MBB: NESCAC

[NY Hoopster]

fpc85

Not a fair question, so I'll pass. Choice matches up in size with the guys that are listed as g/f on the Amherst roster, not the guys in the F/C categories, so a comparison based on "Who would you take" isn't fair to him. Are we looking to fill a center slot from scratch, or a g/f slot? The comparisons to the centers is not fair to Amherst, since they play 20 minutes a game or less, and you would have to speculate to decide if they would get into the top 10 rebounders and scorers if they got more time. I don't like to do the head to head comparison thing generally because it usually can't be done without denigrating some specific student athlete's talent.

LaVerdad;

I'm not calling the game a toss-up; the proper spread is the difference in the score the last time they faced each other-6 pts. , and I meant that I didn't see that much had changed since then to cause anyone (read Former Polar Bear) to up that spread. I then made a rather pedestrian comment by which I meant that any game with that close a spread may be determined by who has the hot hand.

[golflax99]

The Williams @ Middlebury game tomorrow will be very intense and will probably go down to the wire. A couple things I think some people are forgetting about Middlebury though.

-When they played @ Williams, they were without leading scorer Andrew Harris.

-Aaron smith who averages over 13 points and 8 boards a game got into foul trouble
early and only ended up with 5 points and 1 rebound in 20 minutes.

It should be interesting to see if Williams goes at Middlebury's big men early again. I  think the Geoghegan vs. Smith/Walsh will be the game changer. Middlebury has struggled at home lately, but I think they will step it up with thier NESCAC Title hopes on the line....

GO MIDD!

[Hahaha]

Ok here are the lines for the weekend.... anybody wanna take them feel free, they will be closer then Walzy or his lover

Colby @ Amherst (-14 1/2)

Williams @ MIddlebury (-7 1/2)

Bates @ Bowdoin (-3)

Conn. College @ Trinity (Pick Em)



Eat a Sack the rest of you posters

[formerbant10]

Where is formerBant? I want a piece of him.

Sorry my man, been worrying about my own games the past couple weeks.

I think Conn could give the Bants a game.  Stone needs to have an even better game this time through.  However, if Trin shoots the ball well from the perimeter (Hasiuk, Ford, McDougall, Rowe) than they could run away with the game.  I hope that CC brings some fans and gets the atmosphere back to where it was in years past.

[fpc85]

fpc85

Not a fair question, so I'll pass. Choice matches up in size with the guys that are listed as g/f on the Amherst roster, not the guys in the F/C categories, so a comparison based on "Who would you take" isn't fair to him. Are we looking to fill a center slot from scratch, or a g/f slot? The comparisons to the centers is not fair to Amherst, since they play 20 minutes a game or less, and you would have to speculate to decide if they would get into the top 10 rebounders and scorers if they got more time. I don't like to do the head to head comparison thing generally because it usually can't be done without denigrating some specific student athlete's talent.

LaVerdad;

I'm not calling the game a toss-up; the proper spread is the difference in the score the last time they faced each other-6 pts. , and I meant that I didn't see that much had changed since then to cause anyone (read Former Polar Bear) to up that spread. I then made a rather pedestrian comment by which I meant that any game with that close a spread may be determined by who has the hot hand.

you are right it isn't a very fair question. sorry to put you on the spot. extrapolating numbers leads to very complicated questions. i did think choice played like a big...but you know better than I do. i am looking forward to seeing him play.

[Denton]

IL4T - Love the pun

"Bowdoin has a decent shot if they get through their maine rival"

I do think there is truth in that (maine rival).  Bates gets into Bowdoin's head.  The teams know each other and 30 min down Rt 196 is not very far away.  Much more of a rivalry than even Colby in the the CBB.

Last saturday at half time when the teams had already gone to the locker rooms the coaches had a few more "questions" for the refs.  Next thing you know they were "discussing" the finer points of coaching between themselves... and their teams were no where around.   

