MBB: NESCAC

[names jaismith]

Here are some likely way off predictions for this week's games
Wiliams 75  Colby 62
Midd 82  Bowdoin 64
Tufts 74 Amherst 63
Hamilton 72 Bates 68
Trinity 73 Conn 60
Williams 79  Bowdoin 59
Tufts 72  Hamilton 66
Midd 80  Colby 73
Amherst 76 Bates 64
Wesleyan 72 Conn 62

[SpringSt7]

A great, great game has broken out at Chandler Gymnasium. Colby and Max Poulton going berserk in the second half and the shorthanded Ephs trying to grit it out and figure it out. Really fun.

[SpringSt7]

Williams holds on to win a phenomenal game that was much closer than the final scoreline indicated. Colby led by as many as 7 with 12 minutes left and Williams looked like a much lesser version of itself offensively down Roughley and an ill Cole Prowitt-Smith. Defensively they were fine but Max Poulton was absolutely on fire, scoring I believe 19 of his 27 points in the second half. Colby fought hard and got some great contributions off the bench but was unable to overcome off shooting nights from Will King and Noah Tyson.

For Williams, it was the Spencer Spivy show, in my opinion the best game of his career. 20 points on 9 shots, but 13 of those came in the last 10 minutes of the game, and he didn't miss, punctuated by without a doubt the best dunk he's ever had, thundering down the lane with two feet. He played like a senior tonight.

Evan Glatzer added a career high 13 points that was much needed, many of those also coming down the stretch. His aggression will continue to be needed going to the hoop as long as they are short handed. Declan Porter added 16 on 8 shots, his efficiency is just truly remarkable, some games you barely even notice he is out there and yet he leads the team in scoring.

A chance for the Ephs to sweep a home weekend and move to 3-1 with a win over Bowdoin tomorrow. They have not played their best basketball to open league play but the hope is that this invaluable experience for their younger rotation guys is something that can make the difference when they are all hopefully healthy and together again for February and into March

[middhoops]

Conn College comes back in the second half and beats Trinity.  The Camels travel to Wesleyan this week in a game definitely worth watching.
Sure is nice to see the CC program competing so well in the conference.

[nescac1]

Spivy had the best overall game of any Eph this year and boy did they need it.  He did an awesome job on Will King and I think switched on Poulton for a bit to help slow him down when he was on fire.  SpringSt already covered his offense today.  Spivy I believe is over 60 percent from 2 for the season. He's just totally transformed his body and game from an underclassman who was parked at the three point line to a senior who relentlessly attacks the rim and finishes skillfully and on-balance, often through contact. 

The Ephs shot over 60 percent with only 5 assists on the day - not a typical Williams strategy but App stuck with what was working which was relentless drives to the rim against a small team with little rim protection.  Almost every two point bucket seemed to come off the bounce, in the paint. 

Really fun game and seemed like a great crowd in Chandler.  The Ephs really need the role guys to keep stepping up with the lineup a bit thin on scorers right now. 

As for Colby, what a game for Poulton.  You can't let that dude get going as he is a rhythm shooter with a lightning quick release who needs little room to rise and fire.  The Ephs lost track of him early in the second half for a few easy ones and then he was feeling it hitting with dudes right in his face.  King was tough as always but the Ephs were all over him and made him really work for his points and assists. 

[Old Guy]

Really fun game at Middlebury tonight. Midd led from the opening tip and defeated Bowdoin 80-60 (48-24 at the half). Bowdoin is raw, but they're young and big (big enough anyway). Maybe next year or the year after. Williams will beat 'em by a lot. They have an exciting player in guard Jaylen Hill, who is truly small, 5-5 (maybe), but is quicksilver and game. Young Guy suggested that Flaks (5'9") should have posted him up.

Highlight of the night was Alex Sobel's 1000th point (in less than three full seasons). He got it on an offensive goaltending call on a foul shot, pretty unusual. His parents and grandparents were there (parents are Midd alums). The game was stopped to acknowledge the milestone: nice moment. Sobel's line: 12 points (2-5 FG, 8-12 FT, 8 boards, 6 assists, 4 blocks). Note the assists: he has nearly twice as many as the next Midd player this season (Osher 27). Midd runs their offense through him; he has his hands on the ball all the time, at the high post and low. Today, just 5 shots in 26 minutes. Unselfish, no apparent inclination in padding his stats. Bowdoin's defensive strategy was interesting: they committed 20 fouls and I bet 15 were committed guarding Alex. They doubled-teamed him and hacked him. He remained poised, hit his foul shots, found the open man.

Good sign tonight was in the shooting. Midd will struggle if Osher and Stevens don't hit their outside shots. Midd is 10th in the league in 3 pt shooting. Tonight — 12-24. Much better. Goldman came off the bench and hit three long ones. Stevens led all scorers with 14 points (3-6 from three); also had 8 rebounds and played a strong floor game). He's so important. Frosh big guys McKersie (12 minutes) and Witherington (two hoops, including a three, in 7 minutes) had nice games, looked at home out there.

It's Alumni Hoop Weekend and so many really wonderful players are back from 10+ years ago (Ryan Sharry, Nolan Thompson, Peter Lynch, Ryan Wholly, Jamal Davis, Tim Edwards, Mike
Walsh, others) and more recently (Matt St Amour, Jack Daly, Jack Farrell, Griffin Kornaker, Max Bosco, Matt Folger, Hillal Dahleh, Ryan Cahill, others). Many others will arrive tomorrow. The alumni game will be spectacular fun, with perhaps three or four teams in a round-robin format. I'm so excited I may have to suit up! (I will come to my senses: the last time I played in the alumni game was in the 1990 and I was too old then!).

