MBB: NESCAC

[lefrakenstein]

For those it may concern, there is a NESCAC-related error in the front page story about the Hamline/St. Thomas game.

The article says that Coast Guard lost to their cross-town rivals the Conn. College Bantams, but CC's mascot is actually the Camels. Trinity (Conn.) are the Bantams.

[nescac1]

Looking forward to the new all-crazy nominees, Walzy.  

New top 25 out -- Williams, Middlebury and Amherst all closely bunched between 5 and 9.  With St. Thomas losing last night, all three should move up if they take care of business this week.  Have three NESCAC teams ever been in the top 10 simultaneously before?  I would be surprised, considering that there are in most years two (at most) elite NESCAC teams, with the rest substantially behind.  

Bowdoin is knocking on the door, at 31.  The PB's have three very winnable home games this week -- given the struggles of the bottom of the top 25, a three win week could very well vault them into the poll.  Have four NESCAC teams ever been in the top 25 together?  Again, I don't think so.  If Bowdoin continues to play well and maybe steals a win at home over either Midd or Williams, there is a very good opportunity for NESCAC to get four teams into the tourney this year (I'd be stunned if NESCAC finished with fewer than three), considering that the LEC teams keep knocking each other around, MIT has fallen out of contention for an at-large, and Brandeis just picked up two losses and still has to play Amherst and the rest of its UAA schedule.  

Crazy-good stat line for Amherst recruit Mussachia this weekend, 26 points, 34 boards (!), 7 assists.  Even in a small-school league, that is insane.  Sounds like he will be an instant impact forward off the bench for the Jeffs next year:

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/klWWMCI0EeCGDwAcxJSkrA/bad-break-doesnt-hurt-woburn-girls-in-massachusetts.htm

[Pat Coleman]

For those it may concern, there is a NESCAC-related error in the front page story about the Hamline/St. Thomas game.

The article says that Coast Guard lost to their cross-town rivals the Conn. College Bantams, but CC's mascot is actually the Camels. Trinity (Conn.) are the Bantams.

Email is a better way to report errors -- those reach me. Message board posts just sit here and hope I stop by, which is not the first priority.

[amh63]

It seems the NE weather is impacting sports again.  The Babson-Bowdoin game has been canceled...not postponed.

Walzy, enjoyed your "insider" comments on the topic of Faculty-athlete communications.  You are correct that the Amherst AD did not bring the program to Amherst.  However, I am sure that she more than enhanced the program and made changes where changes were needed.  The key to your comments, IMO, on shortcomings you found, was the word "assigned".  In the Midd program (thanks Old Guy) the key word is "Volunteers".  Both sides must want to work at it.  In the recent push on college campus to participate in the community, many teachers, staff, coaches and students have become involved.  The Amherst program also involves the students to engage their teachers outside the class in some common efforts/work.  
I have chatted with the AD in Salem and on the playing fields.....especially at the soccer games.  Her son played soccer at Amherst, .....before she arrived.  Walzy, did you ever know her son?
nescac1.....there is a tall long BB player in Howard County that has been getting notice.  His last name is Whittington!  Caught my attention!  My hope now is that .....if he is a good student....that there is not another "Whittington" at Williams in the future.

Weather permitting, I hope to get to the Amherst games on Thurs. and Sat....My first chance to watch the team live and to see Trinity play....in quite awhile.  My next chance will have to be after the regular season....since my wife has me going to Florida to visit her family.
Anyway, will be putting my two bits on the Amherst team and the "Crazy" team after seeing live play.

[nescac1]

amh63, so far as I know there is no relation between the Whittingtons ... Troy is from NYC, so you can probably rest easy. 

Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe on Williams-Amherst:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAaDlAQhYSo

[amh63]

nescac1.......thanks for the info wrt Mr. Ryan.  Went through the D3hoops photos of the game......since I saw the face in one of them.  He was sitting in the third row in the middle of the section where parents, and I would sit in the Amherst section (closest to the exit on that side).  Guess the Williams' player's hairdo reminded him of a former Div1...now NBA player.
Never thought the local high school player was related......but he does have the potential to be an impact player in Div3....he maybe over 6'8" now.

[toad22]

I confess to not having paid a lot of attention to Hanley until recently. Can a Polar Bear fan fill me in? He seems to be ripping it up now. I hate the idea of going to Maine again this year, especially when the two teams the Ephs must play each have quality talent!

[walzy31]

New top 25 out -- Williams, Middlebury and Amherst all closely bunched between 5 and 9.  With St. Thomas losing last night, all three should move up if they take care of business this week.  Have three NESCAC teams ever been in the top 10 simultaneously before?  I would be surprised, considering that there are in most years two (at most) elite NESCAC teams, with the rest substantially behind. 

This is not the 1st time that 3 NESCAC teams are in the top 10.  2003-04, there were 4 weeks that it occurred. Weeks 8,10,11 and 12 (Amherst, Trinity and Williams).

[lefrakenstein]

I wonder where this Amherst edition would rank next to three final four editions from 07-09. This team obviously has a long way to go before they can think about reaching a final four, but they also face a much, much more difficult path than any of those teams had. Pretty much none of those teams faced any serious resistance in the NESCAC (unless you count Tufts '07) and the entire NE region was also basically a cake walk with the exception of Brandeis '09. In three years those teams only had to get by two opponents that really had any business being on the court with them.