This will be the highest energy game of the weekend.  Further the Bates/Bowdoin women will be banging it out just before the men tomorrow.

[FormerPolarBear]

Denton, no worries, Bowdoin is going to handle Bates tomorrow.  Its a great rivalry, but this year is Bowdoin's year and Im taking the trip to Brunswick to watch the Polar Bears pull out the victory.

[baseballguy]

I love the NESCAC Tourney.  Because they do not have double round robin scheduling during the season, this tournament proves who the real teams that are at the top of the league.  Great Tournament. 

[walzy31]

Predictions

Amherst 72- Colby 58

Trinity 62- Conn 59

Bowdoin 64- Bates 57

Williams 78- Middlebury- 73

Former PBear,

What kind of degenerate are you making spreads because that is all you spend your time doing? Get a life. I didn't belong on the crazy team!!!!

Seriously though. I actually like your lines. I would bump Trin to a 6 or 7 point favorite, and keep the rest.

[eclinchy]

Seriously though. I actually like your lines. I would bump Trin to a 6 or 7 point favorite, and keep the rest.

Seriously?

Attention any and all... my email's in my profile.  Let me know how much money you're willing to put on Williams -5 at Middlebury.

[Pat Coleman]

Hey, uhm, I know this is made in jest but other people reading this might not know. No actual gambling, please.

[nescac1]

Close game until mid-way through the second half and then Midd just totally pulled away, now up by about 20.  Ephs plagued by turnovers and did not get the second chance points they usually get.   Midd shooting the light out, 9-13 from 3.  Schultz with a strong game for the Ephs but no one else terribly effective on offense.  Looks like no miracle repeat of last year's run.  Congrats to Midd on a stellar performance following a shaky end to the regular season. 

Obviously this team had a tough and unexpected end to the season.  Maybe they will play better next year with lower expectations.  Weisbrot, Rose and Shalvoy gave a lot to the program over the last four years, it's a shame they couldn't go out on a high note.  But Williams does have a lot of young talent and I expect them to surprise some folks next year as guys like Geoghegan, Whittington, Schultz and Dodson continue to develop and some other guys like Rubin and Hardy get more of a chance to contribute.  Schultz returned to form late in the season, and Whittington and Dodson showed a lot of potential for frosh big guys.  Geoghegan needs to become more consistent but was dominant at times this year.   If the incoming frosh Wells can be an impact guy at point, Williams still has a lot of talent at the other positions, the question is will the bitter taste from the end of this year lead to a lot of improvement in the off season?  And will Paulsen adjust his philosophy witih a very different style of team (not so many shooters, but bigger and more athletic). 

[golflax99]

The Williams @ Middlebury game tomorrow will be very intense and will probably go down to the wire. A couple things I think some people are forgetting about Middlebury though.

-When they played @ Williams, they were without leading scorer Andrew Harris.

-Aaron smith who averages over 13 points and 8 boards a game got into foul trouble
early and only ended up with 5 points and 1 rebound in 20 minutes.

It should be interesting to see if Williams goes at Middlebury's big men early again. I  think the Geoghegan vs. Smith/Walsh will be the game changer. Middlebury has struggled at home lately, but I think they will step it up with thier NESCAC Title hopes on the line....

GO MIDD!

Smith and Harris prove to be too much for the Ephs as they combine for 32 points just dominating Williams 96-59 as Middlebury shoots 75% from the arc and are just looking unstoppable right now.

[speedy]

Bowdoin has a huge lead at the half over Bates - 41-18 - with Hippert hot enough (21 pts) to have outscored the entire Bates team . .

[daoustian]

Amherst is leading Colby 56-45 with 13 minutes to play in the second half.  However, Adam Choice has more points than anyone on the Amherst team, so clearly he must be better than anyone Amherst has.  NESCAC POTY, here he comes. 

(note: hopefully the karma gods won't burn me as I write that with some ridiculous Choice-sparked comeback to knock Amherst out)