MBB: NESCAC

[nescac1]

I'd start with Jovan on Parker, since he can better defend his face-up game, and Nate can then shade over a bit if needed closer to the rim.  But then that would free up their other slithery, springy big man to get points off cuts and rebounds.  That duo is really tough - they are a top ten team for a reason. This isn't a team Williams can expect to own in the paint, so the three point shooting will be huge.

[Painter66]

One comment, Stevens is still battling Mt. Union and shooting the 3 well. This is significant because it is important that Willians shoot the 3 well tomorrow, if, they face Mt. Union. Karren is really good and Williams is very big. The key will be to make the threes. They did it against Midd, but not so much again a much better Wes team. If it is Stevens, they catch a great break.

[nescac1]

Wow, Stevens pulls the monumental upset.  So much for the Mt. Union scouting report!  What an incredibly well-coached and disciplined team.  Stevens makes the most of every single possession, and then Matt LaCorte had what I imagine must have been the game of his life, hitting 9-11 from deep.  Very strange coaching decision by Mount Union to keep Parker on the bench so long.  Yes, he picked up his second foul pretty early and his third foul early in the second half, but you have to trust your stars a bit and he ended up playing only 21 minutes.  When he wasn't on the floor they lacked a true go-to guy. 

Stevens has an unimpressive overall record but has won nine straight, so clearly, they've figured something out and are on a major roll.  They sure looked like a good team to me today.  Should be interesting! 

[nescac1]

A few Stevens tidbits:

Their coach Bobby Hurley is unrelated to the other coaching Bobby Hurleys.

Four guys in their eight man rotation are grad students (including two graduate transfers).

One of those grad transfers is from Nescac: former Wesleyan big man David Dixon, who backs up Stevens' solid big man duo.

Meanwhile, I like Wesleyan's path to the elite 8 (where an awesome RMC team potentially awaits) right now.  RPI is a solid team but its top player is injured, and it only plays seven guys, none of whom are over 6'6.  James could have a field day inside.  If it survives that test it most likely faces WPI, which it absolutely destroyed earlier this season. Of course, as we saw in the Mt Union game, anything can happen in the tourney!

[SpringSt7]

Ephs lead at half in Ohio, 36-23. The hot shooting continues--8-17 from 3 in the first half, highlighted by 4 for Declan Porter and another 2 for Alex Stoddard.

Williams is so long and yet SO disciplined defensively, especially the last few weeks. The reality is just that when they are solid and don't gamble, this Stevens team just isn't capable of scoring enough points. As long as they can continue to break the press, which Stevens will almost certainly ramp up in the second half, their halfcourt defense is too stout in this kind of game.

[jumpshot]

Williams holds on defeating Stevens 71-61 in a tough-minded win. After the first week of the season, I said the Ephs had upside, if they took care of the ball and stayed unselfish and together given their depth and quality of coaching. The upside became real in an unusually challenging season. Way to go, Ephs, good luck the rest of the way ....

[nescac1]

Congrats to the Ephs on a well-earned trip to the Sweet 16!  In the first half it seemed like the Ephs would pull away but a very young Williams team that certainly expected to win this one clearly felt the pressure of the situation in the second half, with loads of missed free throws, discombobulated offense, missed open 3's, and a few break-downs in transition defense.  Stevens was a gritty, gritty bunch who fought like heck to almost come all the way back.  Ephs definitely caught a huge break when Stevens' brutally physical center, who was killing Williams inside, hurt his ankle, and although he returned late in the game he was clearly limited.  On the other hand, I do think Stevens got away with several flops in the second half that were called offensive fouls on Williams, while when Jovan Jones actually got bulled over on the other end, he somehow was tagged with a foul.

The Ephs thankfully regained their poise late in the first half.  The shot of the game was a cold-blooded three by Jovan Jones which finally broke the Stevens momentum and gave the Ephs some breathing room.  Although the Ephs struggled with free throws most of the game, Cole Prowitt-Smith, Declan Porter, and Spencer Spivy hit some big ones down the stretch to put the game away. 

For Williams, a strong game from the three frosh.  Declan Porter leading the way with 19 points including five critical threes.  Roughley hit a big three in the second half as well.  And Evan Glatzer played stellar defense, picking up three first-half steals, and also had the prettiest play of the game with an absolutely gorgeous no-look assist.  Nate Karren struggled with foul trouble and had a rough first half, but he was critical down the stretch, grabbing some crucial offensive boards and hitting some tough shots in the pain when nothing would fall from deep for the Ephs.

