MBB: NESCAC

[ephoops]

AmherstStudent05, I wish I could remember Williams' 2003 non-league schedule as well as you do, but I have no idea, and alas, the Sports Info archives don't go back that far, which is a shame!

https://web.archive.org/web/20041225112352/http://www.d3hoops.com/school_info.php?school=Williams&team=m&year=2003

Above is the link to Williams 2003 schedule.  I believe Hamilton (coached by Tobin Anderson) was ranked that season in addition to Amherst.  The Ephs beat Hamilton twice that season (once in the regular season and again in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 game -- both games were at home).  In 2003, Hamilton was in the Liberty League, not the NESCAC. 

[AmherstStudent05]

AmherstStudent05, I wish I could remember Williams' 2003 non-league schedule as well as you do, but I have no idea, and alas, the Sports Info archives don't go back that far, which is a shame!

https://web.archive.org/web/20041225112352/http://www.d3hoops.com/school_info.php?school=Williams&team=m&year=2003

Above is the link to Williams 2003 schedule.  I believe Hamilton (coached by Tobin Anderson) was ranked that season in addition to Amherst.  The Ephs beat Hamilton twice that season (once in the regular season and again in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 game -- both games were at home).  In 2003, Hamilton was in the Liberty League, not the NESCAC.

I took the liberty of going through all 15 d3hoops polls from 2002-03 (available here if anyone wants to double check me, https://d3hoops.com/top25/men/previous).  Hamilton was never ranked that season (although they did start getting some votes at the very end of the season).  As an aside, I was actually at that NCAA Tournament game between Williams and Hamilton in Chandler (Amherst was in that same pod against Rochester).

To be clear, I have a ton of respect for that Williams team -- a team I was fortunate enough to see play live several times (not that they need my respect, they won a national championship!). I do not want to be seen as knocking them at all.  I was just trying to point out that to the extent Williams supporters want to argue that Coach Hixon "loaded up on creampuffs" (which is not true) they should be prepared to say the same about their own vaunted teams of that era.

Whether Hamilton was ever ranked in 2002-03 or not (they don't seem to have been), you will have a hard time convincing me that that regular season schedule posted by Ephoops was materially more challenging than any schedule Hall of Famer Coach Hixon put together for his legendary teams.   

[nescac1]

(1) Impressive work by Ephoops digging up that schedule.  I'd agree with AmherstStudent05 that it looks quite underwhelming (though I certainly don't recall what those programs were like back in 2003).

(2) Amherst finally filled out its own schedule this year with might York (NY).  So overall, still a pretty awful schedule that won't tell us much about Amherst until late December.  But nevertheless I think folks are sleeping too much on this Amherst squad.  There is a massive difference between a team relying mainly on first year and sophomore players and a team dominated by guys with, now, significant experience.  Big guys especially take time and the Scherer / Randle / Vance / Tam quartet are loaded with talent and should make a huge leap collectively.  Randle in particular, there aren't any other 7 footers with his skill set floating around D3 and he is a guy who should make a much bigger impact this year.  They are still probably a year away from making any sort of national noise, but they will not be fun to play this season. 

(3) D3hoops top 25 is out -- Williams 7, Midd 24, Tufts receiving a decent number of votes, Trinity getting one vote.  Seems fair to me.  A lot of pressure on Williams this year with a loaded senior class most of whom are in year five after skipping the COVID year, and with most of the rest of the league fielding quite young teams (unlike last year when Colby, Hamilton, Tufts, Midd, Wesleyan were themselves loaded with key veterans, many in their fifth year). 

(4) Cool update on the many Ephs in basketball roles in the NBA: https://ephsports.williams.edu/news/2023/10/23/mens-basketball-now-there-are-6-former-williams-college-basketball-players-working-in-the-nba.aspx

[jumbomumbo]

Because it's almost that time - guesses on conference finish with some comments mixed in:

1. Williams - Return a lot, experienced, talented
2. Trinity - Vetter, BCG, finally have some experience in key spots
3. Middlebury - I'll buy low on Stevens and they get Williams, Trinity, Wesleyan, Amherst, Hamilton, and Conn at Home
4. Wesleyan - Nicky Johnson is the best player in the league
5. Conn College - Think the zone will still give people problems and they return a lot
6. Amherst - Like their pieces but have to see it first
7. Tufts - More returning than people realize but looks like a year of growing pains
8. Hamilton - Good group but 6 away games against the 6 best teams in the league
9. Bowdoin - Will finish higher if McGowan scores 37 a night
10. Colby - Cupboard is bare all of a sudden
11. Bates - Cupboard is still bare

I think the prevailing opinion is that Williams is the team to beat in the conference, and that the rest of the conference will be chasing them.

