seated too close to the court in the first half and felt the need early in the game to offer some suggestions to the refs (very inconstant performance today). I watched most of the second half on the other side, "high above court side," where I couldn't see the scoreboard (or time left) or feel the need to correct the refs. That helped.

Colby is so scrappy (I can't find a better word and I know "scrappy" sounds like damning with faint praise). They play hard. They are tiny, though 6'7" Gilmore had three very nice hoops in the first half, but only merited 12 minutes total in the game, as (I assume) Coach Strahorn wanted the fastest possible combination of players, regardless of size (and there are some small people out there).They are quick and are constantly harassing, poking at everything, on defense — best not hold onto the ball very long or they'll pick your pocket. They sure look like they're having fun out there, racing around trying to disrupt on both O and D. Colby led 40-38 at the break and it looked like the Panthers would be fortunate to come out with a win.

Middlebury played a great second half! We like to play fast too, and I think our backcourt depth and skill (Farrell/Bosco/Kornaker/Dahleh all played well) wore the Mules down. Delorenzo came in and provided some great energy, especialy on the defensive end. Farrell had some characteristic dashes to the hoop with spectacular finishes (21 points); Bosco was bottled up from the floor (2-10), but went 10-10 from the line (Midd made 17-17 foul shots — that helped). Folger had a brilliant all-round game: 11 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks. McCord was as McCord is: always in the right spot to receive a pass from a guard who beats his man for a short one which he converts (8-10 fg/fga - 19 points, 8 rebounds).

Middlebury played well and had to. Keeping Colby to 68 points is an achievement (only 28 points in the second half) — 18 points under their average. Colby only shot 6-29 from three for the game — perhaps a bad shooting night for them, but they had very few open looks. Middlebury's defensive intensity was exceptional. No easy ones in the second half.

Midd shot 50% for the game, but only 2-12 from the arc (credit Colby's quickness). Midd led in rebounding 46-34 and assists 16-10; turnovers and fouls were about even.

Fun to see Vermonter (Rutland) Noah Tyson. He's talented and sure looks like he belongs. He had 15 rebounds! and hit a couple of long threes and played 36 minutes (only Jefferson - 37, played more).

There's a lot at stake next weekend. The permutations of order of finish in NESCAC would make me dizzy if I were capable of calculating them. Amherst and Hamilton at Midd next weekend — what a great finish! High anxiety.

[Old Guy]

Either way, it's a nice departure from NESCAC football where the same teams usually dominate every year. At least in basketball, nearly every team is dangerous in any particular game.

This is a recent phenomenon. There was a four and a half year period, when Middlebury emerged as a NESCAC powerhouse (ca 2008-2013), that the Panthers did not lose to a single NESCAC team other than Williams and Amherst (30-40 consecutive wins, regular season and post-season NESCAC tourney) — and was .500 against the Ephs and (the then) Jeffs. I loved that run but this in many ways is better. This season is extraordinary in the the depth of the NESCAC field and ways that form has not held: some shocking upsets and many great games.

[cacfan11]

In a surprising turn of events, Williams no longer controls its destiny for the number 1 seed. Middlebury, Hamilton and Amherst can all be the first seed if they win out. I would probably give Midd the best odds considering they dont have to play at Williams like the others. Once again with one weekend remaining, nothing is decided in the top 5, and any of the top could end up hosting, although it looks unlikely for Wesleyan.

[middhoops]

The link below is presented for some fun statistical viewing.  Before Dave McHugh jumps on here to chastise me for posting RPI info, which is not what the NCAA uses to pick teams for the tourney; heads ups guys.  These are not the most pertinent stats for THAT purpose.
It appears that the NCSOS (non conference strength of schedule) is very key to determining the final ranking stat.  It clearly punishes Amherst as opposed to Wesleyan and Middlebury.

http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/p/division-iii-mens-regional-rankings.html