Nor pretty but a great, gritty win.  Next up, Wabash or Emory!  Hopefully the Ephs will play a bit looser now that they've experienced a tight NCAA environment. 

[stlawus]

A few Stevens tidbits:

Their coach Bobby Hurley is unrelated to the other coaching Bobby Hurleys.

Four guys in their eight man rotation are grad students (including two graduate transfers).

One of those grad transfers is from Nescac: former Wesleyan big man David Dixon, who backs up Stevens' solid big man duo.

Meanwhile, I like Wesleyan's path to the elite 8 (where an awesome RMC team potentially awaits) right now.  RPI is a solid team but its top player is injured, and it only plays seven guys, none of whom are over 6'6.  James could have a field day inside.  If it survives that test it most likely faces WPI, which it absolutely destroyed earlier this season. Of course, as we saw in the Mt Union game, anything can happen in the tourney!

RPI's forwards have faced height disadvantages for most of the year.  A difference of an inch or two doesn't mean much as is, but RPI's forwards are quite athletic especially Angbazo who is an athletic freak.    RPI has played a short bench all season, but they rarely get into foul trouble and play a pack line defense that would impress Tony Bennett.   Dom Black is one of the best defenders in the country.   This game is already a tough out for Wesleyan halfway through the 1st half, and RPI will not go down easy if they get into a deficit.

[nescac1]

Great call stlawus.  I swear I was not trying to jinx Wesleyan. Heartbreaker in Middletown.  Damn.

[WPI89]

Wow.

[stlawus]

RPI gives up 57 points a game, tonight they allowed 58.  They force opponents to shoot 39% from the field, tonight Wesleyan shot 40%.  RPI played the exact type of game they wanted. 

[SpringSt7]

Always weird when of your rivals loses on really the only weekend of the year that you want them to win.

Weird play call at the end. Maccoux wouldn't have been first on my list of guys I draw that set up for, especially considering Peek had it going. But the difference was really RPI's ability to take away Jordan James, who came into the game with 8 straight games of 13 points or more and managed just 7 on 4 shots.

This is also now 3 out of the last 5 seasons that Williams has advanced the farthest of any NESCAC team in the tournament. A pretty remarkable achievement given the landscape.

[names jaismith]

Wesleyan seemed way off their game this weekend.  They won by a large margin Friday, in less than dominating fashion, but that was against a good but not great great team.  Yesterday they just gave in to RPI and played at the Engineers' pace instead of forcing a faster tempo. It looked like Wesleyan was waiting for RPI to lose rather trying to win.  The only way that RPI was going to win was if the winning score was under 65.  Don't forget also that RPI has been without by far and away their best player whose season ended sometime ago with an achilles injury.  Bottom line is Wesleyan had a great regular season and, given their talent, a really disappointing NCAA Tournament.  On the other hand, major credit to RPI for making Wesleyan play a style to which it is not well suited.

[Stretch4]

Don't normally post on NESCAC board, but really feel compelled to this morning. The level of arrogance from some of the Williams supporters on this board is ridiculous.  Guys, there is basketball played outside of the NESCAC.  I have all the respect in the world for the Williams program (and the NESCAC in general), but to talk about the victory over Stevens like Williams did Stevens a favor and let them stay in the game, then use terms like gritty to make it sound like Stevens is this scrappy little team is just wrong. Comments like Stevens can't score enough to beat Williams after they just put up 84 on Mount Union the night before are just comical.  An injury to DiPietrantonio and two absolutely horrible calls against Stevens rim protector Spellman in a span of 1 minute at the 10 minute mark of the second half were the deciding factors in the game (in my opinion).  Despite these factors it was still a tie game inside of five minutes.  Porter, Spivey and Powett-Smith are tough players no doubt, but shot 6-14, 3-8 and 2-8 respectively, not exactly cold blooded.  On top of that Williams shot 37% for the game. Credit to them for winning the game and I wish Williams luck moving forward, but definitely have work to do if they want to keep moving on in this championship.  Feel free to watch some games outside of the NESCAC ... a lot of great players and teams out there.

[dman]

I always (and I mean always) blame the refs when my team loses too!