MBB: NESCAC

SpringSt7 · December 23, 2024, 04:36:49 PM

How many times have kids really truly turned down a D1 opportunity to go D3? Like full blown full court press, took an official vist, the whole thing, etc. Offers do not mean recruitment anymore and we need to stop pretending that it does. It is a nice story and I understand why we as D3 fans do it but it never really happens ever

stlawus · December 23, 2024, 05:35:45 PM

Quote from: SpringSt7 on December 23, 2024, 04:36:49 PMHow many times have kids really truly turned down a D1 opportunity to go D3? Like full blown full court press, took an official vist, the whole thing, etc. Offers do not mean recruitment anymore and we need to stop pretending that it does. It is a nice story and I understand why we as D3 fans do it but it never really happens ever

Just look no further than Fagbemi. Transferred from Hopkins to Central Arkansas. If a player has a legit opportunity for playing time at the scholarship level they are going to take it, even if the academic institution is a "step down" in the eyes of some. Albany also has a pretty solid program right now, I have a very hard time imagining someone turning down the chance to play there if they were offered an opportunity to play.

There are countless examples of players getting courtesy offers so a player can say they played d1, but in almost all cases they are walk on offers.

Conts Fan · December 24, 2024, 04:06:44 PM

I have no knowledge at all about Nieves' decision process or offers he may have received, but I am sure there are countless basketball players every year who are seduced by the idea of going D1, get there and are bit players for their career, and regret not going D3 and getting big minutes.

D3BBALL · December 26, 2024, 07:20:25 PM

No way Albany is in the same league academically than Tufts, it's not close. Don't know enough about San Diego. On offers, some may just to be a walk on. Going to a NESCAC school long term is way better than many D1 schools especially when 99% have no chance of continuing their bball career after college.

stlawus · December 26, 2024, 08:58:53 PM

Nobody said Albany is in the same league academically as Tufts.

nescac1 · December 29, 2024, 05:09:44 PM

Williams plays its typical ugly first game after holiday break but survives in OT. Alex Lee was spectacular, and Yates and Cooley both had solid two-way games including big moments late, but the rest of the team (especially the frontcourt) had a day to forget. Missing the first four FTAs (including two front ends) in OT kind of summed up how things were going until Cooley clinched it late.

The Eph starting five this game - featuring four reluctant outside shooters - just doesn't have enough shooting as the Ephs (other than a few from Cooley) couldn't hit an open corner three, and they had plenty of open looks when they weren't turning it over against the high trap (which they also did a lot).

But it was the inside game that was curiously non-existent for Williams. Tomorrow could get ugly very fast if a tired Ephs squad isn't back to its usual (really better than usual against a team that can score like NYU) level of efficiency in the paint.

Kudos to App protégés Phillips and Kosinsky. Kenyon is a very hard luck 1-9 with a lot of close losses but they played hard and very smart and have a nice FY class. They are going to turn that program around soon.

jumbomumbo · December 30, 2024, 03:48:20 PM

Tufts Nichols tip off in 20 mins... Linton looking to get his first win over his old program after dropping one at home 3 years ago. Tufts beat a real solid team and program in Clark 87-61, behind 27 from Morakis and 17 from Gyimesi. Tufts last three games against solid competition include a combined +61 point differential vs Rochester, Brandeis, and Clark. This was around the point in season last year where the team (with a very similar record against strong opponents) dropped a few games. Excited to see how the group responds

jumpshot · December 30, 2024, 03:55:51 PM

Williams plays a dismal first half versus a good NYU team, trailing 45-27. Ephs characterized by poor shooting, inconsistent defense (particularly against three pointers), soft interior play, numerous turnovers, casual rebounding. Not much else to say ....

nescac1 · December 30, 2024, 04:01:35 PM

Williams getting blown out by NYU, as NYU looks like a legit top ten team who can compete with anyone, whereas this looks like the weakest overall Williams team since at least the 2019-20 season. The Ephs don't have many creators on offense, don't have many shooters, and have very little rim protection, which isn't a great recipe for success. But I thought the perimeter defense would be good enough to keep them a bit more competitive against a team like NYU and that didn't really show up in the first half - 45 points is the most any Eph squad has given up in a half since the COVID-decimated roster played at a huge disadvantage in 21-22. It just seems like the Ephs don't have the firepower to hang with an offensive juggernaut like NYU and unless the shooters coming back soon make a huge difference or the frosh take a big in-season leap, it's hard to see an answer.