Colby (12-4) comes in tomorrow. Williams had its hands full tonight with the Mules (79-70), so it should be a good battle. Big enthusiastic crowd tonight at Pepin (estimate "767"). People glad to finally see the Midd road warriors. Should be jumping tomorrow afternoon. NESCAC hoop!

[JEFFFAN]

To quote the football coach, Dennis Green, about Amherst:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw5UWqpcsDs

... they are what we thought they were!!

[ronk]

To quote the football coach, Dennis Green, about Amherst:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw5UWqpcsDs

... they are what we thought they were!!

Green was a contemporary of mine, starring at the rival high school 3 blocks away. As a warmup before the game at their place, our football team would walk from our school locker room to their field. 

[Conts Fan]

Man, the Williams/Bowdoin broadcast is a tough listen.

[jumpshot]

Hey Ephs, please get well, healed, and rested. You've been playing hard for almost five months, and it shows in fatigue, turnovers, walking the ball up the court, defensive errors on pick and roll, back door cuts. You are a great group, take care of yourselves during Winter Study.

[JEFFFAN]

Not that I think it matters long term, but do any Lord Jeff fans know anything about Mohammed Alausa?  Pretty much a thin sub over his career but he had a monster game today.   Seemed to come out of nowhere.

[Painter66]

As a Midd guy on Alumni weekend, good to see that we took care of business and actually looked good doing it. Next week is a big deal for this team. First is Keene on Monday at Keene. Neither team ducks each other in good years or bad, and this is the best Keene team in a long time. Next, on to Williams for the second straight year at their place. It speaks for itself, as it will mean a lot in terms of NESCAC and RR. Both games are huge, but Williams is more important. The good news is that Middlebury is playing well and healthy. We also tend to be overlooked a bit. But we are 13-2, and last I looked, Alex plays for us. Interesting week ahead.

[names jaismith]

Saw the Conn Wesleyan game in Middletown.  Wesleyan's shooting from 3 gave them a late first half cushion they used to hold off Conn at the end.
Wesleyan deserved the win but Conn deserves credit for their tenacity and refusal to go away. As a side note if I was choosing sides for an all-star conference team and and I had first pick, I'd take Nicky Johnson every time (all due respect to Sobel and so many other fine players).  No other team has anyone like him, not even close.

[Old Guy]

Just a great weekend at Middlebury. I'm blissed out and I have a life: I read books, talk politics, go to plays, hang out with my grandchildren (who seem to like me).

Most important, two NESCAC wins. The Colby game yesterday was terrific. Young Girl II called it "fiercely contested," and that's apt. Colby is a good team playing a stretch of formidable NESCAC opponents. Midd got off to a fast 10-2 start, led by as many as 12 in the first half, up 8 at the break (36-28), and went ahead 13 at one point in the second half, . . . but it was 66-61 with 1:47 left. Midd closed it out 6-2. Colby played with urgency throughout. Tough game. Good win! Big animated crowd. Box score cited attendance at 767. I'm not sure who comes up with that precise number — do they count noses? Pepin was 3/4 full. Very exciting game. Great to have the boys at home.

Stevens did a very good job on Poulton, holding him to 12 points (4-12 FG/3-7 from three). Will King played hard and well. He's a handful. Midd was great defensively, man-to-man, the whole way. Brennan had a Brennan double-double (11 pts 10 boards). Nash Goldman came off the bench and hit two big threes when Colby went to a 3-2 zone. Evan Flax really ups the tempo when he comes in, pushes it relentlessly, and doesn't mind shooting the ball.

Midd, as has become customary, led in rebounds, 37-25, and made 19-20 free throws (Sobel went 5-6, had the only miss). That helps. Stevens was 4-4 and Osher 5-5: they're ice. Neither team shot well from three, but there weren't many open shots. Sobel had seven blocks! and prevented anyone getting to the hoop. He only took 9 shots (5-9) for 15 points with 8 rebounds.

The alumni game Saturday morning was a delight. Not a lot of hoopla. Over 20 returnees: the old guys (2008-2014) played the younger guys (2018-2021). No refs (call your own), no unies: really high level pickup. I feared that the older guys (who included Ryan Sharry, Tim Edwards, Nolan Thompson, Peter Lynch, and other stalwarts in their mid-30s) were overmatched against these kids (Matt St. Amour, Matt Folger, Jack Farrell, Jack Daly, Max Bosco, Griffin Kornaker et al), but they prevailed 80-53. Tim Edwards, Midd '10, was easily the premier etoile, much to delight of the assembled current Midd players, hitting 8-10 three point shots. each one farther out. En fuego. Edwards, some may recall, was a defensive player, winning the DPOY a couple times. He played in Germany for a time after he graduated; he's clearly still playing somewhere now in his mid-30s (I didn't get a chance to speak to him at length). The young guys were hampered by a full 13 player roster. Hard to parcel out the minutes.

I regretted missing the Saturday night dinner, but I had an even higher priority: a birthday party (mine!) with family (three of my adult kids and grandchildren). Pretty damn good weekend.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Glad to hear it, Old Guy.  I'll be there in person for the Bates/Tufts weekend.  My grandmother died in December and I need to pick up some furniture we're blessed to inherit. I figured I'd time the trip to also get some good basketball! Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces. I haven't been to Middlebury since Jan 2020, right before it all went down!