MBB: NESCAC

[walzy31]

"The Field" did not have odds published. They would probably be in the -500 to -600 range (1:5 to 1:6 for you horse bettors)

[amh63]

still on the road from Homecoming.  Got to talk to the coach and watch the team workout up at Amherst.  There were at least three big men from the 2007 watching, etc.  The team preview is up on the website.
I believe that there are two impact players among the newcomers.  Noon is still playing soccer.  It will be a most interesting season.   First game on Friday and will be on the web

[lefrakenstein]

I hope one of the impact players is Gach. Amherst could really use a shooter, and from reading the season preview, that's what he's supposed to be. I also hope Barrise has a big year shooting the ball. Back in the day, it seemed like everyone on the court for Amherst could always shoot the three. Last year it was just Wheeler and Barrise, and now Wheeler's gone.

Meehan, Williamson and Workman are all  effective penetrators, it would be nice if they had some shooters to kick it out to.

Also, the preview said the Toomey is a pure point. I wonder if he'll get enough run behind Meehan to compete for ROY.

[ALJ2010]

If there is a better freshman than Toomey in the NESCAC Id love to see him.  I think he and Meehan will play on the floor together some.  From what everyone is saying and judging by how he played at UMASS this summer, Id say he will get plenty of court time.

[nescac1]

Interview with Mike Crotty, who recently took charge of the Middlesex Magic hoops program:

http://newenglandprepstars.com/news-events/boys-basketball/massachusetts/mike-crotty-jr.-follows-his-fathers-legacy-and-leads-the-middlesex-magic/

[old_hooper]

You would have to think that if Toomey is as good as his resume would indicate and he picks up the system quickly, Hixon will find away for him to be on the court with Meehan at the same time.  Meehan can post up and create mismatches for anyone and they will need him to be the top scorer consistently this year for them to have success.  They really need to get more out of Waller and Barrise every game this year to get them back to the success levels of past years.  The bigs can play with anyone and and they should be much better this year.  Toomey development and progress will have a big impact on this team and could make this team very scary come Feb providing they can stay healthy.

[lefrakenstein]

I think a big difference for Amherst could be a fully healthy Jeff Holmes. He averaged basically 10 and 6 in under 20 minutes as a sophomore despite the leg issues. If he stays healthy and shows a little development, he could be a huge factor this year. I really think he would be a 15-10 guy easily if he got 30 minutes a game. I was thinking about how the minutes might look for amherst, and I came up with this:

PG: Meehan 30, Toomey 10
SG: Barrise 20, Williamson 20
SF: Waller 20 Workman 20
PF: Holmes 30, Waller 10
C: Bennett 15, Kaasila 25

That's a nine man rotation with Meehan, Waller and Holmes getting the most time. Maybe if Toomey really is that good (I had no idea he stole votes from Reggie Bullock for the NC HS POY...damn) he could stay on the floor with Meehan like old_hooper suggested and steal some minutes from Barrise, Williamson and Workman as the season progresses.

I still think the glaring weakness on the team is shooting... both from behind the arc and from the stripe.  Also, going with what old_hooper said, it would be awesome if Waller and Barrise returned to their freshman shooting forms. Barrise was a 45% shooter from long distance as a freshman and Waller shot 41%. Last year those numbers plummeted to 36% and 21%, respectively.

[nescac1]

lefrankenstein, I would guess Amherst goes smaller, with Holmes and Kaasila sharing the center position (and perhaps playing a few minutes here and there together, but generally not) and Bennett providing depth behind them in case of foul trouble, injury, etc.  Then they could do a three guard rotation of Toomey, Meehan, Barrise (no way Toomey is limited to only 10 minutes a game based on what everyone seems to be saying), and a three forward rotation of Waller (who will play a lot more than 20 mpg if healthy), Workman, Williamson, with Holmes sliding to the four when needed.  Basically, I think the minutes you assign to Bennett and a few of Kaasila's minutes will go to Toomey and Waller, who are likely going to be two of Amherst's top 3-4 guys and will, as the season goes on, see more and more time on the court.  Waller looked like star in the making his first year, injuries hurt him last year but if healthy I see no reason he can't have an all-NESCAC type season.   

