MBB: NESCAC

[nescac1]

Johnson and Stevens are the two best Nescac rookies since Duncan Robinson.  Give them both ROY.  Would be unfair to deny either.  I think both are national ROY candidates. 

[midrangepullup]

Who do you think takes player of year now? Still peak?

[nescac1]

I'd go with Sobel POY, Reilly COY (although App did a heck of a job given the two big interruptions in the season), Jones DPOY, Stevens and Johnson co-ROY

First team: Sobel, Peek, Karren, James, Jorden
Second team: Prowitt-Smith, Stevens, Thoerner, Robinson, Johnson

But Rogers probably sneaks onto second team over Johnson since it's senior v frosh ...

[lumbercat]

Really enjoyed a great game today. A great win for old Bates friend Joe Reilly and the Cards.

On the all league conversation am I out of line in wondering why I don't hear Stephon Baxters in discussions- I am on not on the cutting edge of NESCAC hoops like most on this board. Just scratching my head why the leading scorer in conference is not mentioned. He played for an injury riddled team that had an awful season so maybe that works against him. Could he possibly have been better if Bates didn't lose their entire front court.

Maybe there are just a number of better guards on winning clubs so the kid is out of contention.

[SpringSt7]

Baxter is definitely in the mix for a second team spot, it's just really that the top teams in the league had SO many great players this year---I mean we're talking about Wesleyan or Middlebury potentially getting 3 guys in (although I don't think Osher is getting on anymore). If I have to pick between Baxter on the 10 seed or Nicky Johnson or Cole Prowitt-Smith, for example, who will be playing home games on Friday night, I know which way I'm going.

[Greek Tragedy]

Not sure how confident I am about Middlebury getting a Pool C spot. Their RvRRO is 3-4, which is at the lower end of total games played v RR teams. And their ncSOS is barely above .500, which is basically the lowest of the end of the Pool C candidates. They'll be at the table right away, but it may be a long wait to get served.

[nescac1]

Yeah I was definitely overly confident on Midd.  Eastern losing yesterday definitely hurt, one fewer bid. It seems like the smart prognosticators have them as either the last team in or one of the first 2-3 out.  They are in a group of about six teams that seem like they are a true toss-up for the last two spots. 

Wesleyan is almost certainly going to host until they lose (as Will RMC, Marietta, and Oshkosh, the top four seeds seem very clear).  Williams should get a home pod.  It will be interesting to see if Williams and Wes are split up into different regions. 

[jumpshot]

The experts on D3 Hoops mock selection show, reported well by Pat Coleman in his article now posted, gave heavy weight for exclusion to the absence of a signature win by Midd. Greek Tragedy is also quite correct that Midd's non-conference strength of schedule barely above .500, somewhat mitigating Midd's won-loss percentage. What's naturally missing from D3 Hoops' excellent work are the politics involved in the coaches committee real-life determinations. I'm rooting for Old Guy and Bucket, as well as NESCAC's interest, to see what happens in real-life at 12:30 pm Eastern Time today ....

[WPI89]

Are you guys "in" the selection show?  I am still being told I don't have access?

[ronk]

Looks like it's delayed til 12:45.

[WPI89]

thanks

[SpringSt7]

Williams will travel to Mount Union to Play Neumann in the 1st round. Quite frankly, I'm shocked they aren't hosting.

[SpringSt7]

It's a 2 bid NESCAC - Wesleyan will a host a pod and Middlebury will miss out. The committee completely cannabalized the New England region, sending Nichols to Wesleyan, St. Joseph's to WPI and giving just 2 hosts. And it doesn't look like Wesleyan will host the second weekend. A little hard to understand why they got this treatment.

[nescac1]

Bummer about Midd, darn it.  They had a great season but needed just one more win.

New England definitely got screwed.  Williams and St. Joe's not hosting while Wash U., Elmhurst, and in particular Swarthmore do seems pretty nuts to me.  But, NESCAC has had plenty of years with favorable bracketing.  This year, it's our turn to complain I guess.  Williams if they get by Neumann will have a very tough second round road game vs. Mount Union, which nearly beat Marietta in the OAC title game.  But on the other hand, I think the Ephs' quarter of the bracket is the softest overall in terms of the teams at the top, and Williams could absolutely go far -- it will just be an extra challenge doing so on the road in every game.  I could see about six or seven different teams emerging from that bracket -- very, very balanced, a real toss-up. 

Wesleyan's quarter of the bracket is just ridiculously loaded. I feel good about Wesleyan getting to the Sweet 16 (though never any guarantees in the tourney!) but then having to play St. Joe's or WPI on a neutral court (if RMC wins its pod, which it will do, and probably easily) and then potentially RMC, which seems like the best team in the country, to go to the Final Four is brutal.  If Wesleyan wants its first trip to the final four, it will sure have to earn it!  If Wesleyan meets RMC, it will be really fun to watch Johnson vs. RMC's first-team all-American PG, Buzz Anthony. 

[names jaismith]

Agree Middlebury needed one more win...nonetheless, an excellent season and real tribute to Midd coaching as they got a lot out of team which relied on three guys to do the heavy lifting all season long.

NCAA selection is always a crap shoot to some degree, way more so in D3 than D1 even.  I was hoping Williams would get to host, but in a sense they got a lot of respect by being moved away from the right side of the bracket.

I'm pretty confident that Wesleyan and Williams will represent the conference well.  When they are at the top of their game, they can beat anyone.