In terms of Tufts, I think they play a very different game this year as they've been pretty guard oriented with Thoerner and Aronson. With the depth up front this year, I think actually it will help open opportunities for Champion, Morakis, Dieterle and others since most will be keying on the bigs. Not sure about the newcomers, but Reilly was recruited by Williams according to his bio page. Excited to get things going soon.

Tufts has 4 freshman who could get significant mins on many teams in this league - Watts, Reilly, Medley and Kennelly. Agree that they will go thru bigs more, but this is still a group that can give teams fits on defense and then translate that into buckets in transition.

-jumbomumbo

[maineman]

Do practices with coaches start today or do we have to wait for Wed, 11/1?

[jumbomumbo]

Do practices with coaches start today or do we have to wait for Wed, 11/1?

practices started last sunday with coaches

-jumbomumbo

[toad22]

Williams will be dominated this year by familiar names from last year's team. Cole Prowett Smith and Nate Karren, two four year contributors, are likely to drive the team. Also, I am hopeful that two key players from two years ago will again be important contributors. Alex Stoddard, a 6'5" senior sharpshooter, who missed all of last year with bad knees, is again in the mix. Two years ago, Stoddard shot the 3 at better than 50%, including 7-8 in the three NCAA games. Also back, is junior Brandon Roughley, a talented 6'8" wing who effectively missed nearly all of last season with two serious injuries. Roughley made quite a splash in his rookie year, playing 16 minutes per game and averaging 63% shooting from two and 42% from three. These two, plus first years, Matt DeVine, a very bouncy 6'5" g/f, and Tyler VanGorp, a skilled 6'10" center, will effectively bring four additional players to an already excellent core.

My experience with potentially excellent teams is that a lot depends on injuries. Hopefully the Eph won't have a lot of serious ones like plagued them a year ago. This Eph team is very good. However, because of Covid, there are a bunch of other "super teams" across the country. Going deep in the tournament is going to be especially difficult.

[nescac1]

Here's a stab at projected starters for each NESCAC team.  I imagine there will probably be a few more FY's on this list, ultimately.  Very few seniors overall, with a lot of teams building towards the future.  An * = a senior who has another year of eligibility (at least I think they do).

Amherst:

Will Scherer, C (Jr)
Ryker Vance, F (Jr)
Mohammed Alausa, W (Sr)*
Chris Hammond, W (So)
Canin Reynolds, G (Jr)

Bates:

Devin Harris, F (Sr)*
Trace Gotham, W (Sr)*
Stephen Ward, F (Sr)*
Simon McCormick, G (Sr)*
Elliot Cravitz, G (So)

Bowdoin:

Justus Bardauskas, C (Fy)
Afamadi Achufusi, W (Jr)
Alex Halpern, G (So)
James "The GOAT" McGowan, G (Jr)
Michael Simonds, G (Sr)*

Colby:

Jack Lawson, C (Jr)
Lucas Green, W (Sr)*
Ben Kaczmarek, W (Jr)
Max Poulton, G (So)
Matt Lamy, G (Fy)

Conn College:

David Murray, C (Sr)*
Ben Rice, F (Sr)*
Elias Espinosa, W (So)
Jarron Flynn, G (Sr)*
Cam Schainfield, G (Jr) (if healthy)

Hamilton:

Owen Kane, F (Jr)
Jalen Reese, F (Fy)
Garret Keyhani, W (So)
Hank Morgan, W (Jr)
Teja Singh, G (Jr)

Middlebury:

Jackson McKersie, C (So)
David Brennan, F (Jr)
Sam Stevens, W (Jr)
Jaden Bobbett, G (Jr)
Noah Osher, G (Sr)

Trinity:

Ben Callahan-Gold, F/C (Sr)*
Dana Smith, F (Gr)
Jarrel Okorougo, W (So)
Henry Vetter, W (So)
Will Dorion, G (Jr)

Tufts:

Josh Bernstein, C (So)
Trumann Gettings, F (Jr)
Scott Gyamisi, F (So)
Casey McClaren, W (Sr)
Khai Champion, G (Jr)

Wesleyan:

Jared Langs, C (Jr)
Fritz Hauser, F (So)
Shane Regan, G (Jr)
Cole Bryant, G (Jr)
Nicky Johnson, G (Jr)

Williams:

Nate Karren, C (Sr)
Brandon Roughley, F (Jr)
Declan Porter, F (Jr)
Cole Prowitt-Smith, G (Sr)
Evan Glatzer, G (Jr)


Although most of the seniors listed have eligibility remaining, I suspect most have no options at the schools they play at due to no graduate programs, so we may see another year where a lot of NESCAC guys are playing elsewhere next year (but with far less of an impact than this year's crazily loaded transfer class).  So looking at this, Williams, Conn, and Trinity if Callahan-Gold opts not to return may well end up being the only schools that are NOT trending up after this season.  (Maybe Bates too, but since they are widely projected to finish last, there may be nowhere to go but up).  But for this season?  Just a ton of uncertainly across the league ...

