MBB: NESCAC

[lefrakenstein]

My prediction on how it will sort out:

4th- Bates: 5 wins; Trinity, Tufts, Conn, Wes, Bowdoin
5th- Bowdoin: 4 wins; Conn, Wes, Trinity, Colby
6th- Tufts: 3 wins; Wes, Bowdoin, Colby
7th- Wes: 3 wins; Conn, Colby, Trinity
8th- Trinity: 3 wins; Colby, Conn, Tufts
9th- Colby: 2 wins; Conn, Bates
10th- Conn: 1 win; Tufts

Of the three teams tied for sixth, Tufts comes in 6th by virtue of having beaten Bowdoin.

Wes comes in 7th then by virtue of having beaten Trinity. (I think this is how this works. Once one team is eliminated from a three way tie, head-to-head is the first item used to sort out the remaining teams, as opposed to continuing to use who-beat-the-highest-ranked-team.

[Major Hoople]

   Agree that officiating was lousy for both teams. They repeatedly missed charge and block calls  but consistently demonstrated that a no call is as bad as a bad call.

   No NESCAC coach works the refs harder than "Cryin" Mike Maker, but seemingly not hard enough to draw a T.

   Wittington a few steps slower, no doubt from the cumbersome brace, but is still the NESCAC's predominate performer.  Great around the basket skills and plays with determination.  Great spirit from both benches.

   Super  defensive effort on Wang by Thompson, whether the former was or was not ill.  Midds'backcourt outstanding in a losing cause. Despite Sharry's absence (and you could see the frustration on his face) Midds did not back down. Congrats to the winner.  They earned it.


 

[Old Guy]

I'm a worrier, conditioned perhaps by Midd's modest history and, in the immediate sense (yesterday's game), by Williams' unbroken history of success in basketball (they've been good forever).

I'm inclined to view the Panthers' performance yesterday as borderline heroic: to be down by nine at the half on the road versus a powerhouse clubwithout our best player, and then come back in the second half to make it a nailbiter (11 ties). Great effort.

How to interpret the Colby-Trinity score? Trinity coming on strong; Colby demoralized after the Amherst game?

It's going to be a great second half of the NESCAC schedule.

[jumpshot]

Old Guy, is Sharry expected to return? If so, when? Thanks.

[Bucket]

Just back from Williamstown.

Couldn't be more proud of the guys who wear blue and white. They left everything on the floor, elevated their games, were determined not to let Ryan's absence be an excuse, and were a bounce here and a bounce there from walking out of that gym with a win.

Just a gutty performance by both teams, two prizefighters going toe to toe. Thompson was spectacular on both ends of the floor, Kizell played with the panache and presence of a senior and deservedly earned great praise from many in the gym, Wholey and Wolfin drained some clutch, clutch shots, and my god, Locke and Davis were giants, simply superb. My guess is that Troy Whittington has not been challenged on either end of the floor in such a way this year. Speaking of Whittington, I have the utmost respect for the young man. He leaves the game, gets eight staples in his head and comes right back on the floor, just as athletic and aggressive as before.

I really feel for Ryan Sharry. I know it ate him up not to be able to play in this game. But you don't mess around with your eyesight, and the fact that he's ok and will return soon is a blessing. I know that he will return to the court hungrier than ever, and, even in defeat, the Middlebury kids have learned a lot about what they are capable of doing when misfortune arises.  

Williams learned a lot about themselves when Whittington was out earlier, and so too has Middlebury without Ryan Sharry. Both teams will be better for it, and here's to seeing them both at full strength the rest of the year!

Folks who know me know that I am the farthest thing from a shrinking violet when it comes to being critical of officials, so it should come as no surprise to hear me say that two of the three officials yesterday were dangerously incompetent. Both teams suffered as a result of no calls, horribly blown calls, and what appeared to be a fundamental lack of understanding of what a travel was: walks were called that weren't walks, while some serious feet shuffling and extra steps drew nary a peep. It's part of the game, I know, but it's hard to stomach nonetheless.

And here I feel a need to defend my good friend Mike Maker. He was doing what any other good coach--and he is better than good--would do in the same position: protect his players. That's what he was doing with the officials. He had every right to be as upset as he was, just as Coach Brown had every right to be as upset as he was at other points during the game. Both coaches and both teams deserved better.

My family and Mike's family enjoyed a very nice dinner together after the game, and he was every bit as gracious as I was disappointed on the inside. He is incredibly complimentary of our players, our coaches, and our school, and I offer this to counter any negative impression that may exist. It's way off base, and he deserves better.  

[frank uible]

Old Guy: What is your definition of "good forever"? Williams was 4-5 in NESCAC during each of '07-'08 and '04-'05 and not much better in '06-'07 and '05-'06.

[amh63]

I guess the officials have been a topic in key conference games.  This is an interesting topic to continue since key games remain.
I follow the Div 1 ACC games.  Decades ago, there was an interesting story about officials in Sports Illustrated.  It related stories about traveling, expenses and how different conferences were preferred over others, etc....basically a "life on the role" article that pointed out that the ACC, where BB is KING, was the choice of seasoned officials.  The ACC provided referees better rooms to change, some refreshments even , etc....maybe better compensation even.  Time passes and I believe that Div.1 conferences now have their "pool" of officials to draw from.
The topic I put forward to this board.... does the NESCAC have a select pool of referees that cover conference games?  Given all the schools in NE and even the WBB games played, there must be a large number of officials to choose from.  Put it another way, can the conference prevent certain referees from calling games.  Should the conference have a say in the officials that cover their schools, especially in the tournament.  
In the post season, how are officials assigned to particular NCAA sites.?  Last question, can or should the conference compensate officials better than other conferences...in order to get "better" officials...maybe even good Div. 1 candidates.