Williams had no one who could guard Tristan How inside or out - he's the most complete player Williams has faced this season and looks like a sure-fire all-American to me. But what really killed the Ephs was all the open NYU threes coming off ball movement, those are shots that Williams simply can't afford to give up. The Ephs also had a tough time defending in transition for the second straight game.

Roughley and Rein had nice bounce-back halves after tough outings against Kenyon, and Lee continues to play well as at times the only guy who can create his own shot for Williams, but that trio didn't get much help.

deiscanton · December 30, 2024, 04:04:23 PM

Just watched the Brandeis at Middlebury game. While, as a Brandeis fan, I am glad to see the Judges get their first true road win of the season, (and a big one for the NPI after Tufts held serve in the UAA-NESCAC challenge a few weeks ago with wins over 'Deis and Rochester), apparently Cwalina of Middlebury sprained his ankle in the loss today. NSN Broadcast said that the ankle was heavily taped. I hope that Cwalina makes a speedy recovery.

jumpshot · December 30, 2024, 04:52:49 PM

Ephs rebuilding starts now looking to the future ....

nescac1 · December 30, 2024, 06:05:27 PM

Rough day so far for NESCAC with Williams getting dominated by NYU, Middlebury suffering its third straight loss and potentially losing Cwalina to an injury, and Tufts getting upset by an undersized, 3-6 Nichols team playing without two starters. Tufts can flat dominate teams inside the paint (today won points in the paint 50-30) but clearly the lack of outside shooting is the team's Achilles' heel ... against the better defensive teams, the outside shots just aren't falling: only 6-20 in the loss to WPI and a brutal 3-20 today.

Right now, Trinity and Wesleyan look like the class of the league, Hamilton and Tufts are probably in the next tier, and after that, it feels pretty wide open, and probably anyone from 5-11 can beat anyone else on any given day. I still have hopes that Williams can play its way into the second tier, but this weekend, the Ephs did not look like a team that's as of now better than the middle of the pack in NESCAC.

jumbomumbo · December 31, 2024, 08:26:20 AM

I watched the Tufts Nichols game... Nichols got out to an early lead, Tufts never got going besides a last second comeback which fell short. One bright spot from my vantage point was Jumbos sophomore Liam Kennelly. 5 points, 6 steals, 3 assists in 28 mins. Kid just has fun out there and literally pisses opposing teams off because he plays with a smile on his face. Always a spark off the bench.

Nichols has some players. Tufts first 10 points to start the game were all from right in front of the rim with baskets from Gyimesi, Stewart, and Bernstein. Wish they kept feeding it into the post. There's plenty of season left and a 2-0 road trip against Yeshiva and Widener would be nice, but this one will sting. Hopefully a lesson that if you drop too many of these types of games, you don't make the tournament.

jumbomumbo · December 31, 2024, 08:28:07 AM

On a side note, I always love seeing these Williams posts. I swear the game stories all sound so similar even going back to 2019. Always some injuries, always some drama, and about 25% of the time are these boards satisfied by the Ephs level of play. It's awesome

toad22 · December 31, 2024, 06:54:32 PM

Quote from: jumbomumbo on December 31, 2024, 08:28:07 AMOn a side note, I always love seeing these Williams posts. I swear the game stories all sound so similar even going back to 2019. Always some injuries, always some drama, and about 25% of the time are these boards satisfied by the Ephs level of play. It's awesome

I have no idea what the above quote means. Are Williams posters too tough on their team? Do they need to be more rah rah about Williams? Are they letting the team off the hook too easily, making excuses - "Always some injuries"? I really don't understand with this post means other than it sounds vaguely derogatory toward Williams posters, and maybe the team.