The guy who could really explode either this year or next is Williamson.  Only Whittington can rival his athletic ability in the conference.  If he can become more consistent overall and improve his outside shot, he'll be very, very difficult to deal with, given his advantage in size, strength, power, and jumping ability. 

[Colby Hoops]

Totally agree about Waller.  He absolutely has the ability to be an all-league player, with his combination of size, skill, and athleticism, he has to be better than he's been.  He needs to have a big year, he's too good to be a role player.

Also Barise is solid but if Toomey is as good as advertised, then I could see him cutting into Barise's minutes.  Barise is a solid player, but he's not a game changer offensively, and he's certainly not known for his defensive prowess.

I still believe the key for Amherst is on the defensive end.  They have the athleticism and size to be a dominant defensive team, but finished 7th in scoring defense last season.  Everyone knows they can score, almost everybody on their team was a dynamic scorer in high school, but the reason they will lose games is because of their defense.  And considering their size and athleticism with players like Williamson, Waller, and Workman, they should be a dominant defensive team.

[jumpshot]

Amherst's increased emphasis on athletics is reflected in the "marquee sport" of men's basketball whose roster carries 18 players, 5 first-years, 9 of 6'6" or taller, etc. Same figures for Williams, for instance, are 13 players, 4 first-years, and 6 of 6'6" or taller. Amherst now exceeds the rosters of the teams of many other NESCAC schools in various sports, touts the prospect of at least 4 NCAA national championships this year, accepts more athletic transfers, enrolls international players in certain sports, etc. What is going on?

[amh63]

During Homecoming weekend, I had an "overdose" of preseason basketball exposure.  Friday I watched some of the men's practice sessions.  Sat. morning, during a special breakfast with alumni, I got to chat with the WBB captain as well as one of the men's BB captains.  Sunday morning, I got to speak with several of the 2007 national champion players while we watched some practice.  
Earlier, I stated that I chatted briefly with the coach and others. I wish to state now that I do not ask the coach about his team players.  If by chance, any info is provided to me, I will not post it here.  The chats are generally ones between alumni and family status.  The comments to follow are based on my observations and other observers.
I agreed with earlier posters that Amherst needs to improve on its defense and foul shooting.  In was encouraging to see the Head coach work with the guards and "small forwards" on defensive sets on one end while the "big" front court players were on the other end.  With only one guard under 6' and the rest of the players at least 6'2" up to 6'7", it is difficult to say who are small forwards.  The big guards (6'4" or bigger) are interchanged with the small forwards(6'4" up to 6'7").  All the players can handle the ball in the half-court sets.  They all are driving and shooting outside.  I believe Waller and Workman will both play the small forward position and will both be on the floor at the same time in games.  Both can drive, shoot outside, rebound and block shots inside.
With the quick guard Noon still playing soccer, the freshman from Va. was used at point guard....often driving against Meehan.  The other first year player Toomey did not participate much in the Friday sessions of half court playing, so I could not determine his quickness, playmaking, shooting.  In the full court session, he also sat out.  However in the head coach sessions on Sunday, he was in the mix of slow walk throughs.
I was on the floor on Sunday and used the time to check the size of the players vice the listed numbers.  Toomey has a slight built and is pushing 6'2", according to other watchers.  The big freshman from Fla. is legit in size and as a front court player.  He was holding his own against all the other bigs and has good footwork/moves around the net area.  He will be an impact player and surprise many teams.  He will give Amherst depth up front.