Now times have changed. Williams and Midd are obviously huge obstacles and Brandeis looks like a possible contender in the region as well. MIT might have been very good too if their star player didn't get hurt.

I think this team has the potential to be at least as good as the '07 edition, even if they don't make it as far. I always thought the '07 team relied on Bedford a little too much for scoring.

[senatorfrost]

  I think you meant to write 06-08. Bedford was class of 06.

[walzy31]

Saturday January 22nd Lines
All Games Scheduled to Tip at 2pm EST

Wesleyan @ Williams
Williams -18.5
O/U: 155.5

Trinity @ Amherst
Amherst -15.5
O/U: 140.5

Bates @ Bowdoin
Bowdoin -3.0
O/U: 149.5

Conn College @ Middlebury
Middlebury -25.0
O/U: 145.0

Tufts @ Colby
Tufts -3.5
O/U: 143.0

[lefrakenstein]

  I think you meant to write 06-08. Bedford was class of 06.

True. sorry, bump all class years down one.

[nescac1]

Walzy, thanks for the info, I had forgotten that Trinity was a top ten caliber team back in the 2004 time frame. 

Well, so much for Bowdoin -- I guess that contender talk jinxed them.  Scoring 55 at home vs. Tufts is just not going to get it done.  Not much help for Hanley last night.  Wesleyan gave Midd a tough game and I expect them to do so the same today vs. the Ephs.  I noticed frosh center Thomas did not play.  Wesleyan has been decimated by injuries this year -- with Thomas, their other center Maltz (who has barely played), and St. Jean (who's been out all year) in the rotation, they would be a very different team, much tougher and more physical on defense and the boards. 

The Ephs, for basically the first time all year, seem to be totally healthy, and appear to be really clicking.  Conn is obviously not a great team, but still an impressive margin of victory for the Ephs last night over a team that hasn't really gotten blown out before, and without much of an offensive contribution from Wang to boot.  Frosh Rooke-Ley had the best game of his career with 16-7-4 in a game high 25 minutes. 

After struggling to find his shooting stroke in the first semester, Rooke-Ley is coming on strong in conference play and developing into the role Robertson played last year as a capable sixth man who plays a lot of big minutes down the stretch.  He is averaging 8 points, 6 boards, and 2 assists on 50 percent shooting over his last five games and definitely looks like he belongs out there.  His rebounding is particularly impressive -- he is third on the Ephs in boards despite being only 6'2 and coming off the bench.  He kind of reminds me of Chuck Abba '04 in terms of his build, shooting ability, and rebounding knack, although Rooke-Ley also brings the ability to penetrate / create / play the point.   Nice to see the other frosh also play well vs. Conn. 

[Old Guy]

Middlebury escaped last night vs Wes. For three quarters of the game it was too much Sha Brown. He's really good, blows right by both defenders on the pick and roll, has a nice soft shot off the glass in traffic. I was glad I got a chance to see him play, first time.

Midd was down 11 with nine minutes to play. Then they got stops and made shots and defended Brown more effectively, aggressively doubling on the pick and roll. Jamal Davis, off the bench, was key. He's long and quick. Down seven with Middlebury mounting a comeback, Davis made a steal off the double team and went in for the flush, got the crowd involved and brought the Panthers within five. After a Wes miss, Sharry followed with a long three and it was a new ballgame. Middlebury outscored the Cardinals 24-4 after that nine minute mark.

Brown was pretty much the whole show for the Cardinals (26 points, 4-7 from three), though Poisson and Beresford (2-12) hit long threes to keep the Panthers at bay in the second half. I found myself thinking during the game that if Wesleyan had a stronger inside presence, they would be really tough. They're so quick: at times they just spread the floor, three guards out, and let Brown do his magic from the top.

Sharry was terrific the whole way for Middlebury at both ends of the floor, 22 points (6-10) and 16 rebounds in 38 minutes. He was the difference.

Tufts beats Bowdoin in Brunswick? Bates and Colby have a typical state series game, OT.

[Colby Hoops]

Heck of a game for Colby, last night.  Even though Bates has struggled, to beat them twice in a month is no easy task.  Van Loenen poured in 29 (great to see him play aggressive, they need him to be a scorer not a creator) and hit  a game tying jumper with 3 seconds to go in regulation.  Russell had a career high 7 assists to go along with 15 boards and 14 points, including two huge free throws in OT.  Gordon Fischer has come a long way since the beginning of the season, scored 10 points and big 3 in OT.  While he'll never be a defensive ace, he's cutting down on the TO's and becoming a reliable scorer.  Great job defensively for Colby as well, holding Ellis to 10 points on 5-14 shooting is excellent. 

Walzy, a little surprised by the Colby-Tufts line.  Tufts favored by 3.5 on the road?  I understand they beat Bowdoin last night but they're under .500 overall.  Colby has been playing really well of recent outside of the Bowdoin loss.  Beating Bates twice, plus RIC and Husson who are both pretty solid teams.