MBB: NESCAC

[ECSUalum]

Elms beat Amherst tonight 88-79.  WOW!!!

[Hugenerd]

Box score:

http://athletics.elms.edu/sports/mbkb/2009-10/stats/ecm05.htm

I know this will be the point of discussion: the free throw attempts really jump out at you.  45 Fts for Elms compared to 13 for Amherst.  Amherst shot 53% from the field, Elms only shot 40%, but they were +25 points at the FT line to pull out the win.  Amherst was +16 points in the paint but still shot 32 less FTs.  Amherst never lead.

[walzy31]

Tough loss for Amherst. On the bright side it looked like a coming out game for Williamson and it was a loss to a nationally ranked opponent.

Tomorrow is a must win for the Jeffs and will not be an easy game.

Amherst -1.5 Vs. Springfield @ Elms
Over/Under: 141.5

[walzy31]

Amherst -5.5 @ Elms
Over/Under: 172.5

Amherst -5.5 @ Elms (Elms Cover +14.5)
Over/Under: 172.5 (Under -5.5)

[Hugenerd]

Tough loss for Amherst. On the bright side it looked like a coming out game for Williamson and it was a loss to a nationally ranked opponent.

Tomorrow is a must win for the Jeffs and will not be an easy game.

Amherst -1.5 Vs. Springfield @ Elms
Over/Under: 141.5

I think Amherst easily covers that spread, as well as the over.

[Hugenerd]

Anyone know why Waller only played 8 minutes and Bennett only played 5 minutes (both started)?

I also looked at the FT count a bit closer.  19 of Elms 45 FTs were in the last 3 minutes (if my count is correct), when it appears Amherst was fouling intentially to put Elms on the line.  So in reality the FT disparity was only 26-13, which is a lot more reasonable.

[FISHERMAN]

nescac1
.......RIC is only having a down year in terms of their record (3-3) but are still very talented with Gray, Mason Choice, and the URI transfer Grimes. RIC's record is misleading with losses to Bridgewater state by 2, Colby obviously, and Roger Williams by 2. I wouldnt be surprised to see the RIC win be a substantial feather in Colby's cap come seasons end.

I agree wholeheartedly with Muletrain. RIC, as usual, has a top-notch squad stocked with under-recruited RI and SE Mass gamers. Sleep on the Anchormen at your own peril. The Mules are lucky that Antone Gray never got it going in their match-up or the result would have been different. When the former St. Ray's standout gets hot......look out. The bigs for the Mules are also lucky they didn't end up in the hospital after facing the sharp-elbowed Carl Lee (Toll Gate Athletic HOF). Even in these tough economic times, Lee has a full-time job cleaning the glass. It really is a shame that Bob Walsh is the RIC coach. He's a mental midget (and maybe an actual midget) who road Tim Welsch's coat-tails at PC (which is embarrassing in and of its self).

As for the NESCAC.......it's the Mules year, they have the perfect mixture of ME public school role players and the typical ISL elite talent.

[tuftsalumni]

            Tufts cruising over Babson up 58-34 with 8 minutes to play - Babson looks like a high school team and the real test will come tomorrow for the Jumbos when the play a tough Brandeis team. Will be interested to see what the game plan will be against a beast of a guy like Hollins. I don't see Shelly beating his old pal  Meehan at Brandeis this year.

(Brandeis -9 @ Tufts)

(Over/Under 142.5)


Line Subject To Change.

[Hugenerd]

Tough loss for Amherst. On the bright side it looked like a coming out game for Williamson and it was a loss to a nationally ranked opponent.

Tomorrow is a must win for the Jeffs and will not be an easy game.

Amherst -1.5 Vs. Springfield @ Elms
Over/Under: 141.5

I think Amherst easily covers that spread, as well as the over.

Good line on the over under, as they score a combined 141.  Amherst in a route 80-61.

[Old Guy]

Middlebury in another romp today, 76-58 over Union: led by 30 halfway through the second half. No player played more than 22 minutes. Edwards came off the bench and played for the first time. He looked good in 13 minutes - 2-2 from the floor (one a three pointer).

This year's team has terrific balance. Last year Ben Rudin dominated the offense with great results. He controlled the game. Today, Wolfin had 13 points, Sharry 12, Thompson 11, Wholey 9, Locke 8, Davis & Edwards 6. This scoring balance reflects season averages (Sharry 14, Wolfin 12, Wholey 12, Thompson 10, Locke 8, Davis 7). This team is really fun to watch - lots of dunks and blocks - playing an uptempo game with great rebounding and creative offensive players.

Finals now, then the holidays. We'll be tested after the break with RPI away on 12/30, and then Hamilton and Plattsburgh at home on 1/2 and 1/5.  We'll see.

[Old Guy]

"Anyone know why Waller only played 8 minutes and Bennett only played 5 minutes (both started)?"

Midd hoop alum who caught the Amherst-Elms game said that Waller spent the second half with ice on his knee and ankle. Meehan kept the Jeffs in the game - terrific. Kaasila, Williamson - very impressive.

[nescac1]

Impressive day for NESCAC, going 9-0 in the aggregate, with eight of the nine wins blow-outs.  I seriously doubt we'll see only two NESCAC squads in the NCAA's again this year, with three schools still undefeated and two others (Amherst and Bowdoin) likely to post gaudy win totals as well.  Hard to measure those top five until they start playing each other, or at least start playing some better teams.  Even Tufts is showing signs of life after changing to a smaller starting line-up. 

Williams' eye-popping offensive numbers continue, running up 111 on Vassar (with only ONE guy in double figures), and it could have been worse but for extended garbage time.  The Ephs are averaging 95 ppg at this point.  Vassar is obviously pretty awful, but Schultz' stat line from that game is hard to accomplish against air: 34 points in only 19 minutes, on 13 fga.  The Ephs play two more games against uninspiring competition before the break, and hopefully they'll continue to take care of business.  They are likely to play Randolph-Macon, which looks like a possible final four team (killing everybody they play from D-3, and with a win against D-1 American) on RM's home court in late December, which, along with Amherst in early January, will give a better barometer than the outmanned teams the Ephs have been beating up on.

With Elms, Amherst, Bridgewater State (who never had any business in the top 25 to begin with) and WPI all losing, hopefully the Ephs can crack the top 25 this week.  They really should be ranked above Brandeis, who hasn't looked all that great.  Brandeis has one lost and exactly zero impressive wins.  Brandeis beat Salem by 15, and the Ephs beat them by 30.  Brandeis beat Vassar by 27, the Ephs beat them by 37.  Brandeis barely eeked out wins over Clark and Framingham.  They only really play seven guys, none of whom are exactly all-Americans. 

[FISHERMAN]

Mark my words, Peter Kaasila will be an upper-echelon bigman in the NESCAC for the next four years. You name it, he can do it. High basketball IQ, finishes around the hoop, strong rotation defender, decent at protecting the rim, Jamal Magloire-esque pick setter, plays with a mean streak, doesn't turn the ball over and has tremendous experience having playes elite HS hoops. Too bad the NESCAC is Colby's league this year. Kaasila is a winner nonetheless.

[Pat Coleman]

You might get some traction on the Salem State score, but Vassar, really? They're both blowouts. I don't think anyone is impressed by 37 points rather than 27.

[frank uible]

Them Williams jerks always exaggerate their college's infrequent successes.