[nescac1]

Williams season preview up:

http://athletics.williams.edu/sports/mbkb/2010-11/releases/11-17-2010_Men-s_Basketball_Season_Outlook

And also the basketball preview show featuring Coach Maker:

http://willinet.org/

To sum up roughly what Maker said, he thinks the team is equally talented as last year, but obviously a lot less experienced so there could be some early growing pains.  Wang and Whittington are (to no one's surprise) going to be the focus and the key difference makers, with Harlan Dodson, Nate Robertson, James Klemm (who he described as combining the shooting of Alex Rubin with some of Blake Schultz' scoring mentality), and Brian Emerson (who he sounds very high on as ready to be a big contributor) as the other key veteran contributors.  He also noted that Jordan Mickens and Parker McClelland, who worked hard in the off-season, should see some minutes as versatile role players on the wing.  A few frosh will probably be in the rotation, but he didn't specify who that would be.  I imagine that Rooke-Ley, Epley, and Mayer all could be in the mix as all had impressive high school credentials, although given the guys ahead of him at the five Mayer may have to wait a bit.  Mayer is the tallest guy Williams has had on the roster in many years.  Both Epley and Rooke-Ley are lefties -- two of I believe four key lefties on the team, which is interesting.  

I'd guess the rotation goes something like, Whittingon at the five backed up by Emerson (and could play together at times against bigger teams, with Mayer then providing depth), Dodson and Klemm at the forwards backed up by some combination of Epley, Mickens, and McClelland, and Wang and Robertson playing the bulk of the minutes at guard, spelled by Rooke-Ley, or with Klemm sliding into the backcourt.  That is 10-11 guys and knowing Maker's preference I imagine will be whittled down to 8-9 regulars as the season progresses. 

With only 13 guys, and only four true guards on the roster, Williams is much thinner than they've been in recent years.  

One other note: according to the Williams roster, Troy Whittington is now an inch taller at 6'6.  I am guessing he didn't actually grow before his senior year, and it is just a different, err, measurement!  To be honest, I thought that even 6'5 may have been a bit generous, but his arms are so long and he can jump so high that he plays more like a 6'10 guy anyway.  

[amh63]

I read the Williams' MBB postings.  Did note the inch growth wrt to Wittingham.   Agreed, that the actual height is minor.  It is how big the player plays in the game that counts.
Talking about size, Williamson was sporting a cut over one eye during the practice sessions (maybe he hit the basket?..more likely he caught an elbow) and he appears to have grown a little and appears slimmer.
The alumni from the championship year are 2008 graduates: K. Hopkins, M. Goldsmith and B. Jones.
The rooster on the web is still listed as preliminary.  There are 18 players listed, including Noon.  One missing front court player from last year is R. Bryant, a 6'7" center who is very long and has great potential.  He was also in attendance and looked larger and taller.  He is out for the season with an ACL injury.  He was dressed for practice though.
If the coaches can get the players to play defense and overcome their foul shooting weaknesses....and gell as a team, Amherst will be dangerous by the middle of the season.  IMO, the offense will come.  I also believe it will not depend ...on the outside shots to get points ...this year.  The offense will be more of an inside game with all the tall strong players available to rebound.  Workman, Williamson, Waller, Edwards, Barrise will be more scorers than shooters.
I also believe that the Coach will have more choices to pick a llineup for a game.  I believe the best defenders...to match up with an opponent..will be the starters.
.....OR one can take the iconic F. McGuire of South Carolina approach.  He filled his team with Irish players from NYC.  During a game he would stay with the hottest shooters...or go to the bench and hope to find another hot shooter....when a player cooled off.

[walzy31]

To be honest, I thought that even 6'5 may have been a bit generous, but his arms are so long and he can jump so high that he plays more like a 6'10 guy anyway.  

Agree. Troy scares me.

[toad22]

Re Troy Whittington height: I talked to Troy at the annual Hoop Group pizza party with both M and W teams. I asked about the extra inch and found out that they measured everybody with sneakers on this time. Troy is a little over 6'6" in sneakers.