[ephoops]

Bucket:

Mike Maker is a great coach and an even better person.

Thanks for your insights on the game and the post-game...

I really enjoy the perspective you and Old Guy bring to this forum regarding Midd...

[nescac1]

Bucket, well said on all points.  From everything I've seen and heard, Maker is a true class act, and a true players' coach.  He motivates without berating or being an overbearing personality, which I really like.  Very modest, down-to-earth guy. 

And I have a feeling we will see several more Midd/Williams/Amherst showdowns in both the NESCAC and NCAA tourney.  I really hope all three teams are at full strength going forward ...

[Major Hoople]

   This is supposed to be a basketball forum.  My comment about Coach Maker's "working the refs" can, and should be construed as the writer's personal observation of his overuse of a coaching tactic.  It was not, nor was it intended to be taken in any way as a disparagement of his character. I'm sorry if a few of you took it that way.

[trixiep]

I think it's pretty safe to say that the vast majority of NESCAC coaches are good people with good character, regardless of individual coaching styles.  I think Major Hoople's comment about Coach Maker added a little welcome "spice" to what is inarguably a very respectful fan forum.

[Old Guy]

Old Guy: What is your definition of "good forever"? Williams was 4-5 in NESCAC during each of '07-'08 and '04-'05 and not much better in '06-'07 and '05-'06.

There's some irony in my beating the drum for Williams. I went to the Williams web site hoping to find the team's overall record those and other years but couldn't find an archive (there is a narrative "history"). True, in the past decade they have flirted with mediocrity in the league, but I'm quite confident if you graphed NESCAC teams' w-l records over the past half-century or more, you would find no comparison with other teams: the Williams line would be on the top, occasionally dipping below one or another of the teams, but no one else over time would be even close.

I coached high school basketball for six years with Geoff Morton '59 who scored 1231 points in three years for the Ephs (frosh were ineligible) before the three point shot. We're still friends. They were good then, and in every decade since then, under Coaches Shaw, Tong, Sheehy, Paulson, and now Maker. Williams hardly needs more PR - they get more pub than all the other NESACAC teams combined, but I suspect there isn't another team in New England with their record of sustained excellence in hoop. The comparable program at Middlebury is soccer, which has had two losing seasons in 56 years (and one was in its second year).

Williams is Middlebury's most natural rival, given its proximity and success, though that view is hardly reciprocated what with the Ephs historic relationship with Amherst (the intensity of that rivalry can get pretty tiresome for others). I loved growing up at Bates with Bowdoin only 20 miles away and Colby 40. When Bowdoin was an all-men's school, their arrogance was quite intolerable - they were Dartmouth writ small. Now it's better but still fierce. When my sister married the Bowdoin football coach (Jim Lentz), I had to give up my Bowdoin prejudice. Thus ends the history lesson and nostalgia for today.

[amh63]

Several general comments while awaiting Walzy's view of this weekend's games.  Have't seen his summary of last week's predictions.
This week's conference player-of the week is shared.  Toomey of Amherst and Whittington of Williams share the honors.
Old Guy...it seems that your conference schools' connections is really strong.  I think that next season with the entrance of Hamilton.....the proper "traveling partners" in BB should be Midd. and Williams.....however there will not be enough schools  to provide a partner for Hamilton.  Any suggestions posters?
I have an old Alumni friend that gave me some advice with respect to Amherst vs. Williamst in sports.  Charlie Johnson '60 played BB at Amherst...in the days when the games were played over the dirt floor in the present "Coolidge Cage".  He once told me that after graduation one of the best things you can do is to make friends with a Williams grad that share your sports interest. It will enhance your enjoyment during matches between the schools.  I often see him at the football games at Amherst...sitting on the "Williams"side...where the sun shines.  When Amherst won the title in '07 in Salem, Va.....Charlie was there with his Williams friend to whom I was introduced and chatted with.  Charlie was wearing  his old BB cap and had a big smile on his face.  I never asked Charlie if he and his friend attended the Championship game when Williams won it!  I am sure he remembers your Williams friend...the one that probably scored  mucho points against Charlie......Amherst was not very good in BB back in those days.

[Old Guy]

I lied: more NESCAC history.

When I was at Middlebury, Amherst was decent but not great. They had a good player named Ken Howard, big kid, 6'6". He loved to shoot from the outside (like Schiel), would have been that much better if the three point shot had been invented (but then again so would I and 1000 other woulda, coulda's, like me, slow guys with a shot). Howard was abetted by a big guy, a rebounder, in the middle named Kraus, a moose, who was the player we really feared.

Ken Howard has gone on to a terrific acting career, first in a TV series called The White Shadow ('78-81) in which he played the white coach of an inner-city high school basketball team of mostly black kids. Great show, a classic, still rerun. Since then, he's done everything: he's now the President of the Screen Actors Guild. Every time I see him on TV, which is a lot, I say to my kids, "there's my friend, Ken Howard," though the extent of our relationship is a couple of fouls in the act of shooting.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0397432/bio

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077101/

[amh63]

Old Guy......next time I see Ken Howard ......I will mention I know the Midd player that fouled him in games.  I remembered him only on the freshmen team.  Though I have followed him a bit wrt his acting career, I never knew he made it to the varsity. 
I had an Amherst "mentor" in the Washington D.C. area in the area of "recruitment" during the 70's thru80's.  I met Charlie Johnson then since he covered two private schools.....since he worked in Congress, Charlie would interview applicants from The Capital Page School, a boarding school that had classes in the Supreme Court and served the members of Congress.  Anyway,  my mentor did not always have nice things to say about Williams......until his son, also an Amherst grad., married a girl from Williams and therefore became family.