If they don't return to their teams for a fifth year, the hottest commodities on the transfer market this Spring will, I suspect, be David Murray and Ben Callahan-Gold.  Pretty sizeable gap after that duo. 

[SpringSt7]

This time next Friday night there will be NESCAC basketball being played. Here's my best stab at all-conference and other smatterings of awards

POY: Nate Karren
COY: Kevin App (this is the year!)
ROY: Tristan Davis
DPOY: Will Scherer

1st Team (no order):
Nate Karren
Nicky Johnson
Max Poulton
Sam Stevens
Ben Callahan-Gold

2nd Team:
David Murray
Will Scherer
Henry Vetter
Hank Morgan
Cole Prowitt-Smith

Trinity probably not getting 2 all-leagues and a rookie of the year but I really like Davis, although I think Colby might have struck some gold with the St. Paul's duo of Lamy/Stroud down the road. I think Johnson is both the best player and the best defender in the league but Wesleyan is going to have to win the league for him to get POY most likely and I don't know that he gets the counting stats for DPOY, although he could. I'm buying a bounce back year on Stevens and think Poulton will be efficient enough and Colby will win enough games for him to sneak onto the 1st team as well.

[nescac1]

Solid picks, SpringSt7! 

I'll go with:

POY: Nate Karren
COY: Kevin App
ROY: Jalen Reese (although Tristan Davis is a good pick, Trinity needs a physical presence and that guy is a beast)
DPOY: Josh Bernstein

1st Team: (first four are easy, after that, considered six guys)
Nate Karren
Nicky Johnson
David Murray
Ben Callahan-Gold
James McGowan

2nd Team:
Sam Stevens
Henry Vetter
Teja Singh
Max Poulton
Cole Prowitt-Smith

Also considered (starts getting wildly speculative after this group):
Hank Morgan
Ryker Vance
Noah Osher

All defense:
Josh Bernstein
Evan Glatzer
David Murray
Ryker Vance
Nicky Johnson

All rookie:
Jalen Reese
Tristan Davis
Matt Lamy
Matt Devine
Justus Bardauskas

[Bucket]

Middlebury roster: https://athletics.middlebury.edu/sports/mbball/roster

[jumbomumbo]

Solid picks, SpringSt7! 

I'll go with:

POY: Nate Karren
COY: Kevin App
ROY: Jalen Reese (although Tristan Davis is a good pick, Trinity needs a physical presence and that guy is a beast)
DPOY: Josh Bernstein

1st Team: (first four are easy, after that, considered six guys)
Nate Karren
Nicky Johnson
David Murray
Ben Callahan-Gold
James McGowan

2nd Team:
Sam Stevens
Henry Vetter
Teja Singh
Max Poulton
Cole Prowitt-Smith

Also considered (starts getting wildly speculative after this group):
Hank Morgan
Ryker Vance
Noah Osher

All defense:
Josh Bernstein
Evan Glatzer
David Murray
Ryker Vance
Nicky Johnson

All rookie:
Jalen Reese
Tristan Davis
Matt Lamy
Matt Devine
Justus Bardauskas

All good players listed, but I'm afraid many are forgetting an easy one - Scott Gyimesi.

-Jumbomumbo

[nescac1]

I like Gyimesi and I figure SOMEONE from Tufts will emerge as the go-to guy, and Tufts fans would know better who that is most likely to be, although it will take a big leap to go from 5 ppg to all-conference.  Gyimesi seems as good a bet as any, he is super tough in the paint, but I assume that Gettings (who plays Gyimesi's natural position and is also quite good), Bernstein, Champion, McLaren, Dieterle, and Morakis will all get more opportunities too? 

[SpringSt7]

I agree that someone from Tufts will probably earn all-league recognition but none really popped so I played it safer elsewhere.

[nescac31hoops]

Excited to see Bowdoin open up this season against Husson and Emmanuel this coming weekend. Excited to see how the team looks and how McGowan looks with the new guys. I am expecting a huge season from James (Jimmy, Legend, MJ, Shai, Tmac) McGowan this season and this weekend should be the start